Let’s start with the animals. Yes, this is a story about a real zoo and for the first ten minutes or so we are treated to some delightful moments with the various wildlife, and their interactions with the zookeeper’s wife and family. These are peaceful, enjoyable moments, and at times fascinating as the animals relate to their habitat and their various keepers. Unfortunately the zoo is located in Warsaw, Poland, and the year is 1939.
This is the true story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, the owners of the zoo, and their heroic efforts after the German invasion. Much of the story takes place in Warsaw itself and we watch as the Nazi’s slowly segregate the Jewish population into the infamous ghetto, the destruction of their way of life, and the horrific treatment they were subject to.
Jessica Chastain plays Antonina the wife, and the story revolves around her efforts to not only save animals, but lives as well. The Zabinski’s aren’t Jewish and are spared the indignities heaped on those who are, but their life is also seriously disrupted as German soldiers use the zoo and its’ facilities to their own end.
The Zookeeper’s Wife
Entertainment Rating: ★★1/2
Rating: PG-13, no profanity, one brief moment of nudity, Nazi cruelty
Possible Oscar Nominations: Jessica Chastain, Best Actress
Most of us have seen more than one movie about the holocaust, perhaps Schindler’s List the most memorable, but there are many others. There is a common thread running through most of them, the directors and actors have a knack for creating scenes of man’s inhumanity to man, its’ almost as if those playing the “bad guys” are enjoying their roles. This story is no exception. The other common thread is the loading of refugees on trains heading for you know where. And oh yes, one other common thread: those desperately trying to help the helpless. No exception here either.
There is some marvelous acting throughout, and the move is expertly filmed, the editing excellent. I had two minor problems with the story; it moved very slowly at times, and I found myself nervously “tapping my foot” hoping it would move a little faster. My other complaint was some of the lines were difficult to understand as everyone spoke with an accent, and at times the players were almost whispering their lines. I probably missed ten to fifteen percent of the spoken lines, and that was just annoying enough to disrupt the flow of several scenes.
The story was filmed in its’ entirety in the Czech Republic, most of it in Prague, although you would never recognize it. This is a very good movie, one worth seeing, if the subject matter is one you care to deal with.
