You can easily tell this Nazi drama is a horror film.
In his first feature since “Under the Skin,” writer/director Jonathan Glazer gives Martin Amis’ book “The Zone of Interest” a gripping look and feel to it. The kind that would represent SS officer Rudolf Hoss (Christian Friedel from “The White Ribbon” and “13 Minutes”) having a family home next to the Auschwitz concentration camp that he commands. See him smoking a cigarette outside, while the horrors of the camp are heard quietly. You can easily tell it was a real-life horror film over there.
Here’s how I opened my “Midsommer” review. “As a kid, my biggest fear is standing out in a field midday by myself, and hearing a loud scream. I would be frightened by that situation, doesn’t matter how old I would be.” “The Zone of Interest” has a bright look, with most of the scenes taking place in the day, but inside you can feel the horrors. Especially if there are gun shots people screaming, all of which are faintly heard by the audience. Yes, there are some night scenes, but even in the daytime, it gets chilling.
I knew it would be a haunting film when I saw the trailer, and I knew it would be gripping when I heard the positive feedback, but I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of it. I had to find out for myself. I can see the film was a going to delicately introduce us to the family, as in the opening shot of them relaxing outside by the river.
Sandra Huller, who’s having a great awards season with “Anatomy of a Fall,” has another riveting role as Rudolf’s wife, who is growing accustomed to a life outside the city, while longing for a new life after the war is over. For the time being, she takes ups gardening in the backyard (which also has a pool with a wooden slide), being loving to their children, and being very rude and demanding to the young Jewish housekeepers: Marta (Martyna Poznanski) and Aniela (Zuzanna Kobiela). She even tells one of them that her husband could have spread their ashes.
Of course, Rudolf is being transferred to Oranienburg for structural changes, which means the family would be by themselves for a while.
There’s a black and white negative sequence regarding a girl digging through the trenches, as Rudolf is telling his kids the story of “Hansel & Gretel.” And the music becomes ominous enough to chill us. You also get a shot of a flower, and then the screen turns red, like the opening to “A Clockwork Orange,” which lasts for over 20 seconds, and then you immediately head to the next scene.
“The Zone of Interest” is rated PG-13, so we can’t see the violence, of how these innocent Jewish victims were transferred and tortured, but that doesn’t mean we can’t hear them. As I’ve mentioned, it’s faintly heard, but we can hear it pretty loudly. We acknowledge that film plays like a horror film in that notion. It’s more about how the Hoss family are going about their lives and routines in an evil examination.
Look at how Glazer’s direction and Lukasz Zal’s cinematography brings out the film’s appearance, and how Mica Levi’s score haunts you when you least expect it. This isn’t a graphic Nazi movie, but it also isn’t an easy one, we’re forced to listen to the film’s ambiance of torture, and we’re seeing how this family is ignoring it all. I may not understand everything going on, but I can see its true colors.
Don’t be fooled by Rudolf’s white suit. This man is evil AF. And his wife is very nice, if you were part of her family. But if you’re not, you’d hate her, too. Both Friedel and Huller are excellent in their roles, as they merge well with the characters. It’s all within the direction and ambiance of the film, and the aftermath of it all is quite sad and pensive.
In Select Theaters Next Week