Fateless
“You can close your eyes. You can turn away. But you will never forget.”
An 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.
