It’s been 70 years since Auschwitz was liberated.
The death camp has been the subject of many films over the years.
While the mother of all Holocaust films is Schindler’s List (1993), another film has come out recently. While the subject of both films are the same, they are completely different.
The recent release Son Of Saul (2015), focuses on Saul Auslander (Geza Rohrig). Saul is a Sonderkommando. In the death camps, they were responsible for disposing of the bodies of the victims and preparing the belongings that the victims brought with them for dispersion. Among the bodies of the recently killed is the son that Saul never acknowledged during the boy’s brief lifetime. He becomes obsessed with one goal: finding a Rabbi and burying the boy properly. But as Saul looks for a Rabbi, the Nazis look to destroy the Sonderkommando’s who are secretly planning a rebellion.
While other Holocaust films have not been shy to reveal the horror that is the Holocaust, this film is different. Devoid of music and shot with film with mainly closeup shots of the main character, this film is disturbing. Not that a Holocaust film should be light and funny, but this film is a stark reminder of how dark the world can be and how easy it can be to mistreat our fellow human being based simply on external factors.
I absolutely recommend this film. If you see one film over the next few weekends, see Son Of Saul. It will be a worthwhile viewing.
Writergurlny 