‘All the Light We Cannot See’ (Limited Series) Review: An Incoherent, Clumsy Tale of a Wartime Romance
Netflix’s adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s novel All the Light We Cannot See follows a blind French girl and a young Nazi boy. The only thing they have in common is that they listen to a show by a mysterious man named the “Professor,” and their lives are forever intertwined.
The series is set towards the end of World War 2. It’s only a matter of time before the American army makes its way to Saint-Malo, a French port city. The Nazi troops are stationed in Saint-Malo to uncover any resistance groups by locating their secret codes on the radio. Werner Pfennig (Louis Hofmann) is a prodigy who builds and repairs radios. He is assigned to listen to radio broadcasts at night. This is where he hears Marie-Laure LeBlanc’s (Aria Mia Loberti) recitation of Jules Verne’s “Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.” It is a coded transmission to the American army that Werner picks up one night, but he keeps it a secret.
In the midst of this, a Nazi gemologist, Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel (Lars Eidinger), searches for Sea of Flames, and he knows who owns it: Marie. No one in the port city is willing to share her location. He believes that the stone will grant him immortality.
All the Light We Cannot See introduces Loberti, who brings a fresh and radiant performance in her first-ever role. Loberti’s performance is the only thing worth watching in the series. Like the character, Loberti is legally blind and gives a memorable and grounding performance that understands the immense responsibility of playing the lead role.
However, Hofmann is wrongfully cast. Other stars in the series, like Hugh Laurie as Uncle Etienne, a traumatised war veteran with agoraphobia and a resistance fighter, and Mark Ruffalo as Marie’s father, Daniel LeBlanc, are less remarkable. Ruffalo attempts to speak in a French accent, but it never does. Also, for a series set in a French port city, none of the characters sound French, but that’s the logic of a Hollywood series.
Regardless, All the Light We Cannot See takes the audience to the centre of Marie’s universe. She grew up with her father, learning about history and learning how to navigate the world as a blind girl. After leaving Paris due to the Nazi aggressions, Daniel and Marie move to Uncle Etienne’s home in Saint-Malo. She hides in the attic and recites the story, as told by her Uncle Etienne. Werner, who spent his youth in an orphanage in Germany, is picked up by a Nazi soldier and then subsequently sent to a training camp for Hitler Youth. In Saint-Malo, he is trapped in the rubble, listening to her transmissions.
It’s like the beginning of a fated love story. The only thing they have in common is their shared interest in the “The Professor,” who recites stories on the radio late at night. The series reminds the audience that Werner never wanted to be a Nazi soldier; he’s one of the ‘Good Nazis’— or whatever that means. His only purpose in this series is to protect her.
The non-linear narrative structure helps the audience to understand Marie and Werner’s past. It jumps from flashbacks to the present time to add context and suspense, but there isn’t a real sense of conflict between the central characters. It’s poorly executed and creates a dishonest comparison to suggest that they had the same upbringing. It’s meant to show that their words are parallel, but he’s a Nazi and she’s a French girl with the resistance. There’s neither betrayal nor a conflict between them.
All the Light We Cannot See is clumsily written. The only good part of the limited series is Loberti’s performance. It’s hard to find an emotional connection because that’s what the series needs more than anything. It’s meant to have tear-jerking moments, but the story doesn’t emulate it on the screen. Perhaps All the Light We Cannot See might work for audiences who prefer war dramas, but in the meantime, the heroism of some of the characters is not noteworthy.
All the Light We Cannot See is currently streaming on Netflix.
Strike Funds: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1weorhmG1H7cszY3rGHCpNYsgleegkuOSH7rD47JzSAQ/edit
Solidarity with striking film and television workers: https://freelancesolidarity.org/wga-sag-strike-solidarity/
Here are some reading materials to learn about the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine and the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement:
Books about Palestine on Verso Books
Books about Palestine on Haymarket Books
