The Boy In Striped Pajamas Movie Analysis

Throughout history stories are being told from generation to generation, from storytelling, pictures, and film. Film has brought stories to life, shown what that moment in history was like; it has reached thousands of people. Although some historical movies aren’t based on a real-life person, it is accurate in the events of what happened and what people went through during that time period. One movie in particular is ‘The boy in Striped Pajamas’.

The movie that was chosen is ‘The Boy in Striped Pajamas’. The movie ‘The Boy in Striped Pajamas’ takes place during WW 2 in Berlin, the capital of Germany. In the beginning of the movie it shows Bruno running and intimidating an airplane, it also shows some German officers taking away Jews and forcing them into a carrier. Bruno is moving to a new home that is close to a concentration camp. Bruno’s father is commandant who was promoted and is overseeing the concentration camp in the countryside.

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In the new home, Bruno takes a peek outside his bedroom window and sees a ‘farm of children’, he asks his mother, but she denies seeing a farm. Bruno wasn’t delighted about the move, he is sad and lonely at the new home, he finds the farmers strange. Bruno asks his father about these ‘farmers’ and his father says they aren’t people. As days go by Bruno ventures out into the forest and comes across bobbed wires and a boy on the other side named Shmuel. Bruno meets Shmuel everyday and brings him food.

Bruno is genuinely curious about Shmuel but doesn’t understand the situation Shmuel is in or why he smells, or why his father is a farmer. Bruno is taught a lesson by his teacher about Jews and their cause of the downfall. Bruno doesn’t understand why Jews are bad. Bruno’s mother is torn about what Bruno’s father has been doing and wants to leave the house. The parents had a huge argument that led to the father deciding to move back home. Bruno is sad and tells Shmuel he is leaving. Both then agree to have Bruno go over to Shmuel’s side the next day, before Bruno leaves. The next day they meet up at the bobbed wires, Shmuel has striped pajamas and Bruno brought a sandwich and a shovel. Bruno puts on his pajamas and digs a hole to the other side. The boys try to find Shmuel’s father, they went into a hut only for them to be rushed out by soldiers into the chambers. Bruno and Shmuel are afraid and don’t know what’s happening. Back at home Bruno’s mother is worried and can’t find him, they soon realize that Bruno went to the camp and they rush to find him. They soon realize it’s to late and Bruno ended up in the cremation chambers, Bruno’s family is heartbroken. I choose this movie because I loved the book and the movie, the time period it is set in is my favorite part of history.

The movie did stay accurate to its historical accuracy, the film narrative was not lost. Because it is historically accurate in the fact that Jews were put into concentration camps, gassed, cremated, and starved to death, the film enhances it and from a Germans perspective, “early in the war, part of Nazi policy was to murder civilians en masse, especially targeting Jews. Later in the war, this policy grew into Hitler's 'final solution', the complete extermination of the Jews (Taylor).” The movie shows exactly what was happening to Jews, “Though the Nazis tried to keep operation of camps secret, the scale of the killing made this virtually impossible (History).” The movie is not for all ages, especially if a person has not learned of WW 2, they may not understand what is happening.

The movie overall was great, but very sad at the end. It moved at a slow pace then picked up towards the end. I liked how the movie was from a German perspective, a child who is innocent and oblivious to the whole situation in his country. What I didn’t like was the ending, I always cry and wished both the kids didn’t die.

Overall the movie was great and sad, the historical events enhanced the film from a different perspective. The film was educational, simple and easy to understand the history, and I am grateful to have watched and write a movie evaluation over ‘The Boy in Striped Pajamas’.