War film breaks viewers hearts - 'I've never sobbed so hard in my life'
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Over 15 years since its release, audiences are finding it hard to let go of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, as they continue to label the film "absolutely devastating".
Asa Butterfield delivers a stirring performance as an eight-year-old boy in The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, unfolding amidst the terrors of the Second World War.
Adapted from John Boyne's novel, the drama is fiercely set within the confines of Nazi-invaded Poland and dares to present an emotionally charged narrative that reduces viewers to tears.
One Rotten Tomatoes critic expressed: "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."
Launched onto screens in 2008, the cinematic piece stars the actor well-known from Netflix's Sex Education as young Bruno, whose father's an SS officer whose new post requires the family to relocate to Poland.
On a day filled with curiosity, Bruno encounters a concentration camp, which he naively assumes is a farm beyond his back garden; a place his mother strictly prohibits him from visiting.
In a bout of defiance, Bruno slinks into the forest where he confronts a barbed wire fence enclosing the camp. At this border, he befriends Smuel, another youngster of his age, sparking a clandestine camaraderie, reports the Express.
Day after day, Bruno sneaks away to see Smuel across the fence, gifting him bits of food. Eventually, Bruno comes to realise that his newfound chum is Jewish, having been brought to the camp with his parents.
A review says: "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."
Another viewer remarked: "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."
Nonetheless, amidst praises, the film has not been without its detractors who criticise its historical portrayal. A critique reads: "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's important to acknowledge the significant role the children's novel and subsequent film adaptation have played in Holocaust education for youngsters.
Holocaust educator Michael Grey notes that well over half of British Year 9 students (ages 13-14) engage more deeply with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas than The Diary of Anne Frank.
For those bracing themselves for an emotional cinema experience, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.
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