‘The Zone of Interest’ movie review: A harrowing, one-of-a-kind portrayal of apathy
‘The Zone of Interest’ is a Holocaust movie unlike anything before; a one-of-a-kind portrayal of the despicability and apathy that human beings can bear to do the gnarliest things as a mundane part of their everyday life
(Originally published in The Hindu on March 04, 2024)
Think of the first images that come to mind when you recall the countless masterpieces on the Holocaust that have graced our screens. A striking image of a little boy next to a military tank; a brutalised, pushed-to-the-brink Jewish pianist walking through the streets of a decimated Warsaw; a terrific Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler breaking down, helplessly guilt-tripping on all that he could have done more; or even that of a woman smiling as she looks down at Adolf Hitler from a theatre screen….you get it.
Now, Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar front-runner The Zone of Interest is a Holocaust movie unlike anything before, one which leaves you confused about how you wish to remember it (before the realisation sets that the film only gets more disconcerting and bizarre the more you ponder about it). Every image from this film evokes a sense of despondency, telling a story that is much more chilling to think about in retrospect.
With a haunting background score that reverberates in your head for hours after the movie, you are taken into the world of Hedwig Höss (Sandra Hüller), the wife of Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), a commander at a concentration camp in Auschwitz. Through long, uninterrupted static shots we are shown the dream haven that Hedwig has turned this countryside home into, with several maids working in unison to keep their masters and their children leading a life of comfort. They go on picnics, Rudolf loves the view of the river that runs nearby, and Hedwig can’t stop gossiping with the posh German women who visit her.
Now comes the devil in the detail: the Höss’ house borders….
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