IMDb > The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 10 | slideshow) Videos (see all 39 NEW)
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) -- This is the theatrical trailer for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, directed by Mark Herman.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) -- Clip: Stealing food, post
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) -- Behind the scenes: From the novel, post
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) -- Interview: Vera Farmiga "On her character"
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) -- Trailer #1

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   15,241 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mark Herman
Writers:
John Boyne (novel)
Mark Herman (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 November 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Thriller | War more
Tagline:
A timeless story of innocence lost and humanity found. more
Plot:
Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(35 articles)
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 (From ReelzChannel. 5 October 2009, 7:50 AM, PDT)

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 (From The Wrap. 27 September 2009, 11:18 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
A very good film more (202 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Asa Butterfield ... Bruno
Zac Mattoon O'Brien ... Leon (as Zac Mattoon-O'Brien)
Domonkos Németh ... Martin
Henry Kingsmill ... Karl

Vera Farmiga ... Mother
Cara Horgan ... Maria
Zsuzsa Holl ... Berlin Cook
Amber Beattie ... Gretel
László Áron ... Lars

David Thewlis ... Father
Richard Johnson ... Grandpa
Sheila Hancock ... Grandma
Charlie Baker ... Palm Court Singer
Iván Verebély ... Meinberg
Béla Fesztbaum ... Schultz
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (USA)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic material involving the Holocaust.
Runtime:
94 min | Israel:93 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Filming Locations:
Budapest, Hungary more
Company:
BBC Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Shot in Budapest, Hungary. more
Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The dedication document shown at Bruno's grandmother's funeral is titled "von dem Führer" (by the Führer). It has been claimed even though the grammatically correct German would be "vom Führer", the text would still be too sparse and informal for such an occasion as a funeral. However, "Vom" is just a contraction of "von dem" but "vom" is more colloquial in German. An official piece of writing like shown in the movie would state "von dem", that is, if such a dedication is actually based on an original anyway. more
Quotes:
Bruno: I'm Bruno.
Shmuel: Shmuel.
Bruno: Sorry?
Shmuel: I'm Shmuel.
Bruno: That's your name? I've never heard of anyone called that before.
Shmuel: I've never heard of anyone called Bruno.
Bruno: Shmuel? No one's called Shmuel.
more
Movie Connections:
References Theresienstadt (1944) more
Soundtrack:
German National Anthem (Das Lied der Deutschen) more

FAQ

If the movie is set in Germany, why do they have English accents?
Why is it spelled "pyjamas" and not "pajamas"?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more
93 out of 114 people found the following comment useful.
A very good film, 15 September 2008
9/10
Author: Nimrod-14 from UK

When my son (nearly 12 years old) read the book he was awake until 5am that night thinking about the story and what it all meant; he had some penetrating questions too. A day or so later he said that he thought that it would make a good film, and imagine his delight when he saw that there was a film of the book.

I have taken him to see the film; and was riveted. I think that the style of the film is really that of an old fashioned family film, however the subject matter is emotionally very demanding and all the better for that. It does what good drama should do - makes you think and feel. As the credits ran, at the showing that I saw, no one moved or spoke for a minute or two. The Holocaust is a difficult subject, but to tell a story in such a way that it is accessible to a 12 year is a great achievement.

There have been some comments that the cast speak English (rather than, presumably, German) and that this is somehow a bad thing. What are the alternatives? Either sub-titles or daft 'ello 'ello accents. In some ways the ordinariness of the Nazis and the family points up the horror of what happened – that ordinary people can do the worst of things to fellow human beings.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (202 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I actually cried at this film - in an English lesson! liam-austen
Dolls in the cellar arsenalfan2002-1
Am I The Only Person Who Didnt Enjoy It? x-neecy_boo-x
For young people who are asking questions villagevicarage
Theory that Schmuel did not exist... klc-x
Mistake - anyone notice the hut being built cobalt_blueuk
more

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