The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008) Blu-ray Review

There have been a lot of films about the holocaust, Hitler and the Nazis. Who could ever forget the cinematic masterpiece Schindler's List. But there are other moving pictures like, Life is Beautiful, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Hiding Place and Judgement at Nuremberg. 

In 2008 John Boyne's best-selling novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was made into a feature film. Now 16 years later this moving tale of a forbidden friendship during the time of the holocaust comes to Blu-ray!

Synopsis: 8-year-old Bruno is uprooted by his father a SS Officer and relocated Poland. Bruno is bored in his new home, so he wanders off into the nearby woods. There he discovers an fence, behind which is a boy dressed in what he considers "black-and-white pajamas." Bruno and the boy spark a unique friendship through the fence. 

The Boy in the striped pajamas is a heart wrenching and moving drama. It reminds the viewer of what a horrible time this was in history. I feel this is an important film, it deals with the horrors of the holocaust, but the film is about families as well.

Asa Butterfield (Hugo) is really good as Bruno and Jack Scanlon is just as good as Shmuel aka the boy in the striped pajamas. Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) really let's it all go at the end of the film and shows the range of emotion. David Thewlis (Wonder Woman) is tough as nails as Bruno's father.

Some have said that films should not be made of the holocaust. I respectively disagree. We should never forget the tragedy that was the holocaust. And this generation lives for movies, so the more eyes we get to see how horrible of a time this was, maybe we can prevent it from ever happening again. Often we just want to forget history. We should never forget, that is how we learn to be better.

Paramount Home Entertainment have transferred this film to Blu-ray in 1080p The film is presented in widescreen format and the audio is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. There is also the option for English and Spanish subtitles.

This Blu-ray transfer is a sharp and the colors are bright and there is not signs of digital artifacts and the audio is clean with no anomalies. This is really a beautiful transfer. But Paramount actually added some very cool bonus features to this release. Take a look at what is included.

* Audio Commentary with writer/director Mark Herman and author John Boyne
* "Friendship Beyond the Fence" 20 minute featurette
* Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary by writer/director Mark Herman and author John Boyne)

I love the addition of these cool bonuses. The featurette was really insightful hearing the insight from the cast and crew, deleted scenes and amazing commentary. This is nice little Blu-ray release. 

The only downside that I could say about this release is that it is a made-on-demand disc. I wished it was a pressed disc. Pressed discs are more durable and have a longer life expectancy. But if you store your burned disc properly, they should last a very long time.

In the final analysis I am glad I have the opportunity to add this Blu-ray to my historical films about the holocaust. It makes to a great companion piece. This is not a stand up and cheer film, but it is an important film. Beatifically shot and should be experienced.

If you love emotional films about the holocaust this Blu-ray release of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a must own for your collection. Head over to MovieZyng and order your copy today.  


Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) The Blu-ray of The Boy in the striped pajamas receives....