My wife and I recently visited the Schindler Museum and Jewish Quarter while on a visit to Krakow with both of us having an abiding interest in the Holocaust. This heart-warming movie is about the man dubbed the "British Schindler" with Anthony Hopkins playing the title role as a young London stockbroker who, when he learns that the then British government of Neville Chamberlain, in seeking to appease Hitler, has waived through his plans to reclaim for Germany the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. Knowing full well the implications of this, in particular for the Jewish population, the young Winton, played by Johnny Flynn, takes leave of absence from his job to aid the refugee effort on the ground by traveling to Prague. He's immediately struck by the obvious plight of the many young children there and comes up with a plan to take them out of the inevitable harm's way to resettle as many of them as possible in Britain, putting them with willing temporary foster-parents on a hopefully temporary basis until they can be repatriated again.
To do this he's helped immeasurably on the ground by existing relief workers Toby Chadwick and Diane Warriner played by Alex Sharp and Romola Garai and at home by his formidable mother Babette, played by Helena Bonham-Carter who does her considerable thing in spreading the word and convincing Government officials to obtain the visas and permits to allow the children to travel. Of course, when Hitler later invades Poland and triggers World War 2, the Nazis toughen up their attitude to the Jews in particular with obvious implications for the escaping children and the brave individuals helping them in this.
This remarkable story didn't fully come to light until the late 80's when the now retired Mr. Winton, seeking to find a home for the memorabilia he's hoarded on the project ever since, puts his scrapbook in the hands of the wife of the now-disgraced millionaire press-baron Robert Maxwell which snowballs into an emotional appearance by Winton on the popular BBC consumer affairs TV programme "That's Life" presented by Esther Rantzen, in a moment which will likely recall that at the end of "Schindler's List".
Mr Winton, a naturally modest man who never publicised the story, is played with gravitas by Sir Anthony Hopkins. He is well supported in particular by Flynn as his determinedly idealistic younger self, Bonham-Carter as his mother who likewise takes no prisoners in bending senior civil servants to her will and Garai as Warriner, a real tough-cookie, pragmatic foot-soldier operating in the actual danger zone.
The movie, as it makes clear in a note over the end-titles, of course has universal relevance considering the various humanitarian crises displacing millions in different parts of the world today. Whilst it may lack the emotional heft of Spielberg's masterpiece, it nevertheless unfussily and persuasively relates a story we're all the better for knowing about.
To do this he's helped immeasurably on the ground by existing relief workers Toby Chadwick and Diane Warriner played by Alex Sharp and Romola Garai and at home by his formidable mother Babette, played by Helena Bonham-Carter who does her considerable thing in spreading the word and convincing Government officials to obtain the visas and permits to allow the children to travel. Of course, when Hitler later invades Poland and triggers World War 2, the Nazis toughen up their attitude to the Jews in particular with obvious implications for the escaping children and the brave individuals helping them in this.
This remarkable story didn't fully come to light until the late 80's when the now retired Mr. Winton, seeking to find a home for the memorabilia he's hoarded on the project ever since, puts his scrapbook in the hands of the wife of the now-disgraced millionaire press-baron Robert Maxwell which snowballs into an emotional appearance by Winton on the popular BBC consumer affairs TV programme "That's Life" presented by Esther Rantzen, in a moment which will likely recall that at the end of "Schindler's List".
Mr Winton, a naturally modest man who never publicised the story, is played with gravitas by Sir Anthony Hopkins. He is well supported in particular by Flynn as his determinedly idealistic younger self, Bonham-Carter as his mother who likewise takes no prisoners in bending senior civil servants to her will and Garai as Warriner, a real tough-cookie, pragmatic foot-soldier operating in the actual danger zone.
The movie, as it makes clear in a note over the end-titles, of course has universal relevance considering the various humanitarian crises displacing millions in different parts of the world today. Whilst it may lack the emotional heft of Spielberg's masterpiece, it nevertheless unfussily and persuasively relates a story we're all the better for knowing about.