jing’s review published on Letterboxd:
Cannes 2023 — Film #8
Riveting, stunning, and thoughtful, The Zone of Interest paints the crimes of Nazi Germany from an unusual viewpoint: that of a high ranking official. Mere meters away from family Höss’ lavish garden and multi-story home (in it: housekeepers rushing to wash dishes, wipe floors, and comfort the crying baby), hidden behind a wall of gray concrete, prisoners are held and murdered in one of the biggest concentration camps of Nazi Germany. The family, for the most part, goes about their day complete unfazed, with the constant hum, screams, and smoke only disturbing the visiting grandmother.
The film, perhaps because of its unique viewpoint, is compelling from beginning to end. The vivid writing and cinematography give life to a time in history that’s already been depicted in many films, and thus succeed at highlighting the spell of conscious oblivion the family is living under. m
In the end, The Zone of Interest manages to intricately weave together past and present, juxtaposing not only the glamorous lifestyle of the Höss’ and the dehumanizing murder machinery of the concentration camps, but also the crimes of the past and our responsibilities today—which are to educate and inform, so crimes like these will never, ever, happen again.
