Post by Rob W. Case on May 3, 2017 19:36:47 GMT -6
The Story:
The film begins in Poland, 1939 where Antonina Żabiński (played by Jessica Chastain) and her husband, Dr. Jan Żabiński (Johan Heldenbergh), keep and care for the animals at the Warsaw Zoo. Antonina has a deep love for animals, and her joy, and sense of purpose is invested in their well being. All seems fine and well in life for the Zabinskis, until one day war planes begin to swarm and sirens begin to sound in what becomes a Nazi takeover of their country. The takeover is not an easy one. All means of public transportation have been halted, and the Polish people have nowhere to go. The Nazis conduct numerous air airstrikes over the country, damaging the zoo, and causing animals to escape it. The Nazis kill most of the animals in and out of the zoo, and the new order demands that Jan and Antonina report to the Third Reich’s chief zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl), a man the Zabinskis became acquainted with before the takeover, whose direction in pillaging the zoo allowed him to steal some of the Warsaw zoo’s best animals and have them transported over to German zoos. But the terror only begins. The way the Nazis treat the animals at the zoo is not all that different from how they treat the Jews living in Poland.
The Nazis order all Polish Jews to be round up and sent to the Warsaw Ghettos, as a holding place for them before they are killed. It is at this discovery Jan and Antonina begin a clever strategy to keep their residence at the zoo, convince the Nazis that they are in cooperation with them, and save the lives of as many Jews as they can. The plan consists of turning the zoo into a pig farm to provide food for the Nazi soldiers. That would require Jan to drive his supply truck and collect garbage from the Warsaw Ghetto to provide food for the pigs. It is within the garbage, Jews are hidden and taken to the zoo. It is within the zoo, the Zabinskis hide Jews until they arrange a way to get them out of the country safely and without suspicion from the Nazis.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Jan covertly begins working with the Polish Resistance Army, and with all of these things on their plate, the stability of all of their plans is in constant danger, risking their lives, and the lives of their children.
My Take:
I really enjoyed this movie. It was filled with drama, suspense, surprises, and heart. If you are unfamiliar with the story in any way (like I was when I went to go see it), all of the drama and suspense is very captivating, and there are plenty of twists and turns. It was a very powerful and emotional film based on a true story that shows that even amidst the darkest and dangerous of circumstances, there is hope to overcome in an atmosphere thick with the presence of evil at every corner.
Out of 4 stars, I give The Zookeeper’s Wife 4 stars.
The film is rated PG-13, and runs 2 hours and 7 minutes.
To view a trailer for the film, please click below.
The film begins in Poland, 1939 where Antonina Żabiński (played by Jessica Chastain) and her husband, Dr. Jan Żabiński (Johan Heldenbergh), keep and care for the animals at the Warsaw Zoo. Antonina has a deep love for animals, and her joy, and sense of purpose is invested in their well being. All seems fine and well in life for the Zabinskis, until one day war planes begin to swarm and sirens begin to sound in what becomes a Nazi takeover of their country. The takeover is not an easy one. All means of public transportation have been halted, and the Polish people have nowhere to go. The Nazis conduct numerous air airstrikes over the country, damaging the zoo, and causing animals to escape it. The Nazis kill most of the animals in and out of the zoo, and the new order demands that Jan and Antonina report to the Third Reich’s chief zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl), a man the Zabinskis became acquainted with before the takeover, whose direction in pillaging the zoo allowed him to steal some of the Warsaw zoo’s best animals and have them transported over to German zoos. But the terror only begins. The way the Nazis treat the animals at the zoo is not all that different from how they treat the Jews living in Poland.
The Nazis order all Polish Jews to be round up and sent to the Warsaw Ghettos, as a holding place for them before they are killed. It is at this discovery Jan and Antonina begin a clever strategy to keep their residence at the zoo, convince the Nazis that they are in cooperation with them, and save the lives of as many Jews as they can. The plan consists of turning the zoo into a pig farm to provide food for the Nazi soldiers. That would require Jan to drive his supply truck and collect garbage from the Warsaw Ghetto to provide food for the pigs. It is within the garbage, Jews are hidden and taken to the zoo. It is within the zoo, the Zabinskis hide Jews until they arrange a way to get them out of the country safely and without suspicion from the Nazis.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Jan covertly begins working with the Polish Resistance Army, and with all of these things on their plate, the stability of all of their plans is in constant danger, risking their lives, and the lives of their children.
My Take:
I really enjoyed this movie. It was filled with drama, suspense, surprises, and heart. If you are unfamiliar with the story in any way (like I was when I went to go see it), all of the drama and suspense is very captivating, and there are plenty of twists and turns. It was a very powerful and emotional film based on a true story that shows that even amidst the darkest and dangerous of circumstances, there is hope to overcome in an atmosphere thick with the presence of evil at every corner.
Out of 4 stars, I give The Zookeeper’s Wife 4 stars.
The film is rated PG-13, and runs 2 hours and 7 minutes.
To view a trailer for the film, please click below.