The Boy In The Striped Pajamas Essay

The Boy in Striped Pajamas is an expertly crafted film that eloquently depicts the heart-wrenching reality of the Jewish Holocaust. The movie contains an abundant scattering of thoughtfully constructed themes and symbols; however, the most prominent themes are arguably those of fear, lies, and regret. Fear is an insurmountable, unavoidable being that manifests itself in the characters of the film at staggered times, with evidence appearing in the form of both actions and words. The concept of lying acts as a foundational bedrock, forming direct conflict between the characters and leading many others to ignorance surrounding the brutality of the Holocaust. Lastly, regret fulfills a critical niche in demonstrating the concerning qualms the characters

The viewer encounters an exquisite display of tone when Pavel enters the kitchen to deliver vegetables, alarming Elsa and peaking Bruno’s interest. Elsa’s frantic behavior delivers an air of uneasiness and uncomfortableness as she attempts to summon Bruno to his room. The absence of sound or music and the stunning contrast of Elsa’s frightened demeanor and Bruno’s innocent fascination create a tone of secrecy, fear, and deception. These combined elements also collaborate to affirm the themes of fear and lies and to further insinuate to the viewer as to what both Bruno’s mother and father are hiding. A second example of tone in the film, again, is the spellbinding, tragedy-ridden scene when Elsa mourns Bruno’s death at the camp’s fence as rain barrages her skin from the dark sky above. Tone is crafted through the use of lighting, sound, and camera angles. The saturated, dark lighting, the deafening sound of Elsa’s screaming, and the camera looking down on Elsa all generate a tone of sadness, misery, regret, grief, and fear. Elsa’s miniscule, frail appearance (due to the camera angle) perpetuates the tone of regret, something Elsa feels for exposing Bruno to the painful reality of the Holocaust. The lighting and sound manifest a tone of sadness and fear, as Elsa becomes petrified at the thought of living on without