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THE READERis a 2008 German-American romantic drama film based

on the 1995 German novel of the same name by Bernhard Schlink. he film

!as !ritten by "avid #are and directed by Ste$hen "aldry. %al$h &iennes and

'ate (inslet star alon) !ith the yo*n) actor "avid 'ross. +t !as the last film for

$rod*cers Anthony ,in)hella and Sydney ollack both of !hom had died

before it !as released. rod*ction be)an in Germany in Se$tember 200/ and

the film o$ened in limited release on "ecember 10 2008.

+t tells the story of ,ichael Ber) a German la!yer !ho as a mid-

teena)er in 1958 had an affair !ith an older !oman #anna Schmit !ho then

disa$$eared only to res*rface years later as one of the defendants in a !ar

crimes trial stemmin) from her actions as a )*ard at a ai concentration cam$.

,ichael realies that #anna is kee$in) a $ersonal secret she believes is !orse

than her ai $ast a secret !hich if revealed co*ld hel$ her at the trial.

(inslet and 'ross !ho $lays the yo*n) ,ichael received m*ch $raise

for their $erformances3 (inslet !on a n*mber of a!ards for her role incl*din)

the Academy A!ard for Best Actress. he film itself !as nominated for several

other ma4or a!ards incl*din) the Academy A!ard for Best ict*re.

Berlin in 1995. ,ichael Ber) !atches an -Bahn $ass by flashin) back

to a tram in 1958 e*stadt. A 15-year-old ,ichael 6"avid 'ross7 )ets off

beca*se he feels sick and !anders the streets $a*sin) in the entry!ay of a

nearby a$artment b*ildin) !here he vomits. #anna Schmit 6'ate (inslet7 a

tram cond*ctor comes in and hel$s him ret*rn home.

,ichael dia)nosed !ith scarlet fever rests at home for the net three

months. After he recovers he visits #anna !ith flo!ers to thank her. he :-

year-old #anna sed*ces him and they be)in an affair. hey s$end m*ch of their

time to)ether havin) se in her a$artment after she has had ,ichael read to her

from literary !orks he is st*dyin) s*ch as ;milia Galotti he

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#anna *nlike her co-defendants admits that A*sch!it !as an

etermination cam$ and that the ten !omen she chose d*rin) each months

Selektion !ere )assed. She denies a*thorshi$ of a re$ort on the ch*rch fire

des$ite $ress*re from the other defendants b*t then admits it rather than

com$lyin) !ith a demand to $rovide a hand!ritin) sam$le.

,ichael then realies #annas secret she is illiterate and has concealed

it her !hole life. he other female )*ards !ho claim she !rote the re$ort are

lyin) to $lace res$onsibility on #anna. ,ichael informs %ohl that he has

information favo*rable to one of the defendants b*t is not s*re !hat to do since

the defendant herself chose not to disclose the information. %ohl tells him that if

he has learned nothin) from the $ast there is no $oint in havin) the seminar.

,ichael arran)es a visit to #anna in $rison b*t once there he leaves !itho*t

seein) her.

#anna receives a life sentence for her admitted leadershi$ role in the

ch*rch deaths !hile the other defendants are sentenced to fo*r years and threemonths each. ,ichael 6%al$h &iennes7 mean!hile marries has a da*)hter and

divorces. %etrievin) his books from the time of the affair !ith #anna he be)ins

readin) them into a ta$e recorder. #e sends the cassette ta$es and a recorder

to #anna. ;vent*ally she be)ins to check the books o*t from the $rison library

and teaches herself to read and !rite by follo!in) alon) !ith ,ichaels ta$es.

She starts !ritin) back to ,ichael in brief childlike notes askin) him to !rite to

her.

,ichael does not !rite back or visit b*t contin*es sim$ly sendin) ta$es

and in 1988 a $rison official 6=inda Bassett7 tele$hones him to seek his hel$!ith #annas transition into society after her *$comin) release. #e finds a $lace

for her to live and a 4ob and finally visits #anna a !eek before her release. +n

their meetin) ,ichael remains some!hat distant and confronts her abo*t !hat

she has learned from her $ast. ,ichael arrives at the $rison on the date of

#annas release !ith flo!ers only to discover that #anna han)ed herself. She

has left a tea tin !ith cash in it !ith a note askin) ,ichael to )ive the cash and

money in a bank acco*nt to +lana.

,ichael travels to e! Cork >ity !here he meets +lana and confesses

his relationshi$ !ith #anna. #e tells her abo*t the s*icide note and #annas

illiteracy. +lana tells ,ichael there is nothin) to be learned from the cam$s andref*ses the money. ,ichael s*))ests that she donate the money to an

or)aniation that combats ad*lt illiteracy $referably a ?e!ish one. She !ants

him to take care of this instead tho*)h she !ryly notes Dilliteracy isnt m*ch of a

?e!ish $roblem.D +lana kee$s the tea tin since it is similar to one stolen from her

in A*sch!it.

,ichael drives ?*lia his da*)hter to #annas )rave and tells her their

story.