Diane Ackerman’s nonfiction book “The Zookeeper’s Wife” chronicles the remarkable World War II story about a Warsaw couple who arranged safety for more than 300 Jewish people in the midst of the Holocaust.
The couple, Jan Zabinski and his wife, Antonina, were the managers of the Warsaw Zoo, which gives the story its unique slant. When their zoo was bombed at the beginning of the German invasion and subsequently closed, they sheltered refugees in abandoned cages (and their own home on the zoo grounds) until escape plans could be arranged.
The new film made from the book makes full use of the zoo setting. But the movie comes to life not because of the animals onscreen, but because of the humans.
The title role is played by Jessica Chastain, whose Antonina has a special gift for working with animals. Chastain does something admirable here: She doesn’t play Antonina as some kind of ahead-of-her-time superhero, but as an unassuming woman whose steady moral center allows her to persevere in the face of danger.
Her responsibilities include not only keeping her secret residents alive, but also distracting Lutz Heck (Daniel Bruhl, from “Rush”) — the director of the Berlin Zoo — during his visits to Warsaw.
Heck has a daft plan to bring back Germanic cattle by means of selective breeding, but he also lusts after Antonina. Bruhl, a big German star, is good at conveying Heck’s starry-eyed dreams, and showing how absurd they are — and yet, making the character human.
By carefully leading on Heck’s desire, Antonina can keep him in the dark about what else is going on in Warsaw. But the ruse leads to resentment on the part of her husband, who riskily enters the Jewish ghetto to smuggle people out.
As good as Chastain and Bruhl are, Belgian actor Johan Heldenbergh (from the Oscar-nominated “The Broken Circle Breakdown”), as Jan Zabinski, is even better. The jealousy angle feels a little overstated, but otherwise Heldenbergh has a great, hangdog face and a calm determination that mirrors Chastain’s approach.
New Zealand director Niki Caro, best known for “The Whale Rider,” isn’t quite so subtle in her approach — she makes sure we “get” every plot point. But the evocation of wartime Warsaw is persuasive, and the story is a strong, sad one.
We should also appreciate the reminder that heroism sometimes comes in the form of modest, quiet individuals who don’t always get movies made about them.
“The Zookeeper’s Wife” (3 stars)
The managers of the Warsaw Zoo help 300 Jewish people escape the ghetto during World War II — a true story, solidly told here. The film comes to life in its three main performances: Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh as the modest zookeepers, and Daniel Bruhl as the German zoologist looking over their shoulders.
Rating: PG-13 for violence, subject matter, nudity
Showing: Alderwood Mall, Pacific Place, Sundance Cinemas
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
