Genuinely interested in history, I have always found the period of World War II both intriguing and terrifying. Among hundreds of historical films on the matter, to my mind, “The boy in the striped pajamas” depicts the horror of the Holocaust most effectively. Educational, emotionally complex, and thought-provoking, it helps spectators better imagine the cruelty of the Nazi regime. However, in their critical analysis, Rich and Pearcy argue that the movie lacks historical accuracy and includes ethnics bias. This factual-based critique focuses on the film’s fallacies, building a persuasive argument while using evidence from documentaries, academic books, and primary sources.
Most of the spectators admire “The boy in the striped pajamas” for a strong emotional component, whereas Rich and Pearcy criticize the historical misrepresentations of life in the concentration camps. The authors effectively support their claim by forming short, precise arguments, backed up by solid academic research. Most of the criticism refers to the faulty camp setting, where Shmuel would wander unguarded for hours and even step out the Auschwitz-Birkenau despite a heavily electrified fencing. Rich and Pearcy also doubt the authenticity of the friendship between Jew and German, denouncing the consistency predictability in the movie. From my perspective, however, the role of friendship in the film goes beyond the historical patterns, intending to show that real comradery disregards the person’s background.
By challenging the common perceptions about “The boy in the striped pajamas,” this critical analysis shows the significance of the objective assessment in writing. Depicted as friendly and somewhat naïve, Bruno does not show signs of antisemitism, meaning negative attitudes to Jewish, and knows nothing about Hitler, creating a distorted representation of the average German at a time. Instead of merely reviewing the material, the critique takes a step forward, attempting to reconcile spectators’ initial impressions of the main characters. Foregone assumptions about the historical accuracy of the film explained as subjective interpretations of the spectators are addressed with the help of concrete observations and logical facts. Overall, this article teaches the fundamentals of factual criticism, such as objectivity, solid research, and accuracy.
Work Cited
Rich, Jennifer, and Mark Pearcy. “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Critical Analysis of a Film Depiction of the Holocaust.” Social Studies, vol. 109, no. 6, Nov. 2018, pp. 294-308. Web.