“One Life”: A Remarkably Heartwarming Film

Based on the book “If It’s Not Impossible … The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton” by Barbara Winton, “One Life” tells the incredible, emotional true story of Nicholas “Nicky” Winton, a young London broker who visits Prague in December 1938.

In a race against time, Winton convinces Trevor Chadwick and Doreen Warriner of the British Committee for Refugees in Czechoslovakia to rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children before Nazi occupation closes the borders.

Five decades later, Nicky is haunted by the fate of the children he wasn’t able to bring to safety in England. It’s not until the BBC show “That’s Life!” re-introduces him to some of those he helped rescue that he finally begins to come to terms with the guilt and grief he carried - all the while skyrocketing from anonymity to a national hero.

The emotional drama “One Life” does an incredible job paying a heartwarming tribute to a remarkable humanitarian effort. This film is a true tearjerker that inspires with its depiction of how one person really can make a major positive difference.

The film’s entire story is simply astounding and truly inspiring. The first half of the story focuses on the numerous hurdles Nicky had been facing, such as obtaining visas, finding foster families, and coordinating the evacuations. The film also incredibly showcases the collaborative effort between Winton, his mother and other volunteers.

The moments where we see them evacuating the children (which occurs in the latter half of the film) can also be very emotional and nail-biting at times, especially when the Nazi occupation comes near. The biggest emotional impact of the film occurs towards the end during the film’s recreation of the infamous BBC “That’s Life” episode where Winton is reunited with some of the children he helped save. That entire scene will really leave you feeling moved and make sure to have a tissue during the scene!

Overall, “One Life” is a well-made, emotional film that effectively tells a powerful story of heroism and hope. The performances are great (especially from Anthony Hopkins as the older Nicky), the story is inspiring and it’s a respectful portrayal of a remarkable historical event.

Trivia: In September 2024, a street in Prague was named after Sir Nicholas Winton. The extras who stand in the “That’s Life” audience were played by those who owed their life to the actual Nicholas Winton. Some were the actual children saved, recreating their roles in the audience from the original broadcast 35 years ago. The rest were the adult children and in some cases adult grandchildren of those that Winton has saved. 

Hopkins said in an interview that he didn’t know until filming that the extras were the real survivors and their descendants.

MPA: Rated PG for thematic material, smoking and some language   (runtime 109 minutes)  (can currently be streamed on Paramount+ Premium - formerly branded as Paramount+ with Showtime; also available at various PVOD rental services)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9G-PA1oMPI

• Helena Bonham Carter's maternal grandfather, Eduardo Proper de Callejon, also rescued many Jews from the Holocaust, by forging Spanish exit visas.

• The idea for the film came when producer Iain Canning saw a clip of Nicholas Winton on That's Life! (1973) and wondered about the story behind it. He and Emile Sherman, who, together, had recently established their See-Saw Films company, went to visit Winton, then 101 years old, in 2010. Canning describes him as "humble, generous and also incredibly kind," saying Winton was reluctant to be painted as a hero onscreen. "He believed that we all have the capacity to do the right thing at the right time," Canning recalls. A few years later, the producers enlisted screenwriters Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake to adapt "If It's Not Impossible...: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton," a 2014 biography of Winton written by his daughter Barbara Winton. She gave her blessing to the film - as long as her father was played by Anthony Hopkins.

• The extras who stand in the That's Life! (1973) audience were played by those who owed their life the actual Nicholas Winton. Some were the actual children saved, recreating their roles in the audience from the original broadcast 35 years prior. The rest were the adult children and in some cases adult grandchildren of those that Winton had saved. Anthony Hopkins said in an interview that he did not know until filming that the extras were the real survivors and their descendants.

• The title refers to the quotation "He who saves one life, saves the world entire." This was quoted in Schindler's List (1993), where it was stated, accurately, to be from the Talmud. It also appears in the Qur'an.

• At the end of the film, before the closing credits, the actual Sir Nicholas Winton is shown in a short video clip being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

• [Nicholas Winton's son praised Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of his father. One survivor called the film a "fitting tribute."