The Zookeeper (2001)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Ralph Ziman

Writers:

Matthew Bishop (story)
Ralph Ziman (writer)

Release Date:

22 November 2001 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

One man had the courage to do what was right...

Plot:

A disillusioned ex-Communist is left behind to take care of the animals in the capital's zoological gardens until a U.N. rescue force arrives.

Plot Keywords:

Zoo | Civil War | Boy | Child Uses Gun | Zookeeper

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Sam Neill	...	Ludovic
Gina McKee	...	Ankica
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Dragov
Om Puri	...	The Vet
Marek Vasut	...	Yeltsov
Javor Loznica	...	Zioig
Srdjan Simeonovich	...	Slavko
Arnost Proschek	...	Dusan
Mikulás Kren	...	Father
Tomás Valík	...	Soldier 1
Stanislav Hybler	...	Soldier 1
Hana Pastejríková	...	Woman at Window
Drahomira Fialkova	...	Neighbor Woman
Ilja Racek	...	Stanislaw
Rudolf Jelínek	...	Zoo Official

Also Known As:

Clovek v ZOO (Czech Republic)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Denmark | UK | Czech Republic | Netherlands

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Brandis, Czech Republic

Company:

Svendsen Films ApS

Quotes:

Ludovic: So, what do good man do in bad times?
Vet: They do what's right.
Ludovic: No,they get drunk. To good men.
Vet: Ludovic, tell me, what did you do before you got into this lets say zoo buisness?

Effective

This follows Ludovic, a former Communist who tries to protect the animals in a zoo in Eastern Europe, in a time of conflict, until the U.N. forces arrive. He tries to ignore the proximity and behavior of an armed group of nationalists, until he is confronted by a young boy. This has three excellent actors, all from different countries, Neill, Ulrich and Puri. Every performance is magnificent. Granted, English is the only language spoken, and accents aren't necessarily spot-on, but that can be forgiven. This is very strong, suspenseful and exciting, and I was caught completely off-guard several places. It captures the chaos and uncertainty of the situation absolutely perfectly. Quite dramatic. The writing is good, and it develops rather smoothly. Pacing is fitting. Cinematography and editing are great. The DVD has two featurettes, a regular making-of, and one that deals with an actual keeper, in Sarajevo, whose interview is translated vocally into American. Both are well-done and worth the time. This has relatively infrequent moderate to harsh cussing, as well as violence and disturbing content. I recommend this to anyone who watches films about the way war affects the civilians. 8/10