Amazon Prime viewers 'in tears' after watching 'devastating' war film

Daily Record

13-06-2025

The war film still has people talking years after its release
Over 15 years since its release, the film continues to haunt audiences, with many describing it as "absolutely devastating". Asa Butterfield delivers a poignant performance as an eight year old boy in The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, a film set amidst the terror of World War II.
Adapted from John Boyne's novel, the narrative unfolds within Nazi-occupied Poland and confronts viewers with a deeply moving plot that often reduces them to tears.
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A critic on Rotten Tomatoes reflected: "Such a heartbreaking story about love, friendship, and the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust. Other than Schindler's List, I've never sobbed so hard in my life."
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The 2008 film features the actor known for Netflix's Sex Education as young Bruno, whose life is uprooted when his father, an SS officer, gets a promotion that necessitates a move to Poland.
During one of his explorations, Bruno discovers what he thinks is a farm behind his house, which is actually a concentration camp, leading his mother to forbid him from playing there.
Defying his mother's orders, Bruno ventures into the woods where he encounters a barbed wire fence encircling the camp. On the other side, he meets Smuel, a boy his own age, sparking an unlikely friendship, reports the Express.
Bruno starts visiting Smuel regularly, bringing him food across the fence, and soon realises that his new friend is a Jewish child who was taken to the camp along with his parents.
A review gushes: "This movie had me in tears after knowing the plot of it. It breaks my heart seeing the plot twist of the story.
"Seeing that Bruno was sorry and wanted to help Shmuel but ended up in a twisted fate, it awfully does break my heart. I'd definitely say this is a must watch movie if you badly want to cry."
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Another viewer commented: "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a masterpiece. Highly absorbing and moving film. It makes me cry every time I watch it. Absolutely love it. One of my all-time favourites. It is one of those movies that goes straight to the heart."
However, since its premiere, numerous critics have condemned the film for its historical depiction, suggesting it could inadvertently foster sympathy for Holocaust perpetrators.
A critical review states: "The story is exactly what comes out when a daydreaming, ignorant filmmaker tries to invent a cliché Holocaust drama in his own Hollywood bubble."
It is important to recognise the significant role both the children's novel and the cinematic version have played in educating young people about the Holocaust.
Holocaust education expert Michael Grey notes with interest that over three-quarters of British students (aged 13-14) engage more deeply with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas compared to The Diary of Anne Frank.
For those who are ready for an emotionally-charged viewing experience, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas can be streamed on Amazon Prime.