The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is a heartbreaking film set in World War II Germany. Starring Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga, it’s a story about a boy who moves to the country because of his father’s (a high-ranking Nazi officer) reassignment. Having taken a vow of silence and to protect the family, his father does not inform them that they are living near a concentration camp.
The movie is told through the eyes of the little boy, Bruno. Used to living the city, discovering new things and exploring unfamiliar territory, he has a hard time adjusting to life in the country where restrictions are everywhere. He is forbidden to explore the back garden and is only allowed to wander the front yard. He discovers a nearby farm with children when he looks out his bedroom window and tries to ask permission to visit the place. He is denied by his mother, who realizes that the farm is a concentration camp.
But because of boredom and his need to explore, Bruno defies his mother’s orders and escapes to the farm, where he meets Shmuel, an 8-year-old boy who was taken to the camp with his family. They quickly form a friendship, and Bruno finds himself sneaking out almost everyday, bringing food and games for Shmuel. They developed the most unlikely friendship for that time, between a German and a Jew. But will it last?
It’s a simple story about innocence, loyalty, duty, family and friendship. Superbly acted by its lead actors, including Asa Butterfield (as Bruno) and Vera Farmiga (as Bruno’s mother, Elsa), this highly emotional drama about World War II and Hitler’s movement against the Jews will tug at the hearts of even the hardest man.
It’s a movie that one must watch at his own risk. It starts out as just an ordinary day in an ordinary city, but then the movie starts to get grim when the actions suddenly change to soldiers capturing people. We now know that the city is Berlin, and the soldiers are capturing Jews to bring to concentration camps. We see a little boy onscreen but are always aware of the dark tones of the movie’s setting. Mark Herma, who directed this film, doesn’t try to be historically accurate, only to capture the emotions of the people who had to experience it.
If you’ve decided to watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, good luck. It’s not going to be easy to watch. But be sure to watch it until the end because it is still one of the best movies made in cinemas today.
