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It would be difficult not to feel moved by the remarkable true tale of Nicholas Winton, known as the “British Schindler”, as portrayed in the sincere and straightforward manner by screenwriters Nick Drake and Lucinda Coxon, and director James Hawes. This narrative delves into wartime Europe and the lingering impact of the past, as well as highlighting a commendable and influential moment in British television history.
In the 1980s, Anthony Hopkins portrays Winton, a retired stockbroker who is urged by his wife Grete (Lena Olin) to clean out clutter. He then focuses on something he has long desired and feared to revisit: a scrapbook containing information about 669 Czech Jewish children whom he and other humanitarians saved from the Nazis in the late 1930s. This mission involved fundraising, persistently requesting visas from government departments, and arranging foster care, similar to Winton’s own Kindertransport. Johnny Flynn depicts Winton as a young pro-refugee activist, while Helena Bonham Carter impresses with her portrayal of Flynn’s determined mother, Babette, who manages his campaign from London.
Nine trains were used to rescue children and they had to go through Nazi territory to reach Britain. The tension during these scenes was almost unbearable as the Nazi soldiers could turn them back for any reason. Eight of the trains were able to pass through safely due to the British nationality of their rescuers at the time before the war. However, the ninth train was still at the Prague station when news of Germany’s invasion of Poland arrived. Nazi soldiers arrived at the station and the tragedy that followed is a memory that deeply affected Winton.
The local media initially showed no interest in this remarkable document, but it caught the attention of Elisabeth Maxwell, spouse of Robert. She then shared it with Esther Rantzen (portrayed by Samantha Spiro), host of the popular show That’s Life! Rantzen invited the document’s owner onto the show twice, surprising them with a This-Is-Your-Life-style segment. On the second appearance, Rantzen secretly arranged for all audience members to be either adult refugees or their descendants. This could have been a silly and risky plan, but instead it turned out to be a moment of secular grace, reminiscent of a late Shakespeare play. The film portrays this deeply emotional event in British society with a touching and understated drama.
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Source: theguardian.com
