The Man with the Iron Heart (2017) User Reviews

Not quite iron hearted enough

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 12 January 2018]

Saw 'The Man with the Iron Heart' as somebody fascinated by the subject it covers, and by the man who really did have an iron heart and earned the ire of even Hitler himself. Also really like a lot of biopics and there are a few talented names.

'The Man with the Iron Heart' is a brave attempt at telling this story, but it is also agreed frustratingly uneven and disjointed. The general consensus is that the first half is better than the second half, personally found that the case too after viewing it. It is far from a terrible film, there are a number of strengths here, but it could have been so much more. And is what is meant by that it is frustrating that 'The Man with the Iron Heart' is uneven is that the flaws of the second half could easily have been avoided.

Starting with the strengths, much of the film looks great visually. There is a real feeling of evocative authenticity, with attractive costumes that captured the era well, elegant interiors and very atmospherically grim landscapes. The music is suitably haunting and the direction fares strongest in the first half and the harrowing scenes that are uncompromisingly powerful.

First half is very interesting and compelling, with some very thought-provoking writing. When the film focuses on Heydrich, his motives and his family life, it is where it most excels, being very engrossing, emotional and intense, actually also taking time to show what happens and being structured in a way that makes sense. Even if there could have been even more meat to what was told.

Although 'The Man with the Iron Heart' is a problematic film, the blame does not lie with the cast which is actually the main saving grace. Rosamund Pike especially is excellent as Lina (am really liking where her career is going), while Jason Clarke portrays Heydrich's iron heart, lack of compassion and coldness adeptly. Mia Wasikowska gives one of her better performances to date here and is one of the main reasons to stick with the second half.

It is really unfortunate that the second half is nowhere near as good. The inferior quality and the shift in focus gives a really disjointed feel and like the two halves were two films in one. The focus on those who tried to assassinate Heydrich is nowhere near as illuminating or compelling, just didn't find myself involved or engaged by it. The characters are sketchily written, the opposite to Heydrich and Lina who did have intriguing character development if still not quite enough.

Furthermore there is no tension and what is covered is rushed through with no attention to depth or sense, the odd almost incomplete-feeling structure and some strangely amateurish filming (which wasn't as apparent in the first half) also confusing it. The flashforward was not needed at all, further diluting any suspense by explicitly revealing what happened.

Although Heydrich is still interesting, the film did miss an opportunity in properly fleshing him out due to not focusing on him enough.

Overall, interesting, well acted and (mostly) made and brave but disjointed, uneven and rushed. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Disjointed telling of the Butcher of Prague story

[Phil006 · 6/10 · 3 January 2018]

Solid performances all round (Jason Clarke is excellent!) However, movie should have fleshed out the Heydrich / Butcher of Prague story more rather than re-telling the post death aftermath - an angle already covered by the Cillian Murphy/Jamie Doran movie (Antripoid). Their (brilliant) movie told from the perspective of the Czech Assasins.

If you really want to see a movie about Heydrich (and the lead up to the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question"), watch "Conspiracy", the Kenneth Brannagh/Stanley Tucci TV movie. SHOCKING!

Miscast, inaccurate, and disappointing

[Internist · 6/10 · 10 December 2017]

Having read and loved Laurent Binet's superb HHhH, I've been eagerly awaiting this film. Alas, it was hardly worth the wait. The earlier released Anthropoid was a far superior adaptation (or was, at least, a better depiction of the events of Heydrich's assassination).

Other reviewers here have done a nice job detailing the problems this film has as a 'film' so I will only mention two more. Most importantly, Jason Clarke is simply not 'pretty' enough to play Heydrich. Indeed, part of history's fascination with Heydrich is because, physically, he was the perfect Aryan: blonde, tall, sculpted if not chiselled physiognomy, etc. Other than his blonde hair, Clarke's marked and jowled features are completely dissimilar to Heydrich's and served only to distract. Clarke's miscasting is only slightly more jarring than the use of Stephen Graham to play Himmler. Unable or unwilling to project Himmler's menace, Graham comes across more avuncular than sinister. No one would cower in the presence of Graham's pudgy Himmler.

I was also disappointed by the movie's many historical inaccuracies and omissions. Einsatzgruppen executions are shown repeatedly as being by a bullet to the torso, whereas a shot in the nape of the neck was their trademark. The boy being tortured is shown to be around 10-years-old when he fact the real 'boy' was actually a mature 17 years, already engaged to be married. Likewise what got him to talk was having his mother's head placed in his lap (others say it was placed in a fish bowel) but not by having to watch the torture of someone else as is depicted here. And, where was Hitler at Heydrich's funeral? For some reason the writer's chose to pretend he didn't attend, but of course he attended and delivered an inflammatory eulogy while he was there. There are many more such errors. Admittedly these are small details but their cumulative effect was to take me out of the film. They also made me wonder what other, perhaps more important facts the movie had botched.

