Through the eyes of innocence

Rating: 10/10 (14 May 2017)

War is said to either bring people together or tear them apart. The movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas demonstrates both outcomes in a heart wrenching tale about a Nazi soldier's son and his unlikely new companion. The heartbreaking story begins in Berlin, where the son Bruno's life is that of an ordinary eight years old boys. All this will change once his Father asks the family to go with him on his assignment as a soldier during World War II, where the progression of tragedy begins. This tragic story is brought to life through many aspects such as acting, costume, and plot, all of which give the movie great emotional appeal. This movie would not have this great emotional appeal if it were not for the actors. Asa Butterfield brilliantly portraits the son, Bruno. For such a young actor Butterfield shocks his audience with such great expression of emotion. Asa makes his act believable through his facial expressions and delivery of lines. Often when he speaks his voice echoes innocence and when appropriate, confusion. The main physical feature he uses to portray his innocence are his eyes. He often widens them in awe and uses them to connect with the audience by looking either directly in the camera or intently at the other characters. One of those other characters is his father, who is also a Nazi soldier, played by David Thewlis. As the story progresses David smiles less and less showing how the war is beginning to impact his character. He shows little reaction to the cruelty played out in the movie, hardly flinching. This stillness that David brings further portraits his character as a harsh, unforgiving Nazi soldier and starkly contrasts Bruno. There is an even greater contrast seen between the Jewish and German characters in the film. This contrast is emphasized through the characters of Bruno and Schmuel with the use of costume and set. Bruno is a well dressed little boy, surrounded by a well dressed family, in a big beautiful house. While Schmuel, who lives but a mile away, wears rags in a fenced in suffering "community". While what they wear sets them apart, what really shows the social divide between the Germans and Jews is the wall around Bruno's home. When first driving up to the house it is evident that what is inside the boundaries of their home is vastly different from what is on the outside of it. This movie does a wonderful job in costume and set, setting up the movie for success in showing the social divide between the Jews and Germans during World War II. Mark Herman, the director has a lot to do with the success of the movie as well. Thanks to him the plot progresses in a way that flows and wastes no scenes. The movie lets you see glimpses into how the war impacted each person's life differently. From the grandparents to Bruno's sister we get a taste of the many different perspectives on the war. While the movie could have expanded on the other character's experiences a bit more, having only a brief look allows for each scene to serve a purpose and avoids filler. Due to that success in plot the movies emotional appeal continues to be its best quality throughout the film. This original idea to show a Nazi soldier's son and an eight years old Jewish prisoner leads the audience to feel great sadness. This sadness is not only drawn from the film but from a real history of hatred towards a people who were not understood. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is not a movie to be watched purely for entertainment, but also to reflect on the past and on the actions of the Nazi's towards the Jews. That is what brings true greatness to the film not just the acting, progression of plot, and costume, but the historical accurateness.