Life Through the Lens: Can ignorance ever be bliss?
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"The life we enjoy is very much worth the sacrifice."
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What could you ignore? What could you overlook to be happy? What could you disregard to be prosperous? What could you sweep under the rug to be accepted? What could you close off to be confident?
With your future on the line, your contentment in the balance, what could you ignore?
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Life outside of Auschwitz is pleasant enough. The area is abundant in beauty and rich in resources. The air is calm and serene. The pace is country-living and free. It is a place where one could truly feel "at home."
There is one annoyance, but people can get used to just about anything. So what if there are constant screams and gunshots? So what if the air and water are littered with constant ash? So what if unspeakable violence and unfathomable evil are happening just over the backyard wall?
Instead of getting wrapped-up in the adjacent holocaust, one family pursues peace. Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) is the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, a job of severe importance to the Nazi Party. His work is diligent and determined ... but he is also a husband and a father. His family life happens just outside the walls of his professional life.
Being married is hard work; it takes maintenance and vulnerability. Being a father is hard work; it takes attention and intention. Keeping everything balanced is the unending job of Rudolf Höss. Order, cleanliness, obedience, prosperity - these are all things attainable.
Rudolf's wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) is committed to the goal as well. She can hear the screams; she can feel the heat ... but the comfort and the luxury afforded her and her family here in Auschwitz is undeniable. She has a pool - she has a greenhouse - she has an expansive garden and manicured lawn - she has it all! So what if she has to endure the proximal panic of incinerated Jews?
Over time, though ... those cries start to eat away at your soul. Those shots deaden an unseen part of your psyche. And that ash ... it doesn't wash off.
I am becoming enamored by Jonathan Glazer and his peculiar sensibilities. After watching "Under the Skin" (2013), I was instantly captured by his singular vision and uncompromising execution. It is bold and bonkers!
"The Zone of Interest" is no different! It is unlike anything I have ever seen (or even dreamed)! It is affecting, alluring and alarming! It invites the audience to a place so uncomfortable yet so poetically relatable. It takes the cliché and turns it completely on its head. It leans into the artistically macabre and pushes it to heights unimaginable. I promise you: It will lodge itself deep into your consciousness. Be warned.
Glazer also penned the script, which is beautifully simple yet hauntingly effective. It walks the line between wistfully mundane and horrifyingly void. Glazer's script also veils and unveils the characters in such skillful ways.
The music of Mica Levi is amazingly impactful. It is sparse yet immensely commanding. Once the score starts, it fills every corner of your being. Wow! The cinematography of Lukasz Zal is calculated and beautiful; it traps you into this reality with all its long takes and tracking shots. The editing of Paul Watts is motivated and clear. The production design of Chris Oddy is stunning, ornate but not manufactured. The art direction of Joanna Kus and Katarzyna Sikora is rich in texture and meaning.
The movie's acting is flawless. Friedel is lights-out as Rudolf Höss; his performance is nuanced and natural. Hüller is a worthy opposite as Hedwig Höss. She delivers a steady and unraveling performance. Each character is lived-in and real. Each moment's tension is expertly crafted and executed.
Groundbreaking and mind-altering - "The Zone of Interest" is one of a kind. It is nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
REPORT CARD: "The Zone of Interest"
Grade: A+
Assessment: A work of pure genius and resolve
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In Seoul, South Korea, two youngsters hit it off. They become the best of friends. There is a sexual tension, but it remains nothing but pure best-friendship. Then ... then life happens.
Na Young moves to Toronto, leaving Hae Sung alone and unfulfilled. What if we stayed together? What could have been?
Twelve years pass, life continues, questions go unanswered and then forgotten. One day, out of sheer loneliness and heartache, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) looks Na Young (Greta Lee) up on Facebook. After some digging and sleuthing, he finds she goes by "Nora" now and lives in New York City. He reaches out, and the relationship resumes: effortless and free. Hae Sung uncovers his old charm and Nora remembers the warmth. Although still a world apart, the video-chat-love is intimate. Then ... then life happens.
With visiting too expensive and impractical, a distance arises. Hae Sung must further his career in China - Nora must further her studies upstate - both agree a break is needed. What if we had met up? What could have been?
Twelve years pass, life continues, questions go unanswered and then forgotten. One day, in a moment of utter bravery, Hae Sung decides to visit – no more questions. Nora, now married, accepts and prepares - no more questions. This love has been evolving and hibernating their whole lives; it is time to see it through.
How long can love be ignored? How long can the universe be shelved?
In her writing/directing debut, Celine Song shows enormous promise. She has crafted a wonderful and emotive piece. It is culturally steeped and genuine. Song was able to bridge so much of humanity with the simple precept that love is universal. I agree! Her directing was straightforward and driven. Although it may lack creativity and elevation, it has some moments that transcend. That final moment, its tension and pause...masterful!
The cinematography of Shabier Kirchner is efficient. It has a grace to it that provides a sort of magic to the moments.
Greta Lee is good as Nora. She carries herself well and never shies away from the depth provided. Teo Yoo is incredible as Hae Sung. Each glance communicates a lifetime. His performance was my favorite - so subtle and exposed. John Magaro is solid as Arthur, Nora's husband; he is a needed and grounded reality to the melancholy romance of Nora and Hae Sung.
Although a work of control and purpose, I struggle to understand the hype. "Past Lives" has received countless accolades and praise, some even hailing it a masterpiece. I cannot seem to get there. Good - yes. Affecting - yes. Memorable past this year - nah. I am a sucker for an anti-romance movie, one that refuses to regurgitate ... but it isn't the first or the best of that subgenre.
"Past Lives" is nominated for two Oscars: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
REPORT CARD: Past Lives
Grade: B+
Assessment: A tale of yearning for what can never be.