The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)A timeless story of innocence lost and humanity found
Directed by Mark Hernan
Directed by Mark Hernan
Featuring: Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Zac Mattoon, Jack Scanlon
Rating: 2 1/2 stars
I was browsing pay per view channels the other day and I decided to watch this. There was literally nothing else on, so I figured: well, why not? Set during World War II, the film tells the story of Bruno, the naive eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, who befriends Schmuel, a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence.
I am pretty much used to Nazi soldiers with British accents by now, so I did not mind the fact that this movie seemed to be taking place in England rather than in Germany. The acting by the Bruno and Schmuel is excellent. Their scenes together are pretty much the only interesting moments in the film. Vera Farmiga's role as a helpless mother is quite memorable, but in the end, it does not amount to much. Trust me, I tried to relate to the characters in the film. I just didn't find the situation believable. The film is shot at a rather slow pace and gets a little tedious at times. The tediousness arises from the fact that the film is quite predictable. There are not many possible outcomes for films set in the Holocaust. Either way, you know it is going to end badly.
This film is not a tragedy. It might play out like a tragedy, but the ending does not provide any sense of release. I need to quote Briony Tallis' here: "But what sense of hope or satisfaction could a reader derive from an ending like that?" None. Bruno and Schmuel were innocent children. I'm forced to ask: Who is the film trying to punish? Bruno's parents for participating in the Holocaust? The audience (i.e the rest of the world who sat idly by and did nothing) for allowing this to happen? I don't know.
I was browsing pay per view channels the other day and I decided to watch this. There was literally nothing else on, so I figured: well, why not? Set during World War II, the film tells the story of Bruno, the naive eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, who befriends Schmuel, a Jewish boy on the other side of the fence.
I am pretty much used to Nazi soldiers with British accents by now, so I did not mind the fact that this movie seemed to be taking place in England rather than in Germany. The acting by the Bruno and Schmuel is excellent. Their scenes together are pretty much the only interesting moments in the film. Vera Farmiga's role as a helpless mother is quite memorable, but in the end, it does not amount to much. Trust me, I tried to relate to the characters in the film. I just didn't find the situation believable. The film is shot at a rather slow pace and gets a little tedious at times. The tediousness arises from the fact that the film is quite predictable. There are not many possible outcomes for films set in the Holocaust. Either way, you know it is going to end badly.
This film is not a tragedy. It might play out like a tragedy, but the ending does not provide any sense of release. I need to quote Briony Tallis' here: "But what sense of hope or satisfaction could a reader derive from an ending like that?" None. Bruno and Schmuel were innocent children. I'm forced to ask: Who is the film trying to punish? Bruno's parents for participating in the Holocaust? The audience (i.e the rest of the world who sat idly by and did nothing) for allowing this to happen? I don't know.
The movie is a black and white snapshot of someones suffering. You know it happened. You know there is nothing you can do to change it. And you wonder, for what purpose was it preserved in such an inanimate state where it is completely irrelevant? The movie does not raise any questions. It just hits you in the face and leaves you shocked for a little while. If you want an amazing Holocaust film, see Spielberg's Schindler's List instead.
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