The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife, Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest is a fascinating study in subtle insinuation of horrific events juxtaposed against the seemingly mundane. Glazer's distinctive style gives the film an almost clinical detachment from the central family and characters as the audience follows their day to day lives. It’s unnervingly routine even as smatterings of screams and gunshots linger in the background as the family enjoys parties or birthday celebrations. Small tidbits or comments from the family members as the film progresses exemplifies the level of causal complicity to horror show playing out over the walls. Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller play the Höss couple with a lived in authenticity of a pair of people who have been together for a decent amount of time. If not for the discussions about building a new crematorium or rifling through people's luxurious belongings from the camp, they'd feel like an average couple trying to raise their kids. The film doesn't shy away from the fact that the evil seeps into the aforementioned children even if they don't have direct exposure to it. The film is methodical in its approach which may not make it the most accessible experience for the causal movie goer since it doesn't hold your hand and its finale is sure to confounding its share of viewers. The Zone of Interest isn't an easy film for a variety of reasons, but it is the kind of film that will linger in your mind long after you've watched it.
A-
