SON OF SAUL – The Review

Once again, a gifted film maker brings us a new work inspired by the last great global conflict, World War II. And like many other previous films, this is set in the concentration camps, pehraps the most famous of them all, Auschwitz. It is a tale of horror and redemption, sacrifice and suffering. Yes, movie goers have seen countless stories, in documentaries and docu-dramas. So, just what sets this one apart, why has it become the Oscar front-runner for Best Foreign Language Film? For one thing, the movie hails from Hungary, a fresh perspective from a revitalized film community. Plus, the imaginative and innovative way the story is told coupled with an riveting performance at its center accounts for the power reactions to SON OF SAUL.

A brief written prologue expalins the function of the Sonderkommando, Jewish prisoners tasked with keeping the camps running smoothly for the Nazi officers. They live as long as they continue being useful, but they too will be eliminated eventually. The film centers on one of these men who rush about: Saul (Geza Rohrig). In the opening sequence he and his co-workers (their tattered jackets marked on the back with a red “X”), hurriedly usher in a new batch of prisoners, helping them disrobe before the mandatory “shower”. The loud speakers telling them to be quick or else their soup will get cold. As the massive shower doors clang shut, Saul gathers the coats, clothes, and suitcases. After the screaming and the pounding of the walls finish, the door opens, and Saul’s crew gathers up the bodies (the guards only refer to them as “pieces”). But everone is soon shocked to hear one of the bodies coughing. A boy of eight or nine years somehow survived the gas. Saul is the most surprised as this miracle has touched what is left of his abused soul. The relief is brief as one of the “medical supervsiors” snuffs out the lad’s life. But Saul now has a mission: this boy (who Saul believes could be his son) will not join the others in the ovens. Risking his life, Saul will locate a rabbi who will say the Kaddish over “his son” and give him a proper burial. Over the next two days Saul sneaks past cruel guards, joins a work crew, and distributes countless bribes in the quest to restore his dignity and humanity.

Director Laszlo Nemes made several stylistic decisions which invigorate the often familiar historical settings. Rather than going for an epic, widescreen image, he has instead decides to frame the action and drama within an almost square box, reminicent of last year’s dramatic thriller MOMMY. That film was presented in an 1:1 aspect ratio, while Saul is in the slighter larger 1.37:1, and unlike the earlier film the image never goes wide for effect or whimsical effect. This heightens the immediacy and intimacy of the story, allowing us to zero in on Saul himself. The camera is often in POV (point of view) mode as we see the action along with him. For most of the time, the camera encircles Saul, right on his back, flanking his shoulder. tight on his face almost like a flitting moth, darting from side to side. The truly places us at the center of things,as we hear the danger (shots, screaming) before it is in view, as Saul searches for the source. It can be a tad claustrophobic, but it produces an immersive feeling better than most 3 D film experiences.

All the film flourishes would be for naught without the compelling work by Rohrig at the story’s center as Saul. When we first meet him, Saul is merely a mindless drone, his heavy sad eyes dart to the ground when his captors bark out orders, until his inner program prompts him into the robotic rituals that make prolong his life. But with the boy upsets the routine by defeating the deadly gas, a light flickers in Saul’s eyes. Rohrig shows us his amazement that evil was thwarted, for a too brief time. From there he is pure determination, confounding his captors and co-workers. Saul is a man trudging through a nightmare, who suddenly slapped awake. He refuses to be distracted, even by a fleeting offer of physical contact from a female prisoner. The entire supporting cast is excellent, along with the recreation of the crumbling camps. All these elements contribute to make SON OF SAUL a powerful, unforgettable motion picture.

4.5 Out of 5

SON OF SAUL opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas