Alternate Best Actor 2015: Géza Röhrig in Son of Saul

Géza Röhrig did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Saul Ausländer in Son of Saul.

 

Son of Saul follows a concentration camp prisoner, who works cleaning the gas chamber, attempting to properly grant a funeral to one of its victims.

The film itself takes a literal forced perspective similar to the film Keane. This as much of the film is a reverse first person POV, though the film occasionally "cheats' the concept by showing more. Much of the film is either the face of the back of our protagonist with the rest of the narrow frame typically out of focus. Röhrig's performance therefore is an unusual challenge given his physical expression is so specific, while also being contained by the nature of the film given that his Saul is obviously attempting to survive his conditions, therefore is muted by nature. This is as we see from the opening of the film where we follow Saul as he walks aside an entry of new prisoners, and following them to their murder soon afterwards. Röhrig's expression in this sequence is almost fixed. This sort of state of his eyes almost like statue in the specificity of the man committing to his duties with this specific kind of detachment. Röhrig is effective in this expression both suggests the mundane nature of this to the man at this point, yet still conveys the horror of the experience nonetheless. This even in the way his face wavers so little suggests it almost be molded into place by pain. 

The amount of dialogue Saul has is almost as limited as his early expressions, this being a man of few words within his place, and even Röhrig's delivery again emphasizes the man's state of being a prisoner of mind as well as body. This as every word that comes is as a kind weak defeated whisper befitting a man where death is a threat and presence at all times. Röhrig's performance as the film goes on then becomes more so defined by subtle changes within that original fixed state. His performance becomes this wavering then of that as he goes through a sort of change in seeing the boy die that reminds him of his son. Röhrig's performance creates this hint of life upon Saul's brow as though there is something that has realized itself after being dormant in the state of petrified terror for so long. From here on his performance then is of having moments of a more human reaction in his endeavor for his "son's" burial. This as he seeks out a rabbit to perform the funeral. There is a bit more force in the man suddenly, a quiet sense of determination that just barely glints from his expression. He isn't quite powerful within that conviction but there is some sense of life to him as limited as that might be. This in turn seemingly making the horrors more realized again though as the man now more closely reacts them. 

This as we see Saul witness his attempt in turn gets his potential Rabbi killed, the horror of the moment being openly expressed if still withdrawn all the same. When facing more direct threat from the Nazi captors there is this shift in Röhrig's performance to this extreme passive note. The way he looks down and seems to diminish the slightest sense of a threat in order to avoid summary execution. The state similar to that of the beaten dog just cowering to avoid any further punishment, punishment that he has likely endured without mercy for some time. Röhrig's work maintain this kind of specific gradual emotive state. His performance works in crafting this state's variation that always remains limited, yet is justified within the limitation. He grants the sense of the man's state, the sense of the horror of his place, and the minor change through the scenario. This until the finale where we get a classic director's key change, as Saul smiles in a key moment, and I should be heartbroken, but I wasn't. Now I have to admit at this point the film came off as a strangely clinical exercise for me, despite the obvious power of the subject matter. The reason why, I can't immediately speak to. Perhaps it is the reverse POV, which perhaps is just slightly too narrowed, or perhaps it is the titular conceit, that sadly never was raised from that through the film itself, for me. Although this film has been praised as a masterpiece, I can only speak to my own experience of watching the film, which was filled with some clinical admiration, but far less emotional admiration. Is Röhrig to blame? I mean did feel far more invested in Damian Lewis's portrayal in Keane, that uses similar film-making techniques, and actually has a similar conceit. I don't quite think so, as Röhrig's work is all logical, and I think it is more so the film that oddly left me cold. Prepare for "Louis Bingo" as Röhrig's performance for me falls into the "Director's film" leading turn, that serves that vision, and is justified within that vision, even if that vision left me personally dispassionate.