Post #4: Adapting Your Book - The Book Thief

Since The Book Thief has already been adapted into a movie, I'll just go off the film version and say what they did correctly or incorrectly, or what they needed to add and didn't.  The filmmaker from The Book Thief movie didn't seem to do anything significantly wrong and I think the film company did a nice job with the movie. I think that so far it follows the book quite well.  The filmmaker had to change some of the things regarding Liesel's past since so far this have not been to elaborated on in the book.  I think that the movie makers created a backstory for Liesel that was not even mentioned in the book at all, but this may be necessary for the plot to follow the book relatively closely in the movie since this has only been mentioned a few times so far, and very vaguely.

I think that the movie definitely needed to keep some key scenes that made a large impact in the book, or will make a significant change to the storyline.  Since the book is called The Book Thief, I think that it's only natural that the scene where Liesel steals her first book is incorporated.  This scene is also important because it is the first book that she ever had and it is the book that gets her to learn how to read.  The second scene that I think definitely needs to be added to the movie is when Mama and Papa are first introduced.  I think that this scene needs to be added because that shows a lot about their personalities and how they want things to operate in their house. And finally, the last scene that I think should be added into the movie (based off of what I have read so far) would be when Papa and Liesel begin their midnight lessons because this will lead to Liesel becoming a better reader and writer.  I think that all the said scenes should be added because in some way they all relate to Liesel's book stealing tendencies or her gaining the ability to read.

Two parts of The Book Thief that I would probably cut out from the movie adaption are when Liesel wets the bed - I feel that this isn't too important of a scene, I think that all that needs to really be included relating to  that is Liesel having the nightmares and then waking up and having midnight study sessions with Papa.  Another scene that I think could be cut out without much of a difference in the plot would be when Liesel and Rudy go to the store to buy mixed candy.  I think that this isn't too important, and I think that it could be left out without much argument.