A lot of it wasn't translated because the main character himself didn't understand most of what was said around him. The film is unique in how it portrays the linguistic chaos of the camps, Hungarian is not actually spoken a lot in it, it's a combination of Hungarian, German, broken German, Yiddish, broken Yiddish, Polish, and Russian.
Fantastic film, didn't know what I was walking into but loved it. The camera work means you get a real feeling of how chaotic and mentaly disturbing the experience is.
I didn't find it hard to watch. Because, as they said, the horrors are at the edge of the screen or out of focus. This is actually a movie that could be shown in high schools without skipping any scenes.
'Saul fia' is a masterpiece that goes deep into the horrors of the Holocaust. Director László Nemes makes a feature film debut that is spectacular. The camera is astonishing and the performance of Géza Röhrig is breathtaking. Without showing much, we can hear the screams of all the innocent men, women and children who were massacred and gassed by the Nazi Germans & Austrians. The macabre task of the Sonderkommando is brilliantly depicted in Saul fia. In my opinion this movie should have been nominated in all the categories and should have won ALL the OSCARS (Best Movie, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Actor in a Leading Role). 'Saul fia' is a MASTERPIECE with capital letters. Something for never forgetting what Germany & Austria did and never payed for.
This movie hurt my soul. Which was the point I suppose. My mom was one of those typical Americans who couldn't pay attention enough to sit through a foreign film. It made me feel like I was being punched in the face over and over. The background being out of focus does not soften the blow.
i listened to interviews with the director Laszlo Nemes. He has said that had been his main intention to do witht he film, what you have just mentioned: If we see dramatic scenes and we cry, we are released afterwards. If there are no emotions, just facts and plus our imagination and thoughts and hints and the facts we know about massacres, that it would hit us very hard, and cannot get away with it, cannot go to sleep with light hearts, must face reality and our own consciuos.
@@noemo1690 That was so painful (especially first 15 minutes of the film) because you couldn't escape it. I am still thinking about that film even though it has been two days already since I watched it. PS. Can you give a link to that interview?
Alonso - there were no "Hungarian Concentration Camps" - they were all Nazi (German) Concentration Camps. I understand you probably meant to say "a concentration camp in Hungary" but using the shorthand "hungarian" can be quite misleading for the historically ignorant.
@@mrkfryta my family’s Polish neighbors helped to murder them, so no I don’t see a distinction. Their neighbors literally cheered as they were killed. Poles like to believe they were victims too, there is a reason why almost every Jew in Poland died during the Holocaust.
What was with the girl called Ella who gave him the package of powder? She recognized him, knew his name and gave the most brilliant and minuscule flicker of a smile when they came face to face. Was that maybe the mother of the boy? He did mention that it wasn't his wife's boy. I found the ending very unusual. Like something Andrei Tarkovsky might do.
She was a partaker/helper in the uprising, who provided the Sonderkommando men with dynamite. The præparaterne of the uprising had been planned and executed very subtile, so the Nazis and the Kapos didn't expect anything.
9/10 film for sure, but here's what I didn't like about it: > Not enough graphic/gory imagery. It's a fucking concentration camp; I personally think the film would be more memorable if it had more disturbing scenes. It already has an R rating (15 in UK), why not push the boundary a bit? > I felt myself getting impatient at times. Some scenes were just unnecessary/boring. And this is coming from someone who has watched Arabian Nights and The Brand New Testament recently. Pretty much all I need to vent. I could nitpick more, but overall the movie was an instant classic.
+shezario It's stated at the start of the film. Of course it doesn't mean that in a literal sense, but they were known as "keepers of secrets", for the very reason they state in the review.
+Aurelia Ansah - you need some hobbies... or to better keep up with more recent massacres and atrocities (if that's what you're into). and sorry, this film doesn't seem especially well-made: no context and little camaraderie, esp among jews -- a curious deficit, given the circumstances.
jlawrence From a couple of comments, you think you can presume to have an insight into my level of current-affairs knowledge...OK. Why don't you take your barbed comments elsewhere. I'm bored of you now.
again, this is why i can't take Ben seriously a a critic by stating that he must take off point for it being difficult to watch bc of the subject matter. Then, he calls out any critic for not liking it when his own criticism was superficial to begin with
+Davin Yu I think it's a fair criticism. My favourite holocaust film is Life is Beautiful, because it showcased the horrors of the concentration camps, and packed a massive emotional punch, but never felt like work to get through. Whereas while something like Schindler's list was incredibly powerful, I found myself fading at times.
