The Zookeeper's Wife - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Zookeeper's Wife

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
World War II was an era that will live in infamy for many reasons, one of the largest being a near successful genocide of a race of people from Europe due to a power mad dictator who came to power due to an apathetic people. While there are countless atrocities committed all over the world, ranging from the monstrosities of North Korea, to the horrific war torn areas of Africa, Hitler’s attempt to systematically wipe out the Jewish race while conquering as much of the known world as humanely possible is something that has been commented on as being one of the biggest world tragedies that we have experienced (partially due to the worldwide participation in the allied forces uses to free humanity from the scourge of Hitler and his allies). Very few of us do not have relatives that either fought in the 2nd World War, or have friends whose relatives were involved at some point. Books, films and all sorts of historical replicants have recreated some of these scenes, ranging from epic films like Schindler’s List (one of the greatest movies ever made), The Diary of Anne Frank and other lesser known ones. One of these lesser known true stories comes penned from Diane Ackerman’s novel of the same name, chronically the efforts of a single Zookeeper and his wife as they struggle to keep as many of Warsaw’s Polish Jews out of harm’s way, in much the same way Schindler himself did.

Antonina (Jessica Chastain) and Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenbergh) run the Warsaw Zoo before the start of World War II, and have become legends in Eastern Europe for their Zoology skills. However, times are uncertain as Hitler and the German government have already annexed Czechoslovakia and Austria, and people are starting to wonder if Poland is to be next. As history has already let us know, Hitler DOES invade Poland in an all-out military offensive and the Polish people are forced to live under German occupation. The Warsaw Zoo is hit in one of the first bombing runs from the Luftwaffe, leaving the place in utter shambles. The remaining animals are shipped off to Germany thanks to a sleazy German Zoologist named Lutz Heck (Daniel Bruhl) who ends up being Hitler’s chief Zoologist.

With nothing left to keep their doors open, Jan and Antonina decide to run the zoo as a pig farm in an effort to keep the place running until the war ends. Feeding the German occupying troops with pork allows for some good will, and allowing Herr Heck in to the zoo to run his breeding experiments gives them some sort of protection. Neither of the two of them are Nazi sympathizers, and the legendary mistreatment of the Polish Jews is something that no sane human can ignore. Even though there is enormous risk, the two zookeepers’ use their underground animal cages to silently house as many Jewish refugees as they can, with Jan smuggling them into the zoo and Antonina quietly keeps them safe and slowly slips them out under the noses of the German forces.

Films and stories about people rescuing Jewish people from the near genocide of their race in the European block have been a staple of World War II stories about as much as American G.I’s kicking Nazi butt are. However, there are very few major stories that are left to tell. Surprisingly enough The Zookeeper’s Wife is a tale that I had actually never heard of. The title car and end credits state that the Zabinski’s rescued over 300 people from the invading forces over the course of the war, and that they spent years under the noses of the Nazis without detecting. A legacy that actually remains today as the Warsaw Zoo was utterly demolished and then rebuilt by them after the war. A zoo that is still standing today.

The movie really has a lot going for it, with Jessica Chastain and Daniel Bruhl giving impeccable performances (I’m sorry, I could watch Jessica Chastain read a math textbook and be entertained by her). There are some truly visceral moments, such as when the young Jewish girl is assaulted (it’s actually handled so tastefully and so discreetly that leaving it up to your imagination is more horrific than if they had shown it on screen), or when Herr Heck and his German cohorts cold bloodedly shoot down the remaining animals in front of the Zabinskis. On the flip side of the coin, the movie is a bit overstuffed and feels like it doesn’t have nearly enough material for a 2 hour plus film. By the hour and 20 minute point things start to feel stretched a bit thin, but by the end of the movie it brings us to that emotional point that we’re all waiting for.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, disturbing images, violence, brief sexuality, nudity and smoking




Video:

Digitally shot using the Arri Alexa cameras and reportedly given a full 4K digital intermediary master, I was a little disappointed that The Zookeeper’s Wife didn’t get a 4K UHD release at all. The glossy cinematography is exceptionally beautiful and would have been perfect for the fledgling format. However, the 1080p Blu-ray is no slouch in any way. The period piece film has been lightly stylized with earthy browns mixed in with a sea of sharp greens and soft blues. The green grasses of the zoo, or the green gate look exceptionally well saturated and tinged with a little bit of a honey color, while the autumn leaves and dusty streets of the Warsaw ghetto are dingy and dirty. Fine detail is usually very very nice looking, although there seems to be a light hazy softness to the image that I couldn’t quite put my finger one. Blacks are solid, with good shadow detail and only minimal washing out thanks to the light haze. I couldn’t detect any other digital artifacts at all and the overall clarity of the digital shoot is exemplary.




Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix for the film is exceptional to say the least. For a drama I would expect some very front heavy usage with lots of dialog, and some mild ambient effects bleeding through. While the track is certainly front heavy at times with the dialog, there is a LOT going on all around you. When the German forces begin their bombing raid near the beginning of the film, the entire soundstage lights up. Explosions rock you back in your seat with impressive LFE, and the surrounds are filled with the noises of falling debris and other activities. Even when the film slows down, the hubbub and craziness of the Warsaw ghetto allows for some incredibly three dimensional moments to occur.


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Extras:

• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of The Zookeeper's Wife
• The Zabinski Family

Final Score: ​

The Zookeeper’s Wife is a touching tale of heroism and bravery in an era that was fraught with incredible peril. The tales of the people who helped the Jews escape from their oppressors during WWII is always a fan favorite, and the film delivers some great performances. The only downside that keeps the film from being truly great is that it tends to offer nothing new to the narratives. It’s a great book and the wonderfully done movie in many ways, but it was stretched out a little too long as it was, and some of the good will is lost in the 2nd ac of the film. Universal’s Blu-ray is well done on both the audio and video front (amazing audio for a drama), and the limited extras are rather informative. While it’s not a perfect WWII move, The Zookeeper’s Wife is a compelling drama that is definitely worth a watch at the very least.




Technical Specifications:

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Bruhl
Directed by: Niki Caro
Written by: Angela Workman (Screenplay), Diane Ackerman (book)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 126 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: July 4th, 2017

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Solid Watch

 

[Todd Anderson]

Nice review, Mike. On the fence about this one...

 

[JimShaw]

Good review

If one like history as I do, this is a good one to get