When Son of Saul came out some odd years ago, much of the discussion centered around the moral efficacy of the film’s visual gimmick. Some decried the “Holocaust-as-roller-coaster” approach, while others felt it was a powerful commentary on the nature of survival. What this argument is asking is “was director Lászlo Nemes actually saying anything?”
Ten-years-later, Nemes, having now abandoned the visual conceit of Son of Saul and his follow-up Sunset, might be proving the naysayers right with Orphan, a film about a young boy living in late-1950s Hungary. Andor (Bojtorján Barabas) lives with his mother, when a man returns into his life. Berend (Gregor Gadebois), a butcher, previously sheltered Andor’s mother during the Holocaust, and profiteered off of it. Now he’s returned, and Andor deeply despises him, to put it mildly.
Impressive really only for its period piece mimicry, Orphan is a real slog. Most of the film consists of Andor – who should enshrine his place in the canon of all-time terrible cinema kids. He behaves badly, throwing tantrums and running away from those who attempt to help him. Removing the style that made Nemes’ name, reveals an emptiness of his thought. It’s hard to determine what the purpose of Orphan is, other than to suggest something about the nature of survival. What, exactly, remains a mystery. Mostly, I felt like I was playing out the string, wondering what Nemes’ inevitable take on how Hungary experienced the fall of the Berlin wall will look like.
- Rated: 15
- Genre: Biography, Drama, History, World Cinema
- Directed by: László Nemes
- Starring: Andrea Waskovics, Bojtorján Barabas, Eliz Szabo, Grégory Gadebois, Gyorgy Bojtik, Marcin Czarnik
- Produced by: Alexander Bazarov, Alexander Rodnyansky, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Ildikó Kemény, Juliette Schrameck, Martin Hampel, Mike Goodridge, Szále Ferenc, Thanassis Karathanos
- Written by: Clara Royer, László Nemes
- Studio: Agat Films & Cie / Ex Nihilo. Pallas Film, ARTE France Cinéma, Good Chaos, Mid-March Media, Pioneer Pictures
