Directed by:
Mark HermanScreenplay:
Mark HermanCinematography:
Benoît DelhommeComposer:
James HornerCast:
Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Rupert Friend, Richard Johnson, Sheila Hancock, Cara Horgan, Amber Beattie, David Hayman (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Based on the best selling novel by John Boyne, it's an unforgettable motion picture experience powerful and moving beyond words (Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com). Bored and restless in his new home, Bruno, an innocent and naive eight year old, ignores his mother and sets off on an adventure in the woods. Soon he meets a young boy, and a surprising friendship develops. Set during World War II, this remarkable and inspiring story about the power of the human spirit will capture your heart and engage your mind. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (7)
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.
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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.
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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is exactly the kind of film that often excels in the Oscar race - an emotionally heightened drama that teeters on the edge of kitsch and has very little in common with the history and reality of the era in which it takes place. With all due respect to the subject matter - or perhaps because of it - I have to say that this is a schematic film with a contrived plot and schematic characters. Its only merit, besides decent execution and the participation of quality actors (which is not insignificant in today's times), is the reminder of the dark side of World War II. However, it does so superficially, to the point where it sometimes hurts. At times, the film resembles an unintentional parody, as the son of a concentration camp commandant casually roams around the camp fence and converses with an interned boy. The anti-Semitic program practically began with the rise of the Third Reich and aimed to separate Jews from the rest of the population and minimize any contact with them. This was accomplished through the initial requirement to wear yellow stars, prohibitions on certain professions, the creation of ghettos, as well as bans on going to cinemas, and theaters, shopping in non-Jewish stores, and many other measures. The concentration camps were intended to complete this isolation regardless of the so-called final solution. The barbed wires and guarded areas were meant not only to prevent prisoners from escaping but also to prevent any contact with the outside world. Here, the boys play chess directly under the watchtower, where the guard probably took a long nap. There are plenty of obvious nonsense moments, and in the case of this film, it is not a stylization à la Benigni and his famous film Life is Beautiful, which explains the naivety of the story with idealized memories of a man who reminisces about his father after decades. By the way, the naivety of the boy is exaggerated, as children do not believe in storks, and an 8-year-old boy cannot be expected to have such naïve thought processes. This would correspond to a child's thinking at the age of consuming Winnie the Pooh, so around five years old. It didn't make me mad, though. Vera Farmiga is charming, and the child actors give convincing performances, but I don't have any love for this kind of manipulative kitsch. Overall impression: 40%. By the way, I can imagine a similarly brutally sarcastic ending, but it would have to be handled much more cleverly in terms of the screenplay.
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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.
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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%
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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.
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I had been putting off The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for a long time. I finally got around to it... Yes, it’s not an easy watch. The film reminded me of Life Is Beautiful in its tone. It’s another harsh clash between childlike innocence and the cruel reality of World War II. However, the film doesn’t rely solely on the dialogues between the main child protagonist, Bruno, and the captured boy in the concentration camp, Shmuel. The creators did a great job of deeply portraying other characters as well (the unyielding father as a Nazi officer, the mother losing her illusions, the older sister succumbing to German propaganda), for which I have to give a solid thumbs up. Add to that the tragic ending, which hits every viewer hard (nothing else has emotionally affected me like this for a long time), and you have a well-executed cinematic achievement on all fronts. Quality work. I give it an 8/10.
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