Released: 2017 IMDb: 7.4 The Zookeeper's Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion. Nonton Film The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) BluRay 480p & 720p English Subtitle Indonesia Watch online, free Streaming Full HD Movie Download via Google Drive, Openload, Upfile.mobie and Uptobox – Sinopsis film The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017): War brews over Warsaw in 1939, and while life is still running its course, the Germans are slowly. The Zookeeper's Wife 2017 watch full movie in HD online on #1 Movies 🎬Totally Free 🎬No Registration 🎬High-Quality 🎬Soundtracks and Reviews The Zookeeper's Wife 2017 Full Movie Watch in HD Online for Free - #1 Movies Website. Watch The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) online, full movie Free In HD with subtitle. Stream The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) Online on FMovies. Watch The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) online, full movie Free In HD with subtitle. Stream The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) Online on FMovies. Watch movies online for free. HOME GENRE COUNTRY TV - SERIES TOP IMDb A. Watch The Zookeepers Wife (2017) Online For Free, The Zookeepers Wife full movie, online, Watch Online The Zookeepers Wife Movie With English Subtitle on Gomovies.
Nazi's are bad, k?
Warning: SpoilersThe problem with these films and in some cases documentaries is that it has become self parody. Just like a Doco I saw on Hitler and how he apparently suffered from flatulence.
So now we have German soldiers killing zoo animals. Why would professional soldiers, headed by a vegetarian, animal loving Fuhrer want this to happen? The Nazi's were also the first to outlaw vivisection but in this film they are all for it.
Some other stuff happens too, we see a virtual remake of Schindler's list, the usual hiding Jewish people thing.
But most of all we see a Politically Correct Hollywood make another boring film about Nazi's.
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Something that always troubles me, is feeling the need to speak English with an accent to show that they're actually speaking another language. It's in fact ridiculous, knowing that Johan Heldenbergh is pure Belgian (and actually speaks English with a Flemish/Ghent accent) and Jessica Chastain is pure American (her English/polish accent is just ridiculous). Either you just speak plain English or you make the movie with Polish actors. Besides that, Johan Heldenbergh, the zookeeper, (world-renown in Belgium but his first introduction in a bigger US production), was impeccable & perfectly casted.
The film didn't blow me away and was predictable from beginning till the end. Fairly enjoyable for a regular weeknight if you have nothing to do, but will most certainly be forgotten the next day - not anywhere near classic holocaust movies like Schindler's list or The Pianist. Too bad, cause everything was there (especially book & script) to make a much stronger impact.
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I went in not expecting much and I got exactly what I expected... I would have probably even had a better experience staring at a black screen for two hours, eating my popcorn.
This movie lacked pretty much everything a movie needs. To say it was a slow pace would be too much credit, there was no pace at all, it dragged itself on with no direction, nothing happening, utterly boring.
So many silly goofs going on, like feeding pigs with garbage from the ghetto... garbage from a ghetto? What garbage, they'd eat everything till the very last scrap. Or another idiotic scene near the end of the movie where Lutz makes Rys lock his mother up, after they just walked through the tunnel... that would take you back to the broken down door in like 1 minute... Why would Lutz even bother at all to find out how many Jews escaped through the zoo, what does it matter at that point? The war was over, all any Nazi would be interested in at that stage was to get the hell out of there.
Watching this movie to me was certainly the biggest waste of time and money in several years.
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Nonetheless, the performance of Jessica Chastain is the single most important factor in the film. Unlike many American actors, she understands that a Polish woman of the 1940s does not look, move, or carry her features like a contemporary American. So fully does Miss Chastain inhabit her character that I never had the sense of an actress making choices.
The film is a bit long and a bit slow, like most films today, but not to a damaging extent. I particularly admired the way that the official from the Berlin Zoo who becomes a Nazi officer, well played by Daniel Bruhl, has certain scruples and personal moral standards although he embraces the Nazi philosophy. He's a villain, but not a cardboard villain, and part of the suspense of the film is waiting to see which lines he will cross and which he won't.
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So what could go wrong? It's hard to pinpoint, and painful to have to say it, but this movie felt 'icky' to watch. I felt as if my psyche had been violated in some way, even 'poisoned,' if that's not too strong of an analogy. Granted, I didn't 'enjoy' Schindler's List, either! But at least it, and other holocaust-ish movies, felt as if they were presenting something useful. Maybe not healing, per se, but some quality of the human narrative that moved us in some way. They felt honest. This one just upset me, and creeped me out, without offering any of what I could call a redemptive quality.
