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The harrowing reality of Auschwitz “permeates every pixel of every frame, influencing both sound and our interpretation thereof… It shapes everything except them,” Glazer declared. The director, now 58, has zeroed in on the family of Rudolf Hoss, the longest-serving commandant of Auschwitz, who resided a mere stone’s throw from the camp, in his fourth cinematic offering.
Amid the audible shrieks and gunshots emanating from their picturesque garden, the family remains obstinately oblivious, maintaining the pretense of normalcy. Glazer, of Jewish descent, sought to delve into the paradox of their existence, cohabiting with such atrocities at their doorstep. “Would it be feasible to sleep? Could one actually manage to sleep? If you were to draw the curtains and plug your ears, would that facilitate it?”
“Each element had to be meticulously calibrated to emit this sense of an ever-present, monstrous machinery,” he asserted.
This unsettling film’s discomfort is intensified by its adoption of a realist aesthetic, with natural lighting and devoid of the usual embellishments or glossy veneer characteristic of period dramas. The Zone of Interest makes its Cannes debut a decade after Glazer’s previous critically acclaimed dystopian sci-fi venture, Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson.
Known for his painstaking deliberation between projects, Glazer’s filmography includes his initial ventures Sexy Beast (2000) and Birth (2004). “I ruminate extensively. I give profound thought to what I’m going to create, be it good or bad. The topic of this particular project is vast and profound, deeply sensitive for myriad reasons; it couldn’t be approached cavalierly,” he expounds.
Martin Amis’s novel of the same name provided the impetus, serving as a catalyst that unlocked a previously inaccessible space for Glazer. This new perspective allowed for an exploration of the discomforting intimacy with the perpetrator, deviating from the typical depictions in other recreations.
Glazer then dedicated two years to delving into a multitude of books and firsthand accounts on the subject before charting the course of the film with his collaborators. His focus sharpened onto the banality of everyday life, lived in terrifying proximity to the death camp. He chose to depict Hoss’s family not as grotesque monsters, but as chillingly ordinary.
“The motivations driving these individuals are all too familiar. A lovely home, a beautiful garden, healthy children… fresh air; these are things common to us all,” he observed. “How similar are we to them? Acknowledging that is a terrifying prospect. What is it that we’re so petrified of understanding?”
Glazer’s film is amongst the 21 contending for the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes, which runs until May 27.
French critics were equally impressed. They found themselves profoundly affected by the cinematic spectacle. Le Figaro described it as “a spine-chilling masterpiece with a staggering impact,” while Liberation prognosticated that this formidable work stands a strong chance of claiming the coveted Palme d’Or.
With AFP
