Poignant and Harrowing

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2009)

When the ending credits rolled, the entire audience sat frozen in shock, completely speechless...
This movie, based on the novel by John Boyne, is about a young boy, Bruno, whose family are sent to live in the country for his father's work.
Bruno is initially reluctant to move, not wanting to be separated from his friends. He spies a farm, full of people in "pyjamas", out his bedroom window. When he asks about it, he is frequently dismissed. He is eager to visit the farm as he can see children there, but is strictly forbidden from going any further than his front garden.
We soon learn that the camp is not a farm, but in fact a concentration camp. Bruno sneaks out to get a closer look, where he befriends a young boy called Shmuel. Bruno is initially jealous of Shmuel, thinking he lives on a fun farm with lots of friends. Shmuel explains that he cannot leave, and he is there because he is a Jew, which confuses Bruno.
Bruno is conflicted by the teachings of his tutor, who tells him that the Jews are evil. Bruno can't understand how his friend Shmuel, and the family's kindly servant Pavel, can be so evil. His sister becomes a militant Hitler supporter complete with posters on the wall, which only adds to young Bruno's confusion.
Bruno gradually begins to piece together what is really going on at the camp, and what his father really is - as does his mother, who is horrified when she learns the true nature of the smoking chimneys.
My only criticism is that the film is spoken with English accents, which makes things confusing in the beginning (wondering if they are English people living in Germany) and takes away from the authenticity. Obviously the film would have to be in German to be truly authentic, however it is generally accepted that an accent implies that the characters would have been speaking the language.
A beautiful and poignant film about innocence, loyalty and friendship, set within the sheer horror of the Holocaust.