Film: One Life
Today, New Year's Day, they decided to screen a couple of new films - the higher rated of which was One Life! Stars Anthony Hopkins as the (older version of the) real-life Nicholas Winton, who organised Kindertransport from Czechoslovakia, before the German invasion (something I can't imagine being allowed to happen these days, with the UK so anti-refugees). Lena Olin plays his wife. Also stars Helena Bonham Carter as his mother, in flashbacks. I had to go to the Odeon for a decent showing time, though, but at least that meant I'd avoid city centre traffic!
Handy I checked Tesco opening times before I left - we needed a few things, and most weren't open. There was an open one on my route, so that was OK. And it was such a luxury, not to be stuck for half an hour in traffic - also, going that way, I passed Certa petrol station, which turned out to have absolutely the cheapest petrol I've seen in ages! I made a mental note to get some on the way out - on the way in, I didn't need it yet, and it was on the wrong side of the road.
Got to the cinema in decent time - I'd eaten just before I left, so didn't fancy a snack, and went straight to have my ticket scanned. And I might never get over how handy Google Wallet is - not only does it allow you to find your ticket more easily, but it remembers when you need it, and up pops a reminder, shortly beforehand! Pity finding the screen wasn't so easy - the numbering makes no sense, and there is no signposting. To be fair, there's only one direction to go in, so all I had to do was keep walking. Screen 4 turned out to be right at the end - past, for instance, Screens 7 & 8.. and when I went in, some of the letters indicating the rows were missing. I had to work out which my row was, from the rows I could read them on. Interestingly, they start counting from the back, here. Lovely, comfy seats, though.
One of the trailers was for Priscilla, which looks interesting too - about Priscilla Presley, with the newest heartthrob, Jacob Elordi, as Elvis. Directed by Sofia Coppola, it focuses on their tumultuous marriage, and was the other new release today. One to watch..
Well, back to One Life, which starts with a set of captions, setting the scene. It's explained to us how Hitler annexed the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia), in return for which, he promised not to start a war, and not to invade anywhere else. So the other parties to the Munich Pact decided to take him at his word. We all know that wasn't how it panned out, of course - and it did remind me of something I read recently, about how Putin is counting on exactly the same thing, assuming that Europe will do anything to avoid a war. Including ignoring his invasion of Ukraine. Plus ca change..
Cut to an elderly Nicholas Winton, poring over old records, at home - the radio is on in the background, and a news reporter is describing a refugee protest against deportation. Obviously the filmmakers making a point there - and indeed, again, I have to say plus ca change..
I thought the film started off quite coldly. But as it progressed, and we saw the continuing story of the younger man, and how he became passionate about helping the children who had fled the Sudetenland, the sheer horror of the real-life situation quite overwhelmed me, and I could see the value of downplaying the emotion in the film. Anyway - to a large extent, this is a film that extols the virtues of paperwork! You see, he was a stockbroker, and came out to help the British refugee centre in Prague because they valued his skills with paperwork. And in the end, it's paperwork that saves these children - the British government, then as now, imposed stringent conditions on the granting of visas to the children, including that each individual child must have a separate visa application, and a foster family in the UK ready to receive them. Plus a £50 application fee, which - using an inflation calculator - translates to the bones of £3,000 today. Per child. Imagine a poor refugee family, who've lost everything, trying to come up with that..
Well of course, they couldn't. So, back he came to London, and with his mother, started what we would now call a crowdfunding initiative. And he went back to Prague, and took photos, and details.. and then there was the organisation of all the foster families.. and yes, he was there, in Liverpool Street Station (which looked a lot cleaner than now, I'd have to say) to meet every trainload, and take them to whatever building they'd secured for them to meet their foster parents in. He saved hundreds of children.
It's his wife who kickstarts the process of his work being remembered, decades later, when she's away on a trip, and orders him to tidy up in the meantime! He burns much of the stuff he has lying around - but can't bring himself to burn his scrapbook. He chats about it to an old friend, who mentions that he knows someone who might be interested. That someone happens to be Robert Maxwell, the newspaper magnate - it's his wife who first realises that this story is on a scale that needs to be told. Next thing you know, they're chatting to the TV about it - and the TV people do some digging for survivors..
It's profoundly moving - particularly the mentions of the ones he couldn't save, and the thoughts of what might have happened to them. The emotional impact increases as the film progresses - it's quite a memorable story. Recommended.
And yes, I got petrol on the way back - the station was closed, but they have Pay at Pump.
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