If I may be permitted to say, 'The Zookeeper's Wife' felt like a prime example of the cinematic criticism of 'gratuitous.' Gratuitous violence does not equal reality (yes, I know, horrifying violence was WWII's theme). And gratuitous depression and grim horrors do not equal pathos. At least for me.
I have no doubt that all the producers, the director, the actors, all are wonderful people in real life. I have no doubt they worked really, really hard on this. And while you may love it (some IMDb voters seem to have), know that at least one prime candidate for an appreciative audience member (me) found it awful, hurtful, and unclean.
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Jessica Chastain schleps this movie along on her back. Her English Polish accent is often annoying. The casting of the children was awkward. Her son was overweight, an unlikely condition after about four years in a war starved country. The one year old daughter looked about four.
The movie feels long and drags at times. There is a lack of emotional involvement. You don't get to know much about those saved. There is a scene at the end when there is nothing left to happen except for the husband to return and you wait for the no surprise to happen.
There is no need to see this in a theater. It will play as well on a home platform.
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I'm not going to write a lot about the plot or delve into specific spoilers here, except to say it's supposedly based on true events, focusing on a Polish family using their forcibly defunct zoo grounds to help hide and save Jews from Nazi occupiers during the second world war. Now that that is established, let me say as well meaning as I'm sure all involved were in telling this story, it is written and directed to play into every lazy cliché, and feels forced and false far too often to ignore. It's simply not enough to facade a crudely painted platform for the humanities whilst being disingenuous to the holistic hindrances and hardships that hue humanity.
Although the film employs a perfectly talented cast, the acting is overwrought to the point of nearly being disgraceful. Like calculated clockwork; one single solitary tear systematically shimmers down Jessica Chastain's chaste cheek seemingly every five minutes. I don't necessarily blame the performers here, but rather Niki Caro's heavy-handed direction to them. Everyone is acting like their in an 'important' movie instead of acting like real human beings faced with critical moments and difficult circumstances. We know the zookeeper's formidable wife is a woman of great integrity and capacity for courage and tolerance because -- in addition to pulling up her sleeves and working with the animals -- at every chance she affectedly plants affectionate kisses directly onto the snouts of any creature in her care without discrimination. Typical sniveling Nazi villain checks all the prerequisite boxes throughout, and is of course an arrogant predatory fascist stooge with fantastic notions of his own allure and aspirations of grandeur. Victims act like caricatures of victims, pulling faces and gestures with demonstrative abandon. A lot of shifting eyes here, or hysterics there -- everyone telegraphing their emotions when their supposed to be hiding them. Heinous character choices run rampant here, obviously meant to manipulate an audience's empathy or outrage, but backfire in there inauthentic regard for truthful human behavior and intellect. So many broadly melodramatic details clutter this telling without thought for the real-world recklessness that those choices would have actually been, that even without doing any research into the details of the actual events being portrayed I simply know as an common person of fair perception that there is no way they could have occurred in the fashion depicted within this film.
The cinematography, production design, and musical score are uniformly serviceable and generic. I give this project credit for decent aesthetic appearance and humane ambitions, but unfortunately cannot endorse such egregious posturing. I never felt a single true moment that made me forget I was watching a contrived scene meant to stir sentiment without sentience, and therefore constantly felt disengaged by its labored desire to be loved.
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The Zookeeper's Wife should be a film being talked about for end of year awards recognition but this pretty, yet unfortunately heartless drama fails to connect us properly to the plight of zoo managing couple Antonina and Jan Zabinski, who during the course of World War 2 risked their lives to save 100's of Jewish citizens escape the clutches of the invading German forces after their beloved zoo was bombed to pieces and taken over by Hitler's army in Warsaw.
It's a fascinating and seemingly not well-known true story that should be ripe for the big screen, much like classic World War 2 big screen pictures like The Pianist, Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas and even Schindler's List but Caro and her team fail to ever ignite the story of the Zabinski's to the levels it deserved.
Things start out promising enough as we're introduced to zoo life in peaceful Poland before war breaks out but Caro and her cast that's headlined by what could be normally ace actress Jessica Chastain's worst lead performance as the kind hearted Antonina and another terrible Daniel Bruhl turn as nefarious Nazi zoologist Lutz Heck (that seems to be his by now type casted role), can't make things work.
