The U.K. trailer for The Book Thief has gone online, and I can’t overstate how much this version is better than the U.S. one we got a couple months ago.  The film is based on the novel of the same name, and tells the story of a young girl (Sophie Nélisse) who is adopted by a family in a World War II Germany, and uses her love of reading as a way to rebel against the rise of Nazism.  The U.S. trailer was cloying and even had to employ Mr. Movie Voice to sell the themes.  The U.K. trailer boils the film down to the friendship between the young girl and a Jew her family is hiding, and the way books provide both a bond and an identity.  It’s still going heavy on selling a theme of hope, but at least in this version, it doesn't feel forced.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also stars Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson.  The Book Thief opens in the U.S. on November 8th.

Via The Playlist.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Book Thief:

Based on the beloved bestselling book, THE BOOK THIEF tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a new family in World War II Germany.