Son of Saul

The Holocaust is a subject that has been attempted by many films and many filmmakers, but few are able to find the contrast between horror and hope that Son of Saul attains. This is an expertly acted and filmed drama that focusses on the human reaction to such a travesty through close ups of the actors, such as of the protagonist Saul played by László Nemes, and long nail-biting silences. The film is set in 1944, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Saul is one of thousands of Jewish prisoners forced to help the dastardly Nazis in the machinery of extermination. While working in the crematorium, Saul discovers the body of a boy whom he takes to be his son. Saul decides to save the boy’s body from the flames and find a Rabbi to give him a proper burial. This immensely gripping film deals with human kindness and cruelty in equal measure, and shows that even during one of the foulest moments in human recorded history, there are spots of light and hope that help to restore our faith in humanity. The director, László Nemes, chose the most difficult subject for a film. Luckily, he pulled it off.

Dominic Lam