With Chastain's distracting Polish accent in the forefront, poorly established scenes of the Zabinski's and their interactions with their house guests and just a general sense that we're never getting the best out of what the story should be delivering, The Zookeeper's Wife ends up being an experience that leaves us feeling rather empty, even though we clearly understand that what was done was nothing short of heroic and heart-warming.
Final Say –
Bringing a worthy true story to the big screen, The Zookeeper's Wife is a polished production that has failed to bring the passion and heart the story deserved. With a misguided Chastain performance at the forefront and little support from the ensemble as a whole, Caro's film is a disappointment and one of the year's biggest wastes of potential.
2 food scrap bins out of 5
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A wasted opportunity by soap opera-like direction on a feature filmThe most obvious is how unnatural the imposed accent while speaking English feels. It constantly takes the viewer's focus away from the actor's performances, and makes nearly every scene feel awkward and like it is made for a children's movie, which is in stark contrast to the main theme of the film.
Most importantly, the directing of the film is soap opera-like, where the characters constantly have to verbally express their thoughts and emotion, and explain situations through scripted dialogue, instead of letting good performances and good direction convey them. In way too many scenes, I found myself thinking about how more impactful the scene would have been if some dialogue was cut. In many cases this was so brutally obvious, it felt like a child was directing this film.
Case in point: A woman puts her son to bed and when she goes to close the window curtains observes something atrocious take place outside. The atrocity itself and the woman's reaction are enough to impact the audience. But then we are treated with the dialogue 'Mama, who's shooting?' 'Mama, they're shooting!' --> cries in mama's shoulder. This is basic stuff here, we know they are shooting, we just saw it. The only thing this next dialogue contributes to is to dilute the feeling of the scene. And this thing goes on throughout the film, where things happen and then people talk about the things we already saw happen.
I literally have seen better directing in the The Bold and the Beautiful! At the end, it just bores and leaves the audience unengaged. Except if you're my grandma. What a wasted opportunity!
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So from what I've been able to read - the film is a fair summary of a true story. Warsaw Zoo bombed at the start of WWII, zoo converted to a pig farm, zoo director and his wife hide Jews who have escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto, war ends and (spoiler - so I won't go there).
Production values seem authentic. Story is sound. Doesn't jump off the screen and grab you by the throat. Still - worth a watch.
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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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for all the bad reviews of the movie I liked it. A decent storyline, unsure how much was fact or not, but played well. Predictable of course. I love Jessica Chastain, she's talented and beautiful. Good things to come from her. She played well snuggling all the baby animals. She can cry on cue which always helps in a movie like this. Can't really put my finger on what I didn't like about the film. I wouldn't have seen it in the theater. But it was entertaining to watch on a rainy day. Yes I cried at the end, of course I did. When you have a horrible war picture you have to wrap it up in a nice neat pretty bow at happy ending. Like I said, Predictable.
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First of all, the strength of love and kindness shown not only towards humans but also to animals is very powerfully shown. That is the strongest trademark of the movie. The immense risk taken by both wife and husband, Antonina and Jan to protect some Jews is depicted fairly strong in the story line. A powerful theme of empathy towards those hiding in the basement has worked out well. Jessica Chastain doing the role of Antonina is clearly the winner of the best character here. She lives in her character like a fish in the water and stands tall among other actors. How she handles the romantic advancements of Lutz while not antagonizing him in order to hide the secrets and safeguard the basement refugees is exemplary. Johan acting as Jan is doing a great job too. His character is a strong pillar to Antonina's character building.
However there were some flaws. Losing momentum in some scenes and characters where the flow becomes faulty and with some voids. Basically it's a problem within the script, so the script writer has not done a proper job. I also attribute those to poor editing and directing rather than to acting. Many times, particularly in the last 30 – 40 minutes, the connection between the scenes was very weak. Scenes changed quite abruptly, not linking to the next frame thus losing the momentum. For e.g. how did Jan got involved with an underground group to fight with Nazis was not clear and the sequences leading to that was not shown at all. Whether Antonina knew about it or not, is rather confusing too. Also, how some workers still remaining in the zoo amidst so much of war chaos and Nazi bombing and invasions has not been created credibly. Given the ruthlessness of Nazis, the lackluster attitude of Lutz towards Antonina and her family when he found the secrets is very questionable. And when Jan confronts Antonina with a suspicion of an affair between she and Lutz, her reactions were not credible, because she didn't really wanted to be Lutz's secret lover. Yet she doesn't tell it to Jan strong enough, except in a flash. And how the couple afforded to feed hundreds of people in a secret tunnel is a big question very badly unanswered!
