Fateless
“You can close your eyes. You can turn away. But you will never forget.”
A Hungarian youth comes of age at Buchenwald during World War II. György Köves is 14, the son of a merchant who's sent to a forced labor camp. After his father's departure, György gets a job at a brickyard; his bus is stopped and its Jewish occupants sent to camps. There, György find camaraderie, suffering, cruelty, illness, and death. He hears advice on preserving one's dignity and self-esteem. He discovers hatred. If he does survive and returns to Budapest, what will he find? What is natural; what is it to be a Jew? Sepia, black and white, and color alternate to shade the mood.
A harrowing, yet resilient coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of WWII. It's a somber, introspective journey through unimaginable cruelty, exploring themes of identity and survival with a stark, arthouse sensibility. This film feels like a heavy, important watch.
