The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a gut-wrenching movie about the human cost of wars from the eyes of children! Wars have the worst impact on humankind, however we rarely see it from the perspective of children. Children who are so innocent and don’t even understand what wars are are often the victims of wars. This movie, adapted from the book by John Boyne the same name, talks about the loss of two innocent souls, Bruno and Shmuel. Both lead two different lives. Let’s see why one should watch this movie!
[ Also Read: Top 10 Movies About Mental Health ]The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Human Cost of Wars
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a heart-wrenching movie set during World War II. The story is told from the perspective of a child named Bruno. Bruno’s father is a Commandant. He advises his family to shift near a Nazi concentration camp with him. Since Bruno has no friends there, he starts exploring the neighbourhood on his own. One day he finds himself outside the Nazi concentration camp, where he meets Shmuel, a Jewish boy the same age as Bruno! They instantly become friends. However, Shmuel and Bruno both don’t know why Shmuel is kept inside the territory of barbed wires.
There are several scenes which talk about the human cost of wars. Bruno’s mother gets a smell and realises that it is actually the smell of Jews being burnt alive. This led to her argument with her husband. She persuades him to send her and their two children back to their original home. Her husband grants her the wish and tells her to pack their stuff. But on the day of departure, they are unable to find Bruno. Bruno goes to help Shmuel to find his dad, who has been missing since the previous day. Bruno gets inside the territory and dresses up as a prisoner himself.
During the search, both the boys get swept by a group of prisoners who are being taken up to the gas chamber. They think it is a bathing session and they both hold hands and close their eyes. Bruno’s family starts searching for him and learns that he went inside the gas chamber. The whole story is very emotional. It focuses on the destructive power of discrimination and the devasting impact of war. Bruno and Shmuel who were both innocent get killed due to the brutality of World War II.
[ Also Read: Aftersun: A Masterclass of Cinematography ]Why Should You Watch The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a thought-provoking and emotional movie that talks about the devastating impact of war on mankind. The story revolves around two boys of the same age, but they lead two different lives. Bruno is the son of the Commandant of the German army and leads a comfortable life within the four walls. Shmuel on the other hand is a Jew and lives in the poor conditions of a Nazi concentration camp. Let’s take a look at the 5 reasons to watch The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
1. Unique Perspective Towards War
The movie is from the perspective of a young boy named Bruno. He belongs to a privileged family in Germany. When the whole family moves near the Nazi concentration camp, Bruno is left all alone with no friends there. Hence, Bruno starts exploring alone. The movie talks about the impact of war from a child’s perspective, where the child doesn’t understand why the war is happening. Bruno doesn’t understand why his friend Shmuel can’t get out of the fence. He doesn’t understand why he always wears the striped clothes. Bruno and Shmuel are two innocent souls who faced the devastating consequences of World War II.
2. Exploration of Powerful Themes
The movie delves into the themes of friendship, love, innocence, and the human cost of wars. It highlights the importance of empathy and understanding, which many people lack. During the holocaust scenes, we see how the officers serving Hitler are ruthless with everyone. They don’t even spare the lives of two young boys, Bruno and Shmuel. In another scene, we see how one character killed a Jewish servant because he poured wine on his hands while serving him.
3. Performances of the Actors
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas has some of the strongest performances. The young actors, Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon nailed their roles as Bruno and Shmuel respectively. They were able to capture the innocence of a child during the war. Vera Farmiga, who plays the role of Bruno’s mother played her character gracefully. She justified the role of a mother and wife who is tired of the inhumane events and wants her children out of there. When she loses her son she loses it and starts screaming and crying. The scene is so devastating that it can make anyone cry. David Thewlis played the role of Ralf, Bruno’s father. Ralf is a Commandant and wants to please Hitler with his actions. However, in that process, he loses his son.
4. Beautiful and Impactful Storytelling
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is adapted from the book of the same name by John Boyne. This is a powerful story about the consequences of war on children. Whenever a war happens we see it from the perspective of good or bad or humankind as a whole. This movie takes a unique step and sees war from the perspective of children. Children are very curious and innocent and hence, they don’t understand the concept of war. With the emotional and impactful storytelling, we learn how World War II had a devastating impact on children.
5. A Timely Reminder
The film is a reminder of the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust. It is a reminder that no matter how hard we try to escape from the heinous impact of war, it gets worse and drags us into it. Bruno and Shmuel didn’t do anything wrong. But both of them had to suffer a tragic death. Bruno’s mother was innocent and never supported the brutal killings of the Jews. However, due to her husband’s association with the Nazis, she lost her son. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas reminds us of the importance of tolerance and empathy for all!
Conclusion: Watch The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a timeless movie about the heinous effects of war. One can only imagine and feel what must have been the situation inside the concentration camp. Shmuel and Bruno, the two naïve kids, don’t understand the brutalities of war and develop a friendship. This movie is a reminder to everyone that wars take away a lot of innocent souls from this world.
If you found this article helpful and informative, make sure you check our website for more details. Comment down your thoughts and queries in the box below. Till then, keep reading and keep smiling!!