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This topic is dedicated to discussing your favourite films, actors, directors, and all that lovely stuff. I am aware we already have a "movie" thread (I prefer to remain British and call them films!) but that can be just for cinema releases, a seperate thread to discuss favourite films is a good idea. It keeps things tidy and it means people can natter away as much as they want about that favourte film without worrying about clogging up the cinema-y topic. Also a discussion in Skype last night about films which have made people cry made me think about some of my favourite films and I thought "Hmm we need a proper thread to discuss them in!"So...what films have earned a place as favourite in the wonderful world of Mer? Excluding the Harry Potter series as I that is just too obvious (Having said that, I will at some point talk about Back To The Future here, muwhaha!)Well, I don't have one particular favourite, I just couldn't pick one to come first! A lot of my favourite films feature David Thewlis, who people here will probably know as "the guy that plays Lupin in Harry Potter". I mean that in a nice way though. He doesn't seem that well heard of, probably because he keeps himself to himself and does a lot of indepedent films. Having said that, he is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. His best performance was without a doubt Jonny in the Mike Leigh film "Naked". I will leave discussing that until another time, as it is such an intense film and there isn't really a plot to explain, it's just about people and their lives. Anyone who is familair with Mike Leigh films will know exactly what I mean. The film I'm going to talk about today is The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. A very moving film with a very sad ending. Released in 2008, it is a historical-drama based film based on the novel, and directed by Mark Herman. It stars David Thewlis as Ralf, Vera Farmiga as Elsa, Asa Butterfield as Bruno and Jack Scanlon as Schmuel. The soundtrack is composed by James Horner. A Holocaust drama, the film explores the horror of a World War 2 extermination camp through the eyes of two 8 year old boys; one being the son of the camp's Nazi commadant, the other a Jewish inmate.SS Officer Ralf, wife Elsa and children Gretel, 12 and Bruno, 8, move from their home in Berlin to the countryside as Ralf has been promoted to a commandant of an extermination camp (although initially his wife and children do not know this).One day, while exploring through the forest (via the back garden which he is banned from, as the concentration camp is over the back) Bruno comes across the camp, although he initially believes it to be a farm. He befriends Schmuel, who is the same age and always sits alone by the electric fence as he fights a lot with the others. Bruno regularly sneaks off to visit him, bringing him food and playing games and they become friends through the fence. As the film goes on, Bruno learns about Jews and that they are the “enemy” but still remains friends with Schmuel. Elsa and the children eventually find out the truth about Ralf working at the camp, and Elsa eventually wishes to move away with the children as she strongly disagrees with his work.One day when Bruno visits Schmuel, Schmuel is upset and tells him his father has gone missing and Bruno is determined to help find him. They make a plan; Bruno will came back the next day (the day he is meant to be leaving with his mum and sister to live with their aunt) with a spade to dig under the fence, and Schmuel will bring a spare pair of pyjamas so Bruno will look the same as everyone else. The plan goes ahead, with his family soon discovering he is missing. Upon searching for him, Elsa and Gretel discover the open shed window, Elsa interrupts Ralf in a meeting and he and the soldiers follow the trail through the forest to the camp. Elsa and Gretel follow behind, despite being told by Ralf to wait in the garden.Meanwhile, Bruno observes the true horrors of the camp and wishes to go home but agrees to stay to help Scmhuel find his dad. They look in the hut they sleep in when they are abruptly sent on a march by the soldiers and led down into a chamber, into a changing room, Bruno innocently saying he thinks they are just waiting there until the rain stops.Ralf and the soldiers discover Bruno's clothes and the spade and Ralf quickly enters the camp, then Elsa and daughter also arrive next to the clothes. Bruno, Scmuel and the others are ordered to take their clothes off, believing it's just a shower, and then forced into a gas chamber. They huddle together, the door slams shut and Bruno and Schmuel take hands in fear. A small opening at the top opens and a solder pours Zyklon B pellets into the chamber. Once the opening is closed, it cuts to the door and you hear furious, desperate banging and shouting from inside, which then comes to an abrupt stop.At the same time as this, Ralf frantically searched for Bruno and discovered the empty hut, informing him there was a gassing taking place. After the banging on the chamber door stops, we see him running towards the chamber and he cries out Bruno's name. It then cuts to Elsa and Gretel who hear this and break down in crying screams, clutching onto Bruno's clothing.As I said, it is a very moving film. I had already read about it on Wikipedia before seeing it (well, downloading it the other month, but ssh, I'm poor okay!) and I wonder how I would have reacted and felt at the ending had I not done so. Having said that, I still cried and I still find it petrifying to watch those final scenes. I always have that hope that nothing bad will happen even though I know it will. It is done so effectively too; the use of the soundtrack is what really does it. While they are panicking and banging on the chamber door there are high pitched strings playing, and then they stop, along with the banging on the door, and it really gets you inside, it's like you've felt the people dieing. And the way in the final scene that the camera slowly zooms out from the chamber door and the end music plays! :(The soundtrack in general is great, very beautiful and moving. The opening piece in particular gets me, even when I saw it the first time as I knew the plot and what happened to Bruno in the end.The acting was perfect, by all the cast. David Thewlis was scary! Usually when I watch films or TV and a character goes mad and shouts, I laugh, I can't help it. But not this guy, no, I felt like I was there being yelled at! Like the scene where Elsa confronts him after finding out the truth about his job, working at the camp, my god! You really feel for her and feel scared of and hate Ralf! And yet there are scenes where you see him as a loving father and husband but both sides of the character are utterly believable. Versatile doesn't even describe this guy!Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon as the boys were very good, Asa in particular, and he is so cute! He has very bold, blue eyes which he acted with very well. The innocence of Bruno's character is what contributes to the film being so moving as you just want to tell him what is really going on and to obey his parents and to enter the camp!A three word summary of the film: Beautiful, moving, horrifying.10/10