Son of Saul

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 18, 2015

7.3	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 163 Ratings

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User Reviews

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jrodfilmsFeb 6, 2016

a tough film to rate. its very bleak and depressing and for that the story is captured well, other than that the rest of the story can be summed up in a short film. good cinematography but can be very tedious to watch at times since ita tough film to rate. its very bleak and depressing and for that the story is captured well, other than that the rest of the story can be summed up in a short film. good cinematography but can be very tedious to watch at times since it mostly takes a first person view.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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NerdConsultantApr 21, 2016

I don’t feel much for this film in all honesty, I like it, but I don’t fully like it, it’s negatives are so glaring that I can’t say it’s a great movie. I should want to experience a harrowing drama that brings home the tragedy of theI don’t feel much for this film in all honesty, I like it, but I don’t fully like it, it’s negatives are so glaring that I can’t say it’s a great movie. I should want to experience a harrowing drama that brings home the tragedy of the Holocaust, but I am kind of left with something that when it focuses on what it does well it’s excellent, when it tries to focus on anything else it feels rather padded and overlong. However, my opinion is not shared by many people so there is clearly many people who thought this film was cinematic genius. I really want to share there opinion but I can’t because I’d be lying to you and myself . As it stands I can only recommend it to fans of Art House Cinema as I think they will get a kick out of it on its cinematography alone. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike this film because it’s tackling a difficult subject and it’s a sad film, far from it, I can definitely appreciate films that try to do that type of story telling and for the most part it works, but it has too many technical issues that I cannot overlook.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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hotfromcauldronFeb 5, 2016

In a quest to leave the earth with his humanity, a man’s obsession is the center of an unfocused peripheral view of the horrors of the Holocaust. Saul carries the movie on his shoulders and the audience on his back. Images we’ve onlyIn a quest to leave the earth with his humanity, a man’s obsession is the center of an unfocused peripheral view of the horrors of the Holocaust. Saul carries the movie on his shoulders and the audience on his back. Images we’ve only witnessed as black and white photos come to life- then death. Yet, within the chaos there is much confusion. And I felt less effected than I should have been. An event that must not be forgotten, yet a movie that never achieves that status.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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foxgroveDec 18, 2015

Son of Saul is one of those important films that comes so steeped in the injustices and horrors of its history that one feels positively guilty about saying anything negative about it. This unique perspective on the holocaust atrocities hasSon of Saul is one of those important films that comes so steeped in the injustices and horrors of its history that one feels positively guilty about saying anything negative about it. This unique perspective on the holocaust atrocities has us following Saul, a Hungarian Jew, working as a Sonderkommando at Auschwitz/Birkenau. Here his daily work is to herd hundreds of his fellow race naked into the gas chambers and subsequently remove the bodies, effecting a clean-up of all traces of the horror. After one such routine a young boy is discovered, barely alive, having survived the gas. From this point in, although the boy subsequently dies, Saul becomes obsessed by having him properly buried by a Rabbi. The ambiguity surrounding whether or not the boy is actually Saul’s son casts the actions of the protagonist in a contrasting light, depending on viewer interpretation. It is precisely this unanswered question that causes confusion in the narrative which, in turn, has an overall detrimental impact.
The film’s style further distances. Told from Saul’s viewpoint almost totally, one watches intently but real emotional involvement is kept at bay. Long tracking shots, out of focus imagery and an in your face claustrophobic feel becomes somewhat overwhelming. Likewise, the frenetic and dizzying camera movements don’t always allow time to process exactly what is happening. I’m sure this is intentional and in keeping with the chaotic context but, as cinema it is frustratingly unsatisfying.
There are two standout sequences, however. The first, where Saul finds himself stripped naked awaiting execution and the second involves an escape.
Overall the film cries out to be seen (the critics seem to have been inventing superlatives for it). I just wish that I liked it as much as I appreciate it.… Expand

8 of 11 users found this helpful83

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fungusgnatMar 15, 2016

Nemes’s film may be the best movie you won’t like seeing this year. Nemes does keep the horrors of the camp in the background, by keeping his camera’s focus no more than a yard or so from the lens, leaving the movement of people and bodiesNemes’s film may be the best movie you won’t like seeing this year. Nemes does keep the horrors of the camp in the background, by keeping his camera’s focus no more than a yard or so from the lens, leaving the movement of people and bodies in the blurry zone beyond the focal plane. This not only makes the movie watchable but also avoids sensationalism and affords the victims some privacy and thus humanity. What remains visible is ghastly enough, and Nemes achieves some memorable effects, particularly in a chaotic, nearly phantasmagoric scene lit by fire. (As I say, not an entertainment. And, like many other European films, shot and edited in a style that leaves me confused and weary.)… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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DeanomiteJan 27, 2020

It won Grand Prize in Cannes (2nd place), and the oscar for foreign film, from Hungary. It is a visceral film, lots of closeups, very drab coloring. I can appreciate that he wants a burial for his son, but he seems blind to everything elseIt won Grand Prize in Cannes (2nd place), and the oscar for foreign film, from Hungary. It is a visceral film, lots of closeups, very drab coloring. I can appreciate that he wants a burial for his son, but he seems blind to everything else and seems selfish. It feels like it is filmed in a few long takes, that's always impressive.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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SludgechapJul 20, 2023

Crushing and beautiful at times but the films freezes throughout its running much like the scenes of despair it creates, cold and numbing.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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