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Anthropoid (film)

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Anthropoid
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySean Ellis
Written by
Produced by
  • Sean Ellis
  • Mickey Liddell
  • Pete Shilaimon
Starring
CinematographySean Ellis
Edited byRichard Mettler
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byFalcon (Czech Republic)[2]
Icon Film Distribution (United Kingdom)[2]
Release dates
  • 1 July 2016 (2016-07-01) (Karlovy Vary)
  • 9 September 2016 (2016-09-09) (United Kingdom)
Running time
120 minutes[3]
Countries
  • Czech Republic
  • United Kingdom
  • France
LanguageEnglish
Budget$9 million[4]
Box office$5.3 million[1]

Anthropoid is a 2016 war film directed by Sean Ellis and starring Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerová, 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 on May 27, 1942.[5][6] It was released August 12, 2016 in the United States and September 9, 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 Gabčík (Cillian Murphy) and a Czech, Jan Kubiš (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 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," the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich (Detlef Bothe), the main architect of the Final Solution and the Reichsprotektor of 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 to France, 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 assassination attempt is carried out; it is nearly botched when Jozef's Sten submachine gun jams, but Heydrich is severely wounded by Jan's grenade that shatters his limousine. Immediately after, the assassins go on the run. In response, SS security forces round up thousands of Czech citizens and carry out a terrible reprisal. Lenka is killed trying to escape Nazi soldiers on the street. Resistance fighter Karel Čurda (Jiří Šimek) turns on the agents and reveals the family which hid them. Meanwhile, the agents have now relocated and hide in the Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Prague. Heydrich soon dies from his injuries in the hospital. Reprisals continue with the village of Lidice destroyed with all the males over age 16 shot, children and women sent to concentration camps.

The family Jozef and Jan stayed with is punished, their house attacked by numerous Gestapo officers. The mother commits suicide by taking a cyanide tablet in the bathroom. The son is brutally tortured and gives in to the Nazis' demands. He tells them where Jozef and Jan are hiding, in the cathedral. Hundreds of Nazi troops storm the cathedral and all the agents, including Jozef and Jan are killed in a fierce 6-hour battle. 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 government organised assassination of a top-ranking Nazi official in the Second World War.

Cast

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.[7] In May 2015, LD Entertainment boarded the film, announcing the casting of Charlotte Le Bon.[8]

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.[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 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.[15] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[16] The film has garnered praise for its commitment to realism and true events.[17]

In his review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw wrote, "An intelligent, tough, and gripping movie."[17][18][19] 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.)"[20]

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).[21] The film lost all 12 nominations to A Prominent Patient.[22] Anthropoid won the non-statutory Czech Lion in the "Film Fans Award" category.[22][23]

See also

Other films on this subject:

References

Noted

  1. ^ a b c "Anthropoid (2016)". The Numbers. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b Anthropoid at Box Office Mojo
  3. ^ "Anthropoid (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  4. ^ Šálek, Václav (1 July 2015). "Anthropoid i Mušketýři. Česko chrastí miliony na zahraniční filmaře". Týden. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  5. ^ Burgess 1983, p. 160.
  6. ^ Ramen 2001, p. 8.
  7. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2 March 2015). "Jamie Dornan to lead World War II thriller 'Anthropoid'". Variety. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  8. ^ Jafaar, Ali (14 May 2015). "LD Entertainment boards Jamie Dornan-Cillian Murphy starrer 'Anthropoid' – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 June 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 Hollywood. 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 Hollywood. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  15. ^ "Anthropoid (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Anthropoid reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  17. ^ a b Bradshaw, Peter (8 September 2016). "Anthropoid review – gruelling, gripping account of Nazi assassins". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  18. ^ 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."
  19. ^ Debruge, Peter (1 July 2016). "Karlovy Vary Film Review: 'Anthropoid'". Variety. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  20. ^ Kompanek, Christopher (11 August 2016). "'Anthropoid': A World War II thriller that stands out from the pack". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  21. ^ Robert Mitchell (19 January 2017). "English-Language 'Anthropoid,' 'A Prominent Patient' Dominate Czech Lion Nominations". Variety.
  22. ^ a b Jan Velinger (5 March 2017). "Film Masaryk Wins Big at the 24th Czech Lion Awards". Radio Prague.
  23. ^ "24th Czech Lion Award Winners" (PDF) (Press release). Česká filmová a televizní akademie. 4 March 2017.

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.
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