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.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Saul Ausländer: Géza Röhrig
- Abraham: Levente Molnár
- Eli Biedermann (Oberkapo): Urs Rechn
- Bearded Prisoner: Todd Charmont
- Rabbi Frankel: Jerzy Walczak II
- Saul’s Son: Balázs Farkas
- Saul’s Son: Gergö Farkas
- Miklós (Jewish Doctor): Sándor Zsótér
- Feigenbaum (Polish Foreman): Marcin Czarnik
- Russian Prisoner: Levente Orbán
- Mietek: Kamil Dobrowolski
- Oberscharführer Voss: Uwe Lauer
- Oberscharführer Busch: Christian Harting
- Yankl (Young Prisoner): Attila Fritz
- Schlojme: Mihály Kormos
- Apikojresz (Greek Rabbi): Márton Ágh
- Hirsch (Gold Collecting Prisoner): Amitai Kedar
- Katz: István Pion
- Ella: Jakab Juli
- Landesman: Tamás Polgár
- Female Kapo: Rozi Székely
- SS Doctor: Ernő Fekete
- Elderly Rabbi: László Somorjai
- Young girl in female barrack: Eszter Csépai
- …: Zoltán Cservák
- …: Péter Fancsikai
- …: Csaba Formanek
- Extra: Björn Freiberg
- …: Tamás Herczeg
- …: András Jeles
- …: Bálint Kenyeres
- …: Anett Kormos
- …: Kálmán Kovács
- …: Péter Kőszegi
- …: Csaba Krisztik
- …: Ákos Orosz
- SS Officer: Tom Pilath
- …: László Quitt
- Soldier: Péter Takátsy
- …: Balázs Szitás
- …: Norbert Varga
- …: János Vozár
- …: Krisztián Vranik
- …: Sandor Altmann
- …: János Tibor Boldizsár
- Sonderkommando Member: Mendy Cahan
- …: Dávid Fodor
- …: Kollátosz Fotisz
- …: Judit Gál
- …: János György
- …: Éva Kelényi
- …: Tamás Kiss
- …: László Laskay
- …: Gábor Molnár
- …: Gábor Molnár Opti
- …: Patrik Nádas
- …: Zoltán Perovics
- …: Gábor Póczik
- …: Béla Sebestyén
- …: Péter Selyebi
- …: Tamás Steinberger
- …: Kristóf Törőcsik
- …: Mitropulosz Vaszilisz
- …: Sándor Viglász
- …: Marcell Wrochna
- (voice): Felix Bender
- (voice): Dániel Fuhl
- (voice): Marcus Hammerstein
- (voice): Christoph Hanz
- (voice): Melissa Hermann
- (voice): Matthias Kräusslein
- (voice): Sergey Onopko
- (voice): Karsten Schleifring
- (voice): Gaetan Stawinoga
- (voice): George Vince
- (voice): Alexey Zelensky
Film Crew:
- Director of Photography: Mátyás Erdély
- Producer: Gábor Rajna
- Set Decoration: Judit Varga
- Camera Operator: György Réder
- Camera Operator: Zoltán Lovasi
- Director: László Nemes
- Screenplay: Clara Royer
- Rigging Gaffer: Viktor Racsek
- Production Design: László Rajk
- First Assistant Camera: Gergely Csepregi
- Special Effects Supervisor: Barnabás Princz
- Sound Designer: Tamás Zányi
- Producer: Gábor Sipos
- Original Music Composer: László Melis
- Editor: Matthieu Taponier
- Casting Director: Éva Zabezsinszkij
- Set Decoration: Dorka Kiss
- Costume Design: Edit Szücs
- Script Supervisor: Orsolya Vercz
- Casting: Benjamin Freidenberg
- Special Effects Coordinator: Szabolcs Princz
- Foley: Tamás Beke
- Key Hair Stylist: Mariann Molnár
- Makeup Department Head: Erzsébet Forgács
- Executive Producer: Judit Stalter
- Line Producer: Krisztina Pintér
- Co-Producer: Árpád Szirmai
- Co-Producer: Róbert Vámos
- Choreographer: Adrienn Hod
Movie Reviews:
- Reno: > 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