Opération Anthropoid

Some may feel like "not another WW2/Nazi story". But I hope you are not one of those. Or if you are, I kind of feel the movie might even sway you. Don't hold me to that as a promise though. Tastes are different after all. The acting is really something and the story (based on reality obviously with notes in the credits about real life as with most movies) is really gripping.

You may feel that some of the story is heightened and some things feel like coincidences. Now I didn't check all the background so I will not make a judgement on that. But if you can go with the flow and either read up on that later or just plain enjoy this as "entertainment" (maybe history lesson is a better description), then go ahead and do that. There is violence obviously and some really crazy things going on ...

On 27 May 1942, at a tight street corner in Prague, two resistance parachutists - the Czech Jan Kubiš and the Slovak Jozef Gabčík stopped an open top car carrying the Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich with the intention of carrying out the most high profile assassination of the Second World War. The consequences - both personal and political - were enormous. Kubiš and Gabčík, together with five other parachutists, eventually found refuge in an orthodox church near the city centre, but they were betrayed by one of the other parachutists and all died in the shoot-out with the SS.

My strong interest in the assassination is because it took place at the height of the wartime exploits of my Czech night fighter pilot father-in-law, so that I included a couple of paragraphs about it in my biography of him, and the church in which the assassins Kubiš and Gabčík died is literally at the end of the street in which my closest Czech friends live, so that I have visited it several times.

The year after the assassination which made massive world news, Hollywood rushed out two films - "Hangmen Also Die" and "Hitler's Madman" - which gave highly fictionalised accounts of the event and its aftermath. In 1964, there was a Czech film called "Atentát" (released under the English title "The Assassination"). "Operation: Daybreak" - released in 1975 - was a British portrayal of events which was shot on location (in what was then communist Czechoslovakia) and gave an essentially accurate narrative with some fictionalised embellishments.

So "Anthropoid" (2016) - the code name for the operation - is the fifth work to bring these events to the big screen and again this is a British-inspired work shot on location (in what is now the democratic Czech Republic).

Britain's Sean Ellis is director and cinematographer as well as co-writer and he has produced an accomplished work which is even more faithful to the facts and makes even more use of original locations than "Operation: Daybreak". Also dialogue and acting are both better than the previous film. Cillian Murphy is particularly good as Jozef Gabčík who is shown as the leading personality (in "Operation: Daybreak", Jan Kubiš - played this time by Jamie Dorman - was represented as leading the team). Another change is that the parachutists are shown as more human, given to bouts of doubt and fear.

The 1975 and 2016 films follow a very similar narrative arc, beginning with the jump by Kubiš and Gabčík and ending with their death, so that the actual assassination attempt is the hinge for the two very different segments tonally: the tense preparation and the ferocious aftermath. However, one difference is that the target of the assassination Reinhard Heydrich - who was a major character in "Operation"Daybreak" - in this latest film only appears in order to be attacked and has no dialogue at all. Also the new production opens and closes with some explanatory text that usefully underlines why this piece of history deserves to be remembered. Finally this is much more of Czech work with even greater use of Czech actors and technical talent.

Anna Geislerová - who plays Gabčík's girlfriend Lenka - is a major star in the Czech Republic. I could have done without the imaginary appearance of Lenka in the final moments but, that aside, the conclusion of "Anthropoid" packs a powerfully emotive punch. Indeed this is a film that lingers long in the memory and some of these memories are profoundly disturbing, but the viewer needs to be aware that even the torture scene of the young Ata Moravec actually happened.

Fantastic Film. Not your Typical Hollywood movie. The ending was well done. Glad I watched this. Learned some history as this film is pretty accurate. (Looked up the true account afterwards) . Great acting by all the actors, and amazing similarities to the real people.

Never forget.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once." Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

If you delight in the fantasy violence of summer blockbusters, you will lose any romantic notions about it when you see the real deal in Anthropoid, a based-on-actual-events biography about seven WWII resistance fighters who parachute into Nazi-held Czechoslovakia. Their job: assassinate the third highest ranking officer of the Reich, Reinhard Heydrich (Detlef Bothe), the Butcher of Prague.

