The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – Movie Review

Cast: Asa Butterfield (as Bruno); Jack Scanlon (as Shmuel); Vera Farmiga (as Elsa, Bruno’s Mother); David Thewlis (as Ralf, Bruno’s Father)

On receiving the news of his father’s posting, Bruno, an eight year old boy, reluctantly agrees to move to the countryside with his family (Father, mother and elder sister).

Unlike Berlin, Bruno fails to make any friends at the new place because there is no one around to make friends with.  Out of boredom and with complete unawareness of the political situation in Germany and the plight of Jews in the Concentration Camps, he secretly makes friends with a Jewish boy his age, named Shmuel. Their friendship goes unnoticed as he makes sure to slip out of the house only when he is not being watched. These boys share their worlds with each other. Bruno looks forward to Shmuel’s company and Shmuel looks forward to the food that Bruno would get for him sometimes.

Surprised by the grimly tales told by Shmuel caused by the soldiers, Bruno tries to investigate to reassure himself that his father is the exceptional brave soldier that he believes he is.

When his eight year old mind tries to analyze his sister and his private tutor’s opinion about the Jews as against the documentary that he secretly watches, showcasing the fun life of Jews in the concentration camp - his mind is mystified with contradictory views. But the documentary on Jews is able to re-establish his confidence on his father’s credentials as a responsible and a brave soldier.

It is a story of innocence and of guilt ; of friendship and of animosity; of life of adults and of life of children; of humanity and of inhumanity; of love and of hatred;  of self – pride and of self –pity ; of trust and of betrayal; of helplessness and of power; of patriotism and of conspiracy;  of respect and of disrespect - all of these co-existing seamlessly in the same world, until one day when Shmuel shares the news of his father found missing with Bruno and Bruno steps on the other side of the line which leads him into the concentration camp with Shmuel to find his father.

This movie is based on the book written by “John Boyne” with the same title.

There is a popular saying that goes ‘never judge a book by its movie’; however I shall have to make an exception for this one.  I haven’t read the book as yet but I shall now – for if the movie is so beautiful I cannot imagine how fine the book would be. So Crossword – here I come.

My final take – A must-watch film!