“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” a Holocaust film from a child’s perspective, does its best to make you cry harder for Bruno, a high-ranking Nazi’s 8-year-old son, than weep for his friend Shmuel and the 6 million Jews gassed and burned to death in concentration camps.
That effect may be unintentional, but it won’t stop some moviegoers from finding the film distasteful and exploitive — a shame given its conclusion flings you into the most heartbreaking, unbearable final minutes you’ve ever seen.
More importantly, the movie may prove to be a powerful tale for younger audiences of how baseless hatred is indoctrinated and disseminated, and trusted adults can be evil and wrong.
The film, an adaptation of John Boyne’s polarizing 2006 novel, relies on Bruno’s naive outlook to both amuse and move audiences. The story picks up when Bruno, his sister and mother follow his father from their home in Berlin to a fortresslike house in the German countryside.
Bored and missing his friends, Bruno eventually sneaks out the back, wanders upon a concentration camp he assumes is a farm and meets Shmuel, the boy in the striped pajamas. His parents don’t correct his misunderstanding and he continues to visit his friend behind a barbed wire fence without anyone knowing, or more incredulous, guards seeing.
Bruno and his German family’s British accents are confusing and lead the way for more illogical missteps. But the flaws won’t ruin the film for audiences who can suspend their disbelief, judge the film as a children’s fable, and overlook a few potentially hackneyed moments.
Acting across the cast is above average, but Vera Farmiga is excellent as Bruno’s mother, who unravels while her husband develops into a monster.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
3 out of 4 stars
» Stars: Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Jack Scanlon
» Director: Mark Hermon
» Rated: PG-13
» Running time: 1 hour and 33 minutes
