Son of Saul 

Starring: Géza Röhrig

Directed by: László Nemes

Written by: Clara Royer, László Nemes

Reviewed by: Joshua Ochoa

4 out of 5 Stars

Most of us go to the movies for entertainment. We want to go and see something we can enjoy and have a good time but not every movie is made with this intention. Son of Saul is not an enjoyable or entertaining film. A  film about the horrors of the holocaust never should be either of those things. Director László Nemes and his co-writer Clara Royer have crafted a terrifying film that shows us a side of the holocaust we haven’t really had the chance to see previously.

Son of Saul is a Hungarian film that follows Saul, a Hungarian Jew who is a member of the Sonderkommando; a group of prisoners forced to dispose of the victims of gas chambers in death camps. One day Saul comes across the body of a young boy who he takes for his son and he decides he wants to try and give the boy a proper Jewish burial.

Son of Saul a fantastically crafted film with a very specific vision. This film was shot in the old square format and is shot almost entirely from the point of view of the main character Saul. The camera is either looking over his shoulder  or looking right at him. Saul is the entire time the focus, leaving the majority of the world around him a blur. This a world he has been stuck in for a long time and all he can do is look down and do his best not to be noticed.

Now I know that this can make it a bit annoying to watch if you’re too used to formal filmmaking, but it’s a bold creative choice and actually makes the world more frightening as you don’t know what’s around the corner. This is aided by a fantastic and understated lead performance from Géza Röhrig. One thing people forget about acting is how technical it is. Not only does an actor have to remember lines and deliver emotionally but they also have to be in the right position with the camera at the right time, especially with the camerawork of this film. Géza Röhrig does that while also delivering on the emotions required for the film.

Son of Saul is a fantastically directed film. László Nemes delivers on the horrors of a terrible time in history and he does it without sensationalising the subject matter. This film could have easily been overly manipulative and pulled on heart strings. There is no music in this film. This film is presented in an observant and almost distant manner. Through this method of delivery what we see is the horrific truth.