Anthropoid [DVD]

This movie is very similar in subject matter, theme, structure and tone to the Danish resistance historical film, 'Flame and Citron', staring Mads Mickelson and Thure Lindhardt. That movie also asks the question, 'Was it worth it?'The answer in both instances--in all instances where brave people struggle against tyranny--is always of course yes. I'm frankly surprised filmmakers think it is somehow a complex moral dilemma. Of course innocent people died in reprisals after Reinhard Heydrich was assassinated. Many millions more died at his hands while he was alive. Heydrich was the architect of the Holocaust. Heydrich was the leader of the Einsatzgruppen which executed over a million people by rounding them up by the thousands and shooting them into ditches. Heydrich was the founder of the Gestapo. Heydrich murdered and terrorized and oppressed wherever he went. He was also by far the most capable and intelligent of all of the high-ranking Nazi leaders. Killing the most brilliant and dangerous of your enemy's leaders is a vital objective in any war. Imperial Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's flight was intercepted and shot down in 1943 for exactly that reason. So yes, Heydrich's assassination was necessary.'Anthropoid' is historically correct on all of the major plot points, with some artistic license taken for dialogue and characterization. History buffs won't be disappointed. Neither will those who just want to watch a good--and sometimes great--movie.

Husband and I were deeply moved by this drama based on a heart-breaking true story of sacrifice for the greater good during WWII. Viewers are left to decide whether an assassination was worth the chaos, torture, and loss of multiple lives that followed. Good lives. Innocent lives. Civilian men, women, and children who were either part of the Resistance or just in harm's way. No matter what you believe, this is an excellent film in every way that will grip you and stay with you for a long time.

Let me first say that actress Alena Mihulová (as Mrs. Moravcová) is remarkable, astonishing. Her virtuoso performance leads one to think deeply (yet again) of life's true value, of the things that matter the most, of the gut-wrenching nature of deep injustice, of the imperative to combat evil. What higher accomplishment could an actress gain? Thank you Ms. Alena Mihulová.To see true bravery, in the face of impossible odds, is worth the 'price of admission' for this movie. Watch it, but brace yourself.

Certainly a very important story that deserved to be told as well as possible, and this film does 100% justice to it. Extremely well directed movie, with an eye for detail and gritty realism throughout. I am very familiar with the history of WWII but admit I knew very little about this particular part. It was fascinating and heartbreaking in equal measure.This is the type of movie where no punches are pulled, and the farther one goes along it will become abundantly clear just how high a price must be paid when fighting an evil like the Nazis. The last 30 minutes in particular are not easy to watch, but then again this is actual History, not just an action packed adventure. As far as violence goes, this would fall into very strong R territory, due to the realistic approach they took.All the actors are top notch and as usual Cillian Murphy gives a great performance. The camera work is excellent without drawing too much attention to itself, and the same could be said for the costumes and music: well done and always in the service of the story. Though some of the starring cast were international, it's evident from the credits that almost everyone else was Czech or Eastern European. Obviously this was a story near and dear to many in the production, and it really shows.

The film was much better than I'd supposed. While I have not seen the 1970s version of the story, which was supposedly better still, this film has all the qualities required to make it definitive. The period is painstakingly recreated - even the Orthodox church for the final battle scene was built from scratch. Real photographs were digitally interwoven for period effect. One critique here, though, is that there aren't enough bicycles and horse-drawn vehicles for 1940s Europe: an oversight common to many period recreations.One has a feel of real underground fighters at war with themselves as much as the enemy, but there is no attempt at equivalence for the "other side." We don't see things from Heydrich's POV and given the target subject that would be hard to do. The story does, however, raise issues of terrorism relevant for modern viewers: when is it "good," and who decides this? The opening title gets the chronology a bit off - the Munich Agreement had to do with the Sudetenland, not swallowing the whole state. This is corrected in the film itself. One issue the film doesn't make clear is that the most active resistance in occupied Czechoslovakia was in the Slovak third. This was a satellite regime not under direct German occupation so partisans had relatively more freedom to operate, The Czech lands proper were known as one of the more quiescent zones, as it had been absorbed directly into the Third Reich. (There were no "brownshirts" active in Prague or elsewhere by this time, despite their two-seconds on-screen appearance: their men had been conscripted in 1939.)The final battle scene is perhaps the film's weakest point, despite its action-packed crescendo. The trapped partisans, as far as is known, had only pistols, not the machine guns depicted. This makes their hours-long defiance even more remarkable. The shootout is constructed like a video game, but I suspect it was a lot more cat-and-mouse than that to have lasted so long with such small-caliber weapons. Also, tear gas was also used to unsuccessfully flush them out of the church crypt, as well as water. The producers must have deemed it more view-worthy to dwell on spanging bullets than swirling gasclouds.But all in all a very worthy recreation of time and place, extremely well-acted, thought-provoking, dramatic, with high production values. See it despite my picking.

Having visited Prague a lot,beautiful city ,we have also visited the patriot's church ,featured in this film.It is a brilliant film ,telling of bravery ,tyranny and mans fight against the Nazi regime.It's a true story that shouldn't be forgotten and this film ensures that we don't forget what the Czech people had to live with.Well worth watching.

Even if you do not know the history and background, this latest retelling of the events is compellingly watchable..Locations are spot on and the studio replica of the cathedral is indistinguishable from the real location. The pace of the story quickens as the assassination attempt approaches and from then on the film speeds to the end. We know the story but the detail is superb. No holds barred but not too much in the portrayal of the horror. Excellent casting makes this film highly recommended.

I really liked this film based on Operation Anthropoid, the Czech led, Special Operation to assassinateNazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague in 1942.Two soldiers Jan Kubis and Jozef Gabcik played by Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy lead an excellentcast depicting the event which is now part of Czech wartime history.The film is similar to the earlier Operation Daybreak, but Sean Ellis direction will have you on the edgeof your seat in this retelling of the story.The torture scenes are pretty horrific but nothing compared to what the real Czech people of the dayactually suffered in reprisals.Well worth watching.Approximately 120 minutes viewingSubtitled in English

This was an extremely informative, well produced film, which took the true story and successfully adapted it for the big screen without loosing any great impact the true series of events would have had on those involved.It's a delicate story, which if it had succeeded would have no doubt changed the outcome of the war.All I can say is excellent attention to detail, and well acted. Would highly recommend.

OK... I just stopped watching this movie atthe halfway point. I paused it just beforethe attack, to write this review. Why?...Because I know what happens next, andit is horrible!Reinhold Heydrich, was part of an unholytrinity of top Nazis. Those being Hitler,Himmler and Heydrich, and he was pure evil. A few weeks before his death, Heydrichhad a meeting called Wannsee Conference,where he and others, planned the Holocaust.But, was he worth killing?The reprisals for collective responsibility on theinnocent Czech people was Horrific, and I don'tthink the Resistance movement recovered, but still,was it worth it?The reason I paused the DVD, is I have to be inthe right mind to watch a horror movie, and as Iknow the real story, I am too sensitive to give thisfilm a casual viewing. But, was the killing of Heydrichworth it?.... Yes... For all the sacrifices the Czechpeople, it was worth it, because Heydrich couldn'tbe replaced. If he had lived, he would have beeneven more ruthless, and might have gone ontotake over from Hitler when he died. Heydrich hadto be killed, and sadly many innocent people weremurdered for this too...This is a very good film, and should make you askyourself, Was it worth the cost?...