The Zone of Interest (3.5*)
Golda (2*)
Napoleon (1.5*)
I admit up front that I’m not exactly a fan of movies about wars, mostly I think, because I am just not a fan of war. I am appalled that, as humans, we still can’t find a more intelligent and more humane way of resolving conflicts. But, I get that until some future utopia, war seems to be an ingrained part of human culture. And seeing the how and why of wars is part of understanding the human condition.
Having said that, though, there is only one of the three war films in the 2024 nominations list that I can recommend. The Zone of Interest is a horrifying portrayal of the Auschwitz’s death camp’s commander and his family as they live a perfectly normal life immediately next door to the sounds and screams of his factory of death. The moral contrast is extremely well done even if the film has flaws that make it less than perfect.
The other two films do not make my recommendation level. Golda is a portrayal of Golda Meir steering Israel through the Yom Kippur War of 1973. While Helen Mirren’s makeup makes her a dead ringer for the Iron Lady, the film attempts, but fails, to generate any feeling for her, or indeed, even for her country. The film feels cheap.
Napoleon is definitely not cheap having a huge library of visual effects and a literal army of actors. The war scenes, reflecting battles of two centuries ago, are vivid and brutal. But the $200 Million budget did not fund a coherent script. Supposedly the film argues that Josephine is behind all of Napoleon’s good and bad movies, but it never sufficiently argues that point and fails to provide chemistry in the relationship. It is too long and includes some scenes that just don’t go anywhere.
All Quiet on the Western Front (4*) was our only war movie in last year’s slate, but is certainly worth seeing if you haven’t yet. The film’s visual and aural effects are stunning and portrays the disgusting horror of war and the unequal distribution of those horrors.
If war movies are your thing, there are two I can recommend. Enjoy the conflicts.
