The Sunset of Civilization

With Son of Saul (Saul fia, 2015), László Nemes was said to have redefined the genre of holocaust films. Compared to most, Son of Saul offers no narrative pleasure. The tight framing, fluid camera movements and hazy surroundings have a claustrophobic effect. Using similar formal means, Sunset (Napszállta, 2018) is a film tracing the first outlines of authorial continuity. Pre-Great War Budapest is portrayed as a civilisation in decline in terms of both narrative and form. In combination with Son of Saul, it can also be read as a work on historical memory.

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