Alfonso Cuarón hails ‘The Zone of Interest’ as “the most important film of the century”
Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón has praised director Jonathan Glazer, deeming his latest film The Zone of Interest as “the most important film of the century.”
Cuarón discussed the movie with the director during an interview conducted at London’s BFI Southbank. During the chat, which occurred before a UK preview screening, Cuarón praised the film, describing it as “probably the most important film in this century, both from the standpoint of his cinematic approach and the complexity of its theme.”
Glazer has enjoyed numerous successes as of late, following the recognition of his Cannes Grand Prix-winning film at the 44th London Film Critics’ Awards on February 4th, where it secured both ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Director’ accolades.
During the BFI interview, the director also discussed his influences growing up, citing his dad as a major source of inspiration. Glazor explained: “My dad was a big film fan and he had lots of film books. He used to read about directors. He’d read about actors, too, but he always said to me, ‘Directors more interesting than actors.’ He would sit in his armchair, watching movies, and I would sit on the floor next to him watching the movies he was watching. So that’s how I started.”
Glazer’s fascination with more experimental content developed later during his time in Nottingham, where he pursued a degree in theater design. “I started watching world movies then,” he said, “and I started seeing films that were shocking to me.”
Continuing, he added: “I think, because I’d had this kind of classical education sitting next to my dad, when I saw these other films — films that he wouldn’t have liked or watched — there was something so illicit about them. They felt so dangerous. I just couldn’t believe that people could make films like that, or say things like that in films. I was introduced to a sort of radicalism, and that appealed to me.”
Glazer’s initial interest in creating The Zone of Interest was sparked by his reading about the events of World War II. The director contemplated the idea of creating this film after completing Under the Skin. He was drawn to the prospect of visiting the remains of the Auschwitz concentration camps, which he anticipated would be a profoundly emotional journey.
In a three-star review of the film, Far Out wrote: “The Zone of Interest is naturally shocking and atrocious; there’s no denying that, but there seems to be something missing: a confident and forthright moral stance on such horrific events. Perhaps that omission of steadfast conviction, though, is intended to show that there is no credible reason for what happened at Auschwitz nor the ignorance of those who allowed it to occur. Still, Glazer seems to hesitate to believe in the strength of his story alone.”
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