Yet with all that, I find the movie a positive one.You get excellent acting by almost everyone. Needless to re-iterate how well Jessica, Johan and Daniel do their jobs. Music is serene and allure, that captures the poignant setting of the era. Cinematography is one of the best I've seen recently. The chaos of the zoo after the Nazi bombing has been captured brilliantly where the animals were running amok all over the city. Those few minutes must been a real challenge to film, with real animals, but both director Caro and cameraman Andrij have done a great job there.
It is not a great movie. It is not a perfect movie. But it is a movie that enhance and re-affirm your faith in humanity. Strengthen your belief that humans are the most valuable thing on earth. Antonina and Jan shows us that no matter what happens to their life, when it comes to saving a human life, they would do it. And they did save as many lives as they could. That is what inspires me most about this movie.
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We don't need to see animals being blown up or girls being raped to know these things happened and were horrible. I don't find graphic images of such things 'entertaining' anyway so I appreciated the lack of shock and horror. Instead the writers and director effectively allude to the horror without abusing me, the viewer. Some will say the movie is a sanitized view of WWII and they would be right. But it didn't diminish the impact of the story, which is the entire point of the film.
The story is one of kindness, bravery, and resilience in the face of Nazi evil. It is simply told in a linear fashion. The movie is well filmed and well acted. As entertainment goes it's good. As far as 'message', it's as deep as the viewer wants it to be. I found myself thinking, 'What would I do in a similar situation?' And if I find myself asking myself that question rather than turning away I call that successful story-telling. A good movie doesn't need to beat up the audience to drive home it's point.
So, mostly I just wanted to provide a review applauding the restraint of the movie maker. For too long I've had little choice in movies I'd want to watch since so many of them feature explosions, gunplay, graphic scenes of murder and rape, gratuitous use of obscenity, profanity, and vulgarity, and rarely give me credit for having any kind of discernment as they beat me over the head with some heavy-handed 'message' usually about something with which I completely disagree. 'The Zookeeper's Wife' doesn't employ any of these tired, ugly devices. I didn't once feel manipulated. It's not a perfect movie but it was entertaining and left me with plenty to ponder and talk about with others.
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| The Zookeeper's Wife | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Niki Caro |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Angela Workman |
| Based on | The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Harry Gregson-Williams |
| Cinematography | Andrij Parekh |
| Edited by | David Coulson |
| |
| Distributed by | Focus Features |
| |
| 126 minutes[2] | |
| Country |
|
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million[4][5] |
| Box office | $26.1 million[2] |
The Zookeeper's Wife is a 2017 wardrama film directed by Niki Caro, written by Angela Workman and based on Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book of the same name.[6] The film tells the true story of how Jan and Antonina Żabiński rescued hundreds of Jews from the Germans by hiding them in their Warsaw zoo during World War II.[7][Note 1] It stars Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl and Michael McElhatton.
The film had its world premiere on March 8, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland, the location of the story, followed by its US premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California, on March 12, 2017. The film was released in the United States on March 31, 2017, by Focus Features, and by Universal Pictures International in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2017. It received mixed reviews from critics but a positive response from audiences and grossed $26 million worldwide.[9][10][11]
- 4Production
- 6Reception
Plot[edit]
Dr. Jan Żabiński (Johan Heldenbergh) is director of the Warsaw Zoo, one of the largest in 1930s Europe, assisted by his wife, Antonina (Jessica Chastain).
On September 1, 1939, the aerial bombardment of Warsaw and Invasion of Poland commences. Antonina and her son Ryszard (Timothy Radford and later, Val Maloku) barely survive. As Polish resistance collapses, Dr. Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl), head of the Berlin Zoo and Adolf Hitler's chief zoologist and Jan's professional rival, visits the zoo while Jan is away. He offers to house the prized animals until after the war, later returning with Nazi soldiers to shoot the rest. He develops a romantic interest in Antonina.
The Jews of Warsaw are forced into the Ghetto. The Żabińskis‘ Jewish friends, Maurycy Fraenkel (Iddo Goldberg) and his partner Magda Gross (Efrat Dor), seek a safe place for a friend's insect collection. Antonina offers to shelter Magda. Knowing they can be executed for helping Jews, Jan and Antonina decide to use the zoo to save more lives.
