The Reader April 3, 2009

Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star in this haunting period romance that traces the complicated love affair between a German teen and a mysterious woman twice his age. Based on author Bernhard Schlink’s best-selling novel of the same name, “The Reader” opens in post-World War II Germany, where ailing teenager Michael Berg has fallen ill with scarlet fever. Nursed back to health by Hanna, Michael eventually makes a full recovery and decides to thank his benevolent caretaker in person. Upon being reunited, Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and the pair quickly enters into a passionate yet clandestine affair. Later, after intense readings of The Odyssey and Huck Finn, among others, Hanna vanishes without a trace, leaving Michael heartbroken and despondent. Flash-forward nearly a decade, and Michael is a law student observing Nazi war crime trials. When Hanna wanders into the courtroom and takes a seat in the defendant's chair, her past comes into focus just as Michael uncovers the secret that will have a profound impact on both of their lives. “The Reader” is a story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another.

Official Website: http://www.thestatetheatre.org/Events/fullevent.php?id=457