The Reader · written by David Hare · 2008

Rose recounts the death march and locked church fire, explaining how she and Ilana survived on a gallery.

Scene 108 of 196 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act two

Judge
Rose

Act oneAct two

Begins 47 min into a 1:21 film

The story so farBefore scene 108

As a law student, Michael sees Hanna, his former lover, on trial for war crimes and must face the secret that shaped their teenage relationship.

Scenes 1–6
In 1995, Michael prepares breakfast for Brigitte, then is alone in his apartment and looks out the window.
Scenes 7–24
The sick schoolboy Michael accepts Hanna’s help and returns to her.
Scenes 25–35
Michael enters an intimate relationship with Hanna, organized around his reading to her.
Scenes 36–96
Michael alternates between time with Hanna and school; their reading ritual and cycling trip continue while he also spends time with friends.
Scenes 97–104
At the trial, Michael finds Hanna among the defendants and hears her admit involvement in selections.
Just before
Scene 105
Michael waits in the lobby as a clerk calls Ms. Mather into court.
Scene 106
Ilana identifies Hanna and other guards, describing Hanna’s favored readers and asking whether selecting vulnerable women for death was kindness.
Scene 107
Michael sits alone with his head in his hands, in despair.
Scene 108
This scene

108INT. COURTROOM. DAY

Now ROSE is testifying. The court is quiet, focused.

JUDGE

I want to move on now to the march.

As I understand it, you and your

daughter were marched for many

months.

ROSE

Yes. It was the winter of 1944. Our

camp was closed down, we were told

we had to move on. But the plan

kept changing every day. Women were

dying all around us in the snow.

Half of us died on the march. My

daughter says in the book, less a

death march, more a death gallop.

MICHAEL looks along the row to where ILANA is now sitting.

JUDGE

Please tell us about the night in

the church.

MICHAEL watches as ROSE looks across to ILANA. ILANA stares back at her. MICHAEL watches the exchange as ROSE nods, as if accepting she must go ahead and speak.

ROSE

That night we actually thought we

were lucky because we had a roof

over our heads. We’d arrived in a

village, as always, the guards took

the best quarters, they took the

priest’s house. But they let us

sleep in a church. There was a

bombing raid. In the middle of the

night. At first we could only hear

the fire, it was in the steeple.

Then we could see burning beams,

and they began to crash to the

floor. Everyone rushed, rushed to

the doors. But the doors had been

locked on the outside.

JUDGE

The church burned down? Nobody came

to open the doors? Is that right?

ROSE

Nobody.

JUDGE

Even though you were all burning to

death?