Timothy Stanley

On Kierkegaard and "Son of Saul"

March 1, 2016 timothywstanley@me.com

At the same time that it depicts Saul’s conversion, 'Son of Saul' also directly engages the viewer’s subjectivity by its style and mode of presentation; its achievement is to embody the dynamic that is its very subject matter. Kierkegaard called such communication — the only sort he thought befitting a subjective thinker — 'double reflection.' He thought this is the only way that the authenticity of the message can be guarded — the only way to avoid being a town crier of subjectivity. In this way, 'Son of Saul' is both art and philosophy: It makes inwardness visible. Through its depiction of death and destruction it reminds us how to live.

Katalin Balog, "'Son of Saul,' Kierkegaard and the Holocaust," The Stone - http://nyti.ms/2150xgH

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