Home / The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Year:

2008

Duration:

94 min | Israel:93 min

Genres:

Drama | War

IMDB rate:

7.8

Director:

Mark Herman

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 2008-11-28

Filming Locations: Budapest, Hungary

Earnings

Budget: $12,500,000

Opening Weekend: $253,085 (USA) (9 November 2008)

Gross: $9,030,581 (USA) (18 January 2009)

Cast

Actor

Character

Asa Butterfield

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Amber Beattie

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Zac Mattoon O'Brien

Leon

Domonkos Németh

Martin

Henry Kingsmill

Karl

Vera Farmiga

Mother

Cara Horgan

Maria

Zsuzsa Holl

Berlin Cook

László Áron

Lars

David Thewlis

Father

Richard Johnson

Grandpa

Sheila Hancock

Grandma

Charlie Baker

Palm Court Singer

Iván Verebély

Meinberg

Béla Fesztbaum

Schultz

Attila Egyed

Heinz

Rupert Friend

Lieutenant Kotler

David Hayman

Pavel

Jim Norton

Herr Liszt

Jack Scanlon

Shmuel

László Nádasi

Isaak

László Quitt

Kapo 1

Mihály Szabados

Kapo 2

Zsolt Sáfár Kovács

Kapo 3 Sonderkommando

Gábor Harsai

Elderly Jewish Man (as Gábor Harsay)

Julia Papp

Dancer (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Vera Farmiga who plays the boy's mother is shown wearing her wedding band on her right hand. For Germany, this is correct and an excellent accurate detail.

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Bruno's parents are named Ralf and Elsa, but in the credits of the film they are listed as 'Mother' and 'Father'. This is a tribute to the novel, in which the narrative focuses solely on Bruno's point of view.

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In the film, Bruno is eight years old, whereas in the book he is nine years old.

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Goofs

At the going away party in the Berlin house, the band is playing jazz music. This is highly unlikely in an SS officer's home, circa 1942 as the Nazis has prohibited Jazz music in the 1930s.

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(at around 47 mins) After Bruno visits Shmuel and throws the ball into the concentration camp, Bruno comes back to the house, and as he shuts the back door he is caught by his mum. Yet as the camera moves to his mum and back to Bruno, the back door is ajar again.

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The exterior of the house is far too modern from the inside during that period of time.

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Quotes

Bruno: Shmuel. Can we go to the café or something?

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Bruno: I'm Bruno.

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Jewish Man: No, it's just a shower. 5 of 5 found this interesting Interesting? Yes No | Share this Share this: Facebook | Twitter | Permalink Hide options Father: [from trailer] I'm a solider. Soldiers fight a war.

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Faq

How closely does the movie follow the book?

Those who have both read the book and seen the movie say that, other than some minor details, such as the ages of the boys, the movie is remarkably similar to the book, even down to the ending.

What became of Lieutenant Kotler?

While the movie seems to suggest he lost his privileged position at the camp either because of his dinnertime revelation regarding his Father's shunning of National Socialism or revealing to the Commandant's wife regarding the true purpose of the camp, the book strongly implies he may well have been having an affair with the Commandant's daughter. Either way, his fate was most likely reassignment to the Eastern front.

Why is it spelled "pyjamas" and not "pajamas"?

To Americans, "pajamas" is the correct spelling. To the British, "pyjamas" is the correct spelling. Since this story was written by an Irish author and filmed by a Brit, it's "pyjamas".

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