When the Oscar nominations were announced, I was entirely unsurprised by the ultimate Best Picture lineup. The selections are congruent with the Producers Guild of America’s — an essential pre-Oscar awards body — boasting the decade’s most outstanding list yet. Among them is Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and won the Grand Prix prize.
Despite months of festival raves and small critic screenings, A24’s dawdling release schedule rendered “The Zone of Interest” inaccessible to general audiences. Finally, several weeks into 2024, filmgoers outside of New York and LA have a chance to see it. So was it worth the wait? Of course. I only wish the studio put more effort into achieving and spreading the acclaim. “The Zone of Interest” is a visceral, excruciating window into evil in its simplest and subtlest.
The film follows the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), as they strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden adjacent to the camp, separated only by a wall.
Glazer’s presentation is singular in its abrasiveness, portraying this family as an ordinary, recognizable social unit. We are thrust into their daily routines, watching them operate as any house might. Hedwig tends to her rich, magnificent garden as the kids play in the pool and the dog scurries around. Rudolf tends to his duties and returns for family dinner. Their struggles, hopes and dreams appear so typical, while a clear and present evil looms next door. It’s as though they are unaware of their greed and monstrosity.
Where evil is usually presented bluntly and aggressively in film, Glazer forces us to rethink our understanding entirely. How can we recognize evil so easily concealed? For the Höss family, evil is a job. It’s so ingrained into their livelihood that it becomes an afterthought. It doesn’t come off as belligerent or violent because it goes without saying. Glazer intends for the viewer to discover their own answers, to sit in the calmness and looseness of hatred. It’s a timeless examination of power and greed, corrupting and overshadowing humanity.
The shot composition is static, distant and detached. The house, costumes and characters are sterile. It creates a distinctive atmosphere, inviting the viewer into this setting but leaving a cold barrier in between. It’s a way for Glazer and cinematographer Łukasz Żal to treat us as members of the family without allowing any emotional attachment. We witness and study their inner psyche but don’t connect to them. Every shot feels intentional and meticulous, attempting to sweep away the horror as it seeps through the cracks. What goes on behind the wall and in the background consumes and distracts from everything else.
The sound is incredibly harrowing. Muffled gunshots and muted screams almost constantly absorb the limited audial layout. The contrast between a peaceful garden and the piercing anguish of the encampment hammers home the film’s intentions. Mica Levi’s music, which appears at the beginning and during the credits, is hauntingly beautiful. She also scatters guttural booms throughout the film to add a jolt of suspense.
The performances are excellent, and they aren’t super showy, opting to serve the overarching picture. Hüller stands out as the matriarch, capping an impressive year for the actress. She scored an Oscar nomination for her work in fellow Best Picture nominee, “Anatomy of a Fall.”
With an impeccably crafted, singular technical production and a bold, soul-crushing glimpse into evil, Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” is a masterwork in experimental film.
