The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas
Starring - Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie
Directed by Mark Herman
Through primarily the eyes of Bruno, (Asa Butterfield) an 8 year old boy who is the son of a Nazi soldier who has just been promoted, we are taken on a spine chilling journey into the life of a family seeing things through the Nazi point of view. The family move away from Berlin to the countryside on the back of the promotion which hugely upsets Bruno.
On arrival Bruno, interesting in exploring and adventure just like many an 8 year old, is keen to explore the new place. He finds what he thinks is a farm but cannot understand why they are wearing pyjamas. His father Ralf (David Thewlis) and mother Elsa (Vera Farmiga) try and and keep him away from what is going on. As his interest grows however, his father decides to hire a school tutor for him and his siater Gretel (Amber Beattie)
The tutor gives them history books full of hatred towards the Jewish people. Gretel buys the properganda, beginiing to put tributes to Hitler and the Nazi ideas up on her wall, she becomes a true believer in the Nazi ideals, much to her mother's concern. Bruno finds the history initially boring, until he realises that the Jews he is supposed to hate, are the nice people wearing pyjamas he comes across each day.
Evetually he explores the back garden despite him being told this is out of bounds. He finds a fence which he believes is the farm and meets a young boy named Schmall (Jack Scanlon) They are the same age and become friends. In a session with the tutor, he is told hwoever there are no 'nice Jews.' His sister later then explains it is not a farm, but a work camp to keep the Jews away from us, work in their words 'much needed to make the Fatherland a better place.'
Bruno however maintains his friendship with Schmall. A series of meetings between the across the fence has Bruno in confusion, on one hand being told all Jews are evil, on the other experiencing something completely different for himself. The meetings end in a dramtic finale when Bruno considers digging under the fence to go to the other side of it and see it for himself.
There is no attempt to put on German accents in this film. It is a Nazi family, but English actors are used with English accents of the sort that could be the portryal of a typical English middle class family, It gives the whole thing a normal feel to the English viewer and a very real insight into what life would have been like for English families if the Nazi philosphy had been adopted here. The ending is a shocker, and yet exceptionally well presented as the reality of the affects of everything that everyone involved had been trying to do had had on this one little boy who just wanted to play, explore, and would have been better off naive to the reality of what was going on around him.
The acting is first rate, Amber Beattie as Gretel does a particularly fine job in what must have been one difficult role, playing the young girl who had bought the Nazi line to the point of fantacisim, just like a football fan or fan of a rock group or something like it. Bringing a reality and normality to the family that can engender sympathy coupled with the true horror of what they had been forced to stand for in the heart of the Nazi battle to eliminate all Jews. For anyone interested in the reality of the Nazi mindset, or the diverse effect propergander can have on children, this is a must see film. Not for the feint of heart, or if you want an easy uplifting experience for your night out however.
MOON OF LIBERTY VERDICT - Rating 'A' - Real, gritty, and a family from the Nazi point of view, through the eyes of a normal, innocent eight year old boy with a ruthless yet brilliant conculsion. Go see it.
