Why the Zone of Interest is almost a masterpiece.
A nearly perfect film that will send shivers down your spine. Here are my thoughts.
I went into this film blind which was an incredible feeling as my brain slowly placed together what was going on and thus kept getting more and more disturbing the more I thought about this movie. It showcases a loving family that handles and lives beside a horrifying camp in Poland.
The biggest standout is the sound and how they just execute it throughout the entire film. The most string element is that most of the terror is now shown in the film but is heard. No film school statement on the sound is harrowing stating; “the whole narrative hinges on what we can hear. Because after a while, we also become accustomed to hearing the horrors” (Hellerman,2024.) I am unsure if this is true as every time I heard a gunshot or shouting, my mind would spiral into beginning to think what was going on behind the wall. A film that truly highlights how powerful sound can be for a film and the perfect summary of that is seeing a family having a pool party while next store people are getting shot and screaming. Furthermore, the score is haunting but is only played (well I remember) at the start and in the credits. The peculiar start of a black screen and only the score playing for a while is experimental but truly cemented what I was about to witness. In this interview link, the composer stated “Music operates around the film. It can’t be in reality…so the… pieces that start and end the film provide that bracing outside perspective.” I think this choice works well within this film music would possibly take away the impact of it all and maybe take the audience out of the film.
Linking to the sound is the cinematography. The film expertly hides all senses of horror but you see glimpses of smoke from chimneys or people being transported to the camp, briefly knowing sadly where they are going. It's masters of their craft showing their best work in this movie and the cinematography with the sound just showcases the work at play. When further looking the cinematography is cleverly displayed in a way that feels like we are just observing instead of typical filming shots. This is highlighted here by the heavy use of wide shots & limited close-ups. In an article by Variety, they showcase this by stating that the shots in the house were all hidden cameras shooting synonymously with little crew operating. The audience thus fixated on watching a twisted family in a realistic cinematic style.
Many elements shocked me in the film (many mentioned before) but the scene that somehow hid me the hardest was within the family, especially the children. There is something just chilling about how accustomed to the sounds whilst probably oblivious to the horrors across the wall. The major scene that sticks in my mind is seeing an older brother pulling his younger brother into the greenhouse and locking it. It showcases the influence the parents have and how twisted the full family is. This scene I felt highlighting as it's somehow the one that stuck around in my mind the longest.
Briefly, all of this could not be possible without the talent of Jonathan Glazer who has crafted something just experimentally brilliant that pushes cinema. The production is incredibly subtle (and this feels wrong) but the house and garden are gorgeous-looking which I guess hits harder when juxtaposing with next door. Its truly a feat of filmmaking but that's not to say I did not have a few issues with the film.
My first issue upon only first viewing is the incredibly slow pace. It's not terrible and I understand the slow melodic nature of this movie but there was a maybe twice in the running time when I wanted it to so slightly go somewhere. Layered Butter summarises the film perfectly by stating “It may alienate viewers in its glacial pace but reward viewers with morbid curiosity” (Cordero,2023.) However slow it may be, the film just lures you in with its chilling style. Furthermore, I may change my views on another watch but the performances are great and was never blown away. The cast is great in their cold subtle personas but if you are expecting something that just blows you away then this is not the film.
Lastly, these are my only two issues but I believe others will find this extremely not for them. I think this film will fall into a category which I saw in my viewing of others loving it while others will grab their stuff and walk out. I feel worth mentioning here as I know others will have a long list of issues with this film.
In conclusion, The Zone of Interest is worth the hype (well for certain people.) It is a film that will stick with me for quite some time and demonstrates many risky creative elements in filmmaking that others would run away from.
References
Cordero, Rafael. (2023). Review — The Zone of Interest. Available from: https://layeredbutter.com/editorial/review-the-zone-of-interest. [Accessed: 22/1/2024].
Hellerman, Jason. (2024). The Horrifying Soundscape of ‘The Zone of Interest’ Still Haunts Me. Available from: https://nofilmschool.com/the-zone-of-interest. [Accessed: 23/1/2024].