The ending

After the dinner where Guido talks to Dr. Lessing, he carries Joshua back to the dormitory. This scene is the one from the start of the film, where he is walking through the mist. The eerie, dreamlike atmosphere is created through
- Soft and misty lighting
- Blue colour over everything
- Absence of music
- Sound of wind whistling
- Props ; shadowy shapes seen through the mist, piles of bones

Shortly afterwards, the camp is in chaos; the Allies are coming and the Germans are getting rid of the evidence. We see Guido marched away to be shot from Joshua’s point of view. The sound effects (drumbeat, giggles) seem incongruous and show Joshua still believes it is a game. The smoke from a truck obscuring the view is a reflection of Joshua’s inability to see the truth clearly.

After Joshua comes out of hiding, the camp is shown to be deserted through the extended silence, long shots, smoke, and use of props (e.g. paper blowing around). An extreme long shot emphasises the abandonment and loneliness of the boy.

When Joshua is picked up by the American soldier, the upbeat march music and sunny countryside link back to the beginning of the film, when Guido was arriving in Arezzo.

In the final scene, Joshua’s joy and excitement contrasts with seriousness of situation – this contrast shows that although the world has changed around him, Joshua still has the ability to see the beauty in life that he was raised with. The last shot is a still of Dora with a smile on her face and Joshua with his arms raised triumphantly, sitting in green fields bathed in sunlight. This ends the film on a high note, and shows us that in spite of the tragedy, there is still beauty in life.