‘The Zone of Interest’ Movie Review: Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust Drama Is Bone-Chilling
Photo from A24
From Jeff Nelson
Jonathan Glazer has an understanding of how to permeate atmosphere in ways that will make your blood run cold, and he’s done it once again with The Zone of Interest. This time, he set his sights on one of the most horrendous points in human history – the Holocaust, bringing an unsettling perspective that brings both challenges and thought-provoking terrors.
Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), move into the rural countryside. They finally own the home of their dreams, trying to establish the best lives for their young children. However, there’s only a thin wall separating them from the atrocities of a genocide happening right next door.
The majority of Holocaust films rightfully position their narratives in the perspective of those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Glazer shifts the point-of-view, placing the pain and horror at a distance. Rudolf works in the industry of killing, but it’s positioned in the casual context of any traditional job. Hedwig wishes him a good day at work in the mornings, while she raises their children at home, otherwise spending her days sharing disgusting perspectives on the Jewish population and verbally abusing her maid. The Zone of Interest handles the revolting substance of their characters in a nonchalant nature, further pressing on the horrific nature of their crimes.
Glazer’s historical drama is a slow burn that weaves its most stomach-churning moments into the subtleties. He juxtaposes genocide with rural German life, separating them by only a thin barrier. Rudolf deals with bureaucratic work changes, while Hedwig fights to maintain their new way of life. But, make no mistake, Glazer isn’t sympathizing with their struggles. Rather, he highlights their minor issues in the greater context of the war.
Hüller and Friedel give solid performances as the lead husband and wife, but the real star of The Zone of Interest is how the film is visually and audibly constructed. Lukasz Zal’s cinematography puts a spotlight on Glazer’s domestic approach, emphasizing the horrors contained beyond their garden wall. The sound design is utterly haunting, capturing the echoes of agonizing horrors that dig deep underneath the skin. Meanwhile, Mica Levi’s score hits like a punch in the gut, perfectly capturing the film’s tone.
The Zone of Interest submerges you in its quietly harrowing depths. Glazer takes away the dramatic core that most Holocaust movies possess, leaving behind a numbing tale of the human monsters who made a living off the back of murder. What we have here is a feature film where we’re never provided with an emotional core or relief from the suffering. We’re meant to stew in the darkness of this cinematic experience with the most hideous barbarity happening only a stone throw’s distance away off screen. It lacks the devastating perspective of Shoah, the active intensity of Son of Saul, and the dramatic propulsion of Schindler’s List, but it has an effective, gripping energy all its own.
Rating: 4/5
The Zone of Interest hits theaters on December 8th, 2023.
