Jonathan Glazer's "The Zone of Interest" boasts an intriguing premise. It's a film about the Holocaust, without ever showing any of its horror.
Instead, we see it through the lens of Nazi commandant Rudolf Hoess's seemingly normal family life - right 'next wall' to the Auschwitz concentration camp. We can only divine what's going on behind that wall from the film's soundscape. A permanent, ominous sound from the cremation hums in the background; at times you hear shots and yelling, and some exhaust smoke. That the film is essentially an audio document is made clear in the opening scene - a black screen over two entire minutes, with only an eerie 'music' that seems to consist of muffled screams.
The entire film consists of this juxtaposition between following a seemingly dull life of Hoess and his wife and the horror we must imagine carries on behind the walls. While this approach makes for an interesting gimmick, there is little to follow up on that idea. We fail to learn anything new or insightful about the Holocaust - unless you've spent more than a fleeting thought on it. Yes, Glazer portrays the 'banality of evil', as put forward by Anna Seghers. But this is hardly original, nor does it reveal any intellectual depth. In fact, the phrase has been invoked so often as to become a cliché (apart from the fact that it has not proven to be an accurate concept in understanding the mechanisms of Nazi terror.) Other than this gimmick, the film fails to deliver a compelling narrative. Much of the story feels like that of a TV movie. The characters are thinly drawn, mere caricatures - something underscored by the fact that we never see any close-ups or achieve more than a superficial acquaintance with any of them. Sandra Hüller's undeniable talent is wasted on a one-dimensional portrayal of Hoess's wife.
The film might have worked better as a short film or a provocative museum installation, where its experimental and minimalist approach could have been more effective and impactful. As a full-length feature, however, it is disappointing and pretentious.
Instead, we see it through the lens of Nazi commandant Rudolf Hoess's seemingly normal family life - right 'next wall' to the Auschwitz concentration camp. We can only divine what's going on behind that wall from the film's soundscape. A permanent, ominous sound from the cremation hums in the background; at times you hear shots and yelling, and some exhaust smoke. That the film is essentially an audio document is made clear in the opening scene - a black screen over two entire minutes, with only an eerie 'music' that seems to consist of muffled screams.
The entire film consists of this juxtaposition between following a seemingly dull life of Hoess and his wife and the horror we must imagine carries on behind the walls. While this approach makes for an interesting gimmick, there is little to follow up on that idea. We fail to learn anything new or insightful about the Holocaust - unless you've spent more than a fleeting thought on it. Yes, Glazer portrays the 'banality of evil', as put forward by Anna Seghers. But this is hardly original, nor does it reveal any intellectual depth. In fact, the phrase has been invoked so often as to become a cliché (apart from the fact that it has not proven to be an accurate concept in understanding the mechanisms of Nazi terror.) Other than this gimmick, the film fails to deliver a compelling narrative. Much of the story feels like that of a TV movie. The characters are thinly drawn, mere caricatures - something underscored by the fact that we never see any close-ups or achieve more than a superficial acquaintance with any of them. Sandra Hüller's undeniable talent is wasted on a one-dimensional portrayal of Hoess's wife.
The film might have worked better as a short film or a provocative museum installation, where its experimental and minimalist approach could have been more effective and impactful. As a full-length feature, however, it is disappointing and pretentious.
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