Anthropoid (film about the killing of Heydrich)

[Tidewater]

Okay, a really bad name for a film about espionage in World War II, but Reinhard Heydrich (one of the Nazi architects of the Final Solution, the military governor of Czechoslovakia, and a really, really bad guy) was killed by Czechoslovak paras trained by the British in 1942 in an operation called "Operation Anthropoid."
The Guardian reviewer calls it "humdrum," but I am not sure what film the reviewer was watching.
I found it well-acted, interesting, tragic and an emotional punch in the gut.
Not exactly a good "date movie," but this film showed what sacrifices men and women would endure if for no other reason than to show that Czechoslovakia would not submit to invasion and oppression without any resistance. The answer from the Czechoslovaks involved in Anthropoid was, "No, we will not submit without resistance, regardless of what it costs us."
Despite the film's unfortunate name, I would recommend considering it.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I looked forward to it. I've read a couple of books on him...

 

[Jon]

Okay, a really bad name for a film about espionage in World War II, but Reinhard Heydrich (one of the Nazi architects of the Final Solution, the military governor of Czechoslovakia, and a really, really bad guy) was killed by Czech paras trained by the British in 1942 in an operations called "Operation Anthropoid."
The Guardian reviewer calls it "humdrum," but I am not sure what film the reviewer was watching.
I found it well-acted, interesting, tragic and an emotional punch in the gut.
Not exactly a good "date movie," but this film showed what sacrifices men and women would ensure if for no other reason than to show that Czechoslovakia would not submit to invasion and oppression without any resistance. The answer from the Czechoslovaks involved in Anthropoid was, "No, we will not submit without resistance, regardless of what it costs us."
Despite the film's unfortunate name, I would recommend considering it.

not a story I am familiar with really, looking forward to this now. Thanks

Could they have picked a worse title though? Sounds like bad scifi

 

[Bodhisattva]

Could they have picked a worse title though? Sounds like bad scifi

I guess that begs the question: was there an Operation Sharknado?

 

[TIDE-HSV]

LINK

 

[Tidewater]

not a story I am familiar with really, looking forward to this now. Thanks

Could they have picked a worse title though? Sounds like bad scifi

Operation names used to literally be picked at random, so no one could guess the nature of the op from the name.

In 1989, as the Bush I Administration was planning the invasion of Panama, which was code-named "Blue Spoon," Cheney (I think) looked at Powell and said, "Would you want to tell your grandchildren you fought in Operation Blue Spoon? Let's rename it something better."
And thereafter, operations have (in some highly visible cases) been given names designed to win support: Op Just Cause, Op Desert Shield, Op Desert Storm, Op Restore Hope, Op Restore Democracy, Op Iraqi Freedom, and so on.
Using an op name generated for randomness for a film designed to get butts in seats is a risky strategy. I would not wish to deprive my TF friends of a chance to see the film thinking is was a documentary about biology or something similar.

 

[Tidewater]

LINK

Heydrich does not play a big role. He is mostly just the guy in the car they are trying to kill. I think he has two lines: "Stop!" and "Swine!"

 

[crimsonaudio]

Wasn't aware of this movie, thanks!

 

[CaliforniaTide]

Hope it comes out in theaters here in Huntsville. If not, I'll look for it on Redbox or Netflix. Looks amazing.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Heydrich does not play a big role. He is mostly just the guy in the car they are trying to kill. I think he has two lines: "Stop!" and "Swine!"

That's a shame. I've always found his life fascinating. On the naming, even "Operation Anthropoid" would have been better...

 

[Tidewater]

That's a shame. I've always found his life fascinating. On the naming, even "Operation Anthropoid" would have been better...

The film really is from the Czechoslovakian perspective. And the Germans do not look too good in this.
Apparently, the böhmischen Gefreiten was about to withdraw Heydrich from Prague and send him to Paris because the French Resistance was becoming more of a problem and he wanted Der Henker in France to deal with it.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

The film really is from the Czechoslovakian perspective. And the Germans do not look too good in this.
Apparently, the Little Bohemian Corporal was about to withdraw Heydrich from Prague and send him to Paris because the French Resistance was becoming more of a problem and he wanted Der Henker in France to deal with it.

