The Zone of Interest (2023) Directed by Jonathan Glazer 8B
About the mostly tranquil domestic life of Rudolph Hoss, Auschwitz Commandant, and his family, whose estate literally borders on the concentration camp's walls, The Zone of Interest provides images that I found overpowering. Having read the book, I thought I knew what to expect, but I didn't. Except for the "banality of evil" idea, only one of novelist Martin Amis' concerns, director Jonathan Glazer eliminates everything else including the very plot of the book and two of its three principle narrators, while transforming the third radically. Obviously, Glazer sees his film as a sort of objective correlative of Hannah Arendt's famous phrase. The focus is entirely on the banality of evil, and Glazer finds interesting ways to allow his cinematic form to complement his content. He takes a big page from Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu, never letting his camera move within the frame while shooting the overwhelming majority of his shots at long-distance or medium range. Thus, the audience is simultaneously kept at bay while at the same time almost perversely being drawn into the bucolic existence of the family that is so in contrast with the reality around them. There is no moment when there is a moral qualm expressed--the will of the Fatherland is never questioned as centuries of hatred have led to this point of moral nullity. In short, there are no moral qualms to express. Glazer's mastery of form extends to the non-visual, as well; for instance, the sound editing--the barely noticed muffled scream or gunshot in the not-too-distant background--adds a patina of horror to every garden party. I found Glazer's method of cinematic expression in service of these ideas almost breathtakingly effective.
While The Zone of Interest is one of the year's best films, I don't think it is a great work of art. Once you have seen it, you've seen it. I can't imagine wanting to watch it again, ever. The points that Glazer chooses to drive home about the banality of evil are not subtle though the situations he uses to flesh out his points are often indirect and understated. Yet, a great work of art should reward further viewings. I doubt this work will do so. Glazer's movie is best judged by the immediacy of its impact and by the water-tight nature of its self-containment. This allows the film to hit the audience full force on first viewing. Ultimately, The Zone of Interest stands as an illustration of evil, not as an argument of some kind.
subtitles
Best of '23 so far
1) Riceboy Sleeps, Shim, Canada
2) Anatomy of a Fall, Triet, France
3) Oppenheimer, Nolan, US
4) Poor Things, Lanthimos, US
5) The Zone of Interest, Glazer, UK
6) El Conde, Larrain, Chile
7) Close Your Eyes, Erice, Spain
8) Barbie, Gerwig, US
9) The Captain, Garrone, Italy
10) Beyond Utopia, Gavin, US (documentary)
