The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

Stunned is the best way I can describe my reaction to The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas and that's considering that I could see the conclusion coming for about 15 minutes.

The film is told through the eyes of eight-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield), the son of a Nazi commander in World War II. To Bruno his dad is just a soldier and he doesn't understand the nature of the war they are involved in.

When they are moved to the country from Berlin, Bruno is forbidden to explore the back yard. Little does he know that beyond the back yard is a concentration camp.

Eventually Bruno escapes out the back and he encounters Shmuel, a boy of similar age with a shaved head and funny looking pyjamas. What Bruno doesn't understand is that his new friend is a Jew and a prisoner in the camp.

I think the film has been promoted enough for me not to need go any further.

As I said the ending, despite its predictability, stunned me. I don't think it was a particularly brilliant film but it is well done in the sense that these stories aren't usually told through the eyes of an innocent child.

I wonder whether it would have had more impact on me had it been in German with subtitles? Just having them speak English doesn't seem authentic. In fact it isn't. But that is minor, I'd say this film is worth a look. But I think that you should read as little as possible about it because, as stated, I found it predictable.

That's not to detract from what it is trying to portray. That aspect is well done. I'm giving a 7.5 out of 10. I wanted to go higher but the first quarter is borderline boring before it builds a bit from about half way.