Film Review - The Zone of Interest
Images courtesy of Madman Films.
The holocaust is one of the most covered acts of horror mankind ever committed against itself, having been depicted in countless books, films, and documentaries. And yet, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest manages to stand out from the pack. How do you portray something so awful, when virtually every route one could possibly conceive of has been taken? How do you show this unspeakable malice, without exploiting real world tragedy? Glazer's latest arthouse piece instead asks viewers to look inward, and ask something else entirely - can you be sure you're not complicit with acts of evil?
Focusing on Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his family as they try to build an idyllic life next to the concentration camp, Zone is monumental in its minute attention to detail. Rather than attempt to shock with gratuitous violence or revelling in misery, the film eschews the usual conventions of holocaust cinema, offering a chilling depiction of just how mundane it might have been for those not directly persecuted. Through this lens, we are invited to draw parallels between their everyday lives and ambitions and our own. Muffled gunshots and screams are heard in the distance, and news of bombs being dropped is delivered with a matter-of-fact nonchalance.
While many may find it boring due its unconventional and subtle approach, it's sure to prove uniquely haunting for those willing to engage with the film, and ponder exactly why it's presented in the manner it is. Micah Levi delivers another foreboding, abstract, and sparse set of musical arrangements, and Glazer again proves that he's one of the most versatile and thought-provoking directors working today. After having fallen in love with his films when I saw Under the Skin almost a decade ago, it feels well-earned that the wait for his follow up could reach such a high standard again, and reinforces his understanding of the human condition as a means of storytelling.
Whereas Glazer’s previous effort had the audience looking through the lens of an extraterrestrial discovering their innate humanity, Zone of Interest flips to the other side of the coin and shows us just how cold and inhumane people can really be. By painting a portrait of a country that didn't want to know, we see that the most dangerous attitude in times of war is not malice, but indifference. Considering the current escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict and its portrayal in western media, Zone feels even more timely, leading to an extremely raw feeling in this current socio-political context.
Though the experience may feel emotionally disconnected compared to the compassion of films like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Schindler's List, this is less a bug and more a feature of Glazer’s film, placing the audience right in the middle of a populace in denial, with all the banalities that entails. Devoid of all but the implication of violence, The Zone of Interest commands you to reckon with just how easy it is to turn a blind eye without even realising.
Follow Eli on Letterboxd, Twitter and Instagram.
The Zone of Interest screened at the Centrepiece Gala for the 2023 Jewish International Film Festival. For more info, click here.