Jun 27, 2010 07:32 PM
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This movie is a journey you take, a lesson you learn. It shows you the price people pay for being inhuman. The movie starts innocently and the opening scenes convey the natural apprehensions of a boy moving from city to rural life as his father is promoted and transferred. Only thing is, this is Hitler's Gemany and the father has been promoted to accomplish something abominable for the Fuhrer. And, by the last scene you will feel as if someone has taken your heart out and even though the pain and sadness grips you, you will not be able to take your eyes off the screen. Because you know this is justice.
This is the story seen through the eyes of Bruno, a eight year old boy. His priorities in life, likeany other eight year old are to explore the world, play with friends, fight with elder sister and get love from his mother. His sadness and apprehensions at moving away fromthecity andfiendsis at once understandable.
As the family moves to the new house, an isolated new area, you start feeling something is amiss. Clues like the old doctor in jail uniform working as the gardner, a propagandist in the name of tutor and soon alongwith Bruno you discover the dirty job his father is doing. As the two boys Bruno and Schumel try to understand the world on the other side of the fence you realize the injustice and futility of all the barriers we create. The events slowly become inhuman/ not normal from the doctor who peels potatoes to the subordinate who fails to report a'non-committed' father and in his frustration beats the doctor to death.There is little upfront violence. All you see is the futility of the crying maid rubbing the blood stains off the floor, bruised eye of Shumel after Bruno is forced to accuse him of stealing or even the horrendous basement teeming with remains. To reveal more would be to deprive you of the emotional impact of the movie. The last scene where Bruno and Schumel set out to look for Schumel's missing father, slowly buildsthetempo and you feel like screaming/ kicking in anticipation, you know what is about to happen and you dont want it to happen because Bruno is innocent. Yet, at least I believe that this is justice for all that his father has done and lied to himself, Bruno and the world through the documentaries.
If you loved'a beautiful life' by Roberto Benigni, you are sure tolikethis one. As far as movies with a focus on holocaust goes, I have seen Defiance, Life is Beautiful but as far as tugging the heartstrings goes nobody beats Benigni's Life is Beautiful but this one surely gets close.
Recommendation: A must seeWith: Family/ Friends
