“The Zone of Interest is possibly the least overtly traumatic film about the Holocaust ever made, yet it’s devastating in the quietest way” is a line from the following Time Magazine article by Stephanie Zacharek which I believe perfectly encapsulates and represents this film. 

https://time.com/6281554/the-zone-of-interest-review/

The article provides an interpretative and subjective analysis of the film, in which the reviewer praises Glazer’s ability to provide such a powerful, yet understated perspective of the Holocaust. Unlike the vivid imagery of concentration camps depicted in typical Holocaust movies, Glazer uses the story of an unsettlingly normal family living next to Auschwitz, nearly oblivious to the horrors occurring next to them. This contrast between everyday life and such unimaginable horror makes the film more chilling in its restraint. Zacharek highlights how Glazer avoids direct depictions of violence but rather demonstrates horror through subtle sounds and images, such as “children and infants crying, beseeching cries of women, gunshots.” She emphasizes that Glazer’s approach, while unconventional, created an eerie atmosphere throughout the film, reflecting on humanity’s capacity for evil while focusing on aspects of everyday life.

Figure 1: The Zone of Interest

Zacharek’s review concludes with another statement that heavily stood out as a viewer:
“And the movie closes with a shardlike piece of music … that seems drawn from Hell itself, a blend of stylized howls and shrieks that start out soft and ultimately whirl out like a cyclone. It’s the sound of something you can’t quite put your finger on, and it follows you long after you’ve left the film behind.” Relatably, I found myself feeling overwhelmed by the quiet sense of horror within the film, even after it ended. The reviewers’ description of sound accurately represents the typical audience sensation, in which most were left with an unsettling feeling from the almost unbearable calmness of the film.

In order to further my understanding of the film, I decided to explore certain video essays regarding others’ perspectives of the film. The video linked above presented a short, yet detailed perception of the film, covering many of its contents and implications. Interestingly, the video carried a similar eerie and unsettling feeling throughout, falling in theme with the capabilities of sound.

One of the most interesting comments during the video was the farfetched yet understandable comparison between The Zone of Interest and The Truman Show. Though the content of these films are nothing alike, the video author explains that the film evokes similar sensations to The Truman Show through its “voyeuristic approach” to filming. Like The Truman Show, it creates a sense of the audience being captive witnesses to the characters’ reality. The author explains how the film uses multiple cameras to observe the family, giving viewers the feeling of watching real life unfold without the usual Hollywood set-up. This approach makes the audience feel as if they are constantly observing the characters’ daily lives, much like how viewers watched Truman’s every move. However, unlike The Truman Show, there is no liberation in this film, but rather forces the audience to confront the banality of evil in a more unsettling way. 

Figure 2: The Truman Show

Figure 3: Behind the Scenes – The Zone of Interest

The video also covers certain specifics of the film, such as the thermal imaging serving as a stylistic but intentional choice, which created a parallel to warfare’s perspective and highlighting the power dynamics at play. Moreover, as implied by the title, “when a director breaks the fourth wall to warn us,” the author also emphasizes the prominent contemporary implications of the film. He explains how the film leaves audiences to ponder their involvement in historical and ongoing evils, making a parallel comparison to genocides today and how society continues to exist alongside such horrific events.