A new international trailer for The Book Thief, a World War II drama adapted by the bestselling novel by Markus Zusak, has been released. This follows 20^th Century Fox taking out two whole pages in the New York Times to fill entirely with blank space except for a URL of the film’s website wordsarelife.com in very small print at the bottom of the page. To say that sort of promotional tactic makes an impression is an understatement, and as this international trailer certainly tries to maintain the gravity from the previous trailer. 

With a much less drawn-out introduction than the first released trailer, the inner world of Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse) is given a moment to establish itself alongside the circumstances of her adoption and her recent house guest, but only a moment. Following that, the trailer is all jackboots, burning piles of books, and other horrors of Nazi Germany as Kristallnacht occurs. Liesel is made aware of the devastating consequences not just for her guest, but also for herself if he should be discovered. Bookended nicely by ruminating on Liesel as the Book Thief and what the books mean to her and to her guest, the trailer ends on an even keel that makes you wonder at Liesel’s rebellion and her inner strength.

Directed by Brian Percival (“Downton Abbey”), and co-starring Geoffery Rush, Emily Watson, and Ben Schnetzer, The Book Thief is a clear gambit for the Oscars. The film has Oscars written all over it, although the real test will be to see whether or not it lives up to those clearly-present aspirations. Set to release on November 8^th in the USA, it won’t be long before we see if the writing and character development throughout the rest of the film can match the tenor of the notes struck in this trailer.