The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas [DVD]

(THE FILM)The Boy In The Striped Pajamas. Based on the best-selling novel by John Boyne, it's "an unforgettable motion picture experience powerful and moving beyond words". 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.WHAT CAN I SAY?to see a WWII film through the eyes of a child but its also a lot heavier on the heart.It makes you sick to the stomach thinking what these poor people went through for no reason at all,but it also shows that not everyone knew what was going onand those who did know,not everyone liked it.But also they didn't do anything to stop it.The friendship between the two boys is so naive and sweetDespite the Nazi propaganda that tries to win Bruno minds over, he still form an unbreakable bond and friendship that displays itself even in the darkest of moments in this film..The acting by all is amazing, but it's the two children that will leave you spellbound and haunted, and the films overall impact will be hard to shake off.plus James Horner's music score is also outstanding and only adds to the viewing experience.It truly is innocence meets the reality's of a brutal truth(The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas)is outstanding true tale of innocence and naivety combined with merciless hatred and shocking cruelty, which concludes with heart-breaking inevitability.at the end of the this film it give us all a really big powerful Reminder that we are all human and Racism and hatred has no place in any society..

Because I study English Literature I always read the book before seeing the film. Usually, I prefer the book. It is very rare for me to deem the film equally as good as the book and 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' is one of those exceptions. I really applaud the cast and crew for remaining so true to the book. It's a fantastic film and I do recommend it but one word of advice: It's not cheery. The film is set in Germany during WW2 and focuses on the family of a General who have to move to Auschwitz. This is because the General has been put in charge of running Auschwitz. The General has two children - a girl who is in her early teens and becomes indoctrinated into the Hitler Youth mentality and a boy who is much younger. Owing to the boy's young age he is not told about what his father does at Auschwitz and he thinks it's a 'farm' where all the workers wear pyjamas. When he goes exploring he meets a Jewish boy his own age and they become friends. The Jewish boy's father goes missing and so the General's son breaks into Auschwitz to help him look for his father. I won't reveal the ending. However, it is because of this ending that I think parents of children who are between 11 and 13 should watch it first before letting younger children watch it. Although it is a 12 certificate it is very upsetting, and some 12 year olds may not be mentally and emotionally mature enough to deal with it.

Comments for people interested in the Blu Ray version of The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas:I watched the Blu Ray edition and the picture quality was flawless. The sound was 5.1 DTS. There was no atmospheric sound effects though as the movie is mostly dialogue and imagery so the film would be equally enjoyable on a portable TV.Film Review without spoilers:*The acting is superb on all counts and is not 'dumbed down' for a mass audience that needs to be helped along the way.*The faces of the characters chosen are memorable as are their performances.The lead character, who plays an eight year old called Bruno (played by Asa Butterfield) is superb. He has mesmerizing blue eyes and a well spoken British accent (I'll get back to this in a second) that even before he speaks makes you look. Vera Farmiga (who plays Bruno's mother) has that ever concerned look that reminded me of her of her impressive performance in 'Orphan' - 2009. Together they exude what a mother/child relationship in a dangerous setting should be. Bruno is forever innocent and exploring within the confines of their property and his mother is forever overly worried and anxious.*Their is no religious 'bias' creeping in, or should I say, focus on religion that may deter some.A prime example of this is: Defiance - 2009. A solid film with this problem.*There is no on screen violence and thus the film is safely appropriate for 12+ viewing. Any scenes of horror are done off screen with the viewer having to imagine what is going on, rather than being shown it. Some may argue the scene of a concentration camp is a still a little young to screen in schools. I would disagree as a child's emotions are not as fully formed as an adult thus removing the sustained sadness of the film that peaks into a tragic twist at the end. I feel it's also important and indeed useful to show children (12+) this movie, so they could understand 'War' from an entirely different perspective to a video game where people run around blasting people. In essence this film makes you think, it's a thinking persons film and induces thought in almost all who watch it.I say almost because..............Criticisms:1) The film is in English. I don't mean English subtitles, but English audio.This is rare and I was initially irritated with it as I was concluding before even watching it further it has 'ruined' the authenticity, however because I am English it worked.It worked because it was like seeing 'my people' in Germany and 'my people' as Jews in Germany. Very clever. Precisely because I am not German or Jewish. It thus made me, 'feel' much more.If you aren't English, or cannot assign to this idea of being able to project yourself as so (because the film is then 'unrealistic' to you), then it may not work for you. For example if the film had been in Spanish I may have thought it bizarre there are Spanish Germans and Spanish prisoners in a concentration camp in Germany. So people who want to have a 100% authentic language representation of WWII should understand this 'flaw' in this film due to this.2) Because this movie it is not an epic war film in the Hollywood sense. It doesn't 'go anywhere' (literally) because it doesn't need to.There are no explosions and dive bombing planes with civilians running for cover, and there are certainly no winners.Instead, there is a creeping tension and sense of what is happening is morally wrong yet inescapable. Inescapable due to the fact children and adults (both Jews and Nazi's are being ordered) what do do and they cannot say no because of the situation the find themselves in.3) An adult won't find this film memorable if they do not have emotions that are easily drawn out. This film makes grown men produce tears, if they have feelings.If they do not, then it may be considered no way near a 10/10 War film because it is unconventional in it's reporting of atrocities.Conclusion:This film isn't pro German or Pro non German, it's not even pro Jewish. It's pro human.In some ways, it could be described as a non war movie, and the war setting is just a platform to make a film about the love and evil that humans can posses inside them.Either way, the film is about the innocence of childhood set within a unique war time setting told from the perspective of a family forced into it by devotion to the fatherland of Nazi Germany. History taught us this devotion was misguided and this film demonstrates this in a personal manner that any race, religion or belief system will understand irrespective of 'whose side you are on'. And that is where it is unique.If I can think of another film to compare this with in terms of a dramatic ending but without blood and gore, I would say Sophie Scholl- 2005. Yet Sophie Scholl is more political than this. This movie is more simplistic and innocent, because it's seen through the eyes of an eight year old boy who makes decisions for himself, decisions that go on to touch other people for the rest of their lives. As did the holocaust.A firm 10/10 then, and a must watch movie for people who understand the context of what is being portrayed.This film is now one of my favorite WWII movies. Alongside: Max Manus Man of War (2008), Twin Sisters (2002) and Flame and Citron (2008).I am happy to have watched it, but also saddened even a day later after viewing, at the inhumanity of man and how easily and exceptionally cruel we can be.Reflective thought on history is something that is often lost in our modern, politically correct, sanitized capitalist Western 'democracy'.Everyone who would like to, should watch this film.It's that good.