The Zone Of Interest Review

Friday, 8 March 2024

Plot: Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden beside the camp.


Film: The Zone Of Interest


Director: Jonathan Glazer


Writer: Jonathan Glazer, Martin Amis


Starring: Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Johann Karthaus


Amidst the grim backdrop of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, played by Christian Friedel, and his wife Hedwig, played by Sandra Hüller, are living a prosperous life with their children, having finally ‘earned’ the life their leader has promised, basking in trinkets curtesy of the Jewish population trapped in the camp next door, Hedwig’s fur coat for example, which she models while her husband works with blueprints for gas chambers. 


The constant rumble of the nearby camp, the whirring of machinery, and the screams of suffering serve as a disconcerting soundtrack to their daily lives. Yet, they remain indifferent, desensitized to the horrors just beyond their garden walls. Glazer’s film explores the unsettling nature of moral apathy, portraying Hedwig’s callous obsession with her luxurious home while turning a blind eye to the suffering nearby.


The film largely avoids depicting the atrocities within the camp itself, instead focusing on the everyday dismissal of the suffering. Glazer’s restrained approach, coupled with powerful imagery tells the story of those who chose not to see what was happening around them. One scene shows Hedwig close the curtains against the bright sunset and in distance we can see a smoking chimney in the camp. Scenes like these leave a lasting an impact without needing the graphicness that other films have provided. 


Through meticulously crafted scenes and a haunting score, that several times had me wanting to claw my own ears off, a sentiment shockingly not shared by the Höss family, Glazer has created an unforgettable and rightly uncomfortable exploration of moral blindness and the horrors we choose not to acknowledge.


It’s obvious to say that this won’t be a film for everyone it’s taken me a long time to finally sit down and commit the time to watching it. Films like this are the ones we need to keep talking about, especially given we are still living in a time where we choose not to see the horrible things that are happening around us. This isn’t my best picture but it has and its place in the nominations.

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