Moving war-time biopic celebrates the best of humanity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
Characters are seen smoking. There is also some drinking including four people doing shots a at a bar. But no drunkenness is depicted. An elderly character is seen drinking at home alone.
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Much of the the horrors of WWI play off-screen. But the imminent threat and fear of those being persecuted is prominent throughout. Families are torn apart in desperate bids to survive and are seen living in poor conditions in refugee camps. There is a depiction of an abandoned baby and reference to children and parents being beaten and going missing, feared dead. Suicide reference. An intense scene involves a train being hijacked by Nazis -- people, including children are forcibly pulled off the train. Antisemitic behavior displayed and references to Auschwitz and other concentration camps.
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Some use of "bollocking," "s--t," "damn," "twit," "crikey," and "bloody." Also "God's sake" and "Christ" used as exclamations. Antisemitic remarks such as a note saying "Refujews go home" and two Nazis saying "Why would England want all these Jews?"
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Nicholas Winton is an inherently good person and incredibly humble with it. He shows great compassion and levels of courage as he tries to rescue as many children as he can from the Nazis and is selfless with it -- refusing to take any credit for his heroics. He has a small team of others who share the same principles, and also risk their lives to help others. They are willing to bend the rules somewhat, but for the greater good.
Positive Messages
a lot
Decency, compassion, courage, perseverance, and integrity are all prominent themes, even during times of war. Standing up to tyranny and doing what you can to help those in need. However, the film also touches upon accepting that you can't help everyone and not to blame yourself if that proves to be the case.
Diverse Representations
a little
The film is the true story of hundreds of young refugees, many Jewish, being saved from Nazi persecution in the outbreak of World War II. The story is told from the perspective of a White male, Nicholas Winton, and leans into something of a White saviour narrative, although Winton claims to also have Jewish grandparents. His motives are also questioned by a Jewish man, which feels like the filmmaker's way of acknowledging this potential criticism. There are no characters of color apart from a Black reporter only seen in the background. Female characters are given more agency, with a number showing courage and being integral in the rescue missions. A young child is seen with a large birthmark on their face that goes without mention and helps normalize such representation on-screen. The antisemitism shown by the Nazis (and others) lingers throughout. An elderly man who, for the large part, is shown to be stoic and unwilling to show emotion, eventually breaks down displaying a vulnerability not always shown in movies.
Parents need to know that One Life is a British drama based on the true story of Nicholas Winton who saved hundreds of children from the Nazis in the outbreak of World War II. Set across two timelines -- Johnny Flynn plays Winton in the 1930s and Anthony Hopkins plays him in the1980s -- the film celebrates the goodness in humanity, despite the horrors of war and antisemitism at the time. Winton shows immense courage and striking compassion, while never looking for thanks or plaudits. Although the movie strays away from any actual graphic violence, threat is a constant, and families are shown being torn apart. In one scene, Nazi soldiers physically pull children and adults off a train, and there are constant references to people going missing, presumed dead. The refugees are seen in camps with poor conditions, while there are also references to Auschwitz and other concentration camps. During the 1930s scenes, characters are seen smoking, which is reflective of the time period. Language includes occasional use of "s--t," "bloody," and "Christ" as an exclamation. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
This is a must see movie because of it’s moral clarity and it's implied question to every viewer: how will you live your " one life?"
It is the true story of Nicholas Winton, who pioneered the Kindertransport, trains that transported 669 Jewish children to safety during the Holocaust.
The theme of this film is a gentler version of 'Schindler's List’ ( Spielberg)/ Sir Anthony Hopkins plays Nicholas Winton, who risked his life to get children out of Czechoslovakia. The message of this film is essential since the state of Israel is once again in the headlines.
The movie begins with Winton as a old man. Hopkins shows us a man who has carried grief his whole life. The incredible acting of Hopkins shows us a man who is nearly crippled by remorse for those he failed to save. The film moves back and forth in time showing both the older Winton, and the younger hero “Nicky” Winton.
The young Winton visits Prague to help get out political dissdents. Instead, he is deeply moved by the thousands of children starving and freezing in the refugee camp. With the help of his mother (beautifully played by Helena Bonham Carter), they “ move mountains” to get the British citizens to help and get children on the train. There are many “ Sophie’s choice” moments in this film.
Winton is a humble, ordinary man. One of the final scenes of the movie takes place when Winton is finally being recognized on the the British TV show “ That’s Life “. Winton had never contacted or heard from any of the children he saved, and presumes they are scattered and forgotten. Unbeknownst to him, the TV show invited people who were Kindertransport children to be in the audience. The TV host asks anyone in the audience whose life was saved by Winton to stand up. Tears of joy will be shed. The entire audience stands.
“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”.
What's the Story?
ONE LIFE tells the remarkable true story of Nicholas Winton who risked everything to help save Jewish children in the lead up to World War II. Leaving behind his supportive mother (Helena Bonham Carter) in England, Winton (Johnny Flynn) sets off alone to Czechoslovakia and after witnessing families being forced out of their homes into hopeless refugee camps, makes it his mission to rescue hundreds of children to the safety of the British Isles. Fifty years later, Winton (Anthony Hopkins) still carries this heavy burden and decides to try and tell the story of those children.
This British biographical drama survives off its incredible story. One Life is set across two timelines, with Flynn and Hopkins both playing the central role of Winton, a man who saved hundreds of children from the Nazis in the run up to WWII. Many people with have seen the viral clip of an elderly Winton being surprised by several of these children -- now adults -- during a British television broadcast in the 1980s. It's a profoundly moving TV moment. The issue with James Hawes' film, however, is that while Winton's selflessness was nothing short of incredible, the actual act itself lacks dramatic tension. Most of what Winton achieved, and how he went about it, was largely paperwork. It was securing the right documents to ensure the majority Jewish children were able to leave Czechoslovakia and make it to England safely. This takes nothing away from Winton and the film is a worthy tribute to a great man. But as a movie it just lacks a sense of cinematic intensity. The performance by Hopkins is wonderful, though, in a role you just feel was made for this treasured actor.
MPAA explanation:
thematic material, smoking and some language
Last updated:
August 18, 2024
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