Movies about WWII and the holocaust are about as rare as fresh air and sunshine. You begin to wonder if anything new can really be said about them. I know we need to never forget, but do we need to be hit over the head with the same story over and over? Show me something I haven't seen!
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, fortunately, is very original. The movie is subtle, and uses what we already know about the horrors of concentration camps to great dramatic effect. Everything is played off screen, shown in glimpses through the eyes of a young German boy who has no idea what terrible things are happening almost literally in his back yard.
It's an interesting twist on things to see the holocaust's decaying effects not only on the victims, but on the souls of those who were responsible for it. It's very well done. It's difficult to watch these movies, and sometimes it may seem easier to just skip it and watch something lighter. But this one is excellent, and deserves to be watched not just because it is important, but because it is so damn good.
2 comments:
This is one of those rare movies that got a great review on the AV Club but was absolutely shredded to pieces in the NYT. So I'm probably just not going to see it.
When has the opinion of the NYT ever mattered? This one is worth watching. Catch a matinee if you're not sure.
Post a Comment