One very brief moment that struck me toward the beginning (since u mention animals) is how their pet dog starts barking right by the wall as a reaction to the cacophony of evil-assisting dogs we hear on the other side of the wall; the pet is the only family member who doesn’t have this psychological denial of the wall cuz he just reacts the way dogs tend to do once another gets barking. The energy kinda transfers contagiously. It was so fleeting in the film, I like that we can pick & choose which parts dig under our skin w/o the heavy-handed spoon-feeding. The other part was the lead actor or another guy running the camp shown atop his just barely visible horse yelling down at the prisoners as we hear the loudest screams of the movie & how the camera doesn’t move down even an inch. Zone really felt like a genre subversion as much as it was an atypical POV adding a new & interesting way to treat the subject without any trappings of the countless other holocaust movies we’ve all seen at least 5-7 of.

I don't think there would be a problem if this film DID give Rudolph empathy. Glazer's whole point is to illustrate how ordinary people have become monsters. If they were inaccessible as stereotypical tyrants, they'd be unrelatable to us, and we'd never consider how easy it is for ordinary people to go through a metamorphosis and become capable of what they did.

It was an incredible piece of work

You guys missed the specific context of Hedwig’s “burn you to ashes” comment to the servant girl. That scene happens in the immediate realization that her mother has departed unannounced and perhaps critically in the letter left. Wedwig is angry and hurting and consequently lashes out and projects anger on her servant.

Thank you for your great review. The "dark scenes" with the girl hiding apples around for the prisoners is actually about a young Polish girl who had a connection with the Polish underground and indeed took big risks to do small but significant things, which is in total contrast with the Hoss family. Glazer said: “That small act of resistance, the simple, almost holy act of leaving food, is crucial because it is the one point of light. I really thought I couldn’t make the film at that point. I kept ringing my producer, Jim, and saying: ‘I’m getting out. I can’t do this. It’s just too dark.’ It felt impossible to just show the utter darkness, so I was looking for the light somewhere and I found it in her. She is the force for good." I do not think Hedwig's mother was totally aware when she arrived at the house that the camp was actually an extermination camp. She talked about the Jewish woman she knew before the war like she was on the other side, as a prisoner, probably not aware that the lady was probably already dead. That would explain why later on she had to leave the house and just left a note for her daughter. The mom (like the dog) seemed confused by the background sounds while visiting the garden (we see her face literally turning like trying to catch a sound). She is also so focused on the wall, while Hedwig explains to her about the plants. The dog also seems totally confused and had few interactions with the actors. He is just walking around (he is also so much in contrast with the light or even white clothing of the people in the house, that it is hard to don't follow him). Dogs have a much more sensitive hearing than humans, and I think it was on purpose to show him that way because he was probably the only creature constantly aware of the horror from the other side of the wall. He is a direct link from the other side, and he may represent the conscience of the Hoss family that they always ignore or reject (in one scene is totally clear that Hedwig rejects the dog's attempt to be close to her and even closes the door between them). SO much to say about all the visual details in this movie that are full of symbols.

Wonderful discussion of this brilliant film. Amidst all the banality, I appreciated how Glazer exposed the few well-timed cracks in the family's (dis)utopian environment. The strongest was the grandmother's response and sudden departure, and Hedwig's instant dismissal of the note that was left. Re the thermal vision footage: the actions depicted in those scenes were heroic and coming from a place of empathy. However, they were the complete antithesis of Rudolf and Hedwig's world view and thus were visually presented in a jarring manner - outside the comfort zone that Rudolf and family, as well as the film audience, have been lulled into. Also, in addition to the horse representing a position of power for Rudolf, I think this non-human creature, incapable of cruelty and destruction, gave Rudolf a chance to relate to another being without compromise or rationalization. He could tap into a source of innocence and purity unavailable to him in society due to a conscience denied.

Just watched last week. Disturbing movie. Still thinking about it all and how it made me feel.

Both Rudolf and Hedwig face different crises of conscience during the film, on their own terms.

Where did you guys watch it?

No, no, no on maybe renaming your podcast as The Zone of Interest! That should remain only in the domain of the deeply disturbing but brilliant film.

Are you guys saying Horrowing? It’s harrowing….

Most fascinating movie of this year? 😂

Thanks for the talk... this film was deffinetly something else ... Sheer Horror.. out of view, out of zone