The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

World War II movies can be classified into many categories, but the most-prominent Word War movies may fall into three categories:  stories from the battlefront with the Nazis (“Saving Private Ryan,” “The Guns of Navarone”); stories about the Holocaust (“Schlinder’s List”); and stories about the Resistance movements (“Sophie’s Scholl,” “Max Manus”). Of course, we get a mixture of these themes in many World War II movies that might make them distinctive in the genre. These stories are mostly told from the heroes’ perspective, where many lives are lost on battlefields. The enemy in the form of the Nazis is pretty clear, and their crimes against humanity are well known. Always seen as the ultimate evil, the Nazis have never received any empathy in films, and rightly so. But there have been a number of World War II movies that played from a German perspective, telling the stories of how Germans planned and fought. A few notable movies in this category are “The Reader” (2008), “Das Boot” (1981), “Stalingrad” (1993), and “Downfall” (2004). The aforementioned movies were mainly targeted for an adult audience, especially with their representation of mature thematic elements of the War.

It’s a challenge to present World War II to a younger audience, since the violence has to be at a minimum. Even the most-popular, Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” might be too intense for some younger viewers. I can’t even remember a World War II film targeted for a younger audience before I saw “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (2008). The film is not about the soldiers fighting on battlefields, but, rather, it is a tender tale about the Holocaust. Played from a perspective of a young German boy, the film’s strength lies in its ability to convey the themes of the Holocaust that would appeal to a younger audience. There is no violence, gunshots, or bloody images; instead, the story revolves around a boy from whom we gather several references to the Holocaust.  Just like “The Reader,” “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” was controversial at the time of its release because it shows the softer side of a Nazi family.

Based on the best-selling novel by John Boyne, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” is the story of an eight-year old German boy, Bruno (Asa Butterfield), after he arrives with his family at their new home. With no friends, Bruno is bored at the new home. One day he wanders off to the nearby woods, where he discovers an unusual fence. Across the fence is a Jewish prison camp, and he soon befriends a young boy, Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), wearing stripped pajamas. Along the way, Bruno’s mother, Elsa (Vera Farmiga), finds out that her husband Ralf (David Thewlis) is a caretaker at a nearby concentration camp. Tensions arise and Elsa is upset about Ralf’s profession. Bruno and Shmuel develop a close bond of friendship, and through Bruno’s eyes, we learn why Shmuel is at the camp.

Bruno’s curiosity drives the film’s plot. At every juncture, Bruno learns something about the Jews, and his father’s profession. Bruno thinks his father is a hero, since he is fighting for this country. Contrary, Shmuel’s father was a jeweler, and now he mends boots in the camp. At Bruno’s home, we also see a person peeling potatoes, who was a doctor by profession. Bruno is not able to understand why talented people are doing irrelevant things around his house. What has caused this? He learns some of it from Shmuel. Bruno later concludes that grown-ups are indecisive about certain things in life. There is innocence in Bruno’s statement. Bruno doesn’t feel sorry or repulsed when Shmuel tells him that he is a Jew. But, nonetheless, the interaction leaves him confused, just like a young boy would be, trying to comprehend the meaning behind all of this. Along with Bruno’s character, the other characters also provide a full view on their thoughts about the War, and we soon realize that Bruno’s family is divided on the War.

Bruno’s sister Gretel (Amber Beattie) takes pride in hanging War photos of Nazis on the wall, and we can see that she is slowly getting submerged in the War triggered by Hilter. Through several segments, Bruno learns why Germans feel threatened by the Jews. In fact, the hatred toward the Jews in young German children was developed very early in their childhood. But Bruno is different, and he wants to question every aspect of human behavior, without accepting this as normal behavior for the German kids. At this point, we know that all Germans during that time were not bad, after all.

Then we have Bruno’s father, who is generally patient and tender toward his two kids. But when discussions about the War pop up, Ralf will take a different view. For Ralf and Gretel, it is a matter of national pride to identify with the Nazi cause. His character is an adamant soldier, not willing to budge under family emotions. Ralf’s character is brought into the limelight when Elsa learns about Ralf’s true profession. Like a dutiful soldier, he is tightly bound to the concept of the Fatherland, as advocated by Hitler to his forces. In a poignant scene, Elsa and Ralf argue whether it is morally correct to take up a profession like this. The scene exemplifies the male dominance in the domestic space, prevalent at that time. Ralf feels that a woman should always be dutiful to her husband, despite disagreements. Vera Farmiga provides the best performance in the film. Her character gradually progresses from that of a happy mother to that of an unhappy wife, whose world has been turned upside down. Elsa rapidly slips into depression and anger after the secret is revealed about the chimney. Just like Bruno, she fails to understand why humans inflict atrocities on each other. While Bruno is confused, Elsa is emotionally expressive, as she embodies the pain very well.

The film has a deep message that is still relevant in today’s times. Friendship has no boundaries, no matter how big a fence is; friends will always find a way to connect, in spite of territorial differences. Innocence is devoid of language to understand a war. For young kids, everything is beautiful, and there is no Evil in the world. In this regard, the film successfully translates the Holocaust to a level where a young audience can fully comprehend it. For some, the film might be too easy-going, but we have to understand why it is this way. Even though the performances lift the movie, I felt a true sense of identity was missing in representing a German family; the family felt too British to me.

 Video:

Lionsgate presents the film in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded using an AVC codec.  The movie was shot on 35mm film, and the 1080p transfer certainly appears very polished. As expected for a film that is only three years old, the print is free of any blemishes or damage. Right from the start, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” has a dreamy look to it that is evident throughout the film. The detail is consistently good, and a few scenes look deliberately soft. The grain is retained, although it appears that the film has been cleaned up a bit more than desired. Still, this doesn’t severely impact the transfer, and faces retain their natural look. Likewise, the detail in the close-ups is generally pleasing, and the skin tones are realistic. Long shots exhibit amazing detail and sharpness, the shots crisp and clear. Mostly, the film is shot during the day time, making this transfer overly vibrant at times.

Audio:

As expected, we get a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The film is mostly a dialogue-driven affair that comes through mainly the front channels. The dialogue remains fairly clear and audible throughout. Subtle atmospheric noises are presented adequately, and they do stand out on several occasions. In short, the audio track performs as expected, and there is nothing extraordinary about it.

Extras:

First, we get an audio commentary with the filmmakers. In this track, director, Michel Hammer explains several scenes and how they were written in the book. There are long pauses in the commentary, as it is fairly laid back. Following this, we get a nice featurette, “Friendship with No Boundaries,” in which the director and writer discuss the character of Bruno and why the film is told from Bruno’s perspective. They also share their thoughts about the locations, and other crew members chime in to discuss the film. Next, we get a set of five deleted scenes.  These scenes might have hampered the overall pacing of the film, so the filmmakers did the right thing editing them out of the final version of the film.

Parting Shots:

“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” tells a tender tale of friendship set against the background of the Holocaust. This is an emotionally charged film, especially in the final twenty minutes, when an unexpected event occurs. The writers have successfully translated the Holocaust into a digestible form for a young audience. In the performances department, Asa Butterfield and Vera Farmiga are simply superb, and their characters leave a lasting impression.