A story done better elsewhere

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 22 March 2020]

THE MAN WITH THE IRON HEART is yet another version of the famous WW2 story about the true-life assassination of the heinous Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich. The problem we have here is that the story was already told in exemplary fashion in the previous year's ANTHROPOID, starring Cillian Murphy. This version gets around the issue by instead focusing on Jason Clarke's Heydrich and in particularly his relationship with his wife Rosamund Pike. As such, the first half makes for fresh, involving viewing, family drama punctuated by hard-hitting violence and Clarke's bravura performance. The second half moves into ANTHROPOID territory with action-man Jack O'Connell, but it becomes predictable and is no match for the Murphy movie. It's a pretty decent movie overall, but not on par with ANTHROPOID.

Feels like a big-budget television movie

[ginocox-206-336968 · 6/10 · 13 October 2017]

"HHhH" ("The Man with the Iron Heart") is a decent historical war drama. It scores high marks for authenticity regarding locations, costumes, mores and props; however, with the exception of a few bare breasts, feels like a television movie. Although several thousand people are brutally murdered, the violence feels antiseptic, with a few spurts of blood and red stains on costumes, but no sense of either physical or emotional trauma. The nearly universal use of jiggly-cam shots serves as a constant distracting reminder that somebody is holding a camera, preventing the audience from ever fully suspending disbelief. Performances are good, but seem repressed, even when Reinhard tears up a room in frustration.

At the end, the viewer is left wondering what it all means. Tremendous risks were taken, resulting in terrible consequences. The filmmakers offer no interpretation or moral and insufficient perspective for the audience to make their own judgment.

A strong first half but weak second half

[Gordon-11 · 11 October 2017]

This film tells the story of the man who was in charge of hideous war crimes, i.e. The Extermination program, in Nazi Germany. A group of Czechoslovakian people try to rebel and attempt to assassinate him.

The first hour of the film is all about Reinhard, as he climbs up to the top with the most terrible policy. The film shows that many people are brutally murdered for no reason, and Reinhard has no passion or compassion for the victims. In fact, he has no feelings at all, even towards his wife. The story is engaging up to this point, and Rosamund Pike is great a well. However, in the second part of the film, the story is derailed to tell the story of the resistance force. I may have missed why the resistance fighters decide to stand up and fight, and indeed their background story. I don't feel any connection to them at all, and the sudden shift in the spotlight to the resistance fighter appear to be a distraction to me. The final scene at the church crypt is touching though.

The spiritual aspect of the destruction of fascism.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 25 April 2022]

This is a gorgeous and haunting WWII film about the life and assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich (Jason Clarke), his bitterness after being dishonorably discharged from the Army prior to the Takeover of the Nazis and his rise to power afterwards. The first half is more about his life and the second half is about those in the resistance in Czechoslovakia who plot to take him out and the aftermath of that important incident in the war and the Nazi reaction to it. There really isn't enough time for detailed character development, but the Nazi atrocities are portrayed very brutally. It seems like every few minutes, men are lined up and killed brutally.

A sumptuous looking film with an incredible music score, this is also very disturbing. There is some rather perverse sexual activity going on, somewhat unnecessary to the story other than to show the deranged mind of Heydrich. A lot of the film focuses more on the action going on so it is not dialogue-heavy, and in spite of being a Belgian/French film, is completely in English. It's very well directed but doesn't really have any standout performances, and certainly would look incredible on the big screen especially the mountain footage where a lot of the action takes place. Highly recommended as a piece of history, but I wish the script was just a little better.

Hangmen also die.

[ulicknormanowen · 7/10 · 2 December 2021]

Both Douglas Sirk and Fritz Lang made films about the life of one of the greatest war criminals of all time;both were propaganda movies (made in 1943) ; Sirk 's work was closer to history ,but even today,both movies have stood the test of time .They focused on the resistant fighters and on the horrible reprisals (even today , Sirk' movie-John Carradine as Heydrich- seems extremely violent for the time) .But none of them really depicted Heydrich .

HHhH is dominated in its first two thirds by Jason Clark ,the straight-faced man with an iron heart ; its rise to power is depicted in rather succint style,(hardly one minute is given over to the long knives night, a pivotal moment ) but the actor rises to the occasion; the sharp contrast between the horrors he committed and the sweet scenes in which he plays the violin in a duet with his son are striking.

