Director: Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Christian Friedel, Sandra Huller
Country of Origin: United Kingdom, Poland, United States
Running time: 1hr 45m
It’s hardly a glowing recommendation to acknowledge the impact of a few scattered scenes in a film which has already been showered with waves of indulgent praise.
I neither liked, disliked nor enjoyed the slow paced imagining of the humdrum daily existence of Auschwitz concentration camp commandant Rudolf Hoss, his wife and family.
The horrors of the Second World War are well documented. There have been innumerable documentaries and entire channels dedicated to the horrendous Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler. No history lessons should be required before watching this fictionalized account of a notorious high ranking SS officer.
Hoss (Christian Friedel) lives in a designated area beside the camp in a well kept house as his wife Hedwig (Sandra Huller) looks after their children and orders around servants tasked with keeping the building and its gardens in pristine condition.
The juxtaposition of the family fussing over their monotonous daily duties and the audible screams from the camp is clearly and effectively made.
A luxurious residence beside a killing factory. Domestic tranquility and unforgivable barbarism side by side, neither seemingly aware of each other.
One haunting scene focuses on a flower in bloom as the jarring noise from the camp plays out in the background. It’s a moment that lingers well after the closing credits, if only for the fact that for the bulk of the running time Hoss features in long sequences where next to nothing occurs.
The camera never ventures into the camp, understandably as it would be the only talking point in a phenomenally dull film which runs far too long.
Other than some excellent sound editing, impressive period details, costumes and the performances of Friedel and Huller, it moves along ploddingly until finishing with a series of sobering modern day images.
The Zone of Interest has been hailed as a classic by film critics who are force fed a slew of mostly derivative star propelled fluff, insipid remakes, tired sequels and superhero guff. Anything different is viewed as some kind of masterpiece. I can’t even say I admired or appreciated it, both words seem inappropriate.
It’s obviously intended as a historical reminder and warning about the unspeakable atrocities committed by the Nazi regime. It works in that respect, although depending on your perspective there’s either far too many or not enough films centred on a time period which has been dramatized and detailed meticulously.
I couldn’t help but think of the unimaginable acts of savagery and war crimes being carried out in Palestine and Lebanon while watching. How many big budget, widely released films – factual or fictionalized – will be released about the utterly horrendous, indiscriminate murders of innocent people in Gaza and Lebanon? The answer, sadly, is almost certainly none.
@skasiewicz.bsky.social
Stephen Kasiewicz 