The Zone of Interest

Jonathan Glazer's film, loosely based on Martin Amis's novel, presents one of the most striking depictions of indifference to unimaginable evil. The house of Rudolf Höss stands adjacent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, separated only by a stone wall that obstructs the view of the barracks, prisoners, and guards, yet does nothing to block the relentless sounds of the camp: screams, drills, and the monotonous roar of the crematorium ovens. Smoke and ashes from the chimneys fall onto the manicured gardens and swept pavements of the Höss household. Inside, the Höss family leads what they perceive as a normal life, punctuated by routine activities like going to work, having lunches, and enjoying picnics by the river. Höss approaches his role as camp supervisor as a professional duty, while his wife Hedwig displays a chilling indifference. The camp’s grim reality intrudes into their idyllic world only through the emaciated, terrified prisoners who perform housework. Featuring masterful cinematography by Łukasz Żal, capturing with chilling precision the smoke from the crematorium, steam billowing from the locomotives transporting new prisoners to Auschwitz, and military vehicles passing through the gates, the background is filled with the sounds of screams, barking dogs, and roaring stoves. Only with the knowledge of what occurred in the death camps can viewers fully comprehend the extent of the undepicted suffering.