Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
Zone of Interest, the latest film by Jonathan Glazer, has sparked a lot of debate and controversy since its release on Amazon Prime Video. The film, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and received four Oscar nominations, explores the life of Rudolf Hess, the commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife Hedwig, who lived in a villa near the death camp. The film raises ethical and artistic questions about how to portray the Holocaust and its perpetrators, and whether it is possible to empathise with them. Creativitys.UK examines whether the film deserves the praise and criticism it has received.
The Plot: A Dark and Disturbing Portrait of a Nazi Family
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis, which was inspired by the real events and characters of the Holocaust. The film follows Rudolf Hess (Christian Friedel), a young and ambitious SS officer who is appointed as the commandant of Auschwitz, the largest and most notorious Nazi concentration and extermination camp. Hess is responsible for overseeing the mass murder of millions of Jews, Roma, Poles, and other victims of the Nazi regime.
Hess lives with his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their five children in a luxurious villa, just a few hundred meters away from the camp. Hedwig, who calls herself the “Queen of Auschwitz”, tries to maintain a normal and happy family life, despite the horrors that surround them. She ignores the smoke, the smell, and the sounds of the camp, and focuses on her domestic duties, her children, and her affairs. She also collects and wears the clothes and jewellery of the prisoners, unaware of their origin.
The film shows the contrast and the connection between the two worlds of the Hess family: the world of the camp, where death, violence, and cruelty are the norm, and the world of the villa, where life, love, and beauty are the illusion. The film also reveals the inner conflicts and dilemmas of Hess, who is torn between his loyalty to the Nazi ideology, his ambition for career advancement, and his conscience and humanity.
The Reception: A Mix of Praise and Criticism
The film has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, who have praised or criticised its artistic merit, historical accuracy, and moral stance. Some of the positive aspects of the film that have been highlighted are:
The cinematography: The film is visually stunning, with a bleak and minimalist aesthetic that creates a sense of realism and horror. The film uses a lot of long shots, slow motion, and silence, to emphasise the scale and the impact of the atrocities. The film also uses a lot of symbolism and metaphors, such as the river, the stars, and the animals, to convey the themes and the emotions of the film.
The acting: The film features excellent performances from the main and supporting cast, who manage to portray complex and nuanced characters. Sandra Hüller is especially impressive as Hedwig, who delivers a captivating and disturbing portrayal of a woman who is both a victim and a perpetrator, a mother and a monster, a lover and a hater. Christian Friedel is also convincing as Hess, who shows the contradictions and the transformations of a man who is both a leader and a follower, a killer and a saver, a fanatic and a doubter.
The direction: The film is a masterful work by Jonathan Glazer, who is known for his innovative and provocative films, such as Under the Skin and Birth. Glazer manages to create a film that is both a historical drama and a psychological thriller, a documentary and a fiction, a tragedy and a comedy. Glazer also challenges the viewers to question their own assumptions and perspectives, and to confront their own moral and emotional responses.
Some of the negative aspects of the film that have been pointed out are:
The plot: The film is accused of being too slow, too long, and too boring, with a lack of action, suspense, and drama. The film is also criticised for being too vague, too ambiguous, and too confusing, with a lack of clarity, coherence, and explanation. The film is also blamed for being too unrealistic, too inaccurate, and too sensationalised, with a lack of evidence, context, and balance.
The characters: The film is denounced for being too sympathetic, too empathetic, and too humanising, with the Nazi characters, especially Hess and Hedwig. The film is also condemned for being too unsympathetic, too apathetic, and too dehumanising, with the Jewish characters, who are mostly absent, silent, or anonymous. The film is also reproached for being too stereotypical, too simplistic, and too one-dimensional, with both the Nazi and the Jewish characters, who lack depth, diversity, and development.
The message: The film is attacked for being too controversial, too provocative, and too offensive, with its depiction of the Holocaust and its perpetrators. The film is also censured for being too moralistic, too preachy, and too judgemental, with its interpretation of the Holocaust and its implications. The film is also rebuked for being too irrelevant, too outdated, and too trivial, with its relevance to the present and the future.
The Verdict: A Film Worth Watching and Discussing
Zone of Interest is a film that is not easy to watch, nor to forget. It is a film that challenges, disturbs, and enlightens. It is a film that invites, provokes, and stimulates. It is a film that deserves to be watched and discussed, not only for its artistic value, but also for its historical and moral significance. It is a film that raises important questions, such as:
How can we understand and explain the Holocaust and its perpetrators?
How can we remember and commemorate the Holocaust and its victims?
How can we prevent and resist the Holocaust and its recurrence?
Zone of Interest is a film that works as a zone of interest, a zone of inquiry, and a zone of responsibility. It is a film that works as a vision board, a reminder, and a guide, for our goals and actions. It is a film that works as a source of inspiration, joy, and gratitude, for our vision and achievements.
