Jessica Chastain effectively carries The Zookeeper’s Wife, grounding the visually over-indulgent movie.
Based on the non-fiction book by Diane Ackerman, The Zookeeper’s Wife stars Jessica Chastain and is directed by Niki Caro (the director of the upcoming live-action adaptation of Mulan). Antonina (Chastain) and her husband run the Warsaw Zoo. Once the Germans invade Poland, Antonina and her husband decide to sneak Jews out of the Warsaw Ghetto, to hide them until a safer place can be found.
Related: Check out this exclusive Hypable interview with The Zookeeper’s Wife author, Diane Ackerman
On the surface, much about The Zookeeper’s Wife is remarkable. As always, Chastain does a phenomenal job, and it is interesting seeing her play a much quieter, softer role than usual. Chastain leads the cast that has all-around strong performances. The cinematography is also beautiful, showing stunning scenes with the animals. Thankfully, the cast also uses various Eastern European accents, reflective of whichever country the character is from, instead of using vaguely foreign British-like accents, as has been the case for many other movies, and especially those centering on the Holocaust.
The Zookeeper’s Wife ends up feeling a little rushed, despite its strange pacing. The movie moves slowly, taking its time, but does not manage to break the surface. There are so many plot points that are important to the story, but not enough time to give them full justice. A lot of time is devoted to admiring the animals and exploring Antonina’s relationship with her husband. This is a significant element, but it ultimately detracts from the plot.
There is nothing overtly problematic in the portrayal of the couple’s relationship, but its prominence in the film feels unimportant. Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh do not have the greatest chemistry. Daniel Brühl plays a creepy Nazi once again, and despite his strong performance, he is given too much screen-time.
It seems like the greatest problem in The Zookeeper’s Wife is it does not know how to divide its time. It almost always devotes its time to the wrong element, taking away focus from the central Holocaust story.
The Zookeeper’s Wife feels like it is holding back. Not all holocaust movies need to be tearjerkers, but they should not be easy to watch. The Zookeeper’s Wife feels like it is doing a disservice to the subject matter. It glosses over the horrific realities, favoring aestheticism. A movie can still be beautiful and brutal, and The Zookeeper’s Wife is not doing anyone any favors by concealing the suffering.
Overall, The Zookeeper’s Wife misses tapping into emotions. As the camera shies away from brutality, the entire film shies away from striking nerves. It is never given the time to explore the themes and concepts it introduces. It is interesting how films often affect audiences greater through an animal’s death over a human’s. The Zookeeper’s Wife should explore this concept to try to understand why. However, the film ends up feeling disjointed, allowing the animals to seem like they exist in their own movie.
The Zookeeper’s Wife is interesting in how it is told from a female perspective, which is fairly rare for major Holocaust films. It places importance on compassion, giving it an even more unique viewpoint. However, it is disappointing that The Zookeeper’s Wife feels shallow overall, never fully unpacking anything emotional, keeping the audience at a distance.
Grade: B