[Review] The Zone Of Interest (7/10)

 

Title - The Zone Of Interest
Production - A24, Film4, Access Entertainment
Starring - Christian Friedel, Sandra Huller, Martyna Poznanski, Stephanie Petrowitz, Medusa Knopf, Zuzanna Kobiela, Johann Karthaus, Luis Noah Witte, Nele Ahrensmeier, Lilli Falk
Writer - Jonathan Glazer, Martin Amis
Director - Jonathan Glazer
Release - 15 December 2023

The movie opened with just the title in white text in front of a completely black background. The text then slowly faded, leaving the black background onscreen for the next three minutes. I thought I was getting pranked. 

An artistic choice for sure, one that will resonate with the story; but I do question the decision to open the movie with it as I did not appreciate it at all.

The first act reminded me of Aftersun, where things so mundane were happening onscreen and they left me disinterested because nothing interesting was going on.

The only clue that gave away the "nothing" was when a man wheeling a cart across the huge, beautiful lawn but in front of a high and thick concrete fence. And not once were we able to see beyond that fence other than the top of the buildings.

And slowly we got to hear the war that was happening outside of the lives of this family that the movie was focusing on.

There was an art employed here, as the visuals were of the mundane everyday life within the compound. But later on we hear the sound of war far away, the gunshots, screams and anguish. And yet, this family of Nazi were able to separate themselves from the murder and genocide. 

The cinematography throughout was fantastic. Even when the movie was shot in a beautiful compound, we were still treated to a curated piece of frame that was absolutely gorgeous. 

There was also a clever use of night vision camera or lens, that attempted to convey one small part of what was really happening in the "real world". 

But to me, the "nothingness" spoke louder because there really was nothing happening. Was this movie a drama? No, there wasn't much drama to be had. Horror? No, the horrors we had to imagine but from what we saw, no. Comedy? Some parts felt very comedic because of their "first world problems" but it definitely wasn't comedy. It's just a very different type of film and filmmaking that has an acquired taste, I feel. 

Sandra Huller had a great 2023. She was in two movies that were critically acclaimed and both were nominated for Best Picture while she got to be nominated for Best Actress in one of them. And her performance in Anatomy Of A Fall was my second favourite female performance after Emma Stone's.