Eyes glued to the screen watching horrible people be horrible
The Zone of Interest is Jonathan Glazer´s first film in 9 years after 2013's, A24 distributed Under The Skin made big waves.
Instead of an Alien roaming the streets of Scotland, The Zone of Interest tells the story of Rudolf Höff, who was the commandant of Auschwitz, set on building a great life for his family right next to the camp.
He’s also determined to make Auschwitz the most efficient it can be, by working on a furnace that will be able to run 24/7.
The framing of this story never takes us into Auschwitz specifically, but through a haunting soundscape, it is always present throughout the entire film. A low hum, a piercing score, and incredible performances make this a stunning piece of art.
There’s a certain looming presence of dread that creeps its way into every crevice of the Höff household. Their ignorance toward the suffering they are causing is irritating and if you expect to get your hand held through this experience you’ll soon notice that you’ll be left all alone in the dark. These despicably evil characters have ambition and a drive to live their best lives in the midst of war and genocide, without even considering to second guess their decisions.
A general sense of distance from the atrocious violence runs throughout the whole film. Be it the chosen benevolent ignorance by the characters in the story or us as the audience through time and ultimately the framing of the movie that restrains itself from showing us that side.
The cinematography, blocking, and staging are all done masterfully. Most shots are static and locked off with the characters moving through the frame. As I previously mentioned, the sound design is incredible and might be one of the best I’ve heard in years. Sandra Hüller and Christian Friedel are great and it’s hard to not call this movie one of the best of its decade already.
