The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) poster & wallpaper
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Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga ... see more see more... , Richard Johnson , Sheila Hancock , Rupert Friend , David Hayman , Jim Norton , Cara Horgan

Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, and Asa Butterfield star in Little Voice writer/director Mark Herman's adaptation of John Boyne's novel concerning the forbidden friendship that between an eight-year-old ... read more read more...German boy and a Jewish concentration camp prisoner in World War II-era Germany. The innocent son of a high-ranking Nazi commandant, Bruno has been largely shielded from the harsh realities of the war. When Bruno discovers that his father has been promoted and that their family will be moving from Berlin into the countryside, he doesn't take the news well. Increasingly bored in his sprawling yet dreary country abode and forbidden by his mother from exploring the backyard, young Bruno searches for something to do while his older sister plays with dolls and vies for the attention of handsome Lieutenant Kotler (Rupert Friend). One day, bored and gazing out his bedroom window, Bruno spies what first appears to be a nearby farm; his parents refuse to discuss it, and all of the inhabitants there are curiously clad in striped pajamas. But while Bruno's mother naïvely believes the "farm" to be an internment camp, her husband has sworn under oath never to reveal that it is in fact an extermination camp specifically designed to help the Nazis achieve their horrific "Final Solution." Eventually defying his mother's rules and venturing out beyond the backyard, Bruno arrives at a barbed wire fence to find a young boy just his age emptying rubble from a wheel barrel. Like Pavel, the kitchen worker who cooks all of Bruno's meals, the young boy is wearing striped pajamas. His name is Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), and before long the two young boys become fast friends. But the closer these two boys grow, the more Bruno becomes awakened to the horrors unfolding all around them. His mother is catching on quickly as well, a fact that causes great tension in her marriage to Bruno's father. Later, after Bruno swipes a piece of cake for Shmuel, Lt. Kotler accuses the Jewish boy of stealing and delivers a swift punishment. When Bruno's father announces that the young boy and his mother will be going to live with their aunt in Heidelberg, Bruno grabs a shovel and makes his way to the camp, setting into motion a tragic and devastating sequence of events. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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84% liked it

106,068 ratings

Critics

63% liked it

134 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.

Directed by: Mark Herman

Release Date: November 7, 2008

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DVD Release Date: March 10, 2009

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Stats: 6,720 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,720)

  • fb1038944442
    December 8, 2011
    fb1038944442
    The Boy in the Striped Pajamas would have been a masterpiece in another dimension. If the holocaust had never happened, and this was a movie about a fictional event, the excellence of the script, acting and cinematography would have made this a true classic. However, despite th... read moree noble intentions and talents of all its creative team this is an offensive, lamentable distortion of the truth.

    Writer Director Mark Herman says that he wanted this film to be a good way to introduce the discussion of the Holocaust for children. It may be a good way to start a discussion for kids about racism, about loyalty, learning how to deal with flawed parents, and a million other things, but not THE holocaust.

    Here are the two reasons why this is offensive:

    a) Historical distortion -A story of a friendship across a fence between a Jewish kid on the concentration camp side, Shmuel, and his German friend Bruno, who is the child of the death camp's commandant, is UTTERLY false and impossible. Most kids were put to death quite early, and they did not live with adults.

    b) Not respecting the intelligence of the characters - Did no one figure out what was happening? No one seems to be aware, in the wake of burning stinking ovens and rapidly disappearing people what is happening in the camp except the Commandant himself. This includes his sensitive and elegant wife and mother of Bruno, who only at the end realizes what is going on in the 'farm' that she can see out the window of her villa, and the people in the camp itself, who seem to think that all the missing people are actually missing, smokestacks and all.

    c) Clearing everyone morally - Everyone, as Jean Renoir says, has their reasons, and we empathize with them all, from the ntisemitism he teaches the children like mother's milk, to the brutal murderous blonde young Nazi who is covering up for his dissenting father, to finally, the commandant, who looks conflicted and not entirely convincing when he says what 'important work he's doing for his country'.

    I realize that Bernigni's 'Life is Beautiful' covers much the same territory, but it looked like a fable, was presented in its story telling tone and aesthetically in a stylized way, so no one would think for a second that this was how it really happened. '...Striped Pajamas' attempts to look real, like a slice of history, but it's a slice of grotesque fakery.

    The cast is universally excellent, with the spectacular Vera Farmiga doing her usual intelligent and complex work, the kids Butterfield and Scanlon touch the heart with their honesty and open heartedness, as well as all the minor roles. To the film's credit, it has a wrenching, harrowing and surprisingly dark ending, unlike superior films like 'Schindler's List' which despite all it gets right, has an upbeat ending, which the holocaust did not have, certainly not for the survivors.
  • danperry17
    October 24, 2011
    danperry17
    Surprising and audacious film, from John Boyne's book of the same name, that does the Holocaust differently, telling about a particular (German) family making its name on the backs of the death camp's prisoners. Beautiful cinematography, great James Horner score and capable actin... read moreg in a story that's a touch twee, but highly watchable.

    SPOILER ALERT: This movie does its damage with the ending, read on only if you've read the book or don't mind knowing what's coming.

    What's most important about this film is that in its final moment, it asks you to sympathize with its villain, the SS father who has inadvertently lost his son. It leaves you in a very conflicted place: no one would ever wish the death of a child on one's worst enemy, and yet, it's the only way that the man might learn.

    Generally, I like an abrupt ending, especially when it's done to hammer home a point. In this case, however, I thought it would be interesting to see even a little sign that the father does (or doesn't) learn a lesson. It's hard to pull that off without breaking the illusion, or without getting preachy or needlessly sentimental, but the emotional journey for the father is just beginning, and it feels like he is being punished. I don't want to sympathize with the bad guy, but I would like to think (hope) that with his punishment would come redemption, some day. I guess that's a different story, though.

