The Zone of Interest or Interessengebiet, is a term used to refer to the restricted zone around the Auschwitz Nazi death camp and this film focuses on the domestic life of the camp Commandant, Rudolph Höss imbued with a matter of factness and efficiency by Christian Friedel, his wife Hedwig played with entitlement and fastidiousness by the great Sandra Hüller and their children. Their home is within the Zone and thus we get to hear the sounds from the camp but never see the source of the noises. This makes it all the more terrifying. What you don’t see, what you hear and see in the background through the family’s windows, the smoke coming from the chimneys, the prisoners walking around delivering goods to the house etc.
Based on a book by the late Martin Amis, Jonathan Glazer’s fourth feature film in 23 years, the others being, Sexy Beast, Birth and Under the Skin. Here Glazer eschews the main thrust of the novel which is a potential affair between an Officer and the wife of Paul Doll (who is a fictionalised version of Rudolph Höss) and instead makes the film all about the home life of the German family Höss. By doing this the power of the film is far more striking. Less conventional and much more frightening.
Let it be said, this is a difficult film to watch, there is an undercurrent of terror that is exacerbated by the ordinariness of it all, the banality of evil and the incredible soundtrack and soundscapes by Mica Levi. The bass notes are truly unsettling and nauseating and add to make it as tragic and alarming as a film like this should be. All the horror is off-screen.
There will not be a film like this anytime soon. Halfway through the film, I was reminded of Joshua Oppenheimer’s horrific documentary about the killing fields of Myanmar, The Act of Killing.
Sometimes art should be uncomfortable. It reflects our condition and it is there to teach us, and remind us. It is the point of our stories and drama. If we don’t learn from history what chance do we have as a species. Even comedies can show us something about the human condition.
Every story is an opportunity to share something.
After watching The Zone of Interest I sought out The Conference (Die Wannseekonferenz) (2022) about the meeting of Nazi officials to discuss the final solution, which is another example of the matter-of-factness of it all to them and The Wave (Die Welle) (2008) based on a real-life social experiment that took place in 1967 by a high school history teacher, Ron Jones to show his students how the Germans could have accepted the rules and actions of Nazis by setting up a pretend social movement to demonstrate how fascism could take root anywhere.
Both films are excellent and expand on the themes and messages of Glazer’s film.
The appeal of groups and the idea of strength in numbers is an old one that is used around the world for many nefarious and egotistical reasons.
I would love to think, like the UK rapper, JC001 did in 1993:
“Fascists offend…Never Again, Ignorance Ascend…Never again” and “No more Nuremberg, not now nor never again” but have you seen the world recently?
A film like this one, which will unfortunately not be seen by all, needs to be out there.
Fortunately, its mere existence will cause ripples which can turn into waves.
The Zone of Interest has been nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best International Feature Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound (which it should win for, the soundscapes are bone-chilling).
This is an important film that never preaches or tells you how to feel, it allows you to make up your mind and you probably have to be socio or psychopathic to not be moved by it in some way.
Just as I thought A24 may have jumped the shark into conventional territory (see The Iron Claw) they prove themselves still worthy without yelling about it by distributing and being rewarded for this staggeringly quiet and powerful film.
See it before it makes noise at the Oscars.
105 Minutes
the movie musings 