Last night I hit a wall with writing and took a break when I realized I needed to do a film review – I have one in mind, but since it’s Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nightcrawler and I wanted to back away from the heavy stuff I decided to choose something else, something a little more fun.
In what could be my most breathtakingly ill-advised choice, I chose The Boy In the Striped Pajamas.
I don’t know WHY I thought it wouldn’t have a sad ending. It’s practically one of Vizzini”s life lessons from the Princess Bride:
- Never get into a land war in Asia
- Never go up against the Sicilian when death is on the line
- Never expect a happy ending from a Holocaust movie
I don’t know WHY I thought it would be a moving triumph of the human spirit-type Holocaust movie; I guess I was thinking of Life is Beautiful? I have no explanation. So, spoilers! IT DOESN’T HAVE A HAPPY ENDING.
I’ll probably review it some day, but I… I need time.
I’m no stranger to the horrors of the Holocaust, but neither am I always in a mood to think about them, either. So mark that one up as a misfire, and I’ll have the Nightcrawler review later in the week, I PROMISE!
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is one of those “oh god why did I read this book” sorts of things… it’s very horrifying, and it’s especially terrible if you’re blindsided by the ending.
Agreed. Not saying it’s not a great movie and/or a spectacular viewing experience, but so is base jumping into the Grand Canyon. Both are things you need to prepare for! 😀