The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) (2008)

63% of critics liked it
(134 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(106,068 ratings)

Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, and Asa Butterfield star in Little Voice writer/director Mark Herman's adaptation of John Boyne's novel concerning the forbidden friendship that between an eight-year-old German boy and a Jewish concentration camp prisoner in World War II-era Germany. The innocent son of… More Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, and Asa Butterfield star in Little Voice writer/director Mark Herman's adaptation of John Boyne's novel concerning the forbidden friendship that between an eight-year-old German boy and a Jewish concentration camp prisoner in World War II-era Germany. The innocent son of a high-ranking Nazi commandant, Bruno has been largely shielded from the harsh realities of the war. When Bruno discovers that his father has been promoted and that their family will be moving from Berlin into the countryside, he doesn't take the news well. Increasingly bored in his sprawling yet dreary country abode and forbidden by his mother from exploring the backyard, young Bruno searches for something to do while his older sister plays with dolls and vies for the attention of handsome Lieutenant Kotler (Rupert Friend). One day, bored and gazing out his bedroom window, Bruno spies what first appears to be a nearby farm; his parents refuse to discuss it, and all of the inhabitants there are curiously clad in striped pajamas. But while Bruno's mother naïvely believes the "farm" to be an internment camp, her husband has sworn under oath never to reveal that it is in fact an extermination camp specifically designed to help the Nazis achieve their horrific "Final Solution." Eventually defying his mother's rules and venturing out beyond the backyard, Bruno arrives at a barbed wire fence to find a young boy just his age emptying rubble from a wheel barrel. Like Pavel, the kitchen worker who cooks all of Bruno's meals, the young boy is wearing striped pajamas. His name is Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), and before long the two young boys become fast friends. But the closer these two boys grow, the more Bruno becomes awakened to the horrors unfolding all around them. His mother is catching on quickly as well, a fact that causes great tension in her marriage to Bruno's father. Later, after Bruno swipes a piece of cake for Shmuel, Lt. Kotler accuses the Jewish boy of stealing and delivers a swift punishment. When Bruno's father announces that the young boy and his mother will be going to live with their aunt in Heidelberg, Bruno grabs a shovel and makes his way to the camp, setting into motion a tragic and devastating sequence of events. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Mark Herman
Written By: Mark Herman
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Nov 7, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Mar 10, 2009
Studio: Miramax

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
The result isn't a deep film, but rather a profound one.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Young Scanlon and Butterfield are scathingly effective, never overplaying their roles.
Tom Long, Detroit News
In truth, the film is sure to stop the hearts of many who see it. There may indeed be hope in hell, but better to avoid hell altogether.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Because its gaze is so level and so unyielding, it stands as one of the better dramatic films made on this subject (although it's not nearly as fine as Louis Malle's Au Revoir les Enfants, in which the camps remain a distant abstraction).
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
Although it's told from the perspective of a child, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is as shattering as any film about the Holocaust could be, perhaps more so.
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies
I think that's what makes it so powerful, is because it is so small.
Simon Reynolds, Digital Spy
A film dealing with the Holocaust really should be a little less clumsily executed, manipulative and contrived than this.
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
Built upon a powerful but gimmicky end, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas would make a fine short. As a full-length feature, though, the pajamas wear thin quickly.
Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
We are left in no doubt about the brutality of what's going on there but it's almost entirely off-screen. Still, the film is terribly confronting.
Derek Adams, Time Out Sydney
This writer can't remember witnessing a harder-hitting kids' movie denouement than the one that closes this microcosm of middle-class German family life in WWII.
Julie Rigg, MovieTime, ABC Radio National
Much of the film depends on our ability to suspend disbelief and see the world as Bruno sees it. It has a finale designed to shock.
Annette Basile, FILMINK (Australia)
You may get halfway through and wonder why it's getting so heavily recommended here. Once you've experienced it in its entirety, you'll know why.
Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)
For me, the pluses far outweighed any misgivings I had with this ultimately very moving film.
Peg Aloi, Boston Phoenix
The performances never falter, and even James Horner's heavy-handed score can't dim the film's unfathomable, unshakable ending.
Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
The story is passable, albeit a little too manufactured for my taste in terms of its moral lessons, but the execution is so stilted and unconvincing that the experience is uncomfortable
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
The power of this story and the way director Mark Herman tells it through the innocent eyes of an eight year old boy overcome all the hurdles with its child-like simplicity that clutches our hearts
Mark R. Leeper, rec.arts.movies.reviews
The novel was written for young adults and the film feels like it pulls its punches. The final horrifying revelation is still a long way from the painful realities of those days.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
Extras on the disc include a full-length audio commentary by writer/ director Mark Herman and novelist John Boyne.
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide
When the time comes for resolution, writer/ director Mark Herman suddenly delivers the unexpected; he does not sell out.
Kam Williams, EURWeb
Why do the all the Nazis here have British accents? How confusing is that? An unintentionally-comical cross of Hogan's Heroes and Springtime for Hitler!

