Well, the whole world knows about Nazis tortures on Jews. I don’t know the exact truth but whatever incidents are written through books, stories and history, it only tells us about the Hitler’s torture techniques, he and his Nazi soldier applied on Jewish Community. They used every possible experimentation technique to kill them, putting them all in concentration camps, the places of torture. So, is the backdrop of this wonderful and emotional movie, and this hatred theme is presented through the vision of young minds, through 2 young boys. Marvellous direction by Mark Herman, and wonderful story by the novel writer John Boyne.
Movie tells us about a Nazi soldier’s family, this family is headed by Ralf (David Thewlis, Remus Leupin of HP fame). He has a sweet wife Elsa (Vera Farmiga), a 12-yr daughter Gretel (Amber Beattie) and a 8-yr old son Bruno (Asa Butterfield). Ralf got transferred to some countryside, and he took his family alongwith him. Nobody else knows why he has been transferred. Bruno, a happy boy, just want to play with someone, and he explores the countryside and found another boy named Schmuel (Jack Scanlon), who was wearing some striped dress (like prisoners wore), and he is on the other side of a fence. They both become good friends. Nobody in Bruno’s family knows about his friendship, but Elsa certainly felt awkward with some bad smell, coming from nearby, which always persists in the atmosphere. Then she came to know that his husband got the charge of a concentration camp, where they use to burn/experiment the Jewish people. The climax part is very sensitive and heart-touching. Schmuel told Bruno, that his father is missing, so he wants his help to find him, and he smuggles one more prisoner’s dress for him, and by diggiing into the ground, Bruno enters inside that fence, and both are running to find Schmuel’s father from many striped Jewish men and women. But in the end, they both got stuck in one of the concentration camp, and we can only hear Bruno’s father Ralf’s searching for him, and a long cry from his mother Elsa.
A very sad end but a heart-touching story, which is based on the novel of same name by John Boyne. The novel is in my wishlist of Flipkart. The movie is wonderfully directed and written for the screen by Mark Herman. Each scene well thought, picked, linked and shot. The art direction is top class, giving the exact feeling of German countryside and the concentration camps. The movie is about 1-and-half hour long, and right from the beginning you got attached with it and you will certainly finish it in one-go. If we talk of the acting, what a performance given by the lads, the two boys namely Jack and Asa. Director is able to portray the innocence of young children, that they didn’t knows boundaries, they just want to play with each other. Jack did the wonderful acting in the role of Jewish boy trapped in the camp, who didn’t know what exactly is this, and what goes on here, so innocent he is, and his other counterpart, German boy Asa complemented him exactly, who has a good lifestyle but he want friends, and wants to help his friends. Rest actors, did their part well. Well supported background score by famous James Horner, who is active in the industry from 1970, also given the score for Avatar. Editing (Michael Ellis) and cinematography (Benoit Delhomme) is just perfect, no weird camera angles, just simple enough. I watched this movie long back, it was released in september 2008. I was having this movie in my collection, but avoiding it for many days, but one day by chance I started watching it, and just got spell-bounded by the proceedings, and I left the movie tear-eyed, as the ending was sad, wonderfully thought climax. Film’s producer David Heyman also did a part in the movie, and he did his role of family’s jewish servant Pavel beautifully. Some great scenes of movie-
Bruno’s argument from his dad on leaving his house and friends
His searching of new friends and finding of camp in the countryside
His interaction with Schmuel, and all meetings between both of them afterwards
His helping of the friend by going inside the camp
Searching of Bruno by his family and the climax searching scene.
A perfect 5 I will give this movie, as I didn’t find anything negative about this movie, and I suggest everybody to watch this beautiful heart-touching movie, its worth the collection. Grab a CD/DVD or download it, and see for yourself.
GRuchirG.