“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” should be heartbreaking, but it’s not. It’s a story that takes place in the middle of Nazi Germany, in Auschwitz, to be specific. It’s about man’s inhumanity to man. It’s about people who feel superior to other people. It’s about one of the most tragic events in history. And it’s about a little boy who really doesn’t understand what’s happening. So why isn’t “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” more distressing? Based on the young adult novel by John Boyne, director Mark Herman’s script tells its story through the eyes of eight-year old Bruno. And it is this perspective that gives the movie an artificial, storybook quality that undermines the seriousness of the subject matter. The conclusion shocks, to be sure, but more because of the story, not because of the horrors of Auschwitz.
Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is living a charmed life in Berlin as the son of a high-ranking Nazi soldier, when his father (David Thewlis) is suddenly transferred to a job in the country. Bruno and his sister and mother (Vera Farmiga) must join him at this new post. Bruno doesn’t understand why he can’t wander the grounds or play at a nearby farm. When Bruno sneaks away, he meets Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), who is also eight. Troubling to Bruno is why Shmuel can’t play with him and why he’s wearing striped pajamas. Worse, Bruno has begun to question his beliefs about his father being a hero. When he learns that Shmuel’s father is missing, the two concoct an outrageous plan that culminates in a devastating conclusion. The acting is strong - Farmiga and Thewlis are effective as are Butterfield and Scanlon. The perspective of the film requires that the images not be too startling and this results in the film’s biggest weakness. The oversimplification and muted quality make “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” no more than a minor tale set in a major historical event. 11/13/08
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