I recently watched a movie on OTT called ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’. It is one of those movies which stays with you for a long time – maybe, forever.
This movie is written and directed by a British director,Mark Herman. The movie is based on the novel by the same name,written by an Irish author, John Boyne. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas offers a child’s viewpoint of the Holocaust. At the box office, the movie made USD 44.1 million, but I think it gained more traction since it appeared on various OTT platforms. The book was a huge success and has apparently sold more than 22 million copies world wide and been translated into 58 languages.
Before I review the movie, I would like to mention that there has been criticism for this book as well as the movie which, as some historians and people who survived the holocaust say, the basic premise of the movie itself is incorrect as someone in a concentration camp could never come in contact with someone outside – let alone play games, as the movie has depicted in some scenes. I suppose the book comes under the genre of historical fiction. So yes, these are inaccuracies in the novel and subsequent movie based on it but if one can ignore them and view the movie purely as a cinematic project,it is an absolute must watch.
‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ is the story of a most extraordinary friendship between two 8-year-old boys, Bruno (Asa Butterfield) and Shmuel (Jack Scanlon). Bruno is the son of a fierce, dutiful concentration camp commandant (David Thewlis) during the holocaust. Shmuel is a young boy who Bruno meets one day while exploring the forbidden areas behind the new family home that supposedly overlooks a mysterious “farm” (concentration camp) with people who appear to be dressed in pajamas. As the film progresses, this blend of innocence with stark reality is astounding to watch as it unfolds. The two children in all their innocence enter their friendship seemingly unaware of what it all means and where it’s all headed and slowly, as viewers, we somehow get the impression that the ending is not going to be pleasant.
What makes the film so terrific, is its attention to detail.‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ avoids the pitfalls of making it too emotional or a tearjerker while also presenting the story of this friendship with great realism and stark truth. The movie comes with the rating of PG13+ and has some mildly violent scenes, leaving more to the viewers imagination – in some ways it is good as it is told from a young boy’s perspective.
The casting of the movie is spot on, and everyone does justice to their roles. While the movie (and the novel)has its flaws as mentioned earlier – on how the two boys play ball, checkers and also wolf down sweets in the corner of a concentration camp. However, it is impossible not to be moved by the movie’s ending.
The ending is one that stays in one’s mind and only now have I been able to distance myself from the film, which gave me enough space to write about it.
I will not give more details of the movie but would urge you to see it as it is compelling but not a very easy watch. The movie is tightly paced and cinematically enlightening, serving to showcase historical, traumatic World War II tragedies in a different light.