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IMDbPro

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

  • 2008
  • PG-13
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
230K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,293
213
Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
This is the theatrical trailer for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, directed by Mark Herman.
Play trailer2:16
7 Videos
37 Photos
DramaWar

Through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a German concentration camp, a forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has ... Read allThrough the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a German concentration camp, a forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.Through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a German concentration camp, a 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
    • Mark Herman
  • Stars
    • Asa Butterfield
    • David Thewlis
    • Rupert Friend
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    230K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,293
    213
    • Director
      • Mark Herman
    • Writers
      • John Boyne
      • Mark Herman
    • Stars
      • Asa Butterfield
      • David Thewlis
      • Rupert Friend
    • 558User reviews
    • 145Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 7 nominations

    Videos7

    The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Trailer
    Trailer 2:16
    Watch The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Trailer
    The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: I'm Exploring
    Clip 1:02
    Watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: I'm Exploring
    The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: Be Careful
    Clip 1:02
    Watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: Be Careful
    The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: I Want To Make A Swing
    Clip 1:00
    Watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: I Want To Make A Swing
    The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: This Is Not War
    Clip 1:01
    Watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: This Is Not War
    The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: I Want To Go Home
    Clip 1:02
    Watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: I Want To Go Home
    The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: They Wear Pajamas
    Clip 0:57
    Watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas: They Wear Pajamas

    Photos37

    John Boyne in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    David Thewlis in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Mark Herman in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Asa Butterfield in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Vera Farmiga in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Vera Farmiga and Asa Butterfield in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Asa Butterfield at an event for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Asa Butterfield
    Asa Butterfield
    • Bruno
    David Thewlis
    David Thewlis
    • Father
    Rupert Friend
    Rupert Friend
    • Lieutenant Kotler
    Zac Mattoon O'Brien
    • Leon
    • (as Zac Mattoon-O'Brien)
    Domonkos Németh
    • Martin
    Henry Kingsmill
    • Karl
    Vera Farmiga
    Vera Farmiga
    • Mother
    Cara Horgan
    Cara Horgan
    • Maria
    Zsuzsa Holl
    • Berlin Cook
    Amber Beattie
    Amber Beattie
    • Gretel
    László Áron
    László Áron
    • Lars
    Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson
    • Grandpa
    Sheila Hancock
    Sheila Hancock
    • Grandma
    Charlie Baker
    • Palm Court Singer
    Iván Verebély
    • Meinberg
    Béla Fesztbaum
    • Schultz
    Attila Egyed
    • Heinz
    David Hayman
    David Hayman
    • Pavel
    • Director
      • Mark Herman
    • Writers
      • John Boyne
      • Mark Herman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Bruno's parents are named Ralf and Elsa, but in the credits of the film they are listed as "Father" and "Mother." This is a tribute to the novel, in which the narrative focuses solely on Bruno's point of view.
    • Goofs
      At the going away party in the Berlin house, the band is playing jazz music. This is highly unlikely in an SS officer's home circa 1942 as the Nazis prohibited Jazz music in the 1930s.
    • Quotes

      Shmuel: I wish you'd remembered the chocolate.

      Bruno: Yes, I'm sorry. I know! Perhaps you can come and have supper with us sometime.

      Shmuel: I can't, can I? Because of this.

      [points the electric fence]

      Bruno: But that's to stop the animals getting out, isn't it?

      Shmuel: Animals? No, it's to stop people getting out.

      Bruno: Are you not allowed out? Why? What have you done?

      Shmuel: I'm a Jew.

    • 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
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Quantum of Solace/Madagascar 2/Soul Men/Repo! The Genetic Opera/The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Rhythm For You
      Written by Eddy Christiani and Frans Poptie

      Courtesy of APM Music

    User reviews558

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Touching and Powerful, but Lacking
    If you want the definition of ironic, it would be the plot to The Boy In the Striped Pajamas. Everybody knows the story of Hitler and 1940's Germany. A military man moves his family out into the country so he can work at a concentration camp. His eight year old boy wanders off and finds the camp and befriends a Jewish kid from the other side of the fence. A combination of the child's naivety, strong story, and somber music makes this movie very powerful and brings a new insight to WW2.

