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Anthropoid (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Anthropoid' is a 2016 war film directed by Sean Ellis and starring Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerov, Harry Lloyd, and Toby Jones. It was written by Ellis and Anthony Frewin. It tells the story of Operation Anthropoid, the World War II assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by exile Czechoslovak soldiers Jozef Gabk and Jan Kubi on 27 May 1942.Burgess 1983, p. 160.Ramen 2001, p. 8. It was released on 12 August 2016 in the United States and 9 September 2016 in the United Kingdom.
Plot
In December 1941, German occupation in Europe has neared its height. Two agents from the Czechoslovak exile government, a Slovak soldier, Jozef Gabk (Cillian Murphy) and a Czech, Jan Kubi (Jamie Dornan) are parachuted into their occupied country. Jozef is injured when he crashes through a tree upon landing, but both men set out to find their contact in the resistance movement. They are discovered shortly afterwards by fake resistance fighters who turn out to be traitors; one is shot by Jozef but the other man escapes. Stealing their truck, the agents head for Prague.
When they seek out their contact, they are directed to Dr. Eduard (Sean Mahon), a veterinary surgeon who stitches Jozef's foot, and arranges for them to meet other resistance members, led by "Uncle" Jan Zelenka-Hajsk (Toby Jones). They are located in a concealed basement of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague. Gabk and Kubi reveal that they are to carry out "Operation Anthropoid," the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich (Detlef Bothe), the main architect of the Final Solution, and the 'Reichsprotektor' of Germanoccupied Czechoslovakia.
With limited sources of intelligence and equipment, Jozef and Jan must find a way to assassinate Heydrich, an operation which they hope will change the face of Europe. With the help of two young women, Marie Kovrnkov (Charlotte Le Bon) and Lenka Fafkov (Anna Geislerov) along with other plotters, the agents plan to ambush Heydrich as he arrives at his headquarters by car. When the agents learn that Heydrich is about to be transferred to France, the plan goes into effect straightaway with the duo bolstered by the addition of other agents who have been parachuted into Czechoslovakia and the remaining resistance fighters in Prague.
On 27 May 1942 the assassination attempt is carried out; it nearly fails when Jozef's Sten submachine gun jams, but Heydrich is severely wounded by Jan's grenade, which shatters his limousine. Immediately afterward, both agents go on the run. In response, SS security forces round up thousands of Czech citizens and carry out reprisals, during which Lenka is killed trying to escape Nazi arrest. Heydrich soon dies from his injuries in the hospital.
Reprisals continue with the village of Lidice destroyed, all the males over the age of 16 being shot, and the women and children sent to concentration camps. The family with whom Jozef and Jan stayed is punished, their house being attacked by numerous Gestapo officers. The mother commits suicide by taking a cyanide pill. The son is brutally tortured and reveals Jozef and Jan's hiding place. Hundreds of troops storm the cathedral where all the agents, including Jozef and Jan are killed in a fierce six hour battle, along with many German soldiers. In 1947, Resistance fighter Karel urda (Ji imek) was convicted and executed for turning in his fellow resistance agents for the offered reward.
Ultimately, a total of 5,000 Czechs and Slovaks were killed in the aftermath of the "Heydrich Terror". The assassination of Heydrich was the only successful Allies organized assault on a top-ranking Nazi official in the Second World War.
Cast
* Cillian Murphy as Jozef Gabk
* Jamie Dornan as Jan Kubi
* Charlotte Le Bon as Marie Kovrnkov
* Anna Geislerov as Lenka Fafkov
* Harry Lloyd as Adolf Oplka
* Toby Jones as Uncle Hajsk
* Alena Mihulov as Mrs. Moravec
* Marcin Dorociski as Ladislav Vank
* Bill Milner as Ata Moravec
* Sam Keeley as Josef Bublk
* Ji imek as Karel urda
* Mish Boyko as Jan Hrub
* Vclav Neuil as Josef Valcik
* Andrej Polk as Jaroslav Svarc
* Sean Mahon as Dr. Eduard
* Detlef Bothe as Reinhard Heydrich
* Nicolai Borger as German Soldier at Barricade
Production
In March 2015, Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy were cast in 'Anthropoid', with Sean Ellis directing a screenplay written by Ellis and Anthony Frewin. In May 2015, LD Entertainment boarded the film, announcing the casting of Charlotte Le Bon.
The film was shot entirely in Prague during the summer of 2015, and where possible, at the actual locations of the events they depict. Director Sean Ellis stated in interview that scenes in the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius were filmed on an exact replica of the church on a studio backlot, so as to make the location recognisable to Czech viewers. Gestapo and Czech contemporary reports allowed Ellis to recreate the film's final act (the assassination and church siege) with extreme accuracy, and intense planning was necessary to allow for the assassination itself to play in real time, with each resistance member's movements researched, planned and tracked in order to reflect actual events.
The principal photography for 'Anthropoid' includes backdrops such as Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge in Prague, the locations where Operation Anthropoid took place. At the premiere screening and later advance screenings, audience members noted that the authentic street scenes were featured in the film.Hoffman, Jordan (10 August 2016). [https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/aug/10/anthropoid-review-humdrum-account-extraordinary-plot-heydrich "Anthropoid review: a humdrum account of an extraordinary plot"]. 'The Guardian' (London). Retrieved 10 August 2016.
Release
In July 2015, the first image of Dornan and Murphy was released. In May 2016, Bleecker Street acquired U.S distribution rights to the film. In June 2016, the first trailer was released.'Anthropoid' had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 1 July 2016 as the opening night film. It was released in the United States on 12 August 2016.
Critical reception
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, 'Anthropoid' has an approval rating of 66% based on 102 reviews, with an average rating of 6.39/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The film has garnered praise for its commitment to realism and true events.
In his review for 'The Guardian', Peter Bradshaw wrote, "An intelligent, tough, and gripping movie."'Variety's chief film critic Peter Debruge felt that "Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy spearhead a mission to assassinate a top-ranking Nazi officer in a thriller that doesn't actually get thrilling until after the deed is done."Debruge, Peter (1 July 2016). [https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/anthropoid-review-jamie-dornan-1201807672/ "Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'Anthropoid']. 'Variety'. Retrieved 10 August 2016. 'The Washington Post's Christopher Kompanek gave the film four out of four stars, writing: 'Anthropoid' never feels formulaica surprise in a summer release. (With luck, Academy Award voters won't forget this one.)"Kompanek, Christopher (11 August 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/anthropoid-a-world-war-ii-thriller-that-stands-out-from-the-pack/2016/08/11/c810b382-5a6d-11e6-9767-f6c947fd0cb8_story.html "Anthropoid': A World War II thriller that stands out from the pack"]. 'The Washington Post'. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
Accolades
At the Czech Lion Awards, 'Anthropoid' received 12 nominations, out of 14 categories in which it was eligible (all except best actress and best supporting actress). The film lost all 12 nominations to 'A Prominent Patient'. 'Anthropoid' won the non-statutory Czech Lion in the "Film Fans Award" category.See also
* Dramatic portrayals of Reinhard Heydrich
Other films on this subject:
* 'Hangmen Also Die!' (1943)
* 'Hitler's Madman' (1943)
* 'The Silent Village' (1943)
* 'Atentt' (1964)
* 'Operation Daybreak' (1975)
* 'Lidice' (2011)
* 'The Man with the Iron Heart' (2017)
References
Noted
Bibliography
* Burgess, Alan. 'Seven Men at Daybreak'. New York: Bantam Books, 1983. .
* Ramen, Fred. 'Reinhard Heydrich: Hangman of the Third Reich'. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2001. .
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