Saul fia (2015)

In the horror of 1944 Auschwitz, a prisoner forced to burn the corpses of his own people finds moral survival upon trying to salvage from the flames the body of a boy he takes for his son.

Director:

László Nemes (as Nemes László)

Writers:

László Nemes (as Nemes László), Clara Royer

Stars:

Géza Röhrig, Levente Molnár, Urs Rechn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 58 wins & 54 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Géza Röhrig	...	Saul Ausländer
Levente Molnár	...	Abraham Warszawski
Urs Rechn	...	Oberkapo Biederman
Todd Charmont	...	Bearded Prisoner
Jerzy Walczak	...	Rabbi Frankel
Gergö Farkas	...	Saul's Son
Balázs Farkas	...	Saul's Son
Sándor Zsótér	...	Dr. Miklos Nyiszli
Marcin Czarnik	...	Feigenbaum
Levente Orbán	...	Russian Prisoner
Kamil Dobrowolski	...	Mietek
Uwe Lauer	...	Oberscharführer Voss
Christian Harting	...	Oberscharführer Busch
Attila Fritz	...	Yankl (Young Prisoner)
Mihály Kormos	...	Schlojme

Storyline

Two days in the life of Saul Auslander, Hungarian prisoner working as a member of the Sonderkommando at one of the Auschwitz Crematoriums who, to bury the corpse of a boy he takes for his son, tries to carry out his impossible deed: salvage the body and find a rabbi to bury it. While the Sonderkommando is to be liquidated at any moment, Saul turns away of the living and their plans of rebellion to save the remains of a son he never took care of when he was still alive.

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Plot Keywords:

prisoner | auschwitz | corpse | hungarian | prison revolt | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content, and some graphic nudity.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Spain]

Country:

Hungary

Language:

Hungarian Yiddish German Russian Polish French Greek Slovak Hebrew

Release Date:

11 June 2015 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

El hijo de Saúl

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Box Office

Budget:

HUF 280,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$37,930, 20 December 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,777,043

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,659,121

Company Credits

Production Co:

Laokoon Filmgroup, Hungarian National Film Fund, Sam Spiegel International Lab

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's historical consultant Dr. Zoltán Vági wrote that Hungary is still in denial about the former alliance and collaboration with Nazi Germany. Between 15 May and 9 July 1944, approximately 437,000 Hungarian citizens of Jewish ethnicity were deported with 147 trains, mainly to the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. The majority of them were unfit for slave labor: Elderly and disabled people, women and more than 100,000 children were killed in gas chambers immediately after arriving, while their possessions (incl. gold teeth) were stolen by the Germans. Many more died in the camp over the next few months. The deportation was mainly organized and executed by the Hungarian authorities themselves. Hungary set a European 'record' by deporting 437,000 Jews to certain death within only eight weeks. The Hungarian gendarmes' devotion to this cause surprised even Nazi organizer Adolf Eichmann, who only needed to supervise the operation with 20 officers and a staff of 100, including drivers and cooks.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Abraham Warszawski: Who's this boy?
Saul Ausländer: My son.
Abraham Warszawski: But you have no son.
Saul Ausländer: I do. I have to bury him.
Abraham Warszawski: You don't need a rabbi for that.
Saul Ausländer: At least he'll do what's right.

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Connections

Referenced in Filmbarátok Podcast: Episode #1.75 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Dream Faces
Written by William Marshall Hutchison
Performed by Elizabeth Spencer

User Reviews

TIFF 2015 -- Son of Saul: Expect a little more than an education

Easily tagged as a Holocaust film (but shouldn't necessarily be), 'Son of Saul' explores the perspective of a Sonderkommando named Saul — a German Nazi death camp prisoner who's job was to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims — who finds a dying boy from the chambers and attempts to give him a proper burial who he claims to be his son, all during his time at Auschwitz. The film is uniquely shot from an over-the-shoulder perspective that keeps the viewer entirely focused on Saul, but still with the motions and actions surrounding him very noticeable (thanks to absolutely brilliant sound work in order to help achieve the eerie feel). 'Saul' reaches certain pinnacles of significant discomfort during scenes of execution — in the gas chambers and the burial pits — and a stone-faced Saul can do nothing but be forced to listen or watch.

At points, the viewer feels claustrophobic when being ushered from the trucks in the middle of the night to one's fate. While the main story of Saul's attempt to give his "son" a proper Jewish burial is what drives him — already accepting his own fate — the film goes beyond the typical WWII Holocaust story where you might only hear of incidents. In this film, the viewer is thrust upon into the fray of Hell, constantly following Saul through several one-shot takes that leave you wondering what is waiting for him.

A word to the wise: this film prides itself on authenticity, realism, and truth; 'Son of Saul' is painfully poetic.