They seek out Heck to propose turning the abandoned zoo into a pig farm to feed the German occupying forces, secretly hoping to bring food to the Ghetto. Heck, in need of a new site for his experiments in recreating aurochs as a symbol of the Reich,[Note 2] agrees.
Jan collects garbage from the Ghetto for the pigs and sees Jews starving. He begins working with the Underground Army to transport Jews to safehouses throughout the country. Jews are hidden in the zoo’s cages, tunnels, and inside the Żabińskis’ house. After some trepidation, Antonina agrees to help.
The Żabińskis continue smuggling Jews out of the Ghetto. In 1942, the Germans begin deporting Jews to death camps. Jan has no choice but to help load them into cattle cars under the Germans' watch.
In 1943, two women rescued by Jan and disguised as Aryans by Antonina are executed in a Warsaw street. Several months later, after a failed uprising, the Germans plan to liquidate the Ghetto on Hitler's birthday, also the first night of Passover. While the hidden Jews mournfully celebrate a secret Passover Seder, the Germans burn the Ghetto, killing those inside.
Several months later, Antonina gives birth to a baby girl, whom Ryszard names Teresa. As Heck's attraction to Antonina intensifies, she struggles to fend him off while guarding the secret 'guests.' Jan participates in the Warsaw uprising and is captured; Antonina fears him dead.
The Zookeeper's Wife Film Online 2017 Hd
In January 1945, as Soviet troops force the Germans to retreat, the enemy begins evacuating Warsaw. Antonina seeks Heck's help to find Jan, but he refuses and accuses her of resistance activity, attacking her in a sexual rage. She confesses that he repulses her, and Heck realizes she has duped him. Antonina helps her guests escape. Magda takes baby Teresa with her as Antonina hides Ryszard in the basement. Heck arrives in a fury with his men, discovering the secret drawings on the basement walls: Stars of David, dates, and guests drawn with animal faces.
Heck threatens to shoot Ryszard, ignoring Antonina’s pleas as he drags her son away. A shot rings out and Antonina collapses. Ryszard returns unharmed, and Heck leaves the zoo for good. Antonina and Ryszard join the march out of Warsaw, bringing a rabbit and one of Heck's young bison. As they leave their home and the city is liberated, they release the bison into the woods.
Four months after the Nazi surrender, Warsaw begins rebuilding. Antonina, Ryszard and baby Teresa return to find the damaged zoo still standing, along with Jerzyk, their loyal zookeeper. Jan returns home, having survived a prison camp.
In the film's final moment, the Żabińskis paint Stars of David on all the cages in the zoo.
An epilogue reveals that the Żabińskis saved 300 people. Lutz Heck returned to Berlin, where his zoo was destroyed by Allied bombings, and his efforts to recreate aurochs failed. The Żabińskis were recognized by Israel (Yad Vashem) for their righteous acts and defiance against the Germans.[13] The Żabińskis rebuilt the Warsaw Zoo, which remains open to this day.
Cast[edit]
- Jessica Chastain as Antonina Żabińska
- Johan Heldenbergh as Jan Żabiński
- Daniel Brühl as Lutz Heck
- Michael McElhatton as Jerzyk
- Iddo Goldberg as Maurycy Fraenkel
- Efrat Dor as Magda Gross
- Shira Haas as Urszula
- Val Maloku as Ryszard Żabiński
- Timothy Radford as Young Ryszard Żabiński
- Martha Issová as Regina Kenigswein
- Goran Kostić as Mr. Kinszerbaum
- Arnošt Goldflam as Janusz Korczak
Historical context[edit]
The Zookeeper's Wife is based on Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book of the same name, which relied heavily on the diaries of Antonina Żabińska, published in Poland as Ludzie i zwierzęta (translated as: People and Animals) (1968). In key aspects of historical context, the screenplay follows the story of Antonina and her husband, Jan, closely. Both worked at the Warsaw Zoo. Antonina helped her husband who was the director of the zoo. Animals were part of their family's life, and the devastation that resulted from the attack on Warsaw and the subsequent pillaging of the zoo is well documented. The actions of Lutz Heck and his animal breeding experiments were also a matter of historical record, although the intimate relationship of the protagonist, Antonina and the antagonist, Heck, is exaggerated. However, the defiance of Nazi occupation and ultimately, the rescue of over 300 Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto were depicted accurately. The contributions and participation of the Żabinski children, Ryszard and Teresa (credited as Theresa in the film) were also notable.[8]
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
In September 2010, it was announced that Angela Workman was adapting Diane Ackerman's non-fiction book, The Zookeeper's Wife.[14] On April 30, 2013, Jessica Chastain was attached to play the titular role as Antonina Żabińska, while Niki Caro signed on to direct the film.[15] On August 24, 2015, Focus Features acquired the US rights to the film, and Daniel Brühl and Johan Heldenbergh signed on to star in it.[16]