Heydrich was very vain and thought "showing the flag" was an important part of keeping the populace suppressed, hence the parading around constantly in an open auto. And it bit him in the butt. I'm not sure why he thought he was attractive with a nose like that. I'm sure it's the reason his fellow music students thought him Jewish...

 

[MattinBama]

And the Germans do not look too good in this.

Can't think of too many WWII movies in which they do for some strange reason.

Thanks for bringing this up though. I'd seen the trailer pop up the other day but didn't watch it just because of the name.

 

[Tidewater]

Can't think of too many WWII movies in which they do for some strange reason.

There have been a few over the years which depict the WW II Germans not as good guys, but at least humans, with good points and bad, strengths and weaknesses:
- The Longest Day (Werner "Boots on the wrong feet" Pluskat and Pips "Strafing Omaha with just two planes" Priller),
- The Enemy Below, Capt. von Stolberg.
- Das Boot, (the whole tragic crew, really).
- Cross of Iron (Steiner, Schnurrbart, Krüger)

In Anthropoid, however, the Germans are just guys in feldgrau, unless they are the Gestapo guys with the ball peen hammer in the interrogation rooms getting all Medieval on some poor Czech.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

There have been a few over the years which depict the WW II Germans not as good guys, but at least humans, with good points and bad, strengths and weaknesses:
- The Longest Day (Werner "Boots on the wrong feet" Pluskat and Pips "Strafing Omaha with just two planes" Priller),
- The Enemy Below, Capt. von Stolberg.
- Das Boot, (the whole tragic crew, really).
- Cross of Iron (Steiner, Schnurrbart, Krüger)

In Anthropoid, however, the Germans are just guys in feldgrau, unless they are the Gestapo guys with the ball peen hammer in the interrogation rooms getting all Medieval on some poor Czech.

OT, but the two films about Iwo Jima, viewed from each side, were interesting...

 

[MattinBama]

OT, but the two films about Iwo Jima, viewed from each side, were interesting...

Those were indeed enjoyable.

 

[Jon]

There have been a few over the years which depict the WW II Germans not as good guys, but at least humans, with good points and bad, strengths and weaknesses:
- The Longest Day (Werner "Boots on the wrong feet" Pluskat and Pips "Strafing Omaha with just two planes" Priller),
- The Enemy Below, Capt. von Stolberg.
- Das Boot, (the whole tragic crew, really).
- Cross of Iron (Steiner, Schnurrbart, Krüger)

In Anthropoid, however, the Germans are just guys in feldgrau, unless they are the Gestapo guys with the ball peen hammer in the interrogation rooms getting all Medieval on some poor Czech.

Check out A Midnight Clear http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102443/

Really solid WW2 story that also portrays the Germans as human. Good movie

 

[Crimson1967]

For you WWII experts, what is your take on Rommel as a person?


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[MattinBama]

Check out A Midnight Clear http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102443/

Really solid WW2 story that also portrays the Germans as human. Good movie

Midnight Clear is pretty good. Remember seeing it in theaters with my dad & being the only ones in there.

 

[Tidewater]

For you WWII experts, what is your take on Rommel as a person?

My personal take is that he was not entirely clean of the fascist stink (he did command the Führerbegleitbrigade, personal bodyguard of the Bohmische Gefreiten), but he was a lot cleaner than many others. By allowing himself to be associated with the July 20th plot redeemed him a good bit.

Professionally, I find him a brilliant tactician. His book, Infanterie Greift An, shows he was hyperaggressive and the secret of his success was often that he was so aggressive nobody was prepared for his aggressiveness. Over and over, his opponents thought to themselves, "There's no way he can attack, so there's no need for us to be ready to defend," followed by "Oops!"
On the other hand, he was a logistical disaster. Once when a log officer in North Africa told him that his plan was not feasible, Rommel told him, "That is not my problem. That is your problem." Well, the god of war begs to differ, Herr Feldmarschall. Logistics is very much the commander's problem. Come to grips with that or logistics will slap you upside the head, which it did in North Afrika in January 1941 and November 1942.