"The Zone of Interest(2024)" Heaven and Hell? A Discomforting Film Where Only Hell Remains in Memory

 Among the movie OSTs I've heard so far, this is the most frightening one that sticks in my memory. The film I ended up watching, based on a friend's review about the extraordinary music and background sounds before and after the movie, is "The Zone of Interest" (2004).

At the beginning of the movie, uncomfortable music plays over a black screen. If you had an idea of the movie's content before starting, you'd be unable to shake off the discomfort. Knowing it was a Holocaust film, I expected discussions about the genocide, which made me even more uneasy.

However, as the screen brightens, a family enjoying a pleasant outing by the water appears. This is the family of German officer Rudolf Höss (played by Christian Friedel).

His wife Hedwig (played by Sandra Hüller) enjoys the lush, flower-filled garden she has meticulously cultivated in front of their house, explains flowers to the baby, and other children are having fun swimming in the pool. Hedwig boasts to her visiting mother from afar, saying, "They call me the queen of Auschwitz," expressing great satisfaction and pride in their current life. On the screen, the German officer's family life seems so peaceful and joyful that it’s almost idyllic.

But it gets increasingly strange... Occasionally, soldiers gather in front of the officer's house and then disperse, showing in detail that the family lives in a residence right next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

As you observe this, it becomes more disturbing... Smoke rises daily over the fence of the officer’s house, and there are sounds of distress. The family’s daily life involves sharing women's clothes, brought from somewhere, with the servants living in the residence, and the children examining these items.

If you started watching "The Zone of Interest" without knowing anything, you might have thought it was just the story of a somewhat affluent German family living a peaceful life. This would have made the shock even greater. Knowing beforehand was perhaps better, yet the impact was still profound. It’s truly shocking. The movie’s disturbing elements include hearing cries, seeing prison cleaning scenes, discussions about the structure of buildings enabling the genocide, and appearances of personal items like clothes and teeth, which intensify the discomfort. It feels like a blow to the head—can it be called paradise next to hell?

"The Zone of Interest" is a film based on true events that occurred at the Auschwitz concentration camp. It’s set against the backdrop of an actual officer’s house that existed next to the camp. The fact that all this is real makes it even more shocking.

Even though there are no scenes of brutal killings, the film encapsulates the worst discomfort and cruelty of the Holocaust. While some may describe it as paradise next to hell, viewers only feel the hell itself. Knowing beforehand lessened the shock, but if one had watched it without knowing, they might have blamed themselves even more. It presents a realistic story where one could be so mesmerized by a peaceful family that they might overlook the sins.

Although the film seems to revisit Nazi and Jewish Holocaust narratives, it imparts a different lesson to me. It makes me wonder if we are unknowingly living in sin while being unaware of it.

The current life appears serene, but it raises the shocking possibility that this tranquility might be sustained by a tragedy happening on the other side. It’s a very unsettling film that makes you think about these issues repeatedly. If the director intended to give viewers this kind of discomfort, they have succeeded.

Spoiler alert: For those planning to watch the film, stop reading here...

Personally, a highlight is the reaction of the wife when the officer is assigned to another post. She can't bear to leave this paradise-like residence she has cultivated. In the end, the officer leaves, but the wife and children remain at the house. The setup of staying in a place that was made possible by the husband, but without him, is another shock. It’s a striking portrayal of extreme selfishness in the wife’s character.

Additionally, the title "The Zone of Interest" means "an area where monetary gain can be obtained," which makes one think repeatedly whether we are living in such a place. It’s a very unsettling film...

But it’s well-made. There are no scenes of brutality, yet it leaves a profoundly cruel impression.