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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (original title)
PG-13 | | Drama, War | 26 November 2008 (USA)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Poster
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2:15 | Trailer

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Set during WWII, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a German 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, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend | See full cast & crew »
55
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Popularity
305 ( 743)
7 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

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

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. Shmuel papa disappears and Shmule bring back a striped pajamas. Bruno puts them on and they both go look for Shmuel papa Written by rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

jew | boy | nazis | poison gas | fence | See All (151) »

Taglines:

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

Genres:

Drama | War

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic material involving the Holocaust | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Official Sites:

Miramax Films [United States] | Official Facebook | See more »

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Release Date:

26 November 2008 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas See more »

Filming Locations:

Hungary See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$12,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£513,653 (United Kingdom), 14 September 2008, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$253,085, 9 November 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$9,030,581, 18 January 2009
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, BBC Films, Heyday Films See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Bruno's hairstyle closely resembles that of Adolf Hitler who, of course, was leader of the Nazi party from 1933 to his death in 1945. See more »

Goofs

During the breakfast scene where Maria is scrubbing the blood stains off the floor a phone is seen attached to the wall which is too modern at that period of time. See more »

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?
[...]
See more »

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" See more »

Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies So Depressing You Can Only Watch Them Once (2018) See more »

Soundtracks

Romantic Violin
Written by Hans Conzelmann, Delle Haensch
Courtesy of APM Music
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does the movie end?
Q: How closely does the movie follow the book?
Q: What became of Lieutenant Kotler?
See more »

User Reviews

 
Perfectly weighted film...
13 September 2008 | by tomashaffenden-1 – See all my reviews

I'm a man's man, and it takes something really exceptional to break my emotionless machine persona. This film ripped me apart and reminded me (and my partner) of humanity inside even the most hardened man.

Perfectly weighted film in every way, from pace to acting and all framed with a wonderful score. The subtlety of the looks passing between the actors and a finale that ensured silence until the final credit rolled, makes this one of the best films i've seen in a long time.

This is the first review I have never written and i cannot think of a better way to have opened my account.
362 of 446 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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