This movie begins in Nazi Germany during one of most horrific historical eras of our lifetime. (Keep reading though, it gets better!)  The audience meets an eight-year-old boy named Bruno (Asa Butterfield) who is re-located with his wealthy family consisting of his army commander father (David Thewlis, who is also in Harry Potter), mother, and elder sister.  When the family arrives to their new home, Bruno notices out of his bedroom window, a “farm” with many people living on it.  Looking for new friends in his new environment, Bruno wanders into a community secured in by a peculiar (electric) fence.  There he meets a  boy his age dressed in striped pajamas, Shmuel (pronounced sh-mole, played by Jack Scanton).  Through many meetings between the electric fence, the boys quickly learn to become friends.  Bruno soon finds out that he is not “supposed” to become friends with Shmuel because he is a Jew, and that the neighborhood farm is no farm at all, but a “work camp” for the Jews.  Bruno also eventually finds out that this “work camp” is also an unexpected means of human extermination.

Going into this movie, I understood the era and history that I would be viewing.  I did not realize, however, how much this movie would affect me.  Personally, I become sick to my stomach when I think about the Holocaust and that dark time of history.  I do believe that this history is a part of our world, and I have come to appreciate the suffering and triumph that this era brought.  It is a reminder of man’s capacity for inhumanity.  This movie was an accurate portrayal of that time and gave viewers a look into both worlds.

The relationship between Bruno and Shmuel was crafted in a way that was beautifully childlike.  Bruno had no idea that Shmuel was Jewish, nor did he care.  At the same time, Shmuel did not completely understand why he was removed from his home and put into this concentration camp.  The naive children are untainted by the social pressures they live in.  I think this is something we can all learn from.

I would give this movie 3 stars.  Definitely worth renting or putting on the Netflix.  Although this movie was not graphic in any way, it was a bit disturbing regarding the issues that were being dealt with.  The only thing I would change about this movie is the language.  The characters were speaking English….if this movie is to be believable, they can at least speak German!  This movie is charged with emotion and is a movie that all can appreciate and walk away learning something.

FYI:  Also- I hear the book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, (2006) written by Irish author John Boyne, is very well done. Check in out on Amazon.com.

I am putting it on my “to read” list!