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‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’
(Focus Features)
By Lucas Allen
The best movies based on the horrors of the Holocaust involve human drama amidst the atrocities of the event. Some of the more famous examples include Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and the nine-hour documentary “Shoah.” The new drama “The Zookeeper’s Wife” attempts to tell a Holocaust story from a different perspective. Think of it as “Schindler’s List”-lite, but combined with the moral complexities of “We Bought a Zoo.”
Most of the movie takes place at a zoo in Warsaw operated by Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenbergh) and cared for by his wife, Antonina Zabinski (Jessica Chastain). Tragedy strikes when the German army plows through the city on Sept. 1, 1939, thus beginning World War II. Soon enough, some members of the Nazi army turn the zoo into a personal base. To add to the terrible loss, the Zabinskis have to give up some of their prized animals to German zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Bruhl).
With the Nazis turning parts of the city into ghettos for captured Jews, the couple decide to risk everything and gather any survivors, hiding them in their basement. They manage to save some men, women and children by sheltering them throughout most of the war. But Lutz, who has a romantic obsession with Antonina, starts to suspect the ruse.
On the surface, this is one of those uplifting true stories about the human spirit amidst the bloody conflict. It’s definitely a good story that delivers messages of hope and courage that audiences will likely enjoy. But the movie fails to stand out among the rest by not doing anything bold or different to make it more interesting. It wants to be dramatic, but it only plays it safe despite the real danger going on.
Director Niki Caro who’s other “true story” credits including “North Country” and “McFarland, USA,” seems to be under the impression that audiences needed a more wholesome Holocaust story. But being more wholesome loses much of the impact the Holocaust had on the world. Granted it’s not a boring movie, but it needs something more impactful to give it a better impression. Also the movie could’ve benefited from a longer run time, because there might’ve been bits missing from the final cut. The rush to go from the second to third act ruins the pacing.
The best thing the movie has going for it is good acting from two of its leads. Chastain, despite her questionable choice of accent, remains very focused in her performance. She brings the right level of fearfulness and courage as a woman facing impossible odds. Bruhl is basically playing a one-dimensional Nazi villain, but adds enough likability and charisma to make him better presented. It’s the same thing with Ralph Fiennes’ character in “Schindler’s List,” only that character brought a more impact-ful presence this film was sadly lacking.
“The Zookeeper’s Wife” has good intentions, but didn’t live up to them enough to make it a very good film. For what it’s worth, it’s still a good story that could’ve been told better by a more capable director.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for thematic elements, disturbing images, violence, brief sexuality, nudity and smoking)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 2.5 Stars (out of Four)
