[Movie] The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

This is the movie adaptation of John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, depicting the Nazi concentration camp during World War II from the eyes of an eight year old German boy. This movie is directed by Mark Herman—who also wrote the screenplay, and was published in 2008. No matter what I would say about the cinematography, one thing is sure: just like the book, it’s hard to not crying when you watch this!

Castings

The most interesting castings here are probably Bruno and Shmuel; and I think both boys can play each role good enough, but Shmuel is slightly more natural than Bruno. The best acting however, came from Bruno’s mother, which was performed by Vera Farmiga. Vera could catch Bruno’s mother emotion very well; especially in the end, when she realized what has happened to her boy when she found Bruno’s clothes on the side of the concentration camp fence. Her cry is really ‘tear-shedding’. And I think her role is very important here to top up the tragedy. If the movie follows the book, it won’t be as dramatic as the movie.

Another interesting casting is Bruno’s father, the German Commandant, played by David Thewlis, who’s also played in Harry Potter as Professor Lupin. I have always felt that Thewlis don’t fit Lupin’s personalities, he looks too cunning for Lupin. However, he fits perfectly in the role of Bruno’s father here, the proud Nazi Commandant who believes that the Jews aren’t ‘people’, and could take responsibilities of the killing of hundreds (or thousands?) of human beings coldly and calmly.

Story and Plot

The movie’s general plot outline follows the book. However, there are small details that are adapted to fit the movie. One thing that I think ought not to be changed is that not long before Bruno’s last adventure with Shmuel, Bruno has had a head shaving because of bugs attack. This gives him bald head which, added to the striped pyjamas, will gives him a perfect Jewish boy look just like Shmuel. It would be natural for him to be wondering around the camp with Shmuel. In the movie, although Bruno wears a cap, his black hair isn’t completely covered, and it’s quite weird that nobody from the officers see him. Well, it would be ironic ‘coincident’.

Setting and Costumes

Both setting and costumes are perfect. I love particularly Bruno’s mother costumes, they are lovely!  I must give two thumbs up for the costume designer and make-up artist for creating the depressed looks to Bruno’s mother after she is shocked to find out the connection of the Jewish banishment and bad smell comes from black smoke from the camp.

Overall, I grant eight and a half stars for this movie adaptation.

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I watched this for Books Into Movies Monthly Meme #8

[Movie] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The Harry Potter series are perhaps the most satisfying ‘books into movies” for me so far; either because J.K. Rowling has written the books very vividly or because she was involved in the movie production. Unlike my first experience of watching this movie, this time I watched the movie right after I’ve finished the book, so I still got quite fresh memory to compare both.

Overall, from castings, story and plot, and setting and costumes, I have only little to complaint. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are only few of the stars who blend in the characters in the book very well. Maybe my only complaint is for Daniel Radcliffe who plays at Harry Potter. I always think Daniel is much too ‘sweet’ for Harry. The movie setting are also fabulous; the way they made Hogwarts castles as what we’ve always imagined it, is just one of the many thumbs-up settings in this movies. If I have one critic, it’s for the Yule ball. With the girls wearing evening dress like we all wear, it had lost the ‘wizarding’ touch. It’s just weird to see boys in their dress robes dance with girls in their evening dress, it made the party looked like a Muggle’s party.

So now, about story and plot; most of Harry Potter movies’ plot follows the story from books, only here and there they were cut and slightly changed to make it compact for a movie. In this Goblet of Fire, there are little changes of the details; some of them do not alter the sense of the story, but some do. For example in the Triwizard Tournament—at the point when Harry and Cedric met in the middle of the maze and finally decided to go for the cup together. In the book, I remember Harry was the one who was limp because he strained his leg, however in the movie Harry was the one who helped Cedric from the roots which strangled him (I also did not find this one in the book). In the book it’s Cedric who must fight his ego to grab the cup and leave Harry behind, but in the movie it’s Harry who suffered it. Maybe it’s to give credit to the main hero, that he was not selfish.

I must admit that the cinematographer has done a good work here, and so I’m happy to grant 8.5 to 10 stars for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie!

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I watched this for Books Into Movies Monthly Meme #4