Stars: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl
Storyline
The Zookeeper's Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the German invasion.
Writers: Angela Workman, Diane Ackerman, Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl, Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl, Timothy Radford, Efrat Dor, Iddo Goldberg, Shira Haas, Michael McElhatton, Val Maloku, Martha Issová, Daniel Ratimorský, Frederick Preston, Theo Preston, Viktoria Zakharyanova, Goran Kostic, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cast: Jessica Chastain -
Antonina Zabinski
Johan Heldenbergh -
Jan Zabinski
Daniel Brühl -
Lutz Heck
Timothy Radford -
Ryszard Zabinski (Younger)
Efrat Dor -
Magda Gross
Iddo Goldberg -
Maurycy Fraenkel
Shira Haas -
Urszula
Michael McElhatton -
Jerzyk
Val Maloku -
Ryszard Zabinski (Older)
Martha Issová -
Regina Kenigswein
Daniel Ratimorský -
Samuel Kenigswein
Frederick Preston -
Miecio Kenigswein
Theo Preston -
Stanislav Kenigswein
Viktoria Zakharyanova -
Stefania Keningswein
Goran Kostic -
Mr. Kinszerbaum
Taglines:
They gave all they had to save all they could
Country: Czech Republic, UK, USA
Language: English
Release Date: 3 Jan 2017
Filming Locations: Prague, Czech Republic
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book was greatly inspired by the unpublished diary of Antonina Zabinska and Jan Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo in Poland. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 7/10
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name, 'The Zookeeper's Wife'
recounts the true story of the husband-and-wife couple, Jan and
Antonina Żabiński, who secretly sheltered Jews during the German
invasion of Poland from 1939 to 1945 on their premises of the Warsaw
Zoo, thus enabling these Polish Jews to escape from the infamous Warsaw
Ghetto and the eventual extermination of the place as well as its
inhabitants within.
At its heart, this is a celebration of ordinary heroes – that is, of
ordinary men and women who have displayed extraordinary heroism during
extraordinary times. Such tales are often told with sycophantic
adulation, which runs counter to the nature of their character/s and
ultimately leaves one feeling patronized. Thankfully, its director Niki
Caro knows her way around such celebrations of heroism (as evinced by
her previous works like 'Whale Rider', 'North Country' and 'McFarland,
USA'), placing emphasis on the difficult circumstances of the war in
order to demonstrate the Żabińskis' bravery rather than on exalting the
characters per se. Scenes of life pre- and post-invasion, of life
behind the ghettos and of the nail-biting process of sneaking the Jews
out of the ghettos are played out with attention to detail and realism,
just so the context under which the Żabińskis were living under as well
as the danger they were putting themselves and their only son Ryszard
under are felt keenly and profoundly – hence illuminating the spirit of
valour and self-sacrifice their deeds exemplified.
Those who have read Diane Ackerman's source novel will probably know
that her narration is as much about Jan and Antonina Żabiński as it is
about Lutz Heck, the duplicitous head of the Berlin Zoo whom the
Żabińskis first meet before the war and who eventually turns out to be
one of the prominent figures of the German war office in Poland. Like
in the book, Lutz aimed to recreate pureblood versions of certain
extinct species; and for dramatic impact, instead of transporting some
of the cattle from the Warsaw Zoo to run his animal eugenics programme
back in Berlin, Lutz (as played by Daniel Bruhl) does so right on the
grounds of the former. That deviation allows screenwriter Angela
Workman to fashion a rather unnecessary subplot between Antonina and
Lutz, which sees Lutz develop a personal liking for Antonina and
concomitantly engendering marital tension between Jan and Antonina. As
distracting as that may be, it is consoling that neither Lutz nor the
Germans in particular are demonized; in fact, the former's on screen
representation shows an unexpectedly benevolent side at the end that
may in fact be kinder than his real-life person.
In turn, the horrors of the Holocaust are depicted through a fictional
character which Caro has said was her idea. Played by Israeli actress
Shira Haas, Urszula is a barely teenage girl whom Jan encounters on his
maiden trip into the ghetto bleeding and shaken after being raped by
two German male soldiers. Against better judgment, Jan conceals her
right under the driver's seat of his truck (under his son's feet, no
less) in order to help her escape from any further misery. Though
manipulative, Urszula's addition is arguably an effective device
through which Caro conveys the magnitude of the Żabińskis' rescue
efforts – not only is she intended to be emblematic of the suffering
and subsequent trauma that the Jewish children no doubt endured during
the German invasion, she is the face of the persecuted Jewish,
personifying the 'human' in humanity. Her recovery is also
representative of the hope that the Żabińskis' act of wartime courage
gave to the 300 Jews that they saved in the six years of the German
occupation.
As with such historical dramatisations, the strength of the
performances determines whether the film itself ends up being
compelling – and sure enough, that 'The Zookeeper's Wife' is
fascinating to watch from start to finish is testament to the strong
cast. However cynical you may be of Jessica Chastain's casting as
Antonina which therefore requires the Hollywood actress to put on a
Polish accent, she is undeniably captivating as the eponymous lead,
channeling grit and vulnerability in equal measure as she fleshes out
her character's fears, anxieties and convictions. Her stripped- down
performance complements that of Belgian actor Johan Heldenbergh, who
may not have matinée-idol looks but certainly the gravitas to play a
resolute volunteer for the underground Polish resistance. Among the
supporting actors, Bruhl and Haas are the standouts, the former
exercising admirable restraint in what could have been a traditionally
villainous act while the latter surprisingly nuanced in her portrayal
of the most visible victim of Nazi sadism.
Many a story has been told of ordinary men and women who have displayed
extraordinary heroism during the Holocaust, and 'The Zookeeper's Wife'
stands out among one of the better ones by simply telling its story
well without embellishment or worse exaggeration. Even better, it
underscores the emotional devastation of war without violence or gore;
rather, with emphasis on authenticity, the film lays bare the
communities torn apart when the Germans invaded, the sheer hopelessness
of those who were oppressed, and the sacrifices that one must sometimes
make in order to achieve a loftier, nobler purpose during such
challenging times. Especially when some world leaders seem to have
forgotten the importance of world peace, this is as apt a reminder as
any that the cost of war is immeasurable, immutable and perhaps even
irreversible.
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