in light of brittany murphy recent and tragic death and i decide to watch some of her movie i would never see and i find this one . the devil arithmetic be the kind of movie that would be good for middle schoolers who do not know much about the holocaust . it doesn not dumb down the atrocity of a concentration camp and but it doesn not focus on depict them in graphic detail and either . while there be several death and many happen off screen and and those we do see be bloodless but blood chilling . fan of the book and which i read several time in middle school and early high school and will probably be disappoint while there no gitl and rivka be hannah cousin and and some of the more suspenseful episode of the novel be go . however and if you have never read the book or can set the book aside and the film have an interesting story and do a good job of establish a culture that will be unfamiliar to the viewer . brittany murphy be probably the best thing about this movie and and i do not say that out of pity while she play rivka a a sweet and kind and devoutly religious young woman who be the movie emotional backbone . kirsten dunst be and well and kirsten dunst . she isn not bad in the part and but she doesn not make herself terribly memorable in it and either . old audience might think the devil arithmetic sanitize the holocaust and but i would have to disagree . it doesn not whitewash what happen it just present it in a way that would not cause twelve year old to have vivid and gory nightmare . if the film have a large flaw and it that hannah never develop much of a personality beyond a bratty kid who have to adjust to life in the camp . that be the flaw of the book too and i think . at the same time and that blankness allow viewer hannah age to imagine themselves a hannah and react and learn a she do .