Stirring and highly acclaimed riveting drama about a German boy who has intense relationship with a Jew in striped pyjamas is powered by splendid performances

Rating: 8/10 (27 October 2009)

The picture begins on the quiet introspective look at young Bruno ( Butterfield )who lives happily with his family, a sweet mother (Vera Farmiga, elder sister and father (David Thewlis), a stiff Nazi commandant. The father is promoted as prison commandant and the family is relocated at a mansion nearly a concentration camp. There Bruno befriends another small boy named Shmuel( Scanlon) , rarely dressed in striped pyjama and behind an barbed wire. The film is well paced under point of view of an innocent boy.
This haunting modern tragedy is an artful, immaculately performed and resonant drama developing harrowing events. Interesting film is sometimes slipping into banal sentimentality or outright melodrama, two things that in this powerful portrayal are well combined. Brooding movie full of fine character studio , but over-all this is an engaging look to infancy friendship with periods of heavy-handed sentimentality. The first part on the movie focuses on the love father, son and wife but after that, emerge the differences . The second half shifts to the friendship among them, a German and Jewish boy who lives behind an electric fence. The documentary film the Nazis prepare to deceive Allied is based on real event, in fact 'Theresienstadt', the Czechoslovack ghetto city used by the Gestapo to persuade the outside world of their humane treatment of the Jews. Packs a chilling observation of the ¨banality of evil¨, including Nazi officers dealing with the best utilization of crematoriums. The atrocities are depicted matter of factly as by-products of sheer Nazi evil. Exciting and excruciating final scenes into the gas chambers with use of Zyclon B poison. Excellent acting from adult actors as children players. Astonishing and commanding acting from two small boys as Butterfly and Scanlon. Vera Farmiga gives the performance of his career as understated and affecting mother. David Thewlis is watchable, convincing and versatile . Good secondary cast as Richard Johnson and Sheila Hancock as the grandfathers, furthermore David Hayman as Jew servant and Rupert Friend as cruel Nazy lieutenant.
From the best-selling novel by John Boyne which the same director adapted the play and realized this magnificent picture. Due to the sensitive nature of story it contains sensible musical score by the master James Horner. Colorful and atmospheric cinematography by Benoit Delhomme. A tour De force and labor of love for filmmaker and screenwriter, Mark Herman (little voice, Brassed off, Blame it on the bellboy) , who finally garnered the respect and attention as good director he deserves. Other important films treating the Holocaust and concentration camps are the following : Holocaust (Marvin J. Chomsky), Triumph of the spirit(Robert M. Young), Sophie's choice (Alan J. Pakula), Schindler's list (Spielberg), Life is beautiful(Roberto Benigni), The grey zone (Tim Blake Nelson), and several others.