***** I think to state it as something that would've got a perfect score if it were not so difficult to watch because of the constant horrors of the concentration camp as a critic is faulty criticism and not of a critic that I would follow.
I do think there's a way for a movie to have just as much emotional impact without being so gruelling though. I guess Ben could have clarified his opinion a little more by specifying what made it a little too hard to watch, or what could have been done differently. But it might have been difficult to do without spoilers, and the reviews might start to go on too long if they were to fully explain everything. I see your point, but I don't have a problem with this critique.
A lot of it wasn't translated because the main character himself didn't understand most of what was said around him. The film is unique in how it portrays the linguistic chaos of the camps, Hungarian is not actually spoken a lot in it, it's a combination of Hungarian, German, broken German, Yiddish, broken Yiddish, Polish, and Russian.
+Tamas Szabo Wow, that's a really interesting (and brilliant) choice.
That's so awesome.
And also Greek in two instances
Fantastic film, didn't know what I was walking into but loved it. The camera work means you get a real feeling of how chaotic and mentaly disturbing the experience is.
Please review more foreign films in the future! You're pretty much the only CZcams critics that gives any hoot about it. :))
+Davin Yu Check out YMS. He usually prefers foreign film and reviews a fair amount of them. He did this one a few weeks ago.
Ian Smart Thanks for the rec, but Im picky about who I follow.
Davin Yu Welcome. Let me know how u like him.
Mark Kermode (BBC) does a lot of world cinema.
+Davin Yu you can check out YMS and Mark Kermode (BBC) they review a lot of foreign films.
I didn't find it hard to watch. Because, as they said, the horrors are at the edge of the screen or out of focus. This is actually a movie that could be shown in high schools without skipping any scenes.
I'm tired of you guys and lady, giving lesser scores because something is hard to watch...
There were no concentration camps in Hungary. They were in Poland and Germany (and maybe some other countries I don't know of).
'Saul fia' is a masterpiece that goes deep into the horrors of the Holocaust. Director László Nemes makes a feature film debut that is spectacular. The camera is astonishing and the performance of Géza Röhrig is breathtaking. Without showing much, we can hear the screams of all the innocent men, women and children who were massacred and gassed by the Nazi Germans & Austrians. The macabre task of the Sonderkommando is brilliantly depicted in Saul fia. In my opinion this movie should have been nominated in all the categories and should have won ALL the OSCARS (Best Movie, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Actor in a Leading Role). 'Saul fia' is a MASTERPIECE with capital letters. Something for never forgetting what Germany & Austria did and never payed for.
Geza Rohrig was in deed nominated and almost got into the last round of 5 actors in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category
Check wikipedia u'll see the vast amount of awards and nominations this movie got.
This movie hurt my soul. Which was the point I suppose. My mom was one of those typical Americans who couldn't pay attention enough to sit through a foreign film. It made me feel like I was being punched in the face over and over. The background being out of focus does not soften the blow.
i listened to interviews with the director Laszlo Nemes. He has said that had been his main intention to do witht he film, what you have just mentioned: If we see dramatic scenes and we cry, we are released afterwards. If there are no emotions, just facts and plus our imagination and thoughts and hints and the facts we know about massacres, that it would hit us very hard, and cannot get away with it, cannot go to sleep with light hearts, must face reality and our own consciuos.
@@noemo1690 That was so painful (especially first 15 minutes of the film) because you couldn't escape it. I am still thinking about that film even though it has been two days already since I watched it.
PS. Can you give a link to that interview?
Alonso - there were no "Hungarian Concentration Camps" - they were all Nazi (German) Concentration Camps. I understand you probably meant to say "a concentration camp in Hungary" but using the shorthand "hungarian" can be quite misleading for the historically ignorant.
+Majullposampas a lot of people do thatwith" Polish Concentration Camps "and those were German Concentration Camps in occupied Poland ,
@@mrkfryta my family’s Polish neighbors helped to murder them, so no I don’t see a distinction. Their neighbors literally cheered as they were killed. Poles like to believe they were victims too, there is a reason why almost every Jew in Poland died during the Holocaust.
Feel good movie of the year?
What was with the girl called Ella who gave him the package of powder? She recognized him, knew his name and gave the most brilliant and minuscule flicker of a smile when they came face to face. Was that maybe the mother of the boy?
He did mention that it wasn't his wife's boy.
I found the ending very unusual. Like something Andrei Tarkovsky might do.
She was a partaker/helper in the uprising, who provided the Sonderkommando men with dynamite.
The præparaterne of the uprising had been planned and executed very subtile, so the Nazis and the Kapos didn't expect anything.
