‘The Zone of Interest’ (A24) | dir. by Jonathan Glazer

[Lootpack]

A Nazi commandant tries to build a dream life for his family near the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Cast

• Christian Friedel
• Sandra Hüller
• Ralph Herforth
• Johann Karthaus
• Luis Noah Witte

 

[FlyRy]

I just didn't get it. It doesn't show anything. Which I know is the point. And there's some filmmaking choices that genuinely confounded me. Some infrared shots that were so random. I kept waiting for the story to get going and to me it never does

Spoiler

The most disturbing thing shown was the museum in a weird flash forward towards the end

 

[Lootpack]

I just didn't get it. It doesn't show anything. Which I know is the point. And there's some filmmaking choices that genuinely confounded me. Some infrared shots that were so random. I kept waiting for the story to get going and to me it never does.

Did Mica Levi cook?

 

[FlyRy]

Did Mica Levi cook?

Best part of the movie

 

[Lootpack]

@FlyRy

Got out of it earlier. I’ve let it digest and even though there were some parts I really enjoyed, this did not hit for me as I thought it would. Easy 3.5 on LB until another watch down the line, where I’ll probably warm up to it more (ala ‘Under the Skin’). Glazer summed it up when he jokingly called it ‘Big Brother: Nazi Edition’. Loved the ending though.

Spoiler

I don’t think it’s conscious guilt that Rudolf felt, but rather all those heinous actions finally taking a toll on his body in the end. His response? To continue descending down those stairs into darkness and defiantly carry on with his job. Such a cold ending.

The time-jump annoyed me at first until I realized how much of a gut punch it all was.

And you’re right, Mica did cook. The sound design does a bulk of the work. I really like it when films start off with an overture. They’re old school, and always manage to stick with me more. ‘Dancer in the Dark’ has a really good one that sets the tone perfectly. This one does too. But this overture put me in a state of mind to key in on all those horrifying subtleties that haunt the rest of the film. Those cracks of gunfire, distant screams, smoke in the air, etc. for the most part weren’t dramatized but portrayed in a matter-of-fact, routine manner that filled me with dread.

Spoiler

Even the bright-colored flowers that dominate the family’s yard don’t hit the same when you find out what they’re fertilized with.

Not my favorite from Glazer, but it does raise some questions. It is thought-provoking. Movie should be shown to those who think they don’t need to care about the on-going atrocities in the world today simply because they’re out of sight, out of mind.

 

[FlyRy]

@FlyRy

Got out of it earlier. I’ve let it digest and even though there were some parts I really enjoyed, this did not hit for me as I thought it would. Easy 3.5 on LB until another watch down the line, where I’ll probably warm up to it more (ala ‘Under the Skin’). Glazer summed it up when he jokingly called it ‘Big Brother: Nazi Edition’. Loved the ending though.

Spoiler

I don’t think it’s conscious guilt that Rudolf felt, but rather all those heinous actions finally taking a toll on his body in the end. His response? To continue descending down those stairs into darkness and defiantly carry on with his job. Such a cold ending.

The time-jump annoyed me at first until I realized how much of a gut punch it all was.

And you’re right, Mica did cook. The sound design does a bulk of the work. I really like it when films start off with an overture. They’re old school, and always manage to stick with me more. ‘Dancer in the Dark’ has a really good one that sets the tone perfectly. This one does too. But this overture put me in a state of mind to key in on all those horrifying subtleties that haunt the rest of the film. Those cracks of gunfire, distant screams, smoke in the air, etc. for the most part weren’t dramatized but portrayed in a matter-of-fact, routine manner that filled me with dread.

Spoiler

Even the bright-colored flowers that dominate the family’s yard don’t hit the same when you find out what they’re fertilized with.

Not my favorite from Glazer, but it does raise some questions. It is thought-provoking. Movie should be shown to those who think they don’t need to care about the on-going atrocities in the world today simply because they’re out of sight, out of mind.

