Another holocaust film? Hollywood has riddled us with dozens of
these movies since the release of Schindler’s List back in 1993. Mark
Herman’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is set apart due to the
perspective in which we are placed throughout the film. We follow
Bruno, an 8- year-old German boy whose father just happens to be a Nazi
soldier in charge of a concentration camp. The narrative mostly unfolds
through Bruno’s childlike perspective, but is that enough to make The
Boy in the Stripped Pajamas interesting? It isn’t until Bruno meets a
boy who lives in the concentration camp that we are given something
special.
When Herman focuses on the boys’ unlikely friendship, we are
shown a heart so big that you can’t help but feel incredible warmth
from their simple interactions. With an ending that is both poignant and heartbreaking, The Boy in the
Striped Pajamas gets better as each minute passes. The DVD set also
includes a few deleted scenes, a director’s commentary track and a
featurette, the latter of which is the most compelling due to its
interaction between director/screenwriter Herman and the author of the
book, John Boyne, who explain how they enjoyed each others’ rendering
more than their own. Grade: B-
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (Miramax)
2008, PG-13
By Shawn Braley · April 8th, 2009 · Couch Potato