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Josh M

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas would have been a masterpiece in another dimension. If the holocaust had never happened, and this was a movie about a fictional event, the excellence of the script, acting and cinematography would have made this a true classic. However, despite the… More
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas would have been a masterpiece in another dimension. If the holocaust had never happened, and this was a movie about a fictional event, the excellence of the script, acting and cinematography would have made this a true classic. However, despite the noble intentions and talents of all its creative team this is an offensive, lamentable distortion of the truth. Writer Director Mark Herman says that he wanted this film to be a good way to introduce the discussion of the Holocaust for children. It may be a good way to start a discussion for kids about racism, about loyalty, learning how to deal with flawed parents, and a million other things, but not THE holocaust. Here are the two reasons why this is offensive: a) Historical distortion -A story of a friendship across a fence between a Jewish kid on the concentration camp side, Shmuel, and his German friend Bruno, who is the child of the death camp's commandant, is UTTERLY false and impossible. Most kids were put to death quite early, and they did not live with adults. b) Not respecting the intelligence of the characters - Did no one figure out what was happening? No one seems to be aware, in the wake of burning stinking ovens and rapidly disappearing people what is happening in the camp except the Commandant himself. This includes his sensitive and elegant wife and mother of Bruno, who only at the end realizes what is going on in the 'farm' that she can see out the window of her villa, and the people in the camp itself, who seem to think that all the missing people are actually missing, smokestacks and all. c) Clearing everyone morally - Everyone, as Jean Renoir says, has their reasons, and we empathize with them all, from the ntisemitism he teaches the children like mother's milk, to the brutal murderous blonde young Nazi who is covering up for his dissenting father, to finally, the commandant, who looks conflicted and not entirely convincing when he says what 'important work he's doing for his country'. I realize that Bernigni's 'Life is Beautiful' covers much the same territory, but it looked like a fable, was presented in its story telling tone and aesthetically in a stylized way, so no one would think for a second that this was how it really happened. '...Striped Pajamas' attempts to look real, like a slice of history, but it's a slice of grotesque fakery. The cast is universally excellent, with the spectacular Vera Farmiga doing her usual intelligent and complex work, the kids Butterfield and Scanlon touch the heart with their honesty and open heartedness, as well as all the minor roles. To the film's credit, it has a wrenching, harrowing and surprisingly dark ending, unlike superior films like 'Schindler's List' which despite all it gets right, has an upbeat ending, which the holocaust did not have, certainly not for the survivors.
Daniel P

Surprising and audacious film, from John Boyne's book of the same name, that does the Holocaust differently, telling about a particular (German) family making its name on the backs of the death camp's prisoners. Beautiful cinematography, great James Horner score and capable… More
Surprising and audacious film, from John Boyne's book of the same name, that does the Holocaust differently, telling about a particular (German) family making its name on the backs of the death camp's prisoners. Beautiful cinematography, great James Horner score and capable acting in a story that's a touch twee, but highly watchable. SPOILER ALERT: This movie does its damage with the ending, read on only if you've read the book or don't mind knowing what's coming. What's most important about this film is that in its final moment, it asks you to sympathize with its villain, the SS father who has inadvertently lost his son. It leaves you in a very conflicted place: no one would ever wish the death of a child on one's worst enemy, and yet, it's the only way that the man might learn. Generally, I like an abrupt ending, especially when it's done to hammer home a point. In this case, however, I thought it would be interesting to see even a little sign that the father does (or doesn't) learn a lesson. It's hard to pull that off without breaking the illusion, or without getting preachy or needlessly sentimental, but the emotional journey for the father is just beginning, and it feels like he is being punished. I don't want to sympathize with the bad guy, but I would like to think (hope) that with his punishment would come redemption, some day. I guess that's a different story, though. Still liked the film more than I didn't, and appreciate that it made me think about how to tell a story as difficult and politically charged as this one.
Sophie B

An amazing yet deeply saddening film. Brilliant acting and I have read the book and it stays pretty close but ends up better as on film you can create an atmosphere. Harrowing and scary to see what happened to those poor people, but even more terrifying is the fact that normal people… More
An amazing yet deeply saddening film. Brilliant acting and I have read the book and it stays pretty close but ends up better as on film you can create an atmosphere. Harrowing and scary to see what happened to those poor people, but even more terrifying is the fact that normal people who had families and led a relatively normal life (as well as you can through war) were at the helm of this monstrous extermination.
Alexander D

