Film Review: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Starring: Asa Butterfield (Nanny McPhee), Zac Mattoon O'Brien, Vera Farmiga (Up In The Air), David Thewlis (Harry Potter), Shelia Hancock, Rupert Friend (The Young Victoria)
Made in 2008 by Miramax Films (US)
Filmed in various locations around Hungary
Directed by Mark Herman
Based on a novel by John Boyne

This is one of 'those' movies. You know the type, the one movie you've wanted to see for a LONG time because you have a connect for it (I love the book, is my connection) but you've never seen it, so when you do see it, it's SUCH a relief. Yeah, that one.

We watched this movie at the end of term as part of History, just before we left as we were studying the Nazis and I was thrilled. We spent a lesson and a half watching most of it and were going to finish it in our last ultimate lesson, which I was also excited about for a number of reasons:
a) I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE
b) I was so curious about how they finished the movie, as in the book if you've read it, it suddenly stops.
c) Erm, movie instead of a lesson, hello, this is like heaven for us.

But, I had a school council meeting. Joy. So, I rushed to the end of the lesson to see the end and found they'd finished it and were raving about how sad/good/amazing the end was. Double joy. And that's how I left it. So when I saw this on BBC2 the other day, I had to tape it for later watching especially with niffy recording that stores in the TV. YAY. And...the outcome? I love this movie.

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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is harrowing. It is ultimately sad but has many uplifting parts especially as you know Bruno helps sparkle the life of a Jewish boy. Most of all, this movie seems too real in places.
There was times when you will want to cry or laugh or look away or do all them completely together.
Considering how hard this must be to adapt without discriminating against anyone and making it much like the book but not too similar, the makers of this movie have done a spectacular job. The movie never falls flat, always keeping you guessing, waiting, wondering for the next think in Bruno's life.

From early on, there are glimmers of the underlining problems that we all know too much about: the Nazis, the Holocaust. These continue right until the end when everything is so clear and shocking that you cannot speak for a few minutes when the credits start rolling in.
Until the end, this movie is about a little boy, ignorant to the world around him with an indoctrinated sister and family. Only him and his mother read between the lines of everything surrounding them to discover the truth, and they don't even get near the entire complete truth.

Rupert Friend as the rather scared Lieutenant Kotler - I quite
like him though.... 

The characters were amazingly well played and most were much how I imagined them. Bruno was perhaps more curious and inquisitive than I imagined, much more like an innocent boy in this than the novel. I started to care for the mother as she realised gradually what she had let herself fall into and how she fought this - knowing it was wrong and standing up, even though she knew she could be killed. This was played out more I think than in the book, but I liked this. The father was also excellent at being both loyal to his country and his family. However, being played by David Thewlis (Professor Lupin in Harry Potter), I was almost expecting at any moment for him to pull out a wand and 'Patronus' the Nazis. However, it was nice to see him in a more serious different role to the one that recognised him.
The only actor that annoyed me with their likeness from book was the character of Shmuel. The actor, Jack Scanlon, was good at playing such a hard character but nothing like the Shmuel I imagined while reading. He seemed much younger than the age of 8, when in the book, he seems older beyond his years to Bruno.  It just seemed a little unrealistic to me.

The best part? The ending. I don't feel ashamed to say, I cried. Which I normally don't in movies or books. It is so sudden, and you know what is going to happen and want to shout desperately 'NO!'. I won't reveal it but it is some of the best cinematography I have seen in a while, since Inception. Just, wow. I am so surprised this film did not win more films.

It really is a a powerful movie, showing what should and shouldn't have happened. But most of all, it is a message for the next few generations of how we can re-kindle with others; how innocent and vulnerable we can be. Why shouldn't Bruno talk to Shmuel when they are the same age exactly? This, and more, really shows the barriers society makes us have sometimes. Everyone should watch this movie. And learn.

My Review of the book of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne



Pajamas I know but it was the best size
picture!

I felt like I haven't done a review post in ages but now I have some time to do one, here it is!
I have read this book once before after being recommended it and reading it and probably not understanding it fully. I haven't seen all the movie of it but the bit I have seen - the first hour - was amazing and really went with the book and stayed quite true to it. I don't know what the ending it like for the movie as it was over a series of History lessons and I happened not to be in the last one where they showed that :(

Synopsis: (from the Blurb) The story of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some clues about the book on the jacket, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it is important that you start to read without knowing what it is about.
If you do start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy called Bruno (though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence. Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to cross such a fence.


Review: Okay so a little mean to have a very vague outline of the plot but I wanted those who haven't read this book or maybe even heard of it so get a sense of what the writing is like and how I found the book. That blurb made me pick the book up and buy it.
I love this book. If you read it without hearing/seeing any reviews, you would think 'Oh my god, this is such a kids book, the way it's written is so simple.' and yes, it is written very easy and simply with no vivid descriptions or complicated sentences and a lot of things my English teacher would be shouting at me to not do in my writing but still, that's what makes it so great.

John Boyne has successfully made the writing simple like a nine-year-old boy is writing/speaking it and adding these little sentences such as repeating small things much like a child would do at that age but also keep it in third person and make sense and make it interesting. So it's like a story made for nine-year-olds with a very serious topic behind it.

Set during World War II and in the early 40's, it shows what life was like being in the family of one of the Nazi leaders and favourites of Hitler, much like Chocolate Cake with Hitler was. It's interesting to see the difference between life in Berlin and life at 'Out-With'. That's another thing with the whole nine-year-old thing. Bruno refers to Hitler as 'The Fury' instead of the 'Fuhrer' and then where they live as 'Out-With' instead of, I'm guessing, 'Auschwitz' in Poland. Auschwitz is one of the main and most famous concentration camps of the Nazis which were set up to exterminate all Jews who were seen as racially unpure and would take over the world if not killed. They would be worked to death or gassed on mass if they weren't needed anymore.
At the end of the novel, it poignantly ends with 'Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like this could ever happen again. Not in this day and age.' This, I find, is very meaningful. I mean, you suppose we learn about the Nazis so there isn't a repeat in History of this but the Rwanda Genocide? The continuous murders we hear of on the news constantly? 9/11 and 7/7 bombings? Something like that would never happen right?

This book maybe boringly rambles on until leaving the killer punch until the last final pages. The final pages really do hit home and I gasped loudly when I read them, even though I knew about it. It is truly unexpected and unprepared for. If you could read any book this mouth, just read this one - you should love it.

I give it a 5 out of 5

Author's Website: http://www.johnboyne.com/
Pages: 216
Publisher: Random House
Challenges: British Books Challenge, Historical Fiction Challenge
Similar Books: Chocolate Cake With Hitler - Emma Craigie