    The main force behind this movie and what really keeps it going is Bruno. He is the eight year old boy and the main character. He is forced to move away from his friends in Berlin and is looking for a new friend. He meets a Jewish boy in the concentration camp and he has no idea what is going on. He is young and knows little of the war and the terrible things his father and countryman are doing. There are moments in the movie where he asks stupid questions and it makes the audience just go, "oh, no. I know the answer, how can you be so blind?" Then I remembered he was eight years old and has no business knowing what is going on. His older sister is twelve and she gets it. She talks about joining the Hitler youth and she becomes war driven. She is being brainwashed and corrupted by the adults around her. Her whole existence is the show the vile works of the Germans in that time. It's odd how each character in the family is completely different, obviously it is on purpose.

    We have Bruno, the main character who is completely blind and innocent. It is his blindness and innocents which makes the movie. Then we have the father, Ralph, who is also Professor Lupin in Harry Potter, just a side note. He is the definition of evil. He works at the camps. My favorite scene is when they are all at dinner and he basically interrogates one of his officers and finds out his father was Jewish. On the spot he has the man taken into the other room, beaten, and killed. It is a powerful scene and shows the reality of the situation. One could argue that it's not his fault because he is just following orders and Germany was corrupt by one insane tyrant, but that's not the point. This movie isn't about the war or Hitler or even the Jews. It is about the relationship between the two young children battling the odds Then there is my favorite character in the entire movie, and that is the mother. She is special so she gets her own paragraph.

    Elsa is the mother of this family and she is protective of her children. She knows the danger bit is also blinded by her surroundings. She knows what her country is doing with the Jewish people but she has no idea that they are dying. She finds out that they are being gassed and burned and she flips out. This says a lot about her character and how she did not approve of her countries actions. This is a bold move by the director because he disproves the stereotype that everybody in Germany hated the Jews and approved of Hitler. She is a strong character an gives the movie a different edge.

    The movie is a little slow at first and it takes a while for the backbone of the plot to kick in. This movie is 94 minutes and it takes a while before the two boys even meet and build their friendship. Another problem is the little screen time the little Jewish boy is in the movie. The title of the movie is about him and he isn't really seen as much. When he is on screen he tries to tell the truth to young Bruno. He is eight years old and he knows and understands everything that has happened to him. There is one point in the movie where Bruno messes up and it almost costs him his life. I like Bruno as a character but he was a coward and he made foolish mistakes. As the movie progressed I began to realize there were only two outcomes to this story and both are very sad.

    Pacing problems, limited time with a main character and my major problem is the lack of character development. Every character with the exception of the mother is the exact same from the opening credits to the end credits. The father is a jerk. The boy is foolish and his sister is corrupted. This made the movie a little boring and even though it was a short film it felt really long. I wanted to see more but I can't think what else could have been seen. The strengths definitely outweigh the weaknesses but the weaknesses are still substantial.

    Overall, I did enjoy The Boy In the Striped Pajamas. The music added an emotional touch throughout and one thing you need to understand is that the main character is a kid and you need to think like a kid to understand what he does. By no means is this a happy movie, but more tragic with a few glimpses that would make any parent proud. Watch this movie but be warned, it is not for the faint of heart. The acting isn't anything remarkable, the characters are strong but have little development, but overall enjoyable. This movie gets the WillyT Honorable Mention.
    helpful•5
    0
    • thewillt08
    • Mar 8, 2013

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    FAQ8

    • Is "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" based on a book?
    • How do Bruno and Shmuel meet?
    • If the movie is set in Germany, why do they have English accents?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 26, 2008 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Chú bé mang pyjama sọc
    • Filming locations
      • Kerepesi Cemetery, Budapest, Hungary
    • Production companies
      • Miramax
      • BBC Films
      • Heyday Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,046,156
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $253,085
      • Nov 9, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $40,416,563
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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