As in all dictatorships, never a safe moment exists, and writer-director Sean Ellis, along with writer Anthony Frewin, emphasizes both the bravery of the fighters and the brutality of the Nazis in a quagmire of deceit and fear. No sympathy for any of occupiers but much to admire in the freedom fighters, the best examples of the "valiant" Caesar mentions in the above quote.

The two lead fighters, Jan (Jamie Dornan) and Josef (Cillian Murphy), crystallize the film's impressive depiction of understated bravery and humanity: Both take life-threatening chances -- Jan has realistic moments of cowardice and bravery while Josef is steadfast. Both fall in love in mature circumstances that brook little romance.

If there are any faults in Anthropoid, one would be the overly-long fight scene in the church hideout. After a few minutes, one can get the idea of the mayhem that lasted in reality about 6 hours. However, this scene certainly shows the valor of the fighters against the relentless Nazi machine.

In the end, Anthropoid is the story of heroism crucified by almost unstoppable, and certainly unfathomable, evil. Although we are buoyed up by any resistance victory, that joy is seriously tempered by the triumph of the enemy's will.

As the title suggests, subhuman Nazi anthropoids rule the landscape: in one instance, they bring in the severed head of a resistance sympathizer to torture her son. Yet, real loving, hurting humans try to survive the horror. Anthropoid makes Planet of the Apes look like The Sound of Music.

After Army of Shadows, Anthropoid ranks as one of the best resistance stories in film history.

"Satan understands the power of men and women united in righteousness." Sheri L. Dew

Not familiar with Sean Ellis' work but his catalogue looks very original like Cashback, Metro Manila and the Broken; all films I now want to see. His latest, written and directed by himself, is the true story during WWII in 1942, Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heydrich, Hilter's third in command and main architect of the Final Solution, better know as the Butcher of Prague, or the Blonde Beast and the Hangman.

We follow Slovak soldier, Jozef Gabčík played brilliantly by Cillian Murphy and his partner, Czech soldier Jan Kubiš also played superbly by Jamie Dorman as they infiltrate Prague and proceed in setting up an action plan. We see the emotional struggle between the two comrades and fellow resistance, as priorities and understanding of what is to come, changes.

Toby Jones, who happens to get into everything recently, plays supportive uncle Hajskŷ and I recognise Charlotte Le Bon from this year's Bastille Day. And I think the only native to act here is Czech model Anna Geislerová who looks a little like Joan Allen and Amber Valletta. Both the ladies playing the agent's counterparts to enforce their cover who eventually form an emotional bond.

The film starts off fairly slow in the months of preparation, a lot of political conflicts within the resistance due to knowing what the ramifications are likely to be, should they succeed. But the second part it's incredible, fierce and intense. The action sequences are captured excellently, giving a great sense of horrid realism and doesn't let up until the conclusion. The action reminded me of Saving Private Ryan, and the epic church scene was like the last stand at the Alamo. The resistance holding their position for over six gruelling hours as the hordes of Nazis attempt to breach the hideout.

The only foreign tongue we hear is German but it's nice and good effort hearing all the cast speak with an accent. Some of the movie is actually filmed at the locations in Prague adding to the realism of the film. It shows the brutality of Nazi Germany, the oppression people were under and what terrible fate was upon those who did not conform. The score, or lack of, was really good. Robin Foster managed to add suspense and silence was best suited for some of the more dramatic scenes.

A classic war movie that's tense, tough and gory both physically and emotionally. A superb tribute to the Czech resistance and those that died during this time. Interestingly, Cédric Jimenez is currently directing HHhH, based on the very same story that's due out next year. I wonder how that will compare.

Running Time: 7 The Cast: 7 Performance: 9 Direction: 9 Story: 9 Script: 8 Creativity: 10 Soundtrack: 7 Job Description: 9 The ExtraBonus Points: 10 for being accurate to what stories have been told, paying a great tribute to those who were lost during this time.

85% 9/10