AWorld War 2 moviewith a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes has been namedthe best film of the decadeso far.The century’s greatest military conflict had barely begun before Hollywood started making films about it, some of them propagantistic in nature, others more interested in real human drama.
Acclaim was heaped upon some of these movies right away, as in the cases ofCasablancaandThe Best Years Of Our Lives.But the war would continue to fascinate moviemakers and their audiences long after the last shot was fired, as evidenced by Steven Spielberg’s pair of all-time-great war epics,Schindler’s ListandSaving Private Ryan.
The immensity of World War 2 as a historical event indeed guarantees the film world’s ongoing interest. In recent years, the torch has been carried by movies likeBlitz,Greyhound,Operation Mincemeatand, of course, 2023’s blockbuster Oscar-winnerOppenheimer.
The Zone Of Interest Is The Best Film Of The 2020s So Far
The World War 2 Movie Was Directed By Jonathan Glazer
Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimerbiopic may have won Best Picture at the Oscars, but the best film of the decade so far, at least according to one new poll, isThe Zone of Interest. Directed by Jonathan Glazer, the movie stands at 93% onRotten Tomatoes, and won its own Oscar for Best International Feature.
Zone of Interestgrossed $52 million worldwide.
The New York Times’ new list of the best films of the 2000s is predictably weighted toward titles released in the century’s first two decades, butThe Zone of Interestdid make it into the rundown at #12, the highest finish for a movie from the 2020s.
Our Take On The Zone Of Interest Being Named Best Film Of The 2020s
This Time It Beat Oppenheimer
Nolan’s blockbuster biopic may have beaten out Glazer’s art-house drama on Oscar night, but two years on,The Zone of Interestis seen as the better film, at least according to those who voted in theNew York Times’ poll.Oppenheimerdid make the list, landing at #65, far behind the #12 finish posted by Glazer’s movie.
DID YOU KNOW:Jonathan Glazer took around 10 years to makeThe Zone of Interest. During that time, he visited Auschwitz multiple times, as well as the Höss residence. The film officially began development in 2019 (viaThe Guardian).
It’s yet to be seen if eitherOppenheimerorZone of Interestwill be enshrined alongside the likes ofCasablanca,From Here To Eternity,Schindler’s ListandSaving Private Ryanas an all-time classic World War 2 movie. But, at least for now, the latter seems headed swiftly in that direction, whileOppenheimer’s critical reputation may already be waning somewhat.
There is little doubtZone of Interestbelongs in the conversation for best movie of the decade so far, if not the century. Glazer’s haunting look at the Holocaust is among the most powerful dramas of the past 25 years, its 93% RT fresh rating serving as evidence of its acclaim.Zone of InterestandOppenheimerbeing rated so highly in the esteem of critics is just more proof that World War 2 remains fruitful ground for cinematic storytellers looking to depict human tragedy and triumph.