Filming[edit]
Filming began with the animals on September 9, 2015, and principal photography with the actors began on September 29, 2015, in Prague, Czech Republic.[17][18] Suzie Davies served as the production designer, Andrij Parekh as the director of photography, and Bina Daigeler as the costume designer.[19] Filming ended on November 29, 2015.[20]
Release[edit]
The Zookeeper's Wife had its world premiere on March 8, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland, and its US premiere at the Cinequest Film Festival on March 12, 2017.[21] The film was released in the United States on March 31, 2017 and was released in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2017.[22] It premiered in Spain at the Barcelona-Sant Jordi International Film Festival on April 22, 2017.[23] It also premiered in France at the 43rd Deauville Film Festival on September 7, 2017.[24]
A special screening was held at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC on March 22, 2017, with a panel discussion including speakers Diane Ackerman, Jessica Chastain, Niki Caro and Angela Workman.[25][26] Prior to the film's release, Focus Features partnered with the International Rescue Committee to screen the film in cities across the country, including a special screening at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California, and a special screening in New York City, with a panel of speakers which included Chastain, Caro and Workman. The New York screening occurred on behalf of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, and was hosted by activist Steven Goldstein. The film speakers were joined by Sarah O'Hagan of the International Rescue Committee. The evening's topic of discussion was the rescue of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, and the current refugee crisis in Europe.[27]
The film began running on HBO on December 23, 2017.[28]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The Zookeeper's Wife grossed $17.6 million in the United States and Canada and $8.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $26.1 million, against a production budget of $20 million.[2]
In North America, the film grossed $3.3 million in its opening weekend from 541 theaters (a per-theater average of $6,191), finishing 10th at the box office.[29] It remained the top grossing indie film in its second, third and fourth weeks of release.[30]
The film remained the top grossing specialty film of 2017 in its fifth week of release, with IndieWire praising the film's release strategy, saying: 'Focus’ aggressive push for this Jessica Chastain Holocaust rescue story has paid off with the top result for any specialized audience release since awards season. It won’t hit the level of Woman in Gold two years ago ($33 million), but that’s more of a factor of the steep decline in overall upscale grosses and more competition at the moment than other differences between the two films.'[31] In its eighth and ninth weeks of release, The Zookeeper's Wife was the third highest grossing specialty release of 2017, despite a reduction in its theater count.[32][33] In its tenth week of release, IndieWire said the film 'has been a rare specialized standout this spring.'[34]
The film remained the top-selling war film for the first three months of its home media release.[35]
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 62% based on 169 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, 'The Zookeeper's Wife has noble intentions, but is ultimately unable to bring its fact-based story to life with quite as much impact as it deserves.'[36] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating 'mixed or average reviews'.[37]PostTrak reported that over 90% of audience members gave the film a rating of either 'excellent' or 'very good'.[38]
IndieWire listed The Zookeeper's Wife on its shortlist of best indie films of the year, stating: 'Niki Caro’s fact-based historical drama is a heartbreaker of the highest order, anchored by an understated performance by Jessica Chastain and a series of wrenching dramatic twists that will wring tears out of even the hardest of hearts.'[39]Mick LaSalle, writing for The San Francisco Chronicle, gave the film a 5-star review, saying that it 'grabs us from its first seconds' and that:
The Zookeeper's Wife achieves its grandeur not through the depiction of grand movements, but through its attentiveness to the shifts and flickers of the soul. The war was a great external event, but Caro reminds us that it was experienced internally, by the people and the animals who had to try to live through it.[40]
Kenneth Turan, in the Los Angeles Times, says 'Niki Caro and Jessica Chastain create an emotionally satisfying Zookeeper's Wife'.[41] The AP, the national wire service, says the film 'tells a riveting true story' that is 'both inspiring and comes as a welcome reminder in this time of uncertainty that even in the face of astonishing evil, humanity and goodness can also rise to the occasion.'[42] Jacob Soll in The New Republic heralded the film as the 'first feminist Holocaust film'.[43]
