The time is 1944. WWII rages on. Because of its relationship as an ally with the Axis, Hungary’s citizens were relatively safe from the individualized horrors of war, including deportation to the concentration camps. But all that changed in 1944 when a Nazi-backed coup overthrew the Hungarian government thus allowing Eichmann to begin deportation of Hungary’s 800,000 Jews, and particularly those in Budapest, to Auschwitz. Almost poetic in nature, cattle car transportation of the people began in October. As the seasons changed, so did the lives of the Hungarian Jews.

Gyuri Koves’ father has already been taken away to a forced labor camp. “Why” is Gyuri’s question. Himself pulled from school and put to work for the Axis war effort, on his way to work one morning, Gyuri is encouraged by neighbors to take the bus and not the train to work this day. Again, the “why” question arises. Without warning, Gyuri and other bright eyed youths who belong in classrooms building their minds and not in factories building weapons, are ripped from buses by an over-zealous police officer, packed like sardines on trams, and then herded like cattle on trains, only to be transported to Buchenwald and Auschwitz. And again, Gyuri wonders “why.”

Once incarcerated, we are witness to the horrors inflicted on Gyuri and his fellow inmates. We watch as Gyuri wastes away from the once-healthy and happy 14 year old to an emaciated skeleton of his former self, suffering from starvation, torture and even gangrene. Forced to labor at mindless tasks designed to break the heart and mind and spirit of the prisoners, the incessant wavering back and forth of their bodies as a result of dehydration and starvation is almost zombie-like in appearance. A surreal horror. But interspersed with the sadistic tortures of the Nazis are rays of hope and faith.

Gyuri, a bright and self-sufficient boy, whose desolation only increases as he is moved from camp to camp, has an indomitable spirit. Like a kite lost in the wind, he has no compass, but goes with the flow, every reaching upward and never losing his faith. In order to have extra rations for a few days, he doesn’t tell the guards when his bunkmate has died. Gyuri’s youthful imagination serves him well as he mimics Nazi guards eating sumptuous meals of noodles and bread, almost as if the mimicry will become real. The scenes are heart-wrenching. But it’s not just Gyuri who has faith and a survival instinct. We are treated to the spirit of all the prisoners. Like a community, they band together, doing their best to maintain the dignities of civilization and even a “normalcy” to their lives. From their attempts at cleanliness and personal hygiene to bartering for food and even putting themselves in harms way to potentially save someone else, we are given a glimpse at what is the best in humanity among the worst inhumanity.

Ultimately on liberation by the Americans, befriended by an American sergeant, Gyuri is encouraged to come to the United States to continue his education and start a new life. Unfortunately, Gyuri declines the offer, and returns to his native Budapest. Believing that life will be as it was before the war, Gyuri is once again faced with the question “why” when his emotions are displaced even further as he is met with alienation, loneliness and those who only want to ignore and forget the war and the atrocities it held for so many like Gyuri.

15 year old Marcell Hagy is mesmerizing as Gyuri. Exhibiting a painful innocence that just grips your heart like a vice, he is the heart and soul of this film. Surrounded by a strong supporting case of European and Hungarian actors, Hagy is the very core around which worlds collide. In a strong cameo performance, Daniel Craig (pegged as the next James Bond) is the American sergeant aiding in the liberation who takes such a shine to Gyuri. Despite the minimal role, it is pivotal to the story and Craig fills the bill nicely.

Written by Imre Kertesz based on his 1975 novel of the same name, the story is based on his own experiences as a concentration camp survivor. Almost cathartic in nature, Kertesz provides what may be a small insight into the psyche of the holocaust survivors and their attempts to come to terms with or reconcile their past. Obviously condensed for the screen, Kertesz’ story relies heavily on the visuals of director Koltai to convey beyond the obvious, which is perhaps the key reason for the casting of Marcell Hagy.

Koltai’s expertise in cinematography serves him well, utilizing color desaturation to set the stage for the upheavals in Gyuri’s life. Although I could see Koltai doing double duty on this one as director and cinematographer, he chose to have Gyula Pados by his side in charge of photography. As a result, the visuals are artistically impeccable. As the cattle cars open at the platforms in Auschwitz, the sepia-toned pallette is pulled from the film, as life is sucked from the Jews, being replaced with a stark and sickly pale greenish tone that continues to pale and grey as the story continues. Concentration camp scenes are shot in black and white with color ultimately returning to the film and Gyuri’s life on his release and return to Budapest. With the use of little vignettes for transitioning, there is an even and emotional flow to the film. Furthering the work is the production design of Tibor Lazar. No words are even necessary. The visuals speak for themselves. And complimenting every scene is the powerful score by Ennio Morricone.

The film is tacitly powerful and has an underlying grace and strength that Koltai's direction captures beautifully. Creating a dichotomy between the visuals, Gyuri, and the story itself, the film is propelled to a higher and more philosophical level than the cut and dried resolutions of similar films. This is really the first holocaust film that doesn't just say it was an atrocity; it gives a new psychological perspective that shows a sense of hope and possibly even joy hidden in the horrors.

Marcell Nagy: Gyuri Koves

Written by Imre Kertesz based on his novel Sorstalansag. Directed by Lajos Koltai. A Think Film release. In Hungarian with English sub-titles. No rating. (140 min)