| Overall: | B |
|---|---|
| Violence: | C+ |
| Sexual Content: | A- |
| Language: | A- |
| Drugs/Alcohol: | C+ |
| Run Time: | 85 |
| Theater Release: | |
| Video Release: | 10 Mar 2009 |
| MPAA Rating: | |
| See Canadian Ratings | |
| How We Determine Our Grades | |
Why Is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Rated PG-13?
This fictional film deals with issues surrounding the Jewish Holocaust and how two young boys—one German and one Jewish—may have perceived what was happening around them. Discussions about the rounding up of Jews and their extermination are heard. Smoke billows in the air from the crematoriums at an extermination camp. While no explicit images are seen, a Jewish boy and man are beaten off screen—the boy’s injuries are later shown, while the man dies. People are herded into a shower room and ordered to disrobe, after which they are gassed to death—no explicit nudity is seen, and the scene fades to black as the gas is turned on. A young teen girl is romantically attracted to a soldier. Social drinking is seen and cigarette smoking is portrayed.
Join the Conversation
About the Reviewer: Rod Gustafson
Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. He currently serves as the President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness, a provincial non-profit society. He also authors a regular column for The Parent's Television Council in Los Angeles. He and his wife Donna have four children.