In a negative review, Variety's Peter Debruge said, 'There’s no nice way to put it in this case, but The Zookeeper’s Wife has the unfortunate failing of rendering its human drama less interesting than what happens to the animals — and for a subject as damaging to our species as the Holocaust, that no small shortcoming.'[44] In contrast, Variety's Kristopher Tapley wrote that the film deserved consideration as an Oscar contender.[45]
Stephen Holden of The New York Times said the film 'was like 'Schindler's List with pets,' writing that it was 'so timid and sanitized it almost feels safe for children.'[46]
Polish reviewers expressed a strong positive response to the film, as it spoke to their history. The Krakow Post stated: 'On a universal level (the film) is a prayer for sanity and the civilized values of charity, empathy, and humanity in any time which finds itself threatened to be ruled by mass insanity, hatred, and barbarism. Lessons derived from this darkest period of recent history can never be untimely.'[47]
Alexandra Macaaron, in Women's Voices For Change, gave the film a rave review, noting that The Zookeeper's Wife is a rarity among Holocaust films, and is distinguished by its female perspective on war and the struggle to protect every living soul, strangers and friends alike.[48]
Accolades[edit]
At the 2016 Heartland Film Festival, held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana, The Zookeeper's Wife was awarded the 'Truly Moving Picture Award'; emblematic of the festival's goal to 'inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film.'[49][50]
The Zookeeper's Wife was awarded the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2017 Seattle Jewish Film Festival.[51]
In April 2017, Political Film Society USA nominated The Zookeeper's Wife for its PFS award, in the category 'Human Rights'.[51]
| List of Accolades | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Heartland Film Festival 2017[52] | Truly Moving Picture Award | Niki Caro | Won |
| Women Film Critics Circle 2017[53] | The Invisible Woman Award | Jessica Chastain | Nominated |
| Women Film Critics Circle 2017[53] | Best Woman Storyteller (Screenwriting Award) | Angela Workman | Nominated |
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^In 1968, the state of Israel honored both Antonina and Jan as 'Righteous Amongst the Nations'.[8]
- ^While Heck is accurately portrayed as taking part in the pillaging of the Warsaw Zoo, his aurochs experiments were not conducted in Warsaw, but at the Berlin Zoological Garden.[12]
References[edit]
- ^'The Zookeeper's Wife'. Czech Film Commission (in Czech). Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ abc'The Zookeeper's Wife (2017).'Box Office Mojo. Retrieved: July 22, 2018.
- ^'Filmu Úkryt v zoo nabízí silný příběh z druhé světové války'. Blesk.cz. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^'The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)'. The Numbers. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^Campbell, Christopher (11 December 2017). 'The Disaster Artist' and 'I, Tonya' make their mark in an otherwise poor year for biographical movies'. Film School Rejects. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
- ^'Overview: 'The Zookeeper's Wife' (2016).'Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: April 1, 2017.
- ^Ackerman 2007, p. 2.
- ^ ab'The Zookeeper's Wife Movie vs the True Story of Antonina Zabinski'. History vs Hollywood. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^'Box Office: Boss Baby Bumps Beast From Number One'. Rotten Tomatoes. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- ^Brueggemann, Tom. ''Wonder Woman' Sends Indie Box Office Straight to Hades - IndieWire'. www.indiewire.com.
- ^Brooks, Brian; Brooks, Brian (2 April 2017). ''The Zookeeper's Wife' Debuts To $3.3M; 'David Lynch' Doc Gets Solid Start – Specialty Box Office'.
- ^Heck 1954, p. 140.
- ^'The Righteous Among The Nations'. Yad Vashem. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^Orange, Bradford Alan (22 September 2010). 'Angela Workman Adapting The Zookeeper's Wife'. MovieWeb. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^Kit, Borys (30 April 2013). 'Jessica Chastain Attached to Star in 'The Zookeeper's Wife' (Exclusive)'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^Sneider, Jeff (14 August 2015). 'Daniel Bruhl to Star in 'The Zookeeper's Wife' With Jessica Chastain (Exclusive)'. The Wrap. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^'The Zookeeper's Wife Starring Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl to Shoot in Prague'. Film New Europe. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^Daniels, Nia (9 September 2015). 'Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl film in Czech Republic'. KFTV.com. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^Evry, Max. 'Jessica Chastain begins production in Prague on 'The Zookeeper’s Wife'.'comingsoon.net, October 19, 2015. Retrieved: October 20, 2015.
