Some moments remind us of the power of humanity, and how compassion can change the world – and in 1992, when Nicholas Winton attended a taping of the pulpy British variety show That’s Life!, he expected to only be there to fact-check some information on a feature the show was doing on some of his past activities. What he was not expecting was to have the entire episode be a celebration of his work during the Second World War, where he helped save the lives of hundreds of children by moving them from the slums of war-torn Czechoslovakia to foster homes in the United Kingdom – and he was certainly not anticipating to be seated around dozens of these people whose lives he had saved. It is one of those moments that was mercifully captured on film, and to this very day, it continues to be circulated as a clear example of humanity’s boundless ability to make a difference. It’s a story of which many of us have an awareness, but the details are sometimes not discussed, whether it’s the methods he and his fellow volunteers utilized in these efforts or the impact it had on the lives of these people. James Hawes, who has been working for years as a great journeyman director, has chosen to tell Winton’s story in the form of One Life, a biographical account of his life, both during the war while his project was in motion, and in his older years, where his actions were inadvertently discovered by the right people who could not believe someone who demonstrated such valiance could have remained in such obscurity, seeking to rectify the situation by shedding a light on his incredible actions. Beautiful and heartfelt, and driven by a genuine sense of compassion, this film is a wonderful testimony to the human condition and how it can bring about fundamental change when it is put to good use, which has never been more true than in this remarkable story.

At a glance, One Life seems to be quite a conventional film – the title is one of the typically vague pairings of words that don’t tell us much about the story but instead allude to some deeper but still very accessible philosophical lesson we will learn in the process, and the story itself does seem to be quite traditional, particularly in how it utilizes the framing device of looking at its subject in his older years and focusing on his recollections of the past, which take the lion’s share of the narrative in the form of recreations of history. However, this genre has undeniably proven to be quite popular, since audiences tend to respond favourably to such stories, especially those that are focused on being inspirational accounts of the human spirit and how we can triumph over even the most difficult of circumstances with nothing but pure tenacity and the willingness to go to any extent to help each other. Perhaps it is hackneyed, but it is reliable, and many filmmakers have drawn on the public’s fondness for such stories when crafting these films. One Life does have the benefit of telling a story with which many of us are familiar, or at least in terms of likely having seen the brief segments which outline Winton’s efforts that tend to resurface on social media quite regularly, and thus audiences are stepping into this world with at least some awareness of the story (although this may mean that the final climactic moments lose a bit of its power, since we know it is coming), allowing us to fill in the details and get an even richer and more complex understanding of this material. It may be a complex story, but how it is embraced allows it to be far more accessible, allowing us to all be on an even keel when it comes to recognizing the importance of this material. It draws on a lot of traditional tenets of the genre, but in a way that is sincere and meaningful, never relying too heavily on conventions beyond what was necessary to explore this incredible story.

We are beyond fortunate to be alive at a time when Anthony Hopkins continues to deliver incredible work – for over half a century, he has been the master of his craft, and while not every film in which he appears is perfect, he certainly always commits to whatever role he is asked to play, which makes his career one populated by a wide range of characters. In recent years, he has carved a niche for himself as someone who can be called in to play this genial, quiet and reflective older man, usually a historical figure, bringing their stories to the screen with his trademark versatility and ability to find nuances in some of the most unexpected places in these characters. He shares the role of Winton with Johnny Flynn (who has gradually become one of the most reliable young actors working today), playing the older and younger versions of the character respectively – and not only do they find consistencies in how they interpret this incredible individual, they find common threads that tie the two timelines together in fascinating ways. The final moments of this film are some of the best acting Hopkins has ever done, which may seem like a bold statement until we realize that he managed to find such resonance in this role that he didn’t have any other choice but to play the part with total conviction. Helena Bonham Carter has a small but important role as Winton’s spirited mother who inspires him to make a change in the world, and Jonathan Pryce (with whom Hopkins acted in The Two Popes, another wonderful film about making choices) appears in a single scene as the voice of reason that helps motivate the older Winton to make the right choices. The entire supporting cast constitutes a truly beautiful, poetic examination of these people as they strive to change the world by protecting the weakest and vulnerable, giving them the chance at a life that would not be possible without these valiant efforts.

The main challenge that One Life had was taking something as exhaustive and laborious as Winton’s efforts to help refugees escape and turn it into something cinematic and fascinating – for those with an interest in history, the details are undeniably fascinating, but it was a complex endeavour that was not always easy to follow, which meant that the film needed to find a way to showcase the scope of this project while condensing it down into a form that can be more easily followed by more casual viewers, not only to give us all a chance to understand the importance of these actions but also to give space to explore some of the other aspects that are usually missing when looking at objective, factual summaries of the story and its historical context. Ultimately, what makes this such a beautiful, poetic tale is not that it is only a major feat of logistical planning (through which the volunteers had to essentially dismantle the entire bureaucratic system and their tendency to make life quite difficult for its citizens), but that it was a profoundly human tale of people overcoming adversity and taking on challenges that seem impossible to solve, but yet proving that tenacity can change the world. As a result, the film does rely on its emotional inventory, since without making it clear what the intention of the story was, it would have just been two hours of heavy-handed historical rambling, and while it does take a few liberties, both in terms of the story and how it is told, it mostly proves to be a successful combination of strong historical reporting and emotionally resonant recreations, the pairing of some genuinely compelling moments with a sense of authentic compassion leading to a film that takes its responsibilities quite seriously, and delivers exactly what it promises. It does tend to be overwrought in some parts, but it becomes clear that even without this slight manipulation, the most impactful moments are those plucked directly from reality, and that the facts speak for themselves in this incredible, poignant true story that carry itself with the pride of knowing that it is honouring a truly great individual.

One Life may seem extremely traditional and can come across as somewhat predictable at some points, which is less a criticism of the filmmakers and more the overall structure these films usually take. If we look at it from a distance, it does seem to be following patterns usually found in this kind of historical drama, and therefore it can be seen as just being one of many mid-level biographical films that tend to blend into one another without crafting its own identity. In many ways, this is true – in times of peril, heroes emerge from the most unexpected of places, and Winton was neither the first nor the last individual whose efforts helped save lives during a devastating global conflict. However, this doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth telling, and in choosing to take a very simple route, the producers of this film find themselves opening his story up to a wider audience, giving access to this incredible account of his life through taking a straightforward approach and allowing the material to speak for itself. It’s a quiet, beautiful film that may not be particularly daring but has enough heart and soul to maintain our attention. Some moments are genuinely thrilling, and it would take a heart of stone to not be moved by the final few moments, where the true scope of Winton’s actions are made palpable – and it all ultimately serves to be an inspirational tale of human resilience and tenacity, and a soul-stirring example of how we can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges, using one of the most admirable, selfless individuals as the centrepiece of this truly extraordinary account that pays tribute not only to Winton, but also to everyone who has taken the effort to help another person, since whether saving one life or a few hundred, compassion only strengthens the universal bond that ties us all together.