SON OF SAUL (SAUL FIA)
SPECIAL PRESENTATION D: László Nemes. Hungary. 107 min. Sep 10, 6 pm Ryerson Sep 11, 4:30 pm TIFF Bell Lightbox 1. See TIFF.net. Rating: NNNN
Nemes’s intense, intoxicating debut feature won the Grand Prize (the silver medal) at Cannes this year. It’s the rare film that grabs your attention from the first few seconds and never lets go.
Shooting almost entirely from the protagonist’s POV in a continuous series of hand-held takes, Nemes packs the frame with shallow-focus shots, taking us into the heart of Auschwitz in the person of Saul, a Jew forced to aid the Nazis in their extermination mission.
Saul tries to maintain his humanity over the course of a few days by attempting to arrange a proper burial for a child whose body he finds while engaged in his abhorrent routine.
Compelling and astounding.