- ^'On the set for 12/4/15.'Archived 2017-06-10 at the Wayback MachineSSN Insider, December 4, 2015. Retrieved: January 1, 2016.
- ^'The Zookeepers Wife.'Cinequest Film Festival. March 8, 2017. Retrieved: March 30, 2017.
- ^Lyttleton, Oliver.'Jessica Chastain vehicle ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ will skip awards season.'The Playlist, June 20, 2016. Retrieved: March 8, 2017.
- ^https://variety.com/2017/film/festivals/richard-gere-joseph-cedar-barcelona-film-fest-norman-1202029802/ Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^https://variety.com/2017/film/global/deauville-film-festival-unveils-lineup-doug-limans-american-made-set-to-open-festival-1202535286/ Retrieved August 24, 2017.
- ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeE7-HkvSk4&t=593s. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^https://www.voanews.com/a/the-zookeepers-wife-looks-at-heroism-persecution/3790489.html. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^http://www.picturemotion.com/2017/03/28/picture-motion-and-the-irc-collaborate-on-the-upcoming-film-the-zookeepers-wife/ Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/25/16688070/netflix-amazon-prime-hbo-now-new-movies-tv-shows-december-2017 Retrieved November 26, 2017.
- ^'‘Boss Baby’ Cleans ‘Beauty And The Beast’s clock with $51M+ Opening; ‘Ghost’ shell-shocked at $20M+.'Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved: April 2, 2017.
- ^Erbland, Kate. 'The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2017 (A Running List) - IndieWire'. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ^Brueggemann, Tom. 'Arthouse Box Office: Niche Ethnic Releases Overpower Specialty Openers - IndieWire'. www.indiewire.com.
- ^http://www.indiewire.com/2017/05/highest-grossing-indie-films-2017-1201764229/ Retrieved May 31, 2017
- ^http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=daily&id=zookeeperswife.htm Retrieved May 31, 2017
- ^http://www.indiewire.com/2017/06/box-office-specialty-indie-3-idiotas-churchill-bandaid-arthouse-1201836769/ Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^https://www.amazon.com/Zookeepers-Wife-Jessica-Chastain/dp/B071RCM1BX/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1506811183&sr=1-2&keywords=the+zookeepers+wife+movie+prime. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- ^'The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)'Rotten Tomatoes (Fandango). Retrieved: December 18, 2018.
- ^'The Zookeeper's Wife reviews'Metacritic (CBS Interactive Inc.). Retrieved: May 3, 2017.
- ^Brooks, Brian (2 April 2017). ''The Zookeeper's Wife' Debuts To $3.3M; 'David Lynch' Doc Gets Solid Start – Specialty Box Office'. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^http://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/best-indie-movies-2017-so-far-get-out-the-big-sick-1201849542/ Retrieved July 4, 2017.
- ^LaSelle, Mick (30 March 2017). ''Zookeeper's Wife' — World War II from inside Warsaw Zoo'. SFGate. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^Turan, Kenneth (30 March 2017). 'Niki Caro and Jessica Chastain create an emotionally satisfying 'Zookeeper's Wife''. LA Times. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ^Behr, Lindsey. [1] Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^Soll, Jacob. [2] Retrieved: April 13, 2017.
- ^Debruge, Peter. 'Film review: ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’.'Variety, March 20, 2017. Retrieved: March 31, 2017.
- ^https://variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/midway-oscars-forecast-indies-streaming-platforms-1202477799/ Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^Holden, Stephen. 'Review: In ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife,’ the Holocaust seems tame.'The New York Times, March 30, 2017. Retrieved: March 31, 2017.
- ^http://www.krakowpost.com/14750/2017/08/review-zookeepers-wife-film Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^https://womensvoicesforchange.org/the-zookeepers-wife-an-extraordinary-true-story-of-humanity.htm Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^'Heartland Film Festival.'heartlandfilm.org, 2016. Retrieved: April 2, 2017.
- ^'Awards: 'The Zookeeper's Wife' (2017).'IMDb. Retrieved: April 2, 2017.
- ^ abhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt1730768/awards. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^'Truly Moving Picture Award'. Heartland film. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ ab'The 2017 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Nominations'. Next Best Picture. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
Bibliography[edit]
- Ackerman, Diane (2007). The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN978-0-3933-3306-0.
- Heck, Lutz. Animals, My Adventure. London: Methuen, 1954. ISBN978-954-642-235-4.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- The Zookeeper's Wife on IMDb
- The Zookeeper's Wife at the TCM Movie Database