Anthropoid (film)

Anthropoid

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sean Ellis
Produced by
Written by
Starring
Music by
Cinematography Sean Ellis
Edited by Richard Mettler
Production
companies
Distributed by Bleecker Street
Release dates
  • 1 July 2016 (2016-07-01) (Karlovy Vary)
  • 12 August 2016 (2016-08-12) (United States)
  • 9 September 2016 (2016-09-09) (United Kingdom)
Running time
 120 minutes[1]
Country
  • United Kingdom
  • France
  • Czech Republic
Language English
Budget $9 million[2]
Box office $4.8 million[3]

Anthropoid is a 2016 historical thriller film directed by Sean Ellis, written by Ellis and Anthony Frewin and starring Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Harry Lloyd, Toby Jones, Charlotte Le Bon and Bill Milner. It tells the story of Operation Anthropoid, the World War II assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by Exile Czechoslovak soldiers on May 27, 1942.[4][5]

Plot

In December 1941, two agents from the Czechoslovak government-in-exile, Jozef Gabčík (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubiš (Jamie Dornan) are parachuted into their occupied homeland. Jozef is badly injured when he crashes through a tree upon landing, but both men set out to find their contact in Czechoslovakia. They are discovered shortly after by two 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), who stitches Jozef's foot, and arranges for the agents to meet other members of the resistance, led by "Uncle" Jan Zelenka-Hajský (Toby Jones). The agents reveal that they are to execute "Operation Anthropoid," an assassination of Reinhard Heydrich (Detlef Bothe), the main architect of the Final Solution, and the head of Nazi forces in German–occupied Czechoslovakia.

With limited intelligence and little equipment in a city under lock-down, Jozef and Jan must find a way to assassinate Heydrich, an operation that, they hope, will change the face of Europe. With the help of two young women, Marie Kovárníková (Charlotte Le Bon) and Lenka Fafková (Anna Geislerová) 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, the plan goes into effect with the duo bolstered by the addition of other agents who have been parachuted into Czechoslovakia and the remaining resistance fighters in Prague.

On May 27, 1942, the attack is carried out but nearly botched when Jozef's Sten submachine gun jams, but Heydrich is severely wounded when Jan throws a bomb that shatters his limousine, followed by Jozef's fusillade of gunfire. Immediately after, the assassins go on the run, and Nazi forces round up thousands of Czech citizens and carry out a terrible reprisal. When Heydrich dies, the combined group of seven parachutists are pursued to their refuge at the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague. Resistance fighter Karel Čurda (Jiří Šimek) turned on the agents and revealed where they were hiding. The family who Jozef and Jan stay with are punished, their house attacked by numerous officers. The mother committed suicide by taking a cyanide tablet in the bathroom. The son was brutally tortured, which led him to give in to the Nazi's demands. He told them where Jozef and Jan were hiding, in the cathedral. Hundreds of Nazi troops storm the cathedral and all the agents are killed in a fierce battle.

Reprisals continued with the village of Lidice destroyed with all the males 16 years old and older shot, children gassed to death and women sent to camps. Another Czech village, Ležáky, was also destroyed and its inhabitants were murdered because a radio transmitter was found there. Ultimately, a total of 15,000 Czechs were killed in the aftermath of the "Heydrich Terror". The assassination of SS-Obergruppenführer Heydrich was the only successful government-organised assassination of a top-ranking Nazi in the Second World War.

Cast

Production

In March 2015, Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy had been cast in Anthropoid, with Sean Ellis directing a screenplay written by Ellis and Anthony Frewin.[6] In May 2015, LD Entertainment boarded the film, announcing the casting of Charlotte Le Bon.[7]

The film was shot entirely in Prague, 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 the film has garnered praise for its commitment to realism and true events.[8] 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.[9]

Release

In July 2015, the first image of Dornan and Murphy was released.[10] In May 2016, Bleecker Street acquired U.S distribution rights to the film.[11] In June 2016, the first trailer was released.[12]

Anthropoid had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 1 July 2016, as the opening night film.[13] It was released in the United States on 12 August 2016.[14]

Critical response

Anthropoid has received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, Anthropoid has an approval rating of 65%, based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[15] On Metacritic site, the film has a score of 59 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[16]

In his review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw wrote, "An intelligent, tough, and gripping movie."[8][17][18] The Washington Post's Christopher Kompanek gave the film four out of four stars, writing: "Anthropoid never feels formulaic—a surprise in a summer release. (With luck, Academy Award voters won't forget this one.)"[19]

See also

Other films on this subject:

References

Noted

  1. ↑ "Anthropoid (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Šálek, Václav (1 July 2015). "Anthropoid i Mušketýři. Česko chrastí miliony na zahraniční filmaře". Týden. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Anthropoid (2016)". The Numbers. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  4. ↑ Burgess 1983, p. 160.
  5. ↑ Ramen 2001, p. 8.
  6. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (2 March 2015). "Jamie Dornan to lead World War II thriller 'Anthropoid'". Variety. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Jafaar, Ali (14 May 2015). "LD Entertainment boards Jamie Dornan-Cillian Murphy starrer 'Anthropoid' – Cannes". Deadline.com. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  8. 1 2 Bradshaw, Peter (8 September 2016). "Anthropoid review – gruelling, gripping account of Nazi assassins". "The Guardian" (London). Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Hoffman, Jordan (10 August 2016). "Anthropoid review: a humdrum account of an extraordinary plot". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Kelly, Aoife (30 July 2015). "First image of Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan in WWII thriller Anthropoid released". Irish Independent. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Jafaar, Ali (12 May 2016). "Bleecker Street acquires U.S. rights to World War II thriller 'Anthropoid' – Cannes". Deadline.com. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  12. ↑ Bleecker Street (17 June 2016). "ANTHROPOID | Official HD Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  13. ↑ Meza, Ed (26 May 2016). "Sean Ellis' 'Anthropoid' opens Karlovy Vary". Variety. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  14. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (27 May 2016). "World War II Cillian Murphy pic 'Anthropoid' from Bleecker Street plots August date". Deadline.com. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  15. ↑ "Anthropoid (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "Anthropoid reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  17. ↑ 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."
  18. ↑ Debruge, Peter (1 July 2016). "Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'Anthropoid'". Variety. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  19. ↑ Kompanek, Christopher (11 August 2016). "'Anthropoid': A World War II thriller that stands out from the pack". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 August 2016.

Bibliography

  • Burgess, Alan. Seven Men at Daybreak. New York: Bantam Books, 1983. ISBN 978-0-5532-3508-1.
  • Ramen, Fred. Reinhard Heydrich: Hangman of the Third Reich. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8239-3379-2.

External links

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