Bruno, an 8-year-old German boy who enjoys reading adventure books and investigating whatever is outside. The family moves from their Berlin apartment to a country house near a strange farm, which Bruno thinks is strange. He doesn't understand why Pavel and the other farmers are dressed in striped pajamas. Bruno is particularly troubled by his mother's insistence that he stay inside their drab, walled-in front yard. After all, he imagines the farm just beyond the backwoods to be full of fun, food, animals, and potential playmates. As a result, when his boring mentor, Herr Liszt, and his drab indoor life become too much for him to bear, he starts to sneak away. He dashes through the woods to the farm, where he runs into Shmuel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, who lives behind a massive electrified fence.
Shmuel's childhood is full of brutality, fear, and anxiety. Viewing one of humanity's darkest moments through the eyes of a naïve child is extremely sad. Bruno does not understand much of the inhumanity he is witnessing. A major plot twist that shows with breathtaking force how the effects of evil actions impact all involved, including the victims. Elsa's position may also serve as a wake-up call to those who are prone to complacency. She struggles with her own attitude toward Jews after blindly following Ralf to his new post, but she does little to support them, despite her growing knowledge of their unjust fate. Her apathy in other circumstances should serve as a reminder to us to doubt situations before we completely understand them, fight for what we believe in, and stand up for those who cannot protect themselves.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, based on a John Boyne novel, also said that history repeats itself if it is forgotten. So perhaps the most profitable aspect of the film is that it reminds us of our global history of brutality without including any of the graphic violence seen in similar films. We must remember the Holocaust and other horrors in the future. Never forget the millions that have died needlessly as a result of hate and greed. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is, thus, another piece of the puzzle that, in the end, shapes the image of who we were, who we are, and who we don't want to be.
