The Zookeeper's Wife Hunting By Shira Kusak

Summary:

The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017), is set in Warsaw, Poland 1939. It follows the story of Antonina Zabinski (Jessica Chastain) animal lover and wife to Dr. Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenburgh). Together with their son they run the Warsaw Zoo and care for all the creatures with love. However, when the Nazis invade Poland the Zoo is shut down and taken over by Nazi head Zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl). Antonina – full of compassion for all creatures – can not sit idly by while the Nazis wreak terror on the Jewish community. She and her family make the ultimate sacrifice to help out in this time of need. One action of helping out their Jewish friends leads to protecting countless others from the Nazi’s path of destruction. However, they are

On top of this, I appreciated the use of recurring motifs such as animals, and paint, and the theme of sacrificing yourself for the greater good. One character that I felt especially connected to was Ursula played by Shira Haas. Ursula is a young girl around my age (16) who Antonina and Jan rescue from the Warsaw ghetto. Although the movie does not explicitly show it, it is implied that she has been sexually assaulted and beaten by Nazi guards. This scene made me really emotional because if I had been born during the Holocaust, I am sure similar incidents would have happened to me and my family. Additionally, this scene made me wonder if my ancestors had to go through this, and what kinds of antisemitism they

As the heroine of the story, she risks everything for her family and all the people she is keeping safe in the zoo. I felt very connected to her because instead of taking the easy way out and turning a blind eye to the Jews' peril, she does the hard thing and risks her own livelihood for that of others. I found it interesting that she was able to go through with her plan and save so many Jews right under the Nazi’s noses. She is able to do this as she gains the trust of Nazi zoologist Lutz Heck, but she has to endure sexual harassment from him to keep her family and rescue mission safe. Despite this, Antonina always finds the good in everyone and her compassion is clearly reciprocated throughout the movie with the motif of animals. Antonina loves and helps all the animals she cares for and they love her back. Animals lack biases or judgments and love all people the same. This approach to the world highly contrasts that of Nazis like Heck. Animals are seen several times in the movie as comforting figures in traumatic times. For example, Antonina gives Ursula a bunny that is able to comfort her and help her heal after her assault. The terrific acting and thoughtful reenactment of a real historical event make this movie compelling and emotional. Overall, I would definitely recommend this powerful movie to anyone wishing to learn more about the Holocaust, or looking for a well-executed, educational