Anthony Hopkins’ ONE LIFE Honors Man Who Saved Children from Holocaust
By Movieguide® Contributor
Anthony Hopkins explained how his upcoming movie about a man who saved hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi Germany is relevant today.
ONE LIFE tells the story of Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker who visits Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Nazi takeover and finds a heart for the thousands of Jewish children living in fear. Working with a local rabbi in Prague, he sets up a team to smuggle as many children out of the country as possible before the border closes.
Winton’s story had long been kept a secret but was finally told to the public through a BBC documentary nearly 50 years later. In 2003, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Hopkins did not know Winton’s story when he was first approached for the movie and initially turned the role down.
“I was somewhere else…I’m not a big viewer of television, so I must have missed it,” Hopkins told Entertainment Weekly, revealing that he didn’t join the project until James Hawes was hired to direct the movie.
One of the most impactful parts of the story for Hopkins is that, although it was an incredible success, “operation kindertransport” suffered a chilling tragedy when one of the trains was captured by Nazi soldiers.
“Neville Chamberlin, our prime minister, declared war against Hitler, and Hitler closed down the borders. And that was the end of that,” Hopkins explained. “There was that regret [of losing that train of children]. But what [Winton] did was make sure that other people had the credit, the people on the ‘kindertransport.’ …And that’s what I admired about him.”
Despite the tragedy, ONE LIFE is lifted by a redemptive story about the impact that sacrifice can have on countless people. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:
ONE LIFE is a very well made, entertaining movie. The movie has incredible sets, with excellent acting. Because of the nature of the content, the movie is geared more toward older, mature viewers. ONE LIFE has a morally uplifting, redemptive worldview about caring for the weakest and most vulnerable among us, children. ONE LIFE tells a very beautiful story of sacrificing for those in need. Also, the movie’s hero is humble in his work and isn’t doing good works for the recognition.
The movie also features the BBC reveal of Winton’s efforts. During its premiere, the audience was full of people who owed their lives to Winton and the kindertransport. The audience shot for the movie was full of the same, something that touched Hopkins.
“They all wanted to be in the movie, so that left me with no tasks at all, no acting required, as they say,” Hopkins said. “I found it very moving when [host] Esther Rantzen said, ‘Anyone here who owes their life to Nicholas Winton, [stand up].’ I thought what a tremendous burden that must’ve been for him…a blessing and a burden of how would you shoulder that responsibility.”
“Do you run away with your ego? He was very generous to other people who were involved in the kindertransport,” he continued. “He made sure they had the credit, and that was his gift to humanity: his kindness, compassion, and pain, when he lost the last train which vanished.”
Winton’s incredible story of sacrifice and caring for the vulnerable comes to theaters on March 15.
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