這是一個關於愛、包容與及諒解的故事。二次大戰後的德國,少男米高(大衛高斯飾演) 因病邂逅成熟女子漢娜(琦溫絲莉飾演),情慾一觸即發,雖然年齡相距超逾廿載,激情卻能打破阻隔,二人每天秘密幽會。共渡的美好時光中,漢娜最愛聽米高為他朗讀名著,讀書聲與肉體的纏綿令二人不能自拔。然而,漢娜某天卻從米高的生活裡消失無影無蹤…… 八年後的再度重逢,米高見到的漢娜已不是昔日使他目眩的迷人女子,而是犯人欄內的納粹罪犯。修讀法律的米高手握有利於漢娜的證據,但面對戀人過往種種在集中營的罪行,米高只能陷入愛與指責中進退兩難;因為深愛漢娜而嘗試原諒其罪行,然而出於良知又不能自制的責備漢娜的所作所為。米高最後的選擇,足以影響二人的命運。
Judge: Did you not realize - that you were sending these women to their deaths? Hanna Schmitz: Yes, but they were new arrivals, new women were arriving all the time. So, the old ones had to make room for the new ones. Judge: I'm not sure you understand. Hanna Schmitz: We couldn't keep everyone. There wasn't room. Judge: No. But what I'm saying - let me rephrase: To make room, you were picking women out and saying, "You, you and you have to be sent back to be killed." Hanna Schmitz: Well, what would you have done? Hanna Schmitz: Should I never have signed up at Siemens?
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