The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
DIR/WRI: Mark Herman PRO: Rosie Alison, David Heyman, Péter Miskolczi, Gábor Váradi • DOP: Benoît Delhomme • ED: Michael Ellis • DES: Martin Childs • CAST: Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, David Heyman

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas comes to our screens with huge expectations. It is based on the very successful young adult novel by Dubliner John Boyne that has sold over 3 million copies, 500,000 of those here in Ireland. Set in Germany during World War II, it follows Bruno (Asa Butterfield), the nine-year-old son of a Nazi commandant (David Thewlis), as he moves from Berlin to the bleak countryside beside an even grimmer concentration camp. Through the lens of Bruno we witness the horror, intolerance and ultimately evil that was perpetrated during the Holocaust. Children in Nazi Germany, it can be presumed, were largely shielded from the reality of what was happening, and so, through the mind of Bruno, we witness this most horrific episode in modern history through innocent eyes. And it makes for terrific cinema. The premise centres on Bruno’s forbidden friendship with Schmuel (Jack Scanlon), a young Jewish boy imprisoned in the concentration camp next to Bruno’s new home.

Thewlis is marvellous as the stern-faced Nazi commandant, playing him as a quasi-evil man with visible signs of hatred but when around his children we see a glimmer of humanity. His character is written with real depth; his mother detests the Nazi regime that has hijacked the country and her son, while his father is an ardent Nazi supporter. This is no cardboard-cutout Nazi villain, of which we are probably fatigued with at this point. Vera Farmiga (The Departed) turns in an outstanding performance as Bruno’s mother. She’s particularly impressive when she descends into depression after learning of the realities of her husband’s actions. Also notable is Pavel, the Jewish doctor now reduced to a potato-peeling servant in the family home. His distraught and deeply sad face evokes both the destruction of his life and that of countless others.

But of course, this is Bruno’s and Schmuel’s film and their scenes together are deeply touching. Perhaps trying to comprehend something like the Holocaust is best achieved through the eyes of children. With their innocence and hopes not yet dashed, their simplistic and direct questions often yield the most telling truths.

The first two acts are quite slow moving but heighten the devastatingly moving climax. Mark Herman superbly directs what must have been a very difficult scene to capture. While disturbing, it is not unsuitable for children and it is right that the awfulness of the concentration camps is not shied away from. James Horner’s score deserves praise, particularly the final crescendo that is nothing short of breathtaking.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is an important film for both young and old audiences alike. The book was a triumph and so too is the film adaptation. As a fable of innocence versus evil, darkness against hope and ultimately the dignity of human life, it is a remarkable achievement.

Gavin Finlay
(Read biog here)

Rated 12A (see IFCO website for details)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is released on 12th September 2008
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – Official website