Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for All the Light We Cannot See.
All the Light We Cannot Seeadapts the best-selling book of the same name across four episodes. Directed byShawn Levy, it weaves the interweaving stories of Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti), a blind French girl, and Werner (Louis Hofmann), a German soldier, as they try to survive the devastation of World War II. The series also starsHugh LaurieandMark Ruffalo. After episodes of build-up, the two finally meet as the Battle of Saint-Malo unfolds. Although the series was adapted from the novel byAnthony Doerr, the limited series made changes to the events of the story, affecting the ending in drastic ways.
All The Light We Cannot See
The story of Marie-Laure, a blind French teenager, and Werner, a German soldier, whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
Von Rumpel Falls Short of Claiming the Prized Diamond in ‘All the Light We Cannot See’
While Marie-Laure has herself barricaded in Etienne’s attic, Sergeant Major Reinhold von Rumpel, played byLars Eidinger, revealsher missing father’s fate in an effort to break her resolve. It turns out that in July 1943, just over a year ago, he had tracked down Daniel LeBlanc (Ruffalo) at a train station in Paris. After three hours of torture and interrogation, Daniel refused to reveal the location of the Sea of Flames to the Nazi officer. When von Rumpel resigned himself to the fact that Daniel wouldn’t budge, von Rumpel shot Daniel in the back of the head.
Growing impatient in the present, von Rumpel attempts to threaten Marie-Laure with a hand grenade. Just as her father had refused to surrender, Marie-Laure stands her ground by pulling out a gun Etienne (Laurie) had hidden in the attic. Von Rumpel detonates the hand grenade, deafening Marie-Laure’s hearing for about thirty seconds. It’s during this disorienting state that Werner arrives at the house and calls out to Marie-Laure. When von Rumpel begins to shoot at Werner, Marie-Laure’s hearing returns. The two call out to each other, Werner explaining that he’s a German soldier who was also taught by their professor, Etienne. It’s enough for Marie to help Werner as von Rumpel goes after him by calling out von Rumpel’s movements in the house. Werner uses that time to grab a wire from the parlor radio and uses it to attempt to choke von Rumpel. During their scuffle, Werner and von Rumpel knock over the scale model of Saint-Malo, which knocks out the legendary diamond that was hidden inside.
Just when it appears von Rumpel has the upper hand over Werner, Marie-Laure manages to sneak up behind von Rumpel with Etienne’s gun. Von Rumpel makes one step towards her, and she shoots him precisely in the head.The Nazi madman tumbles over, and in poetic fashion, he dies staring at the Sea of Flames on the ground.When Werner sees the diamond, he initially reaches out to touch it, but Marie-Laure stops him. The diamond and its supposed curse have already claimed too many lives.
Marie-Laure and Werner Bond Over Their Shared Connection
At long last, Marie-Laure and Werner are properly introduced to each other.She takes him up to her great uncle’s attic where he used to broadcast from. It’s here that Werner informs Marie-Laure of the message Etienne left for her, revealing that her great uncle was dead. Etienne had died from a bomb explosion as the American troops came into Saint-Melo; Etienne had attempted for Werner’s life to be spared from the other members of the Resistance. Werner marvels at the radio set up, sitting at the desk where Etienne and Marie-Laure would broadcast from. Werner confesses that the professor was like a father to him since he grew up in an orphanage.Werner and Marie-Laure further connectwhen they both recite a formative word from one of the professor’s lessons: “The most important light is the light you cannot see.”
After eating some canned peaches together, the radio begins to hum, prompting Werner to mend it. He turns it on and takes the chance to broadcast a message to his sister, Jutta (Luna Wedler). Unbeknownst to him, she has been listening to shortwave 13.10 in her brother’s absence. She’s listening to it at the orphanage when Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” begins to play, the same song the professor would open and close his broadcasts. Werner addresses his sister, telling her where he is and how he will try to get home to her. He tells her that he’s still on the same frequency in his head, something he promised her before he was dragged off to the Nazi boarding school by Herr Seidler (Ed Skrein). The most important thing he tells her before ending his message is that he met the professor, and he’s sitting in his chair next to a girl who has the most beautiful eyes. From Germany, Jutta cries while hugging the radio.
Werner turns off his broadcast and Marie-Laure holds out her hand, guiding him to stand up and put his hand on her waist. Marie-Laure and Werner dance to the rest of “Clair de Lune.” As the song plays, they hold each other close, taking in everything they’ve gone through to get here. The two young adults, bruised and battered by the horrors of war, have a moment of reprieve, intercut with memories of them as kids listening to the same broadcast. Marie-Laure puts her hand on his face, and the two pull back to kiss. They hold each other close until the music stops.
The Allies Liberate Saint-Malo, But Marie-Laure Is Left All Alone
Once the music stops, Werner and Marie-Laure hear the American troops in the streets. Marie-Laure offers to lead him to the secret pathways that can take him to the city wall and out of Saint-Malo undetected. Fearing for Marie-Laure’s life should she be caught with him, Werner rejects the plan. Instead, he assures her that they will meet again on shortwave 13.10, promising to listen if she broadcasts and to return to her after the war ends. Initially, Marie-Laure believes he might change his mind, but Werner resolves that he won’t; he fell in love with her while listening to her voice on shortwave 13.10.
Marie-Laure tells him that he needs to surrender to the American soldiers. Otherwise, the townspeople will kill him, just like Sandrina (Andrea Deck) told Von Rumpel when she exchanged her escape for the address to Marie-Laure’s house. With imprisonment, the soldiers will at least give him clothing, food, and a chance at survival. Werner agrees, and Marie-Laure walks Werner downstairs toward his fate. He tells her that he’ll be listening as he steps out of the doorway with a white cloth in surrender. Marie-Laure listens as the American soldiers take Werner as their prisoner.
After Werner is gone, Marie goes back to the parlor where von Rumpel’s body and the Sea of Flames are. With a handkerchief, Marie-Laure retrieves the legendary diamond; she was more superstitious about the curse, after all. She then makes her way through the town as Saint-Melo celebrates their liberation. As she walks by, Marie-Laure begins to tear up from the joy she hears around her. However, her final destination is the beach which she used to visit with her father. Alone, she walks into the water and throws the Sea of Flames back into the ocean. (It’s veryTitanicof her!)
The final moments of the limited series see Marie-Laure standing on the shore, listening to the waves.She’s reminded of how her father used to say the waves sounded like the earth taking a breath. Like the waves, Marie-Laure takes a breath, letting the events she’s survived wash over.Though the Battle of Saint-Malo marks the beginning of the end of the German occupation in France, the end of the limited series leaves Marie-Laure alone — her father, her great uncle/professor, and Madame Manec (Marion Bailey) are all dead, deviating from the book’s ending. Like Werner, she’s now an orphan. Even though she and Werner promised to wait for each other, there’s no indication that he ever will be released from imprisonment.
According to what we’ve seen in the limited series, the future for Marie-Laure, Werner, and Jutta remains a mystery.Will Werner reunite with his sister? Will Werner grapple with the atrocities he’s been part of? Do Marie-Laure and Werner wait for each other on the other side of the war? Unless there are plans for a second season, the answers to these questions are left submerged in the ocean next to the Sea of Flames.
All the Light We Cannot Seeis currently available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
