The Boy in The Striped Pajamas is a 2008 British film written and directed by Mark Herman based on a novel of the same title by John Boyne. This film has a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 142 reviews, earning a score of 6.30/10. This film takes place during World War II and highlights the Nazi atrocities committed during the genocide of European Jews. The horror of the Holocaust is then told through the perspective of two boys named Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, and Shmuel, a Jewish prisoner.
Synopsis
Bruno lived in a Polish rural area occupied by Nazi Germany with his father, Ralf, a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer, and his mother Elsa. They lived far away from the city and without any neighbors. Bruno felt lonely and bored because he had no playmates. In the backwoods where they lived, there was a concentration camp for European Jews. Bruno’s parents forbid him to play there. Inside the house, Bruno’s teacher, Herr Liszt, and his sister Gretel were seen as fanatically loyal to Adolf Hitler, and they also hated Jews. Bruno was surprised by their propaganda because Pavel, a Jew who became a servant in their family, was actually not as bad as they said.
One day, Bruno, feeling bored, dared to sneak into the woods in the back. He then arrived at a camp with barbed wire fences surrounding it. There, he met a bald-headed boy named Shmuel. They introduced themselves and became close friends. However, Bruno and Shmuel did not know about the actual facts of the concentration camp. Almost every day, they met to chat and tell stories. Bruno always brought food for Shmuel, and they often played chess despite being separated by a fence.
Initially, Bruno thought that the striped clothing that Shmuel, Pavel, and everyone in the camp often wore was their pajamas. Eventually, Bruno found out that Shmuel was a Jew who was taken to the camp along with his parents. Meanwhile, Elsa saw black smoke rising high from the concentration camp. Ralf’s colleague, Lieutenant Kurt Kotler, told her that the smoke came from the Jews who were burned alive in the camp. Elsa was shocked by the action, but she could not do anything.
Some time later, Shmuel was working alone at Bruno’s house. Bruno saw him, and he offered him some cake. While they were conversing, Kotler came and scolded Shmuel harshly for taking the food. Bruno was frightened and then forced to lie and told Kotler that he did not know Shmuel at all. After that incident, Bruno tried to apologize by coming to the camp, but Shmuel did not show up for several days. Eventually, Bruno could meet with Shmuel again, and he forgave Bruno for what he had said. They remained good friends like before.
In summary, Bruno tried to enter the camp to help Shmuel find his missing father. He wore striped clothing like Shmuel’s and used a hat to cover his non-bald head. While there, Bruno saw many Jews who were severely ill with a pitiful condition. They, along with other prisoners, were escorted by Nazi officers to a room where they were killed. On the other hand, Elsa, Gretel, and Ralf with their subordinates tried to find Bruno who had disappeared. They then headed to the concentration camp, and Elsa burst into tears hysterically after finding out that her son had become a victim of genocide.
Conclusion
The Boy in The Striped Pajamas tells a heartbreaking story of the Holocaust from the perspective of two innocent boys. The friendship between Bruno and Shmuel, despite the fence that separated them, shows how humanity can still exist even in the darkest of times. This film serves as a reminder of the horrors of the past and hopefully encourages us to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
