The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Unrated

10/16/20081h 34m

Premiere Release (US)

~ Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us. ~

Overview:

When his family moves from their home in Berlin to a strange new house in Poland, young Bruno befriends Shmuel, a boy who lives on the other side of the fence where everyone seems to be wearing striped pajamas. Unaware of Shmuel's fate as a Jewish prisoner or the role his own Nazi father plays in his imprisonment, Bruno embarks on a dangerous journey inside the camp's walls.

Director:

Mark Herman

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$12,500,000.00

Revenue:

$20,416,563.00

Key words:

based on novel or book
nazi
nationalism
concentration camp
world war ii
gas chamber
concentration camp prisoner
children in wartime
anxious

Cast

Asa Butterfield

~ as ~

Bruno

Vera Farmiga

~ as ~

Mother

David Thewlis

~ as ~

Father

Jack Scanlon

~ as ~

Shmuel

Amber Beattie

~ as ~

Gretel

Rupert Friend

~ as ~

Lieutenant Kotler

David Hayman

~ as ~

Pavel

Sheila Hancock

~ as ~

Grandma

Richard Johnson

~ as ~

Grandpa

Cara Horgan

~ as ~

Maria

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

r96sk
Written 1 year(s) ago
8
Not convinced this is a greatly made movie, but it sure does pack a punch!

'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' makes for good viewing for the majority, though that ending really is quite something - startling in fact, and that's even with me sensing it. The aforementioned is because, as well as the way the film builds in general, I'm pretty certain I watched this at high school; just not sure if it was snippets or the whole thing, the fence scenes are the only ones I vaguely recall seeing.

The low acting level of the youngsters did take me out a bit, no dislike to Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon, obviously, but they aren't the best. Though they aren't helped by the dialogue for them, which doesn't feel natural at all. It's written in a way that is simply to tell the viewer about what's happening. The adult actors are great, though. Vera Farmiga stands out, though David Thewlis, Rupert Friend and David Hayman merit a mention too.

All in all, it's a good film - and one that is distressingly unforgettable thanks to that one moment.