Common Sense Media Review
By Renee Schonfeld
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Powerful WWII concentration camp film is horrific, violent.
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Son of Saul
What's the Story?
Saul Auslander (Geza Rohrig) is a Sonderkommando in the Auschwitz death camp in October 1944 in SON OF SAUL. Sonderkommandos, Jewish prisoners forced to perform grisly and mind-numbing tasks, knew that they, too, would be executed in short order. Saul's duties are to assist in removing bodies from the gas chambers, search for valuables among the victims' clothes and possessions, and clean up the anteroom before the next terrified Jews arrive for mass slaughter. His mind and spirit already broken, Saul finds a still-breathing boy among the fallen. Though the child dies soon afterward, Saul decides that he must, above all else, provide this one innocent with a traditional Jewish blessing and burial. Driven by renewed energy and purpose, Saul risks his life over and over again to find a rabbi and lay the boy whom he proclaims his "son" to rest. At the same time, some of Saul's closest inmate brethren are planning an escape. Saul's obsession compromises their efforts. The two events collide amid heartbreaking chaos, danger, and merciless acts of cruelty.
Is It Any Good?
The full devastation of genocide, incomparable acts of cruelty, and humanity's ability to adapt to horror play out in the face of one man in this stunning, remarkable film. Other films have captured the Holocaust's atrocities and magnitude of heartlessness, but Son of Saul brings the more private moments of ravaged minds and souls to bear. The brilliance of Lazlo Nemes and his team comes from keeping Saul -- his face, his body, his point of view -- at the center of all (Rohrig's performance is shockingly real). While around him naked bodies are being dragged from the gas chamber to the ovens, while on the fringes of the frame his fellow prisoners go through the countless shoes, clothes, and personal effects of the victims, Nemes' camera is on Saul. And Saul is a study in the art of living while already dead. Some of the most savage acts happen mostly off camera or on the fringes of the shots, including the lengthy sequence of mass killing that takes place at the "pits" when the gas chambers are too crowded, which may be one of the most disturbing events in all cinema. This multiple award-winning film is hard to watch, and even harder to forget. Not for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how director Lazla Nemes portrayed the horrors of Auschwitz while showing little direct violence in Son of Saul. How did he and his team use techniques such as sound effects, soft focus, and close-up reactions of Saul to recreate what would have been unfilmable and too graphic for audiences? Do you think the movie succeeded in evoking the grim reality of the camp?
Whether or not the dead boy was Saul's son was a question the movie raised. Did the identity of the boy matter? Why, or why not? What did he symbolize for Saul?
Think about both the relative absence of dialogue and color in this film. What did the filmmakers use instead of words to convey story and emotion? How did the colors used contribute to the overall character of the movie?
How do the characters in Son of Saul demonstrate courage, perseverance, and teamwork? Why are these important character strength?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 18, 2015
- On DVD or streaming : April 26, 2016
- Cast : Geza Rohrig , Levente Molnar , Urs Rechn
- Director : Lazlo Nemes
- Studio : Sony Pictures Classics
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 107 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Disturbing violent content and some graphic nudity
- Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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