Despite the fact that Kenneth Branagh plays a major role in this movie, he is uncredited. Reportedly, Branagh refused to be credited out of concern that he would be billed above Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale, and the other boys, whom Branagh proclaimed were the real stars of the film.
Kenneth Branagh was 31 years old when he played adult man Herr Knopp in the film while Frank Whaley was 28 when he played teenager Arvid.
Thomas calls the H.J. "the Scheiße Patrol". Although he pronounces it incorrectly, "Scheiße" means "shit" in German.
On-location in Prague, in nearly freezing weather, Christian Bale was visited by Steven Spielberg (director of his theatrical movie debut Empire of the Sun (1987)).
This is one of two films released in 1993 starring both Robert Sean Leonard (Peter Müller) and Kenneth Branagh (Herr Knopp). The other is Much Ado About Nothing (1993).