Review of Son of Saul (2015) by Brady M — 04 Mar 2016

SON OF SAUL is a unique and often disturbing film. The movie was shot with a 40mm camera which gives a very shallow depth of field. It also uses an aspect ratio of 1.375:1 to achieve a portrait-like narrow field of vision.

All we see is what the main character sees within his field of vision. This give a very claustrophobic effect. A lot of what is happening is outside of this field of vision so our imagination fills in detail from the sounds we hear.

This makes for a very disquieting experience. It's very hard to describe unless you see it. The acting is excellent and the story is simple but very moving. The soundtrack is incredible and is absolutely essential to the drama of the story.

Overall, it is a very powerful, uneasy film to watch. The uniqueness of its approach is almost too much - at times, the conscious awareness of this uniqueness becomes a distraction from the immersion in the story.

But, overall, it is an approach that makes us feel as though we are standing in the position of the main character. It's grim, intense, disturbing and haunting. If you see this one, get ready to be challenged.