The Sweetness of Survival: A Look at Marty Supreme's Auschwitz Flashback

A Flashback to Auschwitz

Marty Supreme races through time and places, but one scene slows it down significantly. It's a flashback to Auschwitz, where Béla, a Holocaust survivor, recounts a peculiar and moving story.

Béla's Story

• A ping-pong player turned bomb disarmer.
• Found beehives and covered himself in honey.
• Other prisoners licked the honey from his body.

This strange and poignant image is shared with Milton, a wealthy businessman whose son died in the war. Milton's resentment towards Jewish people might be challenged by Béla's story, highlighting their humanity.

Marty's World vs. Béla's Story

• Marty's Life: All about himself, seeking fame and success, indifferent to family and community.
• Béla's Story: A tale of selflessness, sharing the little sweetness he has with others.

Marty is a hustler, changing who he is to fit in, even taking a beating from Milton to keep moving forward. The movie doesn't explicitly state the lesson from Béla's story, but the contrast is clear.

A Moment of Change

At the end of the movie, Marty meets his newborn son. For the first time, he stops and thinks about something bigger than himself. He cries, marking a moment of change. However, it's uncertain if this change is substantial enough.