Son of Saul Budget

What is the budget of Son of Saul?

"Son of Saul," a war released in 2015, was directed by László Nemes and stars Géza Röhrig, Levente Molnár. The production budget was $1,000,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for war productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a war production like this include:

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Casting: Nemes insisted on casting actors who spoke their characters' own languages.

What were the major cost factors in Son of Saul?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Son of Saul."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in war productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in war productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in war productions of this scale.

How Does Son of Saul's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $1,000,000, Son of Saul sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Gone in 60 Seconds (1974): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $40,000,000
• A Woman Under the Influence (1974): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $12,200,000
• Rear Window (1954): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,042,336
• How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $73,800,000
• Raise the Red Lantern (1991): Budget $1,000,000, Worldwide Gross $16,600,000

The median budget for wide-release war films in the 2010s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Son of Saul Box Office Performance

"Son of Saul" earned $1,777,043 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $1,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Son of Saul," that break-even threshold was roughly $2,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $1,777,043, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $1,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $1,777,043
• Net Return: $777,043
• ROI: approximately 77.7%

At 77.7%, "Son of Saul" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

Son of Saul Production History

Nemes insisted on casting actors who spoke their characters' own languages. New York City-based Hungarian poet Géza Röhrig, who had not acted in film since the 1980s, was cast as the main character, Saul, after being considered originally for a supporting role.

The film was shot on 35 mm film in 28 days in Budafok, Budapest. A 40 mm lens and the Academy aspect ratio of 1.375:1 were adopted to realise shallow focus and a portrait-like narrow field of vision. Architect and liberal activist László Rajk, who also worked on the permanent Hungarian exhibition at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, designed the re-creation of the crematoria.

Awards and Recognition

• Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (88th Academy Awards)
• François Chalais Prize
• Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix
• Template: Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film
• FIPRESCI Prize of the Festival de Cannes
• San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Critical Reception

Upon its release at Cannes, the film was met with critical acclaim. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 96% based on reviews from 233 critics, with an average rating of 8.90/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Grimly intense yet thoroughly rewarding, Son of Saul offers an unforgettable viewing experience , and establishes director László Nemes as a talent to watch". On Metacritic, the film has a score of 91 out of 100, based on reviews from 49 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".