The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (movie)

It's been more than two month since my last post, and I have to admit that I haven't been particularly inspired to blog. However, I think it's time to get back on my feet, and post something here, before it becomes another "forgotten effort", or as it is much better put in Malay, "hangat-hangat tahi ayam" (or staying hot as long as chicken droppings).

This movie, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008), based on the book of the same title by John Boyne, tells the tale of friendship between two eight-year old boys in Nazi Germany. Bruno (played by Asa Butterfield), the son of a Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) officer was made to leave his life in Berlin behind when his father, Ralf (David Thewlis) receives a promotion and has to transfer to the outskirts of Germany.

Bruno and his family arrives at an area where there are hardly any other people around. One day, by chance, Bruno sees a farm in the distance from a window.  He begins to become curious about what happens on the farm, and sneaks out to the farm.

There, he meets a boy, Shmuel, who is the same age as him. They soon become best friends. In fact, they seem to be the only children their age around that area. But Shmuel cannot come out from the farm. When Bruno asked him why, Shmuel says it is because he is a Jew.

Bruno begins to see Shmuel more frequently, and often brings food to Shmuel, who is always hungry (not to mention always dirty and unkempt as well). The only clothes Shmuel has is the grey-striped pyjamas that all inmates of the farm have to wear.

Bruno manages to keep his friendship from Bruno a secret from his family, until one day. Meanwhile, Bruno's mother, Elsa (Vera Farmiga) begins to discover the horrific truth of the work that her husband is doing.

Bruno and his sister, Gretel a tutored at home by an old man who feeds them biased ideas about who Jews are. Bruno meanwhile is confused as the Jews that he came to know, Shmuel, and a kitchen help named Pavel, are anything but evil.

Soon, the brutality of his father's work begins to permeate their daily life, and leads to a calamitous ending. I'll leave you to read the book and watch the movie to find out those details.

The hubris of war does not spare anyone, not even innocent young children. Children, who are without prejudice and hatred towards others, become living sacrifices to the madness of war. Women and children often becomes the targets of war violence.Innocent children like Bruno and Shmuel, though belonging to opposites, are both mercilessly consumed.

War is cruel, barbaric, inhuman.