The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

It's a low-key film, but one that manages to stir the level of emotions and the viewer's experience quite easily. The premise is very naive perhaps and the family concept in connection with the deep ethical theme is too loose, but the way the story is told and built-up makes up for everything. Thewlis and Farmiga are superb and Horner is traditionally excellent. I don’t think I’ll be able to get the depressive ending out of my head very easily. 80% (02/16/2013)

The absurdity of the pretext of the greatest war in human history through the eyes of a young boy. At times war satire, at times bitter comedy, here and there just a sensitive and slightly corny boy's odyssey. There are no outright shocking moments, the filmmakers go in a slightly different direction and thanks to the short running time everything moves quickly and smoothly. Certainly, an important film about WWII. (04/25/2021)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a sensitive, naïve (and bordering on kitschy) American take on the Holocaust “for the whole family” (also thanks to James Horner’s sweet piano music). That is not necessarily a bad thing, since the film is about a child’s perception of the world. It might even be good for school-aged children, who’d be more interested in this kind of history lesson than in boring textbooks. They might perfectly identify with the main character. In my eyes, however, the film loses credibility because of the cheap coincidences (plot twists) it uses to reach the heartbreakingly tragic climax. This is a sentimental affair meant to milk the audience’s emotions, which, however, with a better script and filmed by Michael Haneke or Roman Polanski could have been a great film. (01/06/2011)

A chilling story told through the eyes of a child, full of fear and childish naivety, which managed to draw me in and only let me go after the final and unexpected climax. The film is a fine spectacle in every way, with plenty of convincing and well-chosen actors, excellent cinematography and a grandiose score by veteran James Horner. I was all the more intrigued by the film because, as I said, it is taken mainly from the point of view of the children, a Jew vs. a German. In short, a captivating film that is perfect in its technical and acting aspects and timeless and powerfully emotional in its story. (09/28/2010)

The film as a whole struck me. I'm glad it's not unnecessarily drawn out and lengthy, but I was quite bothered by the predictability of the ending. It did build up a lot of emotion, but part of me was disappointed. A wonderful acting performance in my eyes was given by Vera Farmiga. The thoughtfulness and innocence of little Bruno sometimes entertained me, sometimes made me sad. The main weapon here is the strong subject matter and right after that the quality dialogue. It's a close one, but I’m giving it 5 stars. (09/20/2011)