Some films are so special that they stick with the recorded history. German film “The Zone of Interest” is one such movie that will stand rock strong against the test of time even after several decades.
The movie written and directed by Jonathan Glazer revolves around the life of Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss who wants to have a normal homely life near the concentration camp. But with a genocide happening just near the home, is it even possible?
The movie was an instant topic of conversation among cinephiles globally. It won two Oscars, one for the “Best International Feature” and the other for the “Best Sound”.
It is the first non-English British film to win the Best International Feature Award at the Oscars.
Not only that, it won the Grand Prix at Cannes 2023.
So there are tons of Awards and celebratory things to talk about from the film. But leaving all those things, should you watch it?
Yes, absolutely.
American films are guided by the American hero syndrome. Although the USA didn’t have a lot to do in Europe, you would see 100s of films on Nazi Germany but even the mention of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attack is rare to find in Hollywood films, let alone making a movie on that.
Just look at the characters in Inglorious Basterds or Jojo Rabbit, The Book Thief or more. The Nazis in these movies are flat characters who are mythically evil. There is no psychology or nuance in the characterisation of those Nazis in Hollywood films.
But, The Zone of Interest talks about how the most normal people who are hailed as good moral people can be involved in the most devilish acts in the history of humanity.
We highly highly recommend “The Zone of Interest” and thankfully it is now streaming on Prime Video.