Anthropoid

Anthropoid Information

Anthropoid is a 2016 UK-French-Czech historical thriller film directed by Sean Ellis, from a screenplay by Ellis and Anthony Frewin, 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 Czechoslovak exile soldiers on 27 May 1942.

Anthropoid had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on 1 July 2016. Bleecker Street released the film on 9 September 2016 in the United Kingdom and on 12 August 2016, in the United States.

Plot

In December 1941, two agents from the Czechoslovak government-in-exile, Jozef Gab?k (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubi (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. Although 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-Hajsk (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 would change the face of Europe. With the help of two young women, Marie Kovrnkovas (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, the plan goes into effect with the duo bolstered by the addition of other agents that were parachuted into Czechoslovakia, and the remaining resistance fighters in Prague.

On 27 May 1942, the attack is carried out but nearly botched when Jozef's Sten submachine gun jams, but Heydrich goes down when Jan throws a bomb that shatters his limousine, followed by Jozef's fusillade of gunfire, leaving the Nazi severely wounded. Immediately after, the assassins are on the run, with Nazi forces rounding up thousands of Czech citizens and carrying 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 ?urda (Jir Simek) turned on the agents and revealed where they were hiding. Hundreds of Nazi troops storm the cathedral and despite a fierce battle, all the agents are killed.

Reprisals continued with the village of Lidice destroyed with all the males 16 years old and older shot, and women and children sent to camps. Ultimately, a total of 15,000 Czechs were killed in the aftermath of the "Heydrich Terror". The assassination of Schutzstaffel (SS)-Obergruppenfhrer Heydrich was the only successful government-organized assassination of a top-ranking Nazi in the Second World War.

Cast

Cillian Murphy as Jozef Gab?k
Jamie Dornan as Jan Kubi
Anna Geislerov as Lenka Fafkov
Harry Lloyd as Adolf Oplka
Toby Jones as Jan Zelenka-Hajsk
Charlotte Le Bon as Marie Kovrnkov
Alena Mihulov as Mrs. Moravcov
Bill Milner as Ata Moravec
Sam Keeley as Josef Bublk
Mish Boyko as Jan Hrub
Sean Mahon as Dr. Eduard
Brian Caspe as Antonn
Marcin Doroci?ski as Ladislav Van?k
Nicolai Borger as German Soldier Resslova
Detlef Bothe as Reinhard Heydrich
Jir Simek as Karel ?urda

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

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.

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 response

Anthropoid has received mixed reviews from critics. On the aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, Anthropoid has an approval rating of 55%, based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. On the Metacritic aggregator. the film has a score of 56 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

In his review for The Guardian, Jordan Hoffman wrote, "Anthropoid isn"?t the worst wartime thriller ever made, but it certainly isn"?t memorable." In the industry trade publication, Variety, 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."