The absolute high point of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is the attention to character development witnessed in every persona that appears onscreen. Thought-provoking and powerful, the backdrop of World War II, prison camps, and Nazis perfectly clash with the innocence of a child’s mind and the injustice and compassion perceived through his eyes. At once painful, tear-jerking and deeply emotional, this is a film that cannot be easily forgotten.

Little Bruno (Asa Butterfield) and his family relocate to the countryside and out of Berlin during World War II. Bruno’s father (David Thewlis) has just received a promotion to oversee a German concentration camp, much to the disapproval of his politically forthright parents, which takes the family away from friends and comfort. Bruno is initially upset, especially with boredom due to the lack of other children around the secluded house they move to, but he secretly wanders outside to investigate his surroundings.

Not far from the lonely home is the camp and its odd “farmers” who occasionally act as servants for the family. When Bruno works up the courage to travel to the gaunt resort, he meets Shmuel (Jack Scanlon) dressed in funny pajamas and looking glum. Soon the two consider themselves friends, even though they are separated by an electrified fence and can only meet in secrecy. Bruno brings food and games to play, but envisages himself as the unlucky one; he is tutored most of the day and trapped in a solitary fortress while Shmuel gets to roam freely (within the confines of the camp). Bruno’s family life begins to falter when his mother (Vera Farmiga) discovers the true purpose of the camp and her husband’s duties, and so he plots to join Shmuel in his search for his own missing father.

James Horner’s preeminent score gives extra depth and resonance to outstanding performances and dire depictions of a catastrophic period. The film is told through the eyes of an innocent boy, giving a considerably unique approach to a Holocaust film. Based on the novel by John Boyne, the film never delves into actual atrocities, but instead focuses on the misinterpretations of a child’s mind and the innocent interactions with both dutiful Nazis and suffering prisoners.

Every character is incredibly complex, from Jewish servant Pavel, who was once a doctor and now peels potatoes and serves drinks (Bruno can’t understand why he’d give up his career), to Lieutenant Kotler, the intimidating German officer who shows no clemency to the Jews, yet carefully hides his own doubts about the orders he carries out. No supporting character is wasted, and each is perfectly portrayed by an incredibly talented cast.

Some aspects of the film’s realism are questionable, from the use of servants to Schmuel’s age to young Bruno’s naïveté, but the message behind The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is nonetheless powerful and emotional. It’s a difficult film to watch, but well paced and enlightening, despite the terribly bleak setting. The acting and character designs are simply phenomenal and unquestionably highlight this traumatizing World War II drama.

- Mike Massie

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