JUNE ZERO and the Nazi MacGuffin

JUNE ZERO (Blu-ray)

2022 / 105 min

FROM COHEN MEDIA GROUP

Review by Princess Pepper😽

Among those responsible for the Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann was one of the most notorious members of the Nazi Party during Word War II. He escaped the allies after the war and hid in Argentina until 1960, when he was found and returned to Israel to stand trial. Eventually found guilty, Eichmann was executed in 1962.

But June Zero isn’t about Eichmann, his crimes or the trial. He’s already been found guilty, sentenced to death and is in prison awaiting the verdict on his appeal. Instead, the film tells three different interlinked stories, each focused on a character impacted by the verdict, however tenuously. As with most anthology-type films, the stories vary in interest level and effectiveness.

This first is about David (Koby Aderet), a teenage petty thief who’s aware of the trial, but indifferent to its historical significance. He’s forced to take a job working for a power plant owner hired to build the oven that’ll cremate Eichmann after the execution, but proves to be very adept and is personally invested in how well the oven works. Meanwhile, peripheral adults often discuss their religious scruples and the morality over Israel's decision to execute & cremate Eichmann. At no point is David a particularly nice kid - largely self-absorbed & apathetic - but his story is engaging and ultimately serves as a wrap-around for the others.

"Don't stare at me while I'm thinking, kid."

In the second story, Haim (Yoav Levi) is a prison guard and Moroccan Jew tasked with watching over Eichmann while in prison, mainly to prevent any effort by European Jews to cheat the hangman. He doesn’t want the job, but takes it very seriously, even after being involved in a car crash that affects his perception and judgment. One particular delusion has him taking extreme measures to protect Eichmann from an innocent barber he mistakes for a formerly interned Jew. A strange episode, it's the only one where Eichmann is actually seen, but never fully…a wise narrative decision that emphasizes he’s little more than a MacGuffin in the film.

The final story is probably the least surprising because its tone reflects what I initially assumed the entire film would be. Micha (Thom Hagy) was part of the prosecution’s team during the trial, and also lectures others about his personal experiences as an Auschwitz survivor. This one is essentially a debate with fellow Israeli Ada (Joy Rieger) over whether or not post-war Judaism should be so heavily represented by suffering during the Holocaust. The episode is suitably low-key and poignant, but both the mood and setting seem to belong in a different movie (though Micha himself briefly appears in the second story).

Overall, June Zero maintains interest, mainly due to good performances and well-written stories that focus on characters existing in the background of a historic event, greatly aided by the use of hand-held cameras. This results in an intimate film, though maybe not always as emotionally affecting as one might hope for.