THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS

Director: Mark Herman
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Rupert Friend
Run Time: 94 minutes
Country: United Kingdom
Year: 2008
Language: English
Rating: PG (Violence)

Based on the 2006 novel by John Boyne, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas relates a young German boy’s experience and perspective of the Holocaust. This deeply affecting film, masterfully directed by Mark Herman, tells an unlikely story of a friendship between two boys on different sides of a concentration camp fence.

Eight-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield), the sheltered young son of a concentration camp commander, is annoyed to learn that he and his family will soon be uprooted to the countryside after his father receives a promotion to a mysterious and unnamed new job. Ignorant and naive, Bruno has a vague inkling that his father is a Nazi officer but lacks any notion of what that means. The only clues the boy has to the commander’s occupation are the shadows cast from his mother’s worried looks and from his own observation that the local “farmers” in the distance all seem to be wearing “pajamas.” He never presses his father for more information.

Lonely and curious, Bruno steals out of the house and finds a boy his age named Shmuel (Jack Scanlon) lurking in desperation by a wire fence. Deeply ignorant of the truth of Shmuel’s circumstances, Bruno forms a friendship with him that leads to shocking revelations and a powerful and surprising conclusion that may cause many viewers to seriously question their assumptions.

Blessed by marvellous performances all around, the film is truly elevated by young newcomer Asa Butterfield, who is particularly memorable in his first major role, perfectly evoking the main character’s naïveté without ever becoming cute in a contrived sense. While the novel was originally intended for children, the film is more adult in its approach, although its stern message remains an important reminder for both children and adults alike.

“It is one of the most moving and remarkable films about childhood I’ve ever seen. The setting of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is as grim as it gets, but the perspective is a magical piece of cinema.” – James Christopher, The Times

Reviews: www.metacritic.com/film/titles/boyinthestripedpajamas

Website/Trailer: www.boyinthestripedpajamas.com