loading loading...

The Reader Details

2008 DVD Certificate 15.gif
  • Rated:
  • 80
  • from 20,775 members

In postwar Germany, a young man’s decades-long obsession with an older woman runs headlong into a war crimes trial, where he learns an awful truth. Read more

Starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Karoline Herfurth
Director Stephen Daldry
Genres Drama, Romance

loading loading...

The Reader

In postwar Germany, a young man’s decades-long obsession with an older woman runs headlong into a war crimes trial, where he learns an awful truth.

Starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Karoline Herfurth, Linda Bassett, Hannah Herzsprung, Susanne Lothar, David Kross, Volker Bruch, Matthias Habich
Director Stephen Daldry
Studio ENTERTAINMENT IN VIDEO
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 2 mins
Blu-ray: 2 hrs 2 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 15.gif
Collections 100 Most Wanted, UK top 50 weekly chart
Genres Drama, Romance
Language English
Released DVD: 25 May 2009
Blu-ray: 02 Nov 2009
Production year: 2008
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (2) of The Reader

    View all
  • In postwar Germany, a young man’s decades-long obsession with an older woman runs headlong into a war crimes trial, where he learns an awful truth. read more »

    • Avatar image
    • Tom Charity, 
    • LOVEFiLM
  • Most helpful member's review of The Reader

    View all
  • 147 out of 148 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    brilliantly acted, thought provoking

    An excellent film which is quintessentially a powerful love story set in post-war Germany between a woman and a young (very young!) man. Their affair ends abruptly but their lives join once more many years later under very different circumstances.

    This film is very thought provoking and the viewpoint of the older vs younger generation on the atrocitites that happened during the war is very noticeable.

    I really enjoyed this film and thought about it long after viewing. Well worth watching.

      • Julia Davison from Westcliff, Essex
  • Most recent members' review of The Reader

    View all
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Five Star Performance

    A fantastic film, touching, thought provoking, engaging and believable. Faithful to the book, enriched by wonderful acting. One for a girls night in.

      • A customer from Harpenden
  • News and features

    View all
    The Reader

    The Reader: Ralph Fiennes interview

    • 29 Dec 2008

    Set in post WWII Germany, The Reader, focuses on the affair of 16 year-old Michael (David Kross) and a woman twice his age, Hanna (Kate Winslet). Their relationship ends abruptly, but Hanna’s dark secret comes back to haunt Michael in later life. Directed by Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours), the film has already earned its self 4 Golden Globe nominations, we talk to Ralph Fiennes about the difficult subjects the film touches upon and the loneliness of his character. LOVEFiLM: You Read more

  • Image gallery

    View all
  • More like this

    View all

Rating breakdown

20,775 Member ratings
  • 100
2,876
  • 90
2,481
  • 80
7,453
  • 70
3,512
  • 60
2,507
  • 50
757
  • 40
644
  • 30
197
  • 20
233
  • 10
115

Related user collection

Films that stand out from the crowd (20)

Average rating: 3.94   78.8% from 26 members

by: David T from Wirral

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop


    • Reader, The - BLU-RAY Version
      In postwar Germany, a young man’s decades-long obsession with an older woman runs headlong into a war crimes trial, where he learns an awful truth....

    • The Reader
      In postwar Germany, a young man’s decades-long obsession with an older woman runs headlong into a war crimes trial, where he learns an awful truth....