The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
Based on the John Boyne book of the same name, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas traces the story of two 8 year old boys, bought together by fate, but divided by faith, politics and a barbed wire fence.
Bruno, the son of a German army officer, who gets moved from Berlin to a new posting as the commandant at a concentration camp. The whole family have to move, so Bruno, along with his sister Gretel and their mother, try to begin a new life near the camp.
Although Bruno is forbidden to play in the back garden, he manages to sneak out and finds himself exploring the woods. On one of his trips, he finds the perimeter fence of the camp and just inside, he spots Shmuel sitting quietly. Shmuel is the same age as Bruno and they start talking. Bruno asking many questions about this strange "farm" that Shmuel works on. He also asks why he is still wearing his pyjamas. The trips to the fence increase for Bruno and he starts to bring food for Shmuel and their friendship develops.
The film beautifully portrays the innocent friendship of the two boys, unaware of the atrocities that are happening all around them. We see the heart break and hardship through their innocent eyes.
Some notes on the acting in this film; the two boys are fantastic, Asa Butterfield as Bruno and Jack Scanlon as Shmuel really capture the essence of the innocent nature of the two 8 year olds. Also David Thewlis who plays Bruno's father, the camp commandant, puts in a splendid performance, which underlines the brainwashed mentality of the Nazi's, their tyrannical hatred of the Jewish people and is the complete flipside of innocence.
The film understates the severity of the subject matter, but does so because of the untainted views of the boys, but this does not detract from the harrowing truth of life inside the perimeter fence.
It is a gripping film, one that will clearly evoke many emotions, including sadness and anger. It is good to explore the differing views of the parents, as well as the children. Although it may not be, for some, an easy film to watch given the subject, but the story, as it unfolds, has you hooked and compelled to watch, to see how the friendship, born out of innocence, matures, grows and ultimately ends.
A totally brilliant film and a must see one at that. And if all that you garner from this film, is a modicum of knowledge about the atrocities that went on, then it is no bad thing. It is a fascinating, unbelievable, harrowing and incredulous period of recent history and one that should never be forgotten.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas scores 8 out of 10.
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