#atlwcs spoilers

[whumpypepsigal]

(insp)

[resetme]

HUGH LAURIE as ETIENNE LEBLANC -> All the Light We Cannot See (2023)

The human brain is locked in total darkness. Your brain floats in a clear liquid inside the skull, never in the light. And yet, in this darkness, the world the brain constructs is full of light. It brims with color and movement. What may be the most complex object in existence, one wet kilogram within which spins the universe. So how, children, does the brain, which lives without a spark of light, build for us a world full of light?

[christina-y]

8 days until the show is out and I still see so many posts about Frederick except all I can think about is.....

SPOILER BELOW!!!!!!!!

Volkheimer dies before the opening credits in episode 1 and I feel so robbed of him IDing Werner's belongings and meeting Jutta and her family

[aldarquen]

Live Werner Pfennig sighting in Masters of the Air

[lizardinkart]

I will literally pay anyone who has read “All The Light We Cannot See” for their thoughts on this show. Because I, for one, was skeptical but ok with it until the very end

And oh boy.

That ending!

[eulla-xx]

I watched All the Light We Cannot See and I am still not over it. I LOVE it so much.

(Minor spoilers ahead!)

Might be controversial to some but I actually did love the Netflix adaptation of All the Light We Cannot See despite the noticeable changes done in the show. Usually I'm like "the book is better than the movie/show" but in this case I feel like I loved the show more than the book.

Don't get me wrong, the book is a gem, beautifully-written and inarguably one of the greatest pieces of literature ever made about WWII. There is a reason why it won a Pulitzer Prize, after all. And besides, the adaptation would not exist if the book was not written in the first place.

However, there is something about the show that was really striking to me. It peaked my interest and it moved me. I could not express it enough just how much I loved it. It is a four part mini-series but it felt like I was watching a long 4-hour movie because I finished it in one sitting. It was that good for me. It was also beautifully done--- the cinematography, the soundtrack, the atmosphere, and the acting, especially the acting of Aria Mia Loberti and Louis Hofmann who play the characters of Marie-Laure and Werner respectively. They managed to capture the essence of their characters really well that I couldn't really see any other actor portraying Marie-Laure and Werner better than them.

Hofmann is a perfect fit for the role, he is how I envision Werner and it is a dream come true to see Werner come alive on-screen through him. I really loved how he showed the inner turmoil and struggle that Werner felt about the war. Like he didn't want to be a part of it but he's pulled into it anyway since he didn't have much of a choice. I also really loved the expression in his eyes. There are scenes where he didn't have to speak a lot about how he felt because his eyes expressed everything.

Look at the emotions in his eyes! Such incredible acting from Hofmann.

Loberti also did an amazing job at portraying Marie-Laure and she did so very well that I was impressed that she actually did not have any acting experience prior to ATLWCS. Her being legally blind and actually having read the book made her portrayal of Marie-Laure very genuine and natural. I also liked her relationships between her father Daniel and her uncle Etienne because it looked very natural and convincing, as if they were just family.

What I also really loved in the show was the clear chemistry between Marie-Laure and Werner. I think a part of the reason why I loved it is because I am somewhat of a hopeless romantic, but even if I wasn't, it was evident that they had a connection. Their scenes together were short but I liked the bond that they shared. And honestly the show had more scenes of them together being closer than in the book.

I especially loved the scene after the shooting, where both of them ate peaches and then went up the attic to dance and eventually share a kiss. The kiss was short and sweet, but it still never failed to make me feel giddy and I actually had butterflies in my stomach with how innocent yet intimate it is. I think it was very beautiful and perfect.

Until now while I'm writing this I am still gushing about that part.

And as everyone may know, the Netflix adaptation changed the ending of what was supposed to be the ending that is in the book. While there are some people who were disappointed with the change, I honestly think that the change they did in the show was good. I happened to like it more, since instead of making me sob over a tragic and heartbreaking ending (Werner's death ), it actually portrayed a much happier ending (or at least, a happy for now ending). It also shows a promise of hope, which I think gives meaning to the name "All the Light We Cannot See"; that darkness could not last forever and light is what will always prevail. It's actually refreshing to see the show has a happy ending because I was expecting to cry an ocean, and it's a nice change to see because usually war movies end tragically. It's a good move that Shawn Levy decided to change it, and Doerr actually agreed with the ending change so it's not like the author did not consent to it. God knows that with how much bad things the world has going on with the wars and terrorism, I feel like we could use a bit of hope in our chaos-filled world.

And though I loved the show, I do admit that there were some things that I wish they could have done. I was disappointed that they did not include scenes with Frederick because he was very important on Werner's character development. I also wish that they could have used some French and German words/sentences because it was, after all, a story set in France during WW2 when the Nazis came into power. Maybe the actors could have improved more on the French accent at least, but then it was not really something I take so seriously. Lastly, I feel like it was a bit rushed. They could have prolonged it and added a few more chapters to really integrate the overall storyline well. I still did like it though and the ending of the show was very clear and good enough for me.

But overall, I think Netflix's ATLWCS is a really beautiful and well-made adaptation. I am still hung up on the show that I keep rewatching it. I've been also finding fanfictions to read to quench my need for more Marie-Laure and Werner content. So if you happen to be good at writing, please please please write about this so I could devour it. I love these two so much.

[whumpypepsigal]

All The Light We Cannot See s01e02: “Be gentle with this one. The Reich has high hopes for him.”

[christina-y]

Milo Quinton is Frederick in ATLWCS

[aldarquen]

SPOILERS for All The Light We Cannot See! Haven't seen any yet so enjoy some inaugural ATLWCS memes!!