A level media

1. Representation in Social Groups
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Innocent Boy
The film is based on the events of a small boy who is son of a concentration camp commander and
his innocence leads him to find one of the camps.
The boy character Bruno who is played by Asa Butterfield is portrayed in a way that is a mixture of
representation. It could be seen as negative as he is made to move away, believing that it is because
his father has a promotion and that it will be nice where he is staying, which is negative because the
family is using his innocence as an advantage to get him to move away from Berlin, which shows the
innocence of some people in society due to certain events in their life. Positive because it makes him
realise what is happening in the real world that he is being kept from, because his innocence leads
him to become adventurous and discover what goes on over the fence.
The typical stereotype of the innocent boy is used in this by his class in society, as the people that
are richer in those days tend to be more naïve towards what happens around them showing that the
innocent one may have a more stable upbringing or be surrounded by people that don’t make him
see what is real.
A countertype is the fact that the young boy is the commandants son but he makes friends with a
Jew from the concentration camp, which would rarely be seen a German boy or English boy talking
to a Jew and making friends with them.
Costume used to show the innocence, is the really blue eyes and the ‘school boy’ clothes, showing
his age and showing that he will be vulnerable to this situation and making the audience feel sorry
for the young boy and making the audience see his innocence which then makes the event of what
he goes through even more heart-breaking for the audience. The facial expressions on the boys face
also shows us of his innocence which links to many ‘innocent’ people in society as their facial
expressions effect what people think about them.
Controlling Husband
A controlling husband or dominant role in a relationship is represented by the Father who is played
by David Thewlis who is a concentration camp commandant.
It is represented in a negative way as he is shown to take control over his family, move them away
and even shout consistently at his wife. Showing a type of domestic problem with the relationship
when he grabs her wrists, which is what some relationships go through.
The stereotype of him being a very aggressive, rugged person shows us that he is a powerful figure
in the family, the dark hair and eyes, the height of him shows his dominance and how controlling he
could be.
A countertype in this is not a husband but the Fathers assistant commandant who looks very
innocent until he shouts at Bruno for trying to look around in the back garden where the camp
would be.

2. The techniques used would be the fact that he is always dressed in his officer uniform showing that
he has a natural way of being a leader within his job but he brings that into his home showing his
control over his wife and children. His moustache which could be mistaken for copying or from
influence of Hitler which again shows the audience how scary, evil and controlling he could be. His
actions of when he grabs his wife and shuffles his children along again don’t show a loving action
towards them, but a powerful and controlling one.