Steven Rea's movie picks: 'Son of Saul' and 'Theory of Obscurity'
Son of Saul Ritz Five A Holocaust film like no other, about a Jewish prisoner in a Nazi death camp whose job is to usher fellow Jews into the crematoriums, and then to clear the corpses for the next wave. When he discovers a dead boy whom he believes to be his son, Saul (Géza Röhrig) goes on a mission to find a rabbi and arrange a proper burial. The power of László Nemes' close-in, intense film cannot be denied.
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Son of Saul Ritz Five A Holocaust film like no other, about a Jewish prisoner in a Nazi death camp whose job is to usher fellow Jews into the crematoriums, and then to clear the corpses for the next wave. When he discovers a dead boy whom he believes to be his son, Saul (Géza Röhrig) goes on a mission to find a rabbi and arrange a proper burial. The power of László Nemes' close-in, intense film cannot be denied.
Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents International House, 3701 Chestnut St., 7 p.m. Wednesday The title of Don Hardy's movie about the mysterious avant-garde multimedia collective called the Residents takes its title from Bavarian composer and music theorist N. Senada's concept, which states that "an artist can only produce pure art when the expectations and influences of the outside world are not taken into consideration." That the Residents made up N. Senada and his theory is beside the point. Hardy's doc follows the band on their 40th anniversary tour. There are interviews with Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, members of Devo, Primus, and Ween, plus archival footage and performance excerpts. Info: 215-387-5125 or ihousephilly.org/calendar.