Starring Marcell Nagy, Áron Dimény. Written by Imre Kertész from his novel. Directed by Lajos Koltai. (PG) 139 min. Opens Feb 3.
Unlike so many movie dramas about the Holocaust, Fateless recognizes
how the nature of the event can frustrate conventional modes of
storytelling. Despite the Hungarian film's lavish production values,
sumptuous score by Ennio Morricone and sometimes stagy performances, it
rejects the formula of portraying the Holocaust in terms of one
character's valiant struggle against adversity.
Instead, Fateless' protagonist -- Gyuri Köve (Marcell Nagy), a
14-year-old from Budapest's upper-middle-classes who endures the hell
of Buchenwald -- puts no stake in courage, trusting only in "the simple
secret of my universe," which is that he could be killed at any time
without rhyme or reason. He rejects all other concepts of fate.
Unsurprising given Gyuri's disbelief that his life has any
coherence or meaning beyond his immediate circumstances, Fateless is
most effective when at its most fragmentary. Short scenes convey both
the horror and fleeting happiness of life in the camp. A few moments
are especially haunting, like when the starving Gyuri watches a German
guard eat his lunch and moves his mouth as if he too had a piece of
schnitzel. But even though Lajos Koltai -- a veteran cinematographer
making his directorial debut -- prevents any false heroics or schmaltz
from creeping into the stern script by Holocaust survivor Imre Kertész,
his images often seem a touch too perfect. However, their fussy beauty
complements Gyuri's unsettling tendency to behave as a spectator to his
own sufferings.