The Zone of Interest

The Zone of Interest unfolds within the utopian confines of a splendid villa of a German family. Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) reside there with their five children. The atmosphere exudes tranquility as the two-story building stands amidst a meticulously landscaped garden and greenhouse, where Hedwig dedicates herself to cultivating vibrant flowers. She also oversees the home’s hired servants. The siblings joyfully play in a pool in their yard. They enjoy picnics by the lakeside and canoeing at a river nearby. Father takes them on fishing outings.

However, beneath the veneer of harmony, a chilling dichotomy gradually comes to light. The year is 1942, we’re in Poland, and Rudolf Höss is the Camp Commandant at Auschwitz, a facility that literally looms just beyond the high walls surrounding their home. The concentration camp served as the grim stage where the Nazis killed an estimated 1.1 million people.

We — like the Hösses– are shielded from any violence. The saga never explicitly depicts the horrors of death inflicted by the Nazis. Yet an unrelenting ambient soundscape persists. We hear gunshots, dogs barking, and screams in the distance. Periodically dark smoke billows from the camp’s smokestacks. Rudolf Höss is disengaged from the reality of his evil acts–a husband and father acting to advance his career in the Nazi bureaucracy and provide a better life for his loved ones. The household likewise goes about their lives as if everything is normal.

How can an ostensibly idyllic family cocoon themselves in blissful ignorance while harrowing atrocities unfold next door? The individuals, showing no outward signs of sadism, embody a latent aptitude for malevolence. Hedwig luxuriates in a fur coat her husband has brought home in one scene. While talking to a lady friend, she boasts of finding a diamond hidden inside a tube of toothpaste. “They’re so clever,” her friend replies. Meanwhile, their eldest son (Johann Karthaus) nonchalantly inspects a collection of gold teeth with a flashlight. These moments underscore their complete dissociation from the harsh truth neighboring their lives. Their proclivity toward indifference in such extreme circumstances knows no bounds. The point is not subtle: ordinary, routine behavior, coupled with moral apathy, creates an environment where systemic harm can thrive.

The Zone of Interest is a compelling experiment. The camera adopts an observational stance, immersing us in the day-to-day routines of these characters who appear “terrifyingly normal.” Director Jonathan Glazer — who has directed a mere four movies since 2000 — employed hidden cameras for the interior scenes. Occasionally, he captures the actors from a distance—a surveillance-style choice that proves effective. Glazer’s last picture, Under the Skin was my favorite film of 2014. It also utilized unconventional storytelling methods to depict a sense of isolation and alienation. In his exploration of the Holocaust, he offers a unique contemplation on the human capacity for evil within an uncomfortably serene backdrop. As the camera peers through the veil of normalcy, it unveils a narrative that lingers, etching a lasting impression in the viewer’s psyche.

01-12-24