Saturday, February 13, 2016

Son of Saul

In my quest to see as many Oscar nominated films as possible, I found myself reluctantly going to see Son of Saul. I have pretty actively avoided films that take place in the Holocaust. I've never seen Schindler's list. Though everything I have heard about the film was positive, the setting can be too much for me. To watch a man's experience escorting victims into the ovens, hearing their screams, collecting their belongings, cleaning the chambers and shoveling their ashes is horrific. We have the constant perspective of looking over Saul's shoulder. All of the atrocities are background and blurred out of focus, yet you know exactly what's going on. Saul also goes on a mission that seems to be an effort to keep hope alive for him. A sad story told in a very skillful film. Tough stuff.

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