ONE LIFE

ONE LIFE is a powerful true story about a man, Nicholas Winton, played by Anthony Hopkins, who saved hundreds of Jewish children from Hitler’s National Socialist thugs in the late 1930s. ONE LIFE is a very well-made, absorbing movie with a strong morally uplifting worldview, but the movie’s themes are intended for older, mature viewers.

Anthony Hopkins plays Nicholas Winton, known as Nicky. Nicky is a stockbroker who sees the need for helping the Jewish children in Czechoslovakia from the invasion of the Nazis. When he goes to Prague and sees all the young children with their bright eyes, he feels for them. Nicky talks to a Jewish rabbi. However, the rabbi is reluctant to give giving Nicky any information on the Jewish children in town. Nicky tells him a speech about how he’s not a Christian nor a Jew, though he would like to help the children because he sees the need. Finally, the rabbi gives Nicky the information on the children and finds a nonprofit working in the area that will help Nicky.

Together, the team tries to help locate the children in the greatest need and pair them with British families that will take them. When they go to the British government, however, the bureaucracy puts up many hurdles. For instance, they must get visas for each child, medical records, provision limited to 50 pounds per child, and families must commit to fostering the children until they are 17 if the children’s parents die. Despite all the hurdles, Nicky says he can do it and refuses to give up. With his team in Prague, his mother advocating at the British government, and his diligence, the first train leaves with the children to go to Britain.

Will more children be taken to safety, or will Hitler invade Czechoslovakia?

ONE LIFE has a strong moral worldview about caring for the weakest, most tender, the children. The movie is a very beautiful story of sacrificing for those in need. Also, the movie shows a character who’s humble in his work and not doing good works for the recognition they bring.

The movie has one line saying that the main character is a socialist who likes regulation. In this case, this would completely ironic if this person was a socialist, as firstly, the Nazis were the “National Socialist German Workers’ Party” and secondly, the team behind getting the children out had to do things against governmental regulations in order to do good. The regulations were hindering the whole project to help the children. While the German government, the Nazis, where the ones destroying and taking over. Thus, to say that government should be more involved in helping the children actually is counter-productive to achieving the goal.

ONE LIFE is a very well made, entertaining movie. The movie has incredible sets, with excellent acting. The subject matter in ONE LIFE, however, is geared more toward older, mature viewers.