The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" (original title)

Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

Director:

Mark Herman

Writers:

John Boyne (novel), Mark Herman (screenplay)

Stars:

Asa Butterfield, Zac Mattoon O'Brien, David Thewlis

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Asa Butterfield	...	Bruno
Zac Mattoon O'Brien	...	Leon (as Zac Mattoon-O'Brien)
Domonkos Németh	...	Martin
Henry Kingsmill	...	Karl
Vera Farmiga	...	Mother
Cara Horgan	...	Maria
Zsuzsa Holl	...	Berlin Cook
Amber Beattie	...	Gretel
László Áron	...	Lars
David Thewlis	...	Father
Richard Johnson	...	Grandpa
Sheila Hancock	...	Grandma
Charlie Baker	...	Palm Court Singer
Iván Verebély	...	Meinberg
Béla Fesztbaum	...	Schultz

Storyline

Young Bruno lives a wealthy lifestyle in prewar Germany along with his mother, elder sister, and SS Commandant father. The family relocates to the countryside where his father is assigned to take command a prison camp. A few days later, Bruno befriends another youth, strangely dressed in striped pajamas, named Shmuel who lives behind an electrified fence. Bruno will soon find out that he is not permitted to befriend his new friend as he is a Jew, and that the neighboring yard is actually a prison camp for Jews awaiting extermination.

---

Plot Keywords:

jew | fence | ss | jewish | friend | 

---

Taglines:

Zäune trennen, doch Hoffnung eint. (Fences divide, but hope unites.)

---

Genres:

Drama | History | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic material involving the Holocaust

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax Films [us] Official Facebook

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Box Office

Budget:

$12,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$253,085 (USA) (7 November 2008)

Gross:

$9,030,581 (USA) (16 January 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax Films, BBC Films, Heyday Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the concentration camp where the movie is set is never actually mentioned by name throughout the movie, we know it is Auschwitz because it was the only Nazi death camp with 4 crematoria. The SS officers are discussing the building's construction in the Commandant's office when Bruno's mother interrupts the meeting. In the book it is referred to as "Out-With" (coming from the P.O.V. of Bruno, who is only nine years old and can't pronounce some words properly).

---

Goofs

At the farewell party in Berlin at the beginning of the film, the singer with the dance band was using a Shure 55SH, an iconic American microphone. However the Germans would have used Sennheiser or Neumann microphones. They were very proud of their engineering, and pioneered early audio recording technology which is still sought after by collectors and studios.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Mother: Hello, sweetheart.
Bruno: Mum, what's going on?
Mother: We're celebrating.
Bruno: Celebrating?
Mother: Mm, your father's been given a promotion.
Gretel: That means a better job.
Bruno: I know what promotion is.
Mother: So we're having a little party to celebrate.
Bruno: He's still going to be a soldier though, isn't he?
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

Quotation displayed before the opening titles: "Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows - John Betjeman"

---

Connections

References The Führer Gives the Jews a City (1944)

---

Soundtracks

"German National Anthem (Das Lied der Deutschen)"
(uncredited)
by August Heinrich Hoffman von Fallersleben

User Reviews

Stunning

I read the book "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" after coming across it in the library almost a year ago, and it amazed me. The unique approach taken by Mr Boyne put the subject matter across in a fresh and, if it is possible, even more heart-wrenching fashion. When I heard they were making the book into a film, I was very anxious, as I thought that they couldn't possibly convey the book onto the screen appropriately.

I am delighted to say that I was entirely wrong. I have just this minute returned home from seeing the film and I am absolutely stunned. The film is practically identical to the book, which was wonderful to see, and I thought that the acting was superb. Vera Farmiga and Asa Butterfield were, I thought, exceptional. The film was handled fantastically and I believe that the feel of the novel was not lost in the translation to screen.

Seeing the film was a lot more intense than reading the book and, even knowing what was coming, I found myself sobbing at the end, as were my father and step-mother, the latter of whom had never read the book, and was utterly shocked. This is the first film I have ever seen in which the whole audience were silent from beginning to end, and then, when the film ended, not a single person moved for a long time afterwards.

The film is an incredibly powerful, moving story, told superbly well by a stellar cast and crew. I would recommend it immensely to everyone.