The Sound of Cruelty
A close reading of the Oscar-nominated film "The Zone of Interest."
March 7, 2024
22 min
62
Full
230 of 364

Episode 62 · March 7, 2024
The Sound of Cruelty
0:00 / 22:53
Excerpt playback isn’t available for this episode — use the full-episode link.
Search the Record
Moment search isn’t open for this episode yet
When it opens, you’ll be able to type any phrase and jump straight to the second it was said.
The Atlantic Episodes Around March 7, 2024
Episode 230 of 364 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
22:53This episodeThe Sound of Cruelty
Summary
We talk to Oscar-nominated sound designer Johnnie Burn about how he created the soundscape of horrors for The Zone of Interest. Burn explains how he collected real sounds from the streets of Europe and mixed them into a soundscape of cruelty happening just out of view. We also do a close analysis of key scenes from the film. "You can shut your eyes, but you can't shut your ears," Burn says.
Want to share unlimited access to The Atlantic with your loved ones? Give a gift today at theatlantic.com/podgift. For a limited time, select new subscriptions will come with the bold Atlantic tote bag as a free holiday bonus.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode details and artwork are published by the show’s own feed. Sentinel plays short cited excerpts and links every episode back to its publisher.





























