If The Boy in the Striped Pajamas has a main flaw, it’s that the story is too often in the risky territory of becoming Holocaust drama lite. The Holocaust is probably the last historical event that should ever be trivialized, and while the film is never disrespectful, framing it from the perspective of an oblivious eight-year-old renders it kind of shallow and uninformed.
Still, the family drama is top notch, thanks especially to strong performances by Thewlis and Farmiga. The Nazis may not deserve any sympathy, but the emotional consequences of having the head of your household oversee the death of thousands of Jews would have to be troubling.
The performances of the two young actors Butterfield and Scanlon are impressive as well. There’s an honesty in their eyes, and a simple conviction in the way they deliver their lines. Nearly all of the emotional power of the film comes courtesy of these two.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas requires a bit of sustained disbelief (is it really possible a boy in a concentration camp could hide in a corner of the camp for hours at a time without being noticed?) and a willingness to put up with a dreadfully saccharine score considering the subject matter (thanks for another one, James Horner) but by the final reel, all that will be forgotten. As the last few scenes flash across the screen, and it fades to credits, you will be pinned to your seat. The ending is devastating. Don’t bring your mom to this one.
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