Watch The Zone of Interest (2023) Movie

The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.

- husband wife relationship

## The Banality of Evil: Peering into the Void Beyond the Fence in "The Zone of Interest"

Jonathan Glazer's "The Zone of Interest" isn't a film about the Holocaust in the traditional sense. It doesn't linger on the horrors within Auschwitz. Instead, it focuses on the almost unbelievable mundanity of life *beside* the extermination camp, offering a chilling portrait of the banality of evil through the eyes of its perpetrators. This is where the film truly digs its claws in, creating an atmosphere of unsettling unease that lingers long after the credits roll.

We meet Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), the Commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), as they strive to build a picturesque paradise for their family, literally a stone's throw from unimaginable atrocities. Their house is immaculate, their garden a verdant oasis bursting with life. Children play, laughing and splashing in the pool. Guests are entertained. The Höss family are living the idyllic life they've always dreamed of.

But the insidious soundtrack of the film constantly reminds us of the stark reality lurking beyond the high garden wall. The distant rumble of trains, the muffled screams, the sporadic gunfire – these sounds are omnipresent, yet seemingly ignored by the Höss family. They become background noise, absorbed into the fabric of their seemingly normal existence.

The film doesn't visually depict the horrors of Auschwitz, opting instead to hint at them through these auditory cues and occasional glimpses of smoke billowing in the distance. This absence is more powerful than any graphic representation could be. We are forced to fill in the blanks, to actively participate in the horror, making the experience all the more disturbing.

Höss is portrayed as a pragmatic, career-driven man, focused on efficiency and optimization. His discussions with his superiors are unsettlingly clinical, centered on finding the most effective methods of extermination. He views the death camp as a challenge to be overcome, a problem to be solved. There's no hint of remorse, no flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Hedwig, on the other hand, is fiercely protective of her domestic empire. She relishes her role as the queen of her domain, demanding absolute obedience from her staff and basking in the luxuries afforded to her by her husband's position. She refuses to leave, even when Höss is reassigned, declaring that this is where she has created her "paradise." This demonstrates a deeply ingrained and disturbing detachment from the reality of her situation. She understands, on some level, what's happening, but chooses to ignore it, to compartmentalize it in order to maintain her delusion of normalcy.

The most jarring scenes are those that juxtapose the idyllic family life with the undeniable evidence of the ongoing genocide. A maid cleaning the Höss house finds a diamond hidden in a discarded garment. Hedwig tries on a fur coat scavenged from the belongings of murdered Jews. These moments highlight the complicity of the Höss family in the atrocities, their willingness to benefit from the suffering of others.

The film also subtly incorporates surreal elements, such as thermal imagery depicting a young Polish girl leaving food for the prisoners, adding another layer of complexity to the narrative. These moments offer a glimpse of humanity amidst the depravity, a stark contrast to the cold indifference of the Höss family.

"The Zone of Interest" is not an easy watch. It is deeply unsettling, intentionally uncomfortable, and profoundly disturbing. It forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth that evil can thrive in the most ordinary of circumstances, that indifference can be just as deadly as active malice, and that the banality of evil is, perhaps, the most terrifying thing of all. It's a crucial, uncomfortable, and unforgettable film that will stay with you long after the credits roll, prompting you to question your own capacity for complacency in the face of injustice.