I would consider myself a sensitive and emotional person, and yet thanks to my knowledge of how films are made I always find it hard to connect to a story on an emotional level. Some films have had a very clear emotional effect on me, whether it is the nostalgia of Spider-Man: No Way Home or the pure glee and joy of Top Gun: Maverick, but these are just a small handful of films. So if another film comes along that makes me shed a tear then it has to be a great film, not just a “good” or “decent” film. That brings me to One Life, a story so riveting and emotionally packed that even though I kind of knew what to expect it still caught me off guard and yes, a tear may have been shed.
The story behind One Life is a rather remarkable one. Nicholas Winton is just a guy who happened to save a lot of Jewish children from the potential threat of the Nazi’s at the start of World War II in Czechoslovakia by sending them to the United Kingdom via train. That’s the thing, he considered himself just a guy and is one of the most selfless people I have ever seen portrayed on the big screen. He didn’t do it to be a hero, and he didn’t do it for the recognition, he did it because it was the right thing to do and he motivated a small team of people in Czechoslovakia to help him, with his Mum at home also aiding the operation.
During the period pieces of the story, Winton is played by Johnny Flynn who has plenty of charisma and a lot of on-screen energy. Flynn makes each scene feel urgent and sporadic as he keeps doing his best at making sure the character never feels like a hero, instead he acts like a normal, regular human. Humanity is the key word here, and we are shown what the crisis really must have felt like with children seen homeless and scared, with families unable to do anything to aid the imminent threat of Nazi occupation. Winton is a hero, even if he won’t admit it, and in the moments in his later years, played by Anthony Hopkins, we see a man who is content knowing he did all he could, but always thinking more could be done. Hopkins shines as Winton and it looks and feels unlike anything he’s done before. You just want to reach through the screen and help him, or better yet hug him.
During the latter half of the film, where we see what effect his actions had on these children and families, we get a more detailed account of just how amazing and impossible this operation was. He saved a lot of children and a lot of lives with the supporting characters all trying to telling Winton just how successful he was. In the final moments of the film the emotions all come pouring out in a performance that feels well earned. Hopkins dials it back, showing us the humanity of the situation and by proving that anyone can do what he did if they put their mind to it. One Life is an inspirational story and an important one too. Films like this remind us why each life is important, including our own, and we have the power to shape other people’s future — not a caped crusader, but a regular, boring person can attempt the impossible.
★★★★★
5/5
Final Verdict:
One Life is a tour-de-force. The whole film is a rollercoaster ride as you feel the tension, the urgency and the importance of this man, Nicholas Winton, and the operation he set out on. Hopkins and Flynn do a tremendous job at capturing the heart and the warmth of Winton, in a compelling biopic that deserves to be seen. The world needs to know his story, and for those who don’t know his name should watch this film and learn something more about the importance of humanity.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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