Interview: Inside "The Boy In Striped Pajamas"

By Broadside Correspondent Joshua Hylton

For the people unfamiliar, tell them a little about yourselves.

John: I am Irish. I am a full time writer. My seventh novel is coming out next year. I’ve been published since 2000 and I am the author of [The Boy in the Striped Pajamas].

Mark: I’m English. I’ve made six movies. I started off with a Dudley Moore film called Blame It on the Bellboy. Then I did movies called Brassed Off, Little Voice, Purely Belter, and most recently, Hope Springs up until now (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas).

Why were you (Mark) compelled to make the film adaptation and what did it take to get it going?

Mark: I just finished Hope Springs, which is a romantic comedy. And as screenwriter [and] director, each project takes maybe three or four years out of your life. So I was able to take the next few years getting a respect on something a bit more weighty. John’s book arrived on my desk and I read it and it blew me away. It also provided all those challenges: the subject matter, the ending, the movie, working with kids, all these things were challenges which I was ready to take on.

There are an abundance of Holocaust movies, like Schindler’s List and Roman Polanski’s The Pianist. What do you think separates this movie from the other movies about the Holocaust?

John: Well, first off, I don’t think there is a big abundance of them. You named those two, but you’d be hard pressed to name any others. You know, we hear that sometimes. If it’s a Bond film or a romantic comedy, nobody says, “Another romantic comedy, what’s the point?” I think if you can explore the subject in a fresh and original way, then why not? With my travels with the book, every time I meet a survivor, I’m told that the story needs to be kept alive. It shouldn’t be stopped, so I think anybody that can write a book, or make a film, or write a play, or whatever has a responsibility to do so if you feel that urge within yourself.

What was it like working with Jack Scanlon (Shmuel) and Asa Butterfield (Bruno)? Did they understand what the Holocaust was while shooting?

Mark: No, not fully. They were only eight and 10 years old. They obviously read the book and read the screenplay. They knew the story, but didn’t know the full story of the Holocaust really. I think it’s only now, two years after filming that they see this movie and it has intrigued them to want to learn more, which is what I hope will happen with most kids who see it. But they were sort of wrapped up in a bubble of filmmaking where all they wanted to learn were their lines.

When most people think of the Holocaust, they think of genocide and the millions of people being killed, but the book and the film narrowed this down to only a couple of boys. Do you believe it’s more effective to individualize the events of the Holocaust?

John: I think it’s easier for an audience, whether a readership or viewers, to make a connection to the story. When you speak in terms of the large numbers, it’s impossible to really understand such large numbers. When you personalize it into individual stories, when you meet people as we have both met people on our journey with this, it just becomes more effective and it helps you understand the wider story.

Mark: The scope and size of the horrors is kept from you until the final few frames of the movie.

Are you happy (John) with the film adaptation? Do you think it translated well?

John: Yeah, very well. I said at the start that if I didn’t think it was any good, I would just stay silent. I wouldn’t criticize it, but if I thought it was good, I would do everything I could to support it. And I have done everything I think I can to support it. I think what I always wanted was for it to be a faithful representation of the book, but that it should also work on its own merits as a film independently. I think it achieves that. I think the changes that are made and any scenes that are added or left out are entirely appropriate in terms of translating it from page to screen.

What’s next for both of you?

Mark: Next interview, probably (laughs).

Well, besides that.

Mark: This has been such an emotional ride for me, I haven’t decided yet. It’s quite a difficult one to choose what to follow it with. After this trip around the U.S., around Christmas time I’m going to start concentrating on what’s next. I don’t know what to do yet.

John: My most recent novel comes out in the States in February, which is a retelling of the story of the Bounty from the perspective of the 14-year-old cabin boy and my next novel is coming out at home in May, so I’ll be doing a bit of promotional work on that. Then I’ll probably get started on something new.

Thank you both for speaking with me today.