    Still liked the film more than I didn't, and appreciate that it made me think about how to tell a story as difficult and politically charged as this one.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    October 23, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    An amazing yet deeply saddening film. Brilliant acting and I have read the book and it stays pretty close but ends up better as on film you can create an atmosphere. Harrowing and scary to see what happened to those poor people, but even more terrifying is the fact that normal pe... read moreople who had families and led a relatively normal life (as well as you can through war) were at the helm of this monstrous extermination.
  • spielberg00
    August 11, 2011
    spielberg00
    THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, based on the Irish novel of the same name by John Boyne, is all right, if not ultimately predictable. It is upsetting throughout the film, as is any other moving Holocaust tale, but there was one huge flaw in this production: on the title page of ... read morethe source novel, there is a small subtitle that reads "A Fable". This film, sadly, did not seem that much of a fable to me when I watched it.
  • murphmann93
    June 24, 2011
    murphmann93
    Powerful and heartbreaking! A must see!
  • DreamExtractor
    June 20, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    This masterpiece of a movie can only described as one word, sad. The movie during the holocaust and is about a young boy who after he moves to another town because of his fathers promotion in the Nazi army, the boy discovers his fathers concentration camp. There he sits on the ... read moreoutside of the fence talking to a young Jewish boy on the inside, and two people who are supposed to be enemies become friends, but what happens in the end will test each ithers loyalty, trust, and ultimate friendship. I found the plot to be amazing, truly showing how a naive child would witness World War 2 and the Holocaust. The young actors are great and live up to the amazing acting of the adults. The horrors within this movie will haunt you for the rest of your life, it isn't my favorite Holocaust movie, but its up there with the best ever made.
  • CloudStrife84
    May 14, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    World War II's greatest horror as seen from the eyes of an innocent child. Quite a riveting drama, with magnificent acting all-around. The subject is really nothing new, but it has a fresh-thinking approach on how it takes us through it's story. Placing focus on the children, and... read more their reactions to the strange and unfathomable actions by the adults around them, is a brilliant concept that made the film all the more engaging. For authenticity's sake, I would have prefer a German cast over a British one, but I suppose you can't get everything. At any rate, however, this a beautifully executed motion picture, with many powerful and heart-rending moments. Be sure not to miss it, because it's one of the best of its kind.
  • purplemegan
    April 14, 2011
    purplemegan
    I really enjoyed this movie, a different take on the Holocaust, seen through a child's eyes. Now I want to read the book.
  • fb732260458
    March 19, 2011
    fb732260458
    A harrowing film depicting the Holocaust in such a strange yet effective manner that its impact will likely haunt the viewer for a long time to come.
  • nadirairdiana
    January 5, 2011
    nadirairdiana
    The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is the type of movie that draws you in from the very first scene. While some movies about Holocaust shows us perspectives from the Jews, we could see it from the Germans from this movie. Asa Butterfield plays Bruno and brings out the innocent sense ... read morereally well. This movie reminds me of "Life is beautiful". Probably one of the best movie that shows us how bad racism or holocaust could be and the innocence of children's friendship. It is also a movie that proves that children have a vey high curiousity and we should not prevent them to do what they wanted to do.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
May 13, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The result isn't a deep film, but rather a profound one. Full Review

Colin Covert
November 14, 2008
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Young Scanlon and Butterfield are scathingly effective, never overplaying their roles. Full Review

Tom Long
November 14, 2008
Tom Long, Detroit News

In truth, the film is sure to stop the hearts of many who see it. There may indeed be hope in hell, but better to avoid hell altogether. Full Review

Ty Burr
November 14, 2008
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Because its gaze is so level and so unyielding, it stands as one of the better dramatic films made on this subject (although it's not nearly as fine as Louis Malle's Au Revoir les Enfants, in which th... Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz
November 13, 2008
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

Although it's told from the perspective of a child, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is as shattering as any film about the Holocaust could be, perhaps more so. Full Review

Ben Mankiewicz
November 10, 2008
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies

I think that's what makes it so powerful, is because it is so small. Full Review

Ben Lyons
November 10, 2008
Ben Lyons, At the Movies

A beautiful film. Full Review

Peter Rainer
November 7, 2008
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

The great conundrum of the Holocaust is that it was perpetrated by human beings, not monsters. Few movies have rendered this puzzle so powerfully. Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
November 7, 2008
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

When Bruno makes an effort to set things right, the film goes powerfully wrong. Full Review

Susan Walker
November 7, 2008
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

That these boys could not fathom what was actually going on in the camps also rings true and is the reason why stories like this one must endure. Full Review

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    • Elsa Bruno's Mother: It won't feel like home until we make it feel like home.
    • Pavel: I practiced as a doctor.
    • Bruno: You must not have been very good then, if you had to practice.
    • Bruno: There is such thing as a nice Jew, though, isn't there?
    • Herr Liszt: I think, Bruno, if you ever found a nice Jew, you would be the best explorer in the world.
    • Bruno: Why do you wear pajamas all day?
    • Shmuel: The soldiers. They took all our clothes away.
    • Bruno: My dad's a soldier, but not the sort that takes people's clothes away.
    • Bruno: He used to be a doctor once, but gave it all up to peel potatoes.
    • Bruno's Father: I'm a solider. Soldiers fight a war.
    • Elsa Bruno's Mother: That's not war!
    • Bruno's Father: It's a vital part of it!
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