love is selfish

Skyla 2022-03-27 09:01:13

In the second half of the film, Saul gradually evolves from a sympathetic great father to a nasty little guy who doesn't care about the big picture.
The psychological effect of the audience must be attributed to the superb performance of the actor who played Sol, the Hungarian poet Geza Rolig. His forbearance when he lost his son in the first half made people feel pity involuntarily, and in the second half when he destroyed the resistance plan. His expressionless face made me want to punch him in the face at the screen.
The cinematography style of the film is very sharp, square frame, almost half of the whole process is Sol's "posts", while blurring the background, highlighting his unaltered expression full of deep and sad. Coupled with the hand-held shooting, the film is more like a documentary, and the audience feels like they are witnessing it all behind Sol.
It also makes you who are "in it" can't help thinking, if you were Sol, what would you do?
In the film, Sol's paranoia not only ruins the chance for this contingent of prisoners to rise up and fight their way out, but it also ruins the lives of him, his mates, and the fake rabbi he rescued. You can't help clenching your fists and wanting to hit him in the face hard. The country's rise and fall is at the most anxious stage, but he wants so many people to be buried with him for his child's "burial". At the end of the film, all of them are dead, and it's because Thor didn't get the explosives, how can you not be angry?
But your clenched fist can't be swung forward to Thor's face, because you can't tell what exactly Thor did wrong. He was just a devout father hoping to have his poor child buried. I'm afraid you'll get angry again, but you still don't have the capital to raise your fist.
At the end of the film, Sol raised the corner of his mouth at the German child. This was the first time Sol showed a smile in the film. He was relieved, and at the same time we were relieved.
We have to admit that all this happens because of love. Everything in the world, as long as it touches love, will become sublime. Because love is great, as in Interstellar, love is the only thing that can transcend time and space. So we look at Saul as a great father who would sacrifice everything for love, even his own life, even against the great cause of the Germans.
However, when we say that Sol is great, we feel that Sol's love is small and base in a small corner of our hearts. In other words, all love in the world is like this.
Because love is selfish.
For the sake of his son's peaceful burial, Thor risked his life to steal the body and rescue the fake rabbi, but he was still fearless. He is for his son, but, in essence, he is for his own love for his son. This love can make Sol give up hope of resistance and survival, lose his explosives but have no regrets, can make Sol give up his own life, and be desperate at a very critical moment. Because of this love, he did not choose to do these things, but had to do them. Isn't this love selfish?
Sol and his companions eventually died at the muzzle of the Nazis. With such a sad ending, I can't help but wonder if the ending would have been any different if they had gotten their hands on the dynamite.
Maybe someone else's ending will turn into a comedy. But this love of Sol has already destined his future path!

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Extended Reading

Son of Saul quotes

  • Saul Ausländer: Rabbi, Help me bury a body.

  • Abraham Warszawski: Who's this boy?

    Saul Ausländer: My son.

    Abraham Warszawski: But you have no son.

    Saul Ausländer: I do. I have to bury him.

    Abraham Warszawski: You don't need a rabbi for that.

    Saul Ausländer: At least he'll do what's right.