Deeply thought provoking

Rating: 9/10 (11 April 2009)

It didn't start well with clipped English accents and the domesticity of life it could have been filmed in England. As it was the story opens in Berlin where 8 year old Bruno comes back from school to his palatial home to find a party being prepared.
His father has been promoted and the family are celebrating. There's a slight disappointment for Bruno and his sister Gretchen as they are to move to the country far away from any towns or other people.
The new house is a dark and foreboding as the secret 'farm' at the end of the garden. Bruno is bored and like most boys of his age he likes to explore and so off he goes into the woods until he comes a cross a wire fence. The other side of which is a boy his age. They talk and soon a friendship builds up. At the same time, his mother is becoming increasingly uncomfortable with her husband's new job and what it involves. When the young lieutenant living with them comments "they smell even worse when they burn" she finally goes off the rails.
Plans are then made for mum and the children to move back to a city that is safe from allied bombardment and more a suitable location to bring up children. Eventually the day when they are due to leave arrives and Bruno disappears with devastating consequences.