The boy in the striped pajamas : What a story!
Eight-year-old Bruno has a fine life in Berlin. A wonderful house, lots of friends, and much fun to be had.
But all that changes when his Papa gets a promotion, a new fancy uniform and they move to another house. Right next to a place called ‘Out-with”. The new house is not much to speak of and Bruno has nothing to do, no one to play with. And there’s a strange tension all around and his parents fight. From his house, he can see people in striped pajamas working. Is this a farm? But he’s told those are not even really people.
Bored witless, Bruno starts to explore further and further from the house. And he sees a big barbed wire fence.
On the other side, is a little boy in striped pajamas. They talk! They begin to meet everyday. They even play chess – without anyone touching the electrified fence which is meant to keep the ‘animals from getting out”.
But Bruno’s uneasy mama decides this is no place for children to grow up. And his father agrees. Bruno is to leave very soon. But before he goes, he wants to help the little boy on the other side find his father and make right for giving him away earlier on. So, he finds a shovel and easily manages to dig a little tunnel under the fence. Instead of little Schamuel coming out, little Bruno goes in… to Auschwitz.
Say what you like, critics, but it’s a shocker of a film. Based on John Boyne’s “fable” it’s been criticized for many glitches and implausibilies and for being too “Miramaxed”. I’m sure someone will come out with a long list, soon. I agree with some of them. Where the heck were the guards? Can you really dig your way into Auscwitz that easily?
But even so. The story does spell out, like many others, the horror of how inhuman humans can be. And who better to see that than the eyes of an innocent child.
Would love to see how the film is done; the book was incredible !