The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Plot

Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

Release Year: 2008

Rating: 7.8/10 (40,803 voted)

Critic's Score: 55/100

Director:
Mark Herman

Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend

Storyline
Young Bruno lives a wealthy lifestyle in prewar Germany along with his mother, elder sister, and SS Commandant father. The family relocates to the countryside where his father is assigned to take command a prison camp. A few days later, Bruno befriends another youth, strangely dressed in striped pajamas, named Shmuel who lives behind an electrified fence. Bruno will soon find out that he is not permitted to befriend his new friend as he is a Jew, and that the neighboring yard is actually a prison camp for Jews awaiting extermination.

Writers: John Boyne, Mark Herman

Cast:

Asa Butterfield
–

Bruno

Zac Mattoon O'Brien
–

Leon

(as Zac Mattoon-O'Brien)

Domonkos Németh
–

Martin

Henry Kingsmill
–

Karl

Vera Farmiga
–

Mother

Cara Horgan
–

Maria

Zsuzsa Holl
–

Berlin Cook

Amber Beattie
–

Gretel

László Áron
–

Lars

David Thewlis
–

Father

Richard Johnson
–

Grandpa

Sheila Hancock
–

Grandma

Charlie Baker
–

Palm Court Singer

Iván Verebély
–

Meinberg

Béla Fesztbaum
–

Schultz

Taglines:
A timeless story of innocence lost and humanity found.

Details

Official Website:
Miramax Films [United States] |
Official site [Japan] |

Release Date: 28 November 2008

Filming Locations: Budapest, Hungary

Box Office Details

Budget: $12,500,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: £513,653
(UK)
(14 September 2008)
(167 Screens)

Gross: $9,030,581
(USA)
(18 January 2009)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min
 |
Israel: 93 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Although the concentration camp where the movie is set is never actually mentioned by name throughout the movie, we know it is Auschwitz because it was the only Nazi death camp with 4 crematoria. The SS officers are discussing the building's construction in the Commandant's office when Bruno's mother interrupts the meeting. In the book it is referred to as "Out-With" (coming from the P.O.V. of Bruno, who is only nine years old and can't pronounce some words properly).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers):
In the scene where mother is knitting while listening to the radio, the actress is knitting using the British method, holding the wool in the right hand and "throwing" it. No German mother knits the British way and would use the continental method, holding the wool in the left hand and "picking" the stitch.

Quotes:

[first lines]

Mother:
Hello, sweetheart.

Bruno:
Mum, what's going on?

Mother:
We're celebrating.

Bruno:
Celebrating?

Mother:
Mm, your father's been given a promotion.

Gretel:
That means a better job.

Bruno:
I know what promotion is.

Mother:
So we're having a little party to celebrate.

Bruno:
He's still going to be a soldier though, isn't he?
[…]

User Review

Perfectly weighted film…

Rating: 9/10


I'm a man's man, and it takes something really exceptional to break my
emotionless machine persona. This film ripped me apart and reminded me
(and my partner) of humanity inside even the most hardened man.

Perfectly weighted film in every way, from pace to acting and all
framed with a wonderful score. The subtlety of the looks passing
between the actors and a finale that ensured silence until the final
credit rolled, makes this one of the best films i've seen in a long
time.

This is the first review I have never written and i cannot think of a
better way to have opened my account.