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, based on the Irish novel of the same name by John Boyne, is all right, if not ultimately predictable. It is upsetting throughout the film, as is any other moving Holocaust tale, but there was one huge flaw in this production: on the title page of the… More
THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, based on the Irish novel of the same name by John Boyne, is all right, if not ultimately predictable. It is upsetting throughout the film, as is any other moving Holocaust tale, but there was one huge flaw in this production: on the title page of the source novel, there is a small subtitle that reads "A Fable". This film, sadly, did not seem that much of a fable to me when I watched it.
Bethany M

Powerful and heartbreaking! A must see!
Brad W

This masterpiece of a movie can only described as one word, sad. The movie during the holocaust and is about a young boy who after he moves to another town because of his fathers promotion in the Nazi army, the boy discovers his fathers concentration camp. There he sits on the… More
This masterpiece of a movie can only described as one word, sad. The movie during the holocaust and is about a young boy who after he moves to another town because of his fathers promotion in the Nazi army, the boy discovers his fathers concentration camp. There he sits on the outside of the fence talking to a young Jewish boy on the inside, and two people who are supposed to be enemies become friends, but what happens in the end will test each ithers loyalty, trust, and ultimate friendship. I found the plot to be amazing, truly showing how a naive child would witness World War 2 and the Holocaust. The young actors are great and live up to the amazing acting of the adults. The horrors within this movie will haunt you for the rest of your life, it isn't my favorite Holocaust movie, but its up there with the best ever made.
Mike S

World War II's greatest horror as seen from the eyes of an innocent child. Quite a riveting drama, with magnificent acting all-around. The subject is really nothing new, but it has a fresh-thinking approach on how it takes us through it's story. Placing focus on the… More
World War II's greatest horror as seen from the eyes of an innocent child. Quite a riveting drama, with magnificent acting all-around. The subject is really nothing new, but it has a fresh-thinking approach on how it takes us through it's story. Placing focus on the children, and their reactions to the strange and unfathomable actions by the adults around them, is a brilliant concept that made the film all the more engaging. For authenticity's sake, I would have prefer a German cast over a British one, but I suppose you can't get everything. At any rate, however, this a beautifully executed motion picture, with many powerful and heart-rending moments. Be sure not to miss it, because it's one of the best of its kind.
Megan S

I really enjoyed this movie, a different take on the Holocaust, seen through a child's eyes. Now I want to read the book.
Kristijonas F

A harrowing film depicting the Holocaust in such a strange yet effective manner that its impact will likely haunt the viewer for a long time to come.
Nadira I

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is the type of movie that draws you in from the very first scene. While some movies about Holocaust shows us perspectives from the Jews, we could see it from the Germans from this movie. Asa Butterfield plays Bruno and brings out the innocent sense… More
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is the type of movie that draws you in from the very first scene. While some movies about Holocaust shows us perspectives from the Jews, we could see it from the Germans from this movie. Asa Butterfield plays Bruno and brings out the innocent sense really well. This movie reminds me of "Life is beautiful". Probably one of the best movie that shows us how bad racism or holocaust could be and the innocence of children's friendship. It is also a movie that proves that children have a vey high curiousity and we should not prevent them to do what they wanted to do.
Jeff "

Many films have been filmed dwelling on the subject of the Holocaust. However none has ever been really filmed on the German side. But The Boy In The Striped Pajamas takes a look at a German family directly involved in this ghastly crime. Set during the Second World War, The Boy In… More
Many films have been filmed dwelling on the subject of the Holocaust. However none has ever been really filmed on the German side. But The Boy In The Striped Pajamas takes a look at a German family directly involved in this ghastly crime. Set during the Second World War, The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is one powerful film with a great cast. The story surrounds the family of an SS officer. The son of the SS officer discovers a "farm", not knowing it's a concentration camp. He asks about it, and he is told not to go there, ignoring this he goes anyways and befriends a Jewish Boy. The young son doesn't understand that the camp is to exterminate Jews and he doesn't understand the point of Nazism, because he is too young. Whats really interesting with the film is that it takes an unbiased view of the story instead of making the family the victims. I found that the film examine the naivity of a young boy, and he doesn't understand the full facts of the situation. The film is poignant, well acted and well directed. As the boys father commands the camp, he doesn't know that his son has struck up a friendship with another young boy on the other side of the fence. He doesn't understand why the prisoners wear "pajamas." One day the father of the boy behind the fence is missing, and Bruno (the German boy) agrees to help the Jewish Boy, Shmuel find hisdad. Bruno sneaks into the camp, and because he's dressed as a prisoner he is forced to walk into the gas chamber and he is gased to death. The film is is more a childs view of the Holocaust, as the main character Bruno doesn't quite understand what his dad is really doing in the camp. In fact his father is commandant of the nearby camp. The ending, as I have just described, is of course a sad one, but in a way it a necessary one. I very much viewed the ending as a form of karma for the family of the SS commandant. The ending was in way a means to bring upon the consequences of the Holocaust to the family as their son was now a casualty in the gas chambers. A hard ending, but also necessary. The cast of the film do a terrific job and the story is incredible, The Boy With The Striped Pajamas is a very different film about the Holocaust.
Cynthia S

