A great movie, but not for children!

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2008)

For me there were many subtle, poignant pleasures in this film. Early on we see Bruno, sleepy and petulant at being displaced, wearing striped pajamas; as soon as we meet Schmuel, we think - aha - THIS is the boy in the title. But when the devastating ending begins to unfold and Bruno puts on the prison uniform, the sinking realization comes that the title in fact did refer to Bruno all along.
Many reviewers lament the lack of development of Schmuel as the title character - to me, they've missed the point.
It also didn't seem improbable that Schmuel could have a few stolen moments to talk through the fence. Bruno was so extremely lonely and bored after being taken from his close group of pals, it wouldn't have taken much time or conversation for him to form a strong dependence on even fleeting contact with a playmate.
I liked that Bruno wasn't romanticized as a saintly child. It was entirely believable that he would, under threat of punishment, betray his friend. He was bitterly sorry afterwards, and wanted to make amends by finding Schmuel's father. This also appealed to him as a lover of adventure stories, "knights in shining armor." At a great but understated turning point, you so want Schmuel to crawl out of the camp (as he tentatively suggests) rather than Bruno crawling in - to him the logical action since he's naively confident he'll succeed like the heroes in his books.
During the last harrowing sequence, I was on the edge of my seat, hoping Bruno would be shown in an epilogue, still friends with the rescued Schmuel... that the Commandant (he WAS after all a loving father) had seen the light and taken everyone to Switzerland like the von Trapp family! That would have been a trite cop-out, but it would have been an outcome suitable for a kid's movie. Though this is from a child's viewpoint, it's way too sad and disturbing for children - the 13 part of the PG-13 should be strictly observed! Those small, clutching hands of friendship and comfort in the most desperate situation made the tears flow. That image will stick with me, a symbol of children everywhere who don't deserve to be caught up in horror and violence; and also that both sides in a war have the capacity of our human nature to choose common ground and humanity. Maybe that's what is meant by becoming as little children, because then we can easily see what's truly logical and important.