Movie review: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) and Defiance (2008)

I don't know why, but I have a soft corner for movies from the world war II era, especially the ones which portray human faith and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Something like everyday life itself. And that is why I liked 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' (2008) [IMDB rating: 7.8] and that is why I liked Defiance (2008) [IMDB rating: 7.3]. And my suggestion is that if you are planning to watch either movie, then watch them together. Start with 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' followed by 'Definace'. Trust me, if I could do it all over again, I would watch it back to back. Simply because both movies share the same space, but look at it from completely different viewpoints. And neither are the viewpoints you have come to expect from WWII movies.

So, get a large stack of tissues and a large helping of popcorn at hand before switching off the lights. Because once you have pressed play, you will not want to move till the second movie is over. You will have so much darkness in your blood at the end of the first movie, that if you don't watch the second one right afterwards, the movie is going to keep rolling under your tongue. After all, not many movies make you ask the question 'Why this?' and not many can make you think up of alternate stories that you would have liked better. That is the one thing about tragedies that I don't like. (Oops... did I give something away?)

Once the first movie is over and the second begins you are going to be at the lowest point of the roller coaster. But thats okay, in a couple of hours, you will be back on flat land. But watch the second one with a pinch of salt as it is based on a true story. True stories have a weird way of being stranger than fiction and far less predictable. So, keep it that way and don't read up on it untill you have seen the credits.

But once you are through both the movies, you will feel satisfied. Satisfied that there still are a few stories around that don't need computer graphics and really hot shot names to sell. They sell themselves because of the one thing that drives us all to the movies. The story. These stories will touch your soul, maybe not as deeply as they touched mine, but then I am the sensitive kinds who cries at movies. I like the feeling of letting go, the pride swell up in my eyes when someone looks the enemy straight in the eye, the sorrow eat into my heart when someone dies, the dull thud of sinking heartbeats when the search goes in vain and the giggly excitement when the saviour charges in from the other side. There is certainly no other way to see movies, especially the ones with stories that move you. Really move you. And these two movies do that honestly, no pretences. They will shake you, dribble you, make you fear for the people walking across your screen and rejoice when a glimmer of hope passes by. So, settle down, surround yourself with soft pillows, kick out the shoes, get a thick blanket and a soft toy if you are that type and hit play.