The Zone of Interest

The Zone of Interest takes the notion of the "banality of evil", back to its true origin, the family home. All human evil starts with a home. In this instance, the home of a concentration camp commander, Rudolf Höss, of Auschwitz and his family. The laid back ease of middle class family life, of an upper management level Nazi, is juxtaposed with suffering of people (Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, political dissidents, religious minorities and yes even some allied soldiers, who were prisoners of war), who quite literally reside, over the fence, in the concentration camp, Hoss oversees. This is a quietly horrifying film where the an idyllic and wholly familiar family setting is punctured, by the occasional sounds of misery and death, emanating from neighbouring death camp. Smoke stacks, burn human remains, that rise beyond the family fence line. In another compelling scene, a Hoss family riverside outing is disrupted by human ash, floating with the waters current. The Zone of Interest is not a demonstrably violent film. Violence is hinted at and as we can see, is psychologically and physically partitioned off, from the peaceful home life, of Hoss and his family. This is a compelling film but I did feel it overplayed its hand somewhat with discordant music and oddly dissonant night vision scenes, with a girl apparently trying to help the victims of the camps, by leaving food for them, at work sites, concealed next to their tools. In summary, a disturbingly influential film, that looks openly and honestly, at where evil resides.