Creating a film that takes on a different perspective on the Holocaust is not a new thing. Movies like The White Ribbon and The Counterfeiters quickly captured the attention of critics and audiences alike. However, few of them are as ambiguous on the surface in their topic and presentation as The Zone of Interest is. The film follows Rudolf Höss and his family, all of whom seem completely normal people. However, Rudolf is the commandant of a German death camp and their family home lies just beyond its walls.
In the film, director Jonathan Glazer does so much with the things unsaid, unseen, and finally, even unshown. In these moments, when the camera showcases nothing but colors, red and black mainly, the full force of the film can be presented. Through these colors and background sounds, the film showcases that evil is often neither malicious nor dumb, but simply present. The resonance of that idea with the modern world is not just poignant, it is bordering on a dark prophecy that could see the whole of humanity slid into oblivion of its own making.