I used to use 3.5 as a baseline when I was your age

Now I'm much harsher with my scores

 

[NobodyReally]

I really liked the perspective of this film, and how normalized and boring evil can be. I like that you can see how evil comes to become a part of the very air you breathe to the point where you don't even notice you're inhaling it and it's a part of your every day background. I like that the characters in this movie only have small moments where they pause and take in the terrible things going on and they quickly push their heads back into the sand because they can't handle it or they don't know what to do with the horrible things they are complicit in. Very disturbing, and its got me thinking about our current world and all of the things we ignore because we don't want to give up our own comforts and/or feel powerless to really do anything about it. I do think some of the shots and scenes were odd and baffling, but I appreciate the artistry and I'm sure I'd pick up more on rewatches. 8.5/10 because sometimes it did get a little too abstract.

 

[PoorAndDangerous]

This was a very fascinating take on such a horrific piece of human history. I love how Glazer never really shows what is going on outside the walls of their little garden of eden they built for themseves. You hear ambient noises of screams, gunshots, smoke rising, the fire at night. The cuts to present day showing that beautiful ornate building the Nazi's were celebrating in is now a museum dedicated to the memory of the same people Hoss dedicated his life to trying to efficiently exterminate, he was so happy about Himmler naming that project after him. I wasn't a big fan of Glazer's other work, but this shyt was really well made. I could see why some would find it boring but the subtlety is what made it interesting to me.

 

[ShaDynasty]

Excellent film. Not a crowd pleaser, but I've been fascinated by all Glazer's movies and I'm sure I will watch it again. I think they tackled a cliched movie topic in a creative way. Theres a Kubrick element to his films in terms of the detached study of human nature.

I think I read that they shot the night vision scenes because it was all shot in natural light so that was a way to do night scenes.

 

[PoorAndDangerous]

I just now realized why Hoss was coughing/gagging while walking down the stairs at the end

 

[MoshpitMazi]

This movie is getting insane level hype.

 

[rabbid]

I think I read that they shot the night vision scenes because it was all shot in natural light so that was a way to do night scenes.

Ohhh ok. I was thinking they did it because since they shot it at Auschwitz the area may have looked too pristine or modern to shoot normally since you can still visit. You can kind of see they had to grease and dirty up the place to make it look older and time accurate.

Anyway, i honestly feel like this was the better WW2 history movie that came out last year. I'd vote for this over Oppenheimer on Best Picture if it came down to it. Movie was excellent.

 

[PoorAndDangerous]

Ohhh ok. I was thinking they did it because since they shot it at Auschwitz the area may have looked too pristine or modern to shoot normally since you can still visit. You can kind of see they had to grease and dirty up the place to make it look older and time accurate.

Anyway, i honestly feel like this was the better WW2 history movie that came out last year. I'd vote for this over Oppenheimer on Best Picture if it came down to it. Movie was excellent.

I don't think I'd put this over Oppenheimer, but I can totally respect thinking that, and the fact that it is that close is impressive. I could see this upsetting some big category at the oscars. I thought the ending to this film was so powerful and genius but still subtle and fit the tone of the rest of the movie perfectly.

 

[JamesJabdi]

what a waste of time this movie was....if you can even call it that....seems like they should have chopped up some of the scenes and showed it a museum or something. Like what is the point of this .....No story gets told and its a bunch of random scenes sticked together

This won an oscar too.......another below average holocaust movie winning an award and nobody talking about "trauma porn" ain't that something

 

[JamesJabdi]

This was a very fascinating take on such a horrific piece of human history. I love how Glazer never really shows what is going on outside the walls of their little garden of eden they built for themseves. You hear ambient noises of screams, gunshots, smoke rising, the fire at night. The cuts to present day showing that beautiful ornate building the Nazi's were celebrating in is now a museum dedicated to the memory of the same people Hoss dedicated his life to trying to efficiently exterminate, he was so happy about Himmler naming that project after him. I wasn't a big fan of Glazer's other work, but this shyt was really well made. I could see why some would find it boring but the subtlety is what made it interesting to me.

You didn't like Sexy Beast but you like this