Member review

Firstly, we decided to watch this film due to this week being the Holocaust memorial week. This film is a masterpiece. It is about a young German boy named Bruno (Asa Butterfield) who lives in a luxury house near a concentration camp and he makes friends with a young Jew named Schmuel (Jack Scanlon). Bruno's father, Ralf (David Thewlis) is a German commander and takes charge of his family and a part of the Nazi army. Bruno also lives with his mother, Elsa (Vera Farmiga) and sister, Gretel (Amber Beattie).

I really enjoyed this film mainly due to my interest in history and the amazing direction of Mark Herman. The ending definitely subverted my expectations and I would recommend this film to people who enjoy history or dramas.

Next, due to my love for history and my previous knowledge of the Holocaust, I can say that this was true to the event and not exaggerated in any way. The music is also impactful in the final scene as it sets the motion for what's to come. There were also a good variety of camera angles such as close-up shots which revealed emotions in characters and also some mid-range shots which portrayed many things in one shot. A good example of this is when there is a close-up shot of Elsa which shows her being incomplete and almost lost due to events that happen in the film.

However, the only negative thing I would have to say about the film is that the accents of the characters weren't true to the nationality e.g. German characters had British accents which may ruin the realism of the film for some.