The Good:
The theme of the movie - the examination of the comfortable life Auschwitz camp commandant and his family led next door to all the atrocities that were being committed - is shocking, and done extremely realistically. There is a particular scene where Commandant Hoss gets angry about people picking lilies around the camp in a way that destroys the flower bushes that perfectly sums up the eeriness and the absurdity of the movie.
Lukasz Zal's cinematography is top notch. Nearly all shots are still, and even the ones that are not (camp worker pushing a wheelbarrow, for example) are done with such stillness they may as well be completely static. The camera is usually placed quite far, in corners (or even, on occasion, ceilings) of rooms and outdoors areas, adding to the confusing sense of comfort, minuteness, and detachment.
There are multiple moments in the movie where we encounter a fully black or red screen for a minute or two. I felt that it was a weird stylistic choice, but it somehow worked in making the audience feel even more discomfort. It allows for a time of reflection and comparison to previously witnessed scenes of comfortable family life, especially when paired by Mica Levi's spine-chilling soundtrack and quiet screams and gunshots coming from the camp in the background.
The script was quite mundane, and in the best way possible. It made the entire movie feel like a documentary.
There are a set of scenes towards the end of the movie, depicting cleaners working at what we assume is the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. I felt this may have been the strongest few minutes of the movie, placed neatly towards the end of the movie to provide contrast and a reminder of the atrocities we were spared from seeing during its runtime.
The Bad:
The movie had no character or plot progression whatsoever outside of Commandant Hoss's transfer away from the camp. Nearly every few minutes of the movie feel like an absolute drag.
There were multiple scenes shot in inverted black and white that cover one of the workers picking fruit and leaving it within the camp walls for prisoners to find them in the morning. That whole plot line felt extremely awkwardly placed and executed, like the movie is struggling to figure out what to do with it.
The Verdict:
The Zone of Interest feels more like an important documentary than a feature film. The technical proficiency of its execution is undeniable, but the story and characters leave a lot to be desired. A must-watch for serious movie fans and people genuinely interested in examining a dark topic such as this one.
7-/10.
The theme of the movie - the examination of the comfortable life Auschwitz camp commandant and his family led next door to all the atrocities that were being committed - is shocking, and done extremely realistically. There is a particular scene where Commandant Hoss gets angry about people picking lilies around the camp in a way that destroys the flower bushes that perfectly sums up the eeriness and the absurdity of the movie.
Lukasz Zal's cinematography is top notch. Nearly all shots are still, and even the ones that are not (camp worker pushing a wheelbarrow, for example) are done with such stillness they may as well be completely static. The camera is usually placed quite far, in corners (or even, on occasion, ceilings) of rooms and outdoors areas, adding to the confusing sense of comfort, minuteness, and detachment.
There are multiple moments in the movie where we encounter a fully black or red screen for a minute or two. I felt that it was a weird stylistic choice, but it somehow worked in making the audience feel even more discomfort. It allows for a time of reflection and comparison to previously witnessed scenes of comfortable family life, especially when paired by Mica Levi's spine-chilling soundtrack and quiet screams and gunshots coming from the camp in the background.
The script was quite mundane, and in the best way possible. It made the entire movie feel like a documentary.
There are a set of scenes towards the end of the movie, depicting cleaners working at what we assume is the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. I felt this may have been the strongest few minutes of the movie, placed neatly towards the end of the movie to provide contrast and a reminder of the atrocities we were spared from seeing during its runtime.
The Bad:
The movie had no character or plot progression whatsoever outside of Commandant Hoss's transfer away from the camp. Nearly every few minutes of the movie feel like an absolute drag.
There were multiple scenes shot in inverted black and white that cover one of the workers picking fruit and leaving it within the camp walls for prisoners to find them in the morning. That whole plot line felt extremely awkwardly placed and executed, like the movie is struggling to figure out what to do with it.
The Verdict:
The Zone of Interest feels more like an important documentary than a feature film. The technical proficiency of its execution is undeniable, but the story and characters leave a lot to be desired. A must-watch for serious movie fans and people genuinely interested in examining a dark topic such as this one.
7-/10.
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