Movie No. 19 (2016): SON OF SAUL
Son of Saul (2015)
Director: Laszlo Nemes
Cast: Gehza Rohrig
In Hungarian and German, with English subtitles
Saul is part of a special group of Auschwitz prisoners in-charge of disposing the bodies of gassed Hungarian Jews. The special group's tour of duty runs for a few months after which they will face their own extermination. The film shows the group's clandestine escape plan in action while doing their 'duties." Saul, however, has to yield to an unplanned diversion after witnessing a Jewish boy who survives the gas chamber only to be killed by a Nazi doctor on the operating table. It appears like a fool's errand for Saul to oblige himself to give the boy a proper burial in the midst of inhumane extermination of the Jews in the convoys by the fire or gas chamber. The search for a Rabbi from every convey that arrives, the smuggling of the boy's body, and the escape plan are competently translated into the screen. The use of hand-held camera that is mostly interested in exposing Saul's emotions in close-ups, side-view takes, and even his back, simply enhances the chaos and randomness of this dark episode of human history. I notice the blur in some scenes, the point near the conclusion when the camera simply halts, and the bleakness of practically every scenes, which make me wonder if those are techniques to enhance the storytelling. I guess, I'm right. The ruggedly woven musical score is so apt to sustain suspense. But, what makes me feel confused or unsure is the ending. This, however, does not discount the fact the the film is so powerful in its execution. I can have many interpretations of the ending but each of this interpretation give a different but powerful ending.
Director: Laszlo Nemes
Cast: Gehza Rohrig
In Hungarian and German, with English subtitles
Saul is part of a special group of Auschwitz prisoners in-charge of disposing the bodies of gassed Hungarian Jews. The special group's tour of duty runs for a few months after which they will face their own extermination. The film shows the group's clandestine escape plan in action while doing their 'duties." Saul, however, has to yield to an unplanned diversion after witnessing a Jewish boy who survives the gas chamber only to be killed by a Nazi doctor on the operating table. It appears like a fool's errand for Saul to oblige himself to give the boy a proper burial in the midst of inhumane extermination of the Jews in the convoys by the fire or gas chamber. The search for a Rabbi from every convey that arrives, the smuggling of the boy's body, and the escape plan are competently translated into the screen. The use of hand-held camera that is mostly interested in exposing Saul's emotions in close-ups, side-view takes, and even his back, simply enhances the chaos and randomness of this dark episode of human history. I notice the blur in some scenes, the point near the conclusion when the camera simply halts, and the bleakness of practically every scenes, which make me wonder if those are techniques to enhance the storytelling. I guess, I'm right. The ruggedly woven musical score is so apt to sustain suspense. But, what makes me feel confused or unsure is the ending. This, however, does not discount the fact the the film is so powerful in its execution. I can have many interpretations of the ending but each of this interpretation give a different but powerful ending.
The film won Academy Awards Best Foreign-Language Film in February 2016.
Rating: 4.0/4.0
Date seen: April 10, 2016
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