@@johanneabelsen1644that doesn’t answer how the girl knew Saul. Maybe it was his wife
great film, although the part when he throws the spade in the water was plain stupid, no one would do that, they were killed for much less
One of the most movies showing what it must have been like in a concentration camp.very powerful movie.
The Grey Zone is a great movie, isn't it?
It seem Hungary took Ricky Gervais's advice on how to get an Oscar. :)
Jesus christ ANOTHER Saul breaking bad spin off?! give it a rest already, MILKING IT
+Hugh G Wrection This is a prequel though clearly, or time travel ^^
This Saul is that saul's grandfather
I love it when wtf reviews foreign films! Do it more!
Hard not to think of The Grey Zone watching this but that was holocaust porn compared to this.
Trailer looks like a lost Pasolini film. Regardless this one appears that it's going to be a difficult watch.
9/10 film for sure, but here's what I didn't like about it:
> Not enough graphic/gory imagery. It's a fucking concentration camp; I personally think the film would be more memorable if it had more disturbing scenes. It already has an R rating (15 in UK), why not push the boundary a bit?
> I felt myself getting impatient at times. Some scenes were just unnecessary/boring. And this is coming from someone who has watched Arabian Nights and The Brand New Testament recently.
Pretty much all I need to vent. I could nitpick more, but overall the movie was an instant classic.
I don't think it need to add gory and graphic scenes. Sometimes it's more powerful to hear violence rather than see it. It's more subtle and harrowing
how old u is ?
***** me r 19
we can tell
***** Why thank you. Mr weird name.
"What the flick?!" So impressed with your name. So rich in cultural allusions, so intelligent, so... lowest common denominator!
It seems like these people are forced to talk even though they have no interest in it themselves.
sonderkommando just means special unit, nothing else and surely not "keeper of secret" just fyi
+shezario It's stated at the start of the film. Of course it doesn't mean that in a literal sense, but they were known as "keepers of secrets", for the very reason they state in the review.
where can i watch/buy this movie ?!
These guys have zero chemistry
So, Kai from DigitalRev shot the movie.
Bokehhhh!
:D
so many reviews ^^
thx guys
This film looks brilliant. Every time I am reminded of what the Nazis did, I'm shocked all over again.
+Aurelia Ansah - just started watching TV & movies, eh?
jIawrence Nooo. Life interrupts the shocker of this travesty in history, staying in the forefront of my mind. It's not that difficult to fathom. :/
+Aurelia Ansah - you need some hobbies... or to better keep up with more recent massacres and atrocities (if that's what you're into). and sorry, this film doesn't seem especially well-made: no context and little camaraderie, esp among jews -- a curious deficit, given the circumstances.
jlawrence From a couple of comments, you think you can presume to have an insight into my level of current-affairs knowledge...OK. Why don't you take your barbed comments elsewhere. I'm bored of you now.
+Aurelia Ansah : You tell him AA!
There's plenty of Polish language too.
again, this is why i can't take Ben seriously a a critic by stating that he must take off point for it being difficult to watch bc of the subject matter. Then, he calls out any critic for not liking it when his own criticism was superficial to begin with
+Davin Yu I think it's a fair criticism. My favourite holocaust film is Life is Beautiful, because it showcased the horrors of the concentration camps, and packed a massive emotional punch, but never felt like work to get through. Whereas while something like Schindler's list was incredibly powerful, I found myself fading at times.
***** I think to state it as something that would've got a perfect score if it were not so difficult to watch because of the constant horrors of the concentration camp as a critic is faulty criticism and not of a critic that I would follow.
I do think there's a way for a movie to have just as much emotional impact without being so gruelling though. I guess Ben could have clarified his opinion a little more by specifying what made it a little too hard to watch, or what could have been done differently. But it might have been difficult to do without spoilers, and the reviews might start to go on too long if they were to fully explain everything. I see your point, but I don't have a problem with this critique.
+Davin Yu: A film can be incredibly effective but very difficult to watch, based on subject matter. I wouldn't discount a critic for expressing same.
clicked on this thinking it was breaking bad
They make the viewer imagine the shot? Must be a low budget film.
+Artur H Budget of 1.5 million euros
That is low budget.
this movie should have different camera shots.
+williamtheconqueror3 -- Quick, somebody tell the director and cameraman that a commenter on CZcams wants it differently.
It was made on just 85 long shots in 28 days of shooting.
Yipes. Scary.
This movie wasn't gripping at all. It was just Nazi's are bad, Jews are great!
+Moshy you didn't watch it. It never praises Judaism at all, does it show Nazi's in a bad light? Yes but no worse than they actually were
Why, aren't Nazis bad?