The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Expectations
My expectations for the film are that it's going to be very emotional as well as more character than action based due to the topic of the film. I think that there will be happy, hopeful moments as well as very sad ones. This is a film which I've heard about and I've also heard good reviews of the book so I have high expectations for it.

Narrative turning points
The initial turning point was when the family moves from the town to the country house as this is a very big change in scenery for all of the characters. It then changes again when Bruno notices the camp next door, gets to know Pavel more and then befriends Schmuel as this is the start of his changing views from his father and leads on to the end. Another turning point is when Bruno's mother finds out what the smoke is frim and there's a big family meal where Lieutenant Kostler begins to be questioned regarding his father, before then beating Pavel, it is implied to death.  This is the part when tensions are at the highest. Finally at the end when Bruno decides to help Schmuel find his father, the plot changes again as this leads to the tragic ending.

Memorable moments
Some of the most memorable moments in the film were Bruno's interactions with the Jewish prisoners as his naivety and enthusiasm really contrasted with the situation they were in. For example: when Pavel helped him to make a swing and then treated his knee as well as his and Schmuel's first introduction which showed that although they were different, they could still look past that and become friends. There were other, more unsettling moments which stood out as well like it being confirmed what the smoke was from and the inappropriate dynamic between Bruno's sister and Kostler. Bruno watching the propaganda video about the camps also stood out to me as it truly showed his innocence and how easy it was to manipulate and mask the truth.

Emotional response
My emotional response was one of sadness, shock, horror, anger and pity. I felt angry at how much they tried to manipulate the children and create hatred of Jews within them under the pretence that they were being educated as I think it presented well how easy it was in some cases for children just to take in views and believe them. I felt sadness about the mistreatment of the Jewish people in the camp and also Bruno's innocence as he just saw the good in the world and didn't understand what was going on with the 'farm' and 'pyjamas' whereas Schmuel had had to grow up a lot more quickly. My emotions grew more intense the more the film continued as the Nazi's actions began to be revealed more until eventually they reached a climax at the tragic end.

Empathy/sympathy towards any of the characters
I definitely felt empathy towards the Jewish characters who were just suffering because of how they'd been born. I did feel sympathy towards Bruno however his naivety made it a bit harder because of how oblivious he was about the situation with Schmuel being beaten and Pavel being forced to work and mistreated by the officers. However this cluelessness did make the ending more impactful as he had no idea what the Nazis' were capable of and was just trying to help out his friend. At the start of the film, I wasn't expecting to feel any sympathy for his mother however in the end I did because she obviously did have a conscience and wanted to protect her children. Although, she didn't actively try to stop what was happening which makes me have less sympathy towards her.