In the horror of 1944 Auschwitz, a prisoner forced to burn the corpses of his own people finds moral survival trying to save from the flames the body of a boy he takes for his son, seeking to give him a proper jewish burial.
Géza Röhrig
Saul Ausländer
Levente Molnár
Abraham
Urs Rechn
Eli Biederman
Todd Charmont
Bearded Prisoner
Jerzy Walczak
Rabbi Frankel
Balázs Farkas
Saul's Son
Gergö Farkas
Saul's Son
Sándor Zsótér
Dr. Miklós Nyiszli
Marcin Czarnik
Feigenbaum
Levente Orbán
Russian Prisoner
Kamil Dobrowolski
Mietek
Uwe Lauer
Oberscharführer Voss
Christian Harting
Oberscharführer Busch
Attila Fritz
Yankl
Mihály Kormos
Schlojme
Márton Ágh
Apikojresz
Amitai Kedar
Hirsch
István Pion
Katz
Juli Jakab
Ella
Polgár Tamás
Landesman
Rozi Székely
Female Kapo
Ernő Fekete
SS Doctor
László Somorjai
Elderly Rabbi
Eszter Csépai
Young Girl in Female Barrack
Tom Pilath
SS Officer
Björn Freiberg
Soldier
Péter Takátsy
Soldier
Zsolt Alkay
Soldier
Bálint Bagladi
Soldier
Norbert Bagladi
Soldier
Zoltán Bathó
Soldier
Tamás Brán
Soldier
Bence Farkas
Soldier
Péter Forgács
Soldier
András Kauderer
Soldier
Gábor Klaus
Soldier
Péter Kocsis
Soldier
Márk Kovács
Soldier
Oszkár Kovácsovich
Soldier
Krisztián Kálmán
Soldier
Gergely Lörincz
Soldier
Zoltán Nádasi
Soldier
István Péntek
Soldier
Tamás Pénzes
Soldier
István Rubóczki
Soldier
Gábor Rénes
Soldier
Dmitrij Szabanyin
Soldier
István János Takács
Soldier
Viktória Dányi
Movement Artist
Tamás Bakó
Movement Artist
Gyula Berger
Movement Artist
Anna Biczik
Movement Artist
Arnaud Blondel
Movement Artist
Gábor Bora
Movement Artist
Marcio Canabarro
Movement Artist
Gyula Cserepes
Movement Artist
Mendy Cahan
Special Commando Member
Ákos Orosz
Péter Kőszegi
Csaba Formanek
András Jeles
Tamás Herczeg
Zoltán Cservák
Anett Kormos
Kálmán Kovács
Bálint Kenyeres
Péter Fancsikai
Csaba Krisztik
Gábor Póczik
Béla Sebestyén
Péter Selyebi
Tamás Steinberger
Kristóf Törőcsik
Mitropulosz Vaszilisz
Sándor Viglász
Marcell Wrochna
László Quitt
Balázs Szitás
Norbert Varga
János Vozár
Krisztián Vranik
Zoltán Perovics
Sandor Altmann
János Tibor Boldizsár
Dávid Fodor
Kollátosz Fotisz
Judit Gál
János György
Éva Kelényi
Tamás Kiss
László Laskay
Gábor Molnár Opti
Patrik Nádas
Director, Screenplay
László Nemes
Screenplay
Clara Royer
May 4, 2016
7
> Experiencing what Saul's seeing, hearing and undertaking.
The World War II is the largest source supplier for the war movies. I have seen numerous breathtaking braverism, as well as heartbreakingly suffering film characters which are based on the real and sometimes fiction. The genre too differs, from action, adventure, war to the comedy, romance, drama et cetera. Since the Academy Awards nominee announcement in the January I had an eye on this, but now it had won the Oscars that draw my interest even more on this. Anyway, finally saw this, so let me tell you what I feel about it.
It is no ones biopic, but inspired by a collection of testimonies of those who had made out alive from the Auschwitz. Like some of the WWII films, it is very unique, that focused on a particular event and a person. Saul is one of the prisoners in the Nazi held concentration camp who is a slave-labour. His job is to clean the place after prisoners were executed. One day he finds a young boy who was executed and soon he takes the responsibility to give him a proper burial. Risking his own life and others, he begins to find a rabbi to perform the last rites. So what happens later and how it ends is the remaining film.
It is not only enthralling story, but was very clever and unique filmmaking. In this whole film you will see one face at all the time in different angles and mostly they're close shots. Yes, Saul is everywhere, the camera never takes off its lens out of him. We would experience what he sees, listening and undertaking, more like in the real time. Just like a computer game where everything is from our (player's) angle, but here it is us again barely through the Saul's perspective. (Something like the upcoming Hollywood film 'Hardcore Henry' trailer I saw.)
Although, the movies are not the games, like I felt weird during watching 'Need for Speed', when Aaron Paul was at my place. And a movie always needs a character that can take us to the journey through the time and space where it sets, otherwise it will be called a documentary film. The aspect ratio was like the older day films which is narrow that takes time for us to get used to it, yet it is a colour film. More like the entire story is taking place within the 48 hours. Interesting pace and developments, and a decent conclusion. I think it deserved all the praise and prizes given to it.
> "You have forsaken the living for the dead."
I know the seriousness of the film and its contents, but I could not avoid the laugh at the end scene. I did not want to, but I did it without my self-awareness after seeing the Saul's face. I hope, there are others too, like me in that situation. Yet the storyline was very strong, like how far would a man can go knowing the life is meaningless after what he's going through. That makes him to take a solo mission when others are struggling and working together for their freedom.
Since I don't know any language that spoken in the movie, I had no problem too to follow the movie. The 1944 settings were so realistic, I think everyone's hard-work was this film's result. All the performances were excellent, especially who played the Saul's role. That is the face no one is going to forget who had watched this film. However the real hero of the film was not the actors or the writers and the director, but the cameraman. Like I said earlier, he had done a brilliant job. If anyone wants to praise this film, he/she must begin with him. The cinematography award at the Oscars might have went to 'The Revenant', but the cameraman award is none other than this guy who shot this film.
I really liked this film, but not overly sympathised or enjoyed. Usually if any movie that's based on the real gets my favour, even the movie has been low quality with more than ignorable flaws. Because telling the truth to the world is what I consider is foremost important than trying to get benefit out of it. But when it's not factual, I expect whatever the cinematical options can make it a better product.
This film comes between them both, but leans mostly on the truth about the World War II prison camp. An insight of what the prisoners have went through. Painful to watch a movie like this, at a time I appreciate the filmmakers for giving this film and let the younger generation know a tiny dot of the incident of the WWII. To watch this film, no one needs a reason. It is automatically a must see, but after watching it, whether you liked it or not is an individual opinion.
7/10