The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008/Miramax DVD)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: B     Film: A-

 

 

Bruno is an average 8-year old boy who likes to play and be everything that you typically associate with young boys with, but he’s also curious and being that he is the son of a commandant in a concentration camp during The Holocaust his life is surrounded by evil things, yet his innocent ways lead him to befriend a boy on the other side of the fence, a young Jewish boy who is forbidden to mingle with, but his curious ways lead him to keep that friendship that begins there and the events that follow are unforgettable as this story is uplifting and inspiring in some remarkable ways.

 

The film is dark in nature, yet innocent in it’s portrayal of horrifying events and yet never loses it’s seriousness for the events unlike other films that tried to make horrifying things seem less painful (like Life is Beautiful for example).  Instead we get a solid piece of filmmaking that asks each of us to look beyond our own world of what is right and wrong and even look at those around us who may seem ‘different’ and break down the walls that trap us in our own societal mindsets.

 

The DVD is nothing super amazing in it’s picture and sound department and we hope a Blu-ray will eventually arrive, until then we get the standard fare with a standard 1.85 X 1 anamorphic transfer accompanied with a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix.  Both work just fine and showcase the film in adequate fashion, but since this film is so good we can only hope that uncompressed audio and true high definition resolution are on their way.

 

Extras are plentiful as we get an insightful commentary track along with some deleted scenes, plus other behind the scenes material and a making of featurette, there is little left to say after watching all of this and we are glad that a superb film like this had the extras to really bring even more depth to one of 2008’s best films.  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas should not be missed.

 

 

-   Nate Goss