Oh my goodness. Warning! Warning! This movie will tear your heart out. I would recommend this movie to anyone, but it really should have a warning label....expect to cry at the end.
Anthony L

I was worried at first that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was going to be like a typical BBC dramatisation; posh accents, bad child actors and Sheila bloody Hancock. Thankfully the film finds its feet within about 15 minutes (in the nick of time) and the story, mood and pace are set.… More
I was worried at first that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was going to be like a typical BBC dramatisation; posh accents, bad child actors and Sheila bloody Hancock. Thankfully the film finds its feet within about 15 minutes (in the nick of time) and the story, mood and pace are set. It is a thoughtful story, is filmed well and the acting is acceptable, it is the ending that really makes this film something special. Mark Herman didn't do a bad job, he certainly wouldn't have been my first choice of director and even though I enjoyed it and would recommend it, I can't help but think someone else could have adapted it and made a masterpiece. Still, like I said, I still recommend it!
Tom E

What a fabulous movie -- It puts a really human face on the Holocaust -- But beware, a very sad ending!
Richard C

a really powerful, sad, great film with a really a great story that I highly recommend. A-
Brian D

A slow moving tale about a relationship between a Jewish boy in a Nazi camp and the son of the camp commandant,both 8 years old. This is set through the eyes of the German boy and he's innocent to what is going on around him. Acting is great and the two boys are fantastic.The… More
A slow moving tale about a relationship between a Jewish boy in a Nazi camp and the son of the camp commandant,both 8 years old. This is set through the eyes of the German boy and he's innocent to what is going on around him. Acting is great and the two boys are fantastic.The story is a little slow but is worth your time.The ending was not expected and added to the shock and brutality that we all know about this subject but is portrait for younger viewers. Is a film to be seen but i would advise viewing first but letting your children see it,just in case.
Lady D

Both a brilliant and extremely disturbing piece, told through the eyes of the innocent. Extreme beliefs and past horrific tales make this a truly believable story and the acting of the two boy characters, were so natural and endearing. I fail to believe anyone who cannot find the… More
Both a brilliant and extremely disturbing piece, told through the eyes of the innocent. Extreme beliefs and past horrific tales make this a truly believable story and the acting of the two boy characters, were so natural and endearing. I fail to believe anyone who cannot find the raw emotion in this film. A truly excellent tale of friendship ? I watched this film again straight after watching it for the first time, I just had to share it with someone.
First L

After watching "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas", I looked up some reviews online, curious about the general reaction to this movie. I didn't know it, but there is a segment of the movie-going community that is vehemently opposed to films about the holocaust. All sorts… More
After watching "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas", I looked up some reviews online, curious about the general reaction to this movie. I didn't know it, but there is a segment of the movie-going community that is vehemently opposed to films about the holocaust. All sorts of agendas come forth when a new film about the holocaust is released, from vile holcaust deniers and anti-semites to those who feel the subject is too sensitive to ever be used for sentimental "oscar bait". The backlash against this movie disturbs me quite a bit, as almost all the negative reviews seem to be more about what they feel the filmmakers were thinking when they made it, rather than what was actually going on in the movie itself. The film is about a young german boy named Bruno, whose soldier father gets transferred out to the country, and brings his whole family to live with him on the farm. Actually, the father has been made the overseer of a nazi death camp and the farmers in the striped pyjamas are actually prisoners. Of course, the 8 year old Bruno doesn't know this, as the nazi horrors are rightly kept from the family (for the most part). When the mother really learns what's going on at the camp, she falls into a deep despair, and it's here that the movie touches on what I feel is most horrific about being a citizen of nazi Germany: knowing that your friends and family are perpetrating unspeakable horrors and being absolutely powerless to do anything besides stand by and watch. Bruno suffers the same awareness his mother does, when he befriends a young boy on the other side of the prison fence. The story is told mostly in childish terms, rarely does the violence take place onscreen, but the implications are never denied. Bruno tries so hard to look at his father with love, but at the same time suspects his father is doing something wrong. It's a terrible burden to put on a child. In the final act, much like "Pan's Labyrinth" (which this movie reminds me of), it's not about one family's suffering, but over a small measure of justice.
Nani V

A very great film about a young boy who doesn't understand what's going on around him except that his father is a soldier, an important one. The family moves out into the country where he has no friends, but eventually he meets a young boy in the stripped pajamas. It really… More
A very great film about a young boy who doesn't understand what's going on around him except that his father is a soldier, an important one. The family moves out into the country where he has no friends, but eventually he meets a young boy in the stripped pajamas. It really touched me seeing how kids are in the middle of all of this and not have a clue of what's really going on. Very very sad.
Leigh R

Beautiful...