Directed by Mark Herman (Little Voice), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is based on the book of the same name by Irish novelist John Boyne. The story focuses on a little boy who is friends with another little boy who is in a Nazi concentration camp, their friendship conducted almost entirely through an electrified barbed-wire fence, with the outsider unaware of his pal’s predicament. Clearly, Herman hoped to make a movie about the holocaust that would be understandable for children as well as adults. In that he has succeeded. To date, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is probably the best film for teaching children about this dark time in world history.
The film establishes its themes in its first images; young boys playing in a public square in front of Nazi headquarters in Berlin, their carefree laughter a stark contrast to the ominous swastikas in the background. We already know this is going to be a story of lost innocence.
It’s around 1941, and 8-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield), is moving to a new home in the country after his Nazi officer father (David Thewlis), is promoted. Also joining them is his 12-year-old sister Gretel (Amber Beattie) and his mother (Vera Farmiga). At a going away party before the big move, dad remarks, “Home is where the family is.” Unbeknownst to Bruno, however, home is Auschwitz and Dad is the new camp commandant, who will be supervising the mass exterminations.
The family’s new home is an imposing mansion; dark smoke from the Auschwitz furnaces ripples in the background. Herman frames the story fairly matter-of-factly, trying to keep the point of view with young Bruno, which becomes more difficult to do, as the story becomes more obvious and complex. That seems especially true when Bruno, being taught blatant hate from a rabid, though controlled, anti-Semitic tutor, is told, “I think, Bruno, if you ever found a nice Jew, you would be the greatest explorer in the world.”
From his bedroom window, Bruno can see some sort of “farm” in the distance. The workers wear striped pajamas. One of them comes to his family’s house to do gardening and other labor; he seems sickly, terrified and beaten-down. One day, Bruno sneaks away from the house and down the road to the “farm.” There he meets another eight-year-old boy, Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a bedraggled inmate at the concentration camp, whom Bruno sneaks out to see and pass the time with on the opposite side of barbed wire of the camp. The idea of a concentration camp is beyond Bruno’s comprehension. Bruno innocently asks his new friend, if the tattooed number on his wrist is part of a game and “What do you burn in those chimneys?”
Herman shoots these scenes with an admirable poignancy. However, after awhile it seems a little strange that Bruno can visit his friend and bring him food day after day, with no interference from any guards. Thewlis as Bruno’s father, is thoroughly believable as a man trying to be a “good Nazi” and who’s just doing his part to make Deutschland strong and safe, while daughter Gretel is just as convincing as a convert to the Hitler youth program. Bruno’s mother is given little to do but mope around by the end of the story.
Despite some lapses in the story, Herman created a harrowing final scene. Bruno digs under the fence to help Shmuel find his father. This decision will lead to a devastating end for Bruno, his family and the audience. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an understated film. For the most part, the violence and cruelty of the holocaust are merely suggested. In fact a shot of the smokestacks spewing black is just as effective as watching anything more graphic. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a standout film, that may be used in schools as a teaching tool.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is very solid with no noticeable technical problems. The color is well balanced with no bleeding; artistically the palette ranges from vibrant beauty to a dreary and depressing. There isn’t a tremendous amount of detail in faces but it doesn’t take away from the viewing experience.
The film is presented in English Dolby Digital 5.1 and is a serviceable track for the style of film. Heavily dialogue driven, the center and front channels get the most work out, with the rears popping up to flesh out the soundtrack and ambience. English captions for the hearing impaired and Spanish subtitles are also present.
The film contains three extras, the best of which is a feature length commentary with writer/director Mark Herman and the author of the original novel, John Boyne. It’s a good track with both sharing their thoughts on the film and pointing out differences from the novel. The other two extras are a set of deleted scenes, which also feature the same duo on optional commentary. These scenes are mostly from the film’s first and second act. The optional commentary does reveal spoilers about the film so interested parties should keep that in mind. Lastly, is a 20 min featurette titled, “Behind the Fence,” which is a standard talking head/promotional piece. Cast and crew alike are interviewed and share their thoughts on the original story and film.