"Madman" was probably not the right epithet,most likely a man who did believe in "Mein Kampf" tenets , and when he straight-faced slaughtered lots and lots of human beings , did think he was working for the future pure generation intended by the precept "ein Volk ,ein Land ,ein Fûhrer".

The last third ,essentially concerning the resistant fighters ,is less convincing and features the obligatory impossible love ; they knew they would not change history ,and they are told that their people would have to suffer from ruthless reprisals ;but they wanted to be first to kill a Nazi dignitary;the last scene is downright embarrassing though .

Don't listen to the bad reviews here...

[kriskennedy-79484 · 8/10 · 23 October 2017]

This film may not be perfect but its a solid effort and certainly of interest to those who have studied this period in history and the major players that shaped events as it were. Reinhard Heydrich was just such an individual and what this film does, where 'ANTHROPOID' among others failed, was to show Heydrich beyond just the heroism of the Czech resistance fighters who plotted to kill him for justifiable reasons. Heydrich was never really a political animal nor did he have any interest in the Nazis until his wife came along and convinced him to join. Had he not been cashiered from the Navy its quite likely history would've been written very differently and this movie shows us how these minor events led to the creation of a monster. My only complaint would be that it didn't tell us much about Heydrich's views towards Jews and his role in crafting the Final Solution, but other films like HBOs 'CONSPIRACY' will go along way towards shedding light on that question for interested viewers. The film's inherent weakness is trying to condense over 20 years of Heydrich's life into two hours while also explaining the plot that led to his assassination. That may have been a tall order for any director but at the same time this isn't a film meant for mass consumption. It's not a date movie nor a family affair but is only of interest to those who enjoy history. If you find the topic boring you'll undoubtedly give the movie a low rating but I think as far as this genre is concerned 'THE MAN WITH THE IRON HEART' is certainly a respectable entry in telling the story of one of history's greatest villains.

Worth watching even if you have seen the story before

[phd_travel · 7/10 · 2 October 2017]

Last year I watched the excellent Anthropoid which deals with the same subject matter. So I was wondering why there were 2 similar movies. This new movie has a broader scope showing Heydrich from the Navy to the Nazi party via his wife (a well suited Rosamund Pike). It also shows him as a father and family man. Jason Clarke does a good job and although he looks like a Nazi he actually doesn't look like Heydrich who had a long thin face. It doesn't matter though.

This story is so well suited to the screen it's still a very interesting movie to watch even though it has been done so many times - Operation Daybreak, Anthropoid and now this movie. The scope is broader than Anthropoid showing lots of brutality in Poland, what Heydrich was responsible for and later reprisals in Lidice. But Anthropoid handled the church gun battle in a more exciting action movie way so I recommend watching both movies. It's still one of the most exciting and tragic stories of WWII and is very suited to screen treatment. A major fault is the gun battle in the church is inaccurately portrayed. The Czechs were on the balcony. Also the Church isn't faithfully recreated. There is a silly deviance making the Moravec son a young boy when he was actually older.

The other cast members are like Jack O'Connell and Jack Reynor play the heroic fighters. They aren't as charismatic as Jamie Dornan and CIllian Murphy in Anthropoid but probably closer to the real people. Mia Wasikowska is quite suited to the love interest resistance girlfriend of one of them.

Despite the faults this is worth watching even if you think you think you may have seen the story before.

Incoherent WWII drama - if you watched Anthropoid, you can skip this one.

[petr-varak · 5/10 · 8 June 2017]

This movie feels like someone shot two separate movies - one being Heydrich's biography, second being action thriller about his assassination - cut the run time of each one to half and merged them together. The first half follows Reinhard Heydrich on his rise to power, orchestrated by his wife Lina. It's not exactly a thrilling spectacle, but both Jason Clarke and Rosamunde Pike deliver solid performances (although Clarke is far from the brilliance of Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's list). The problem is that the story line seems absurdly rushed, many important events are left out or shown through short collages with voice-over and music playing and it just feels incomplete. I would love to see a full 2 hours long Heydrich's biography that would dig deeper into Heydrich's relationship with his wife, his rise to power and his work and status in the Nazi regime.

Unfortunately, after one hour of this rushed biography, the movie almost completely abandons Heydrich and his wife (both have literally minutes of screen time in the second half, most of it together) and shifts focus to Czechoslovak paratroopers in Prague. Since then, it feels like Jimenez just took the movie Anthropoid (2016), cast new actors, re-shot the movie shot by shot and cut out half of the scenes. If you have seen Anthropoid, you can skip the second half in its entirety and you won't miss anything. The fact that Jack O'Connel and Jack Reynor look alike to the point it's easy to confuse their actions doesn't help either. The only upside of the second half is Mia Wasikovska who does much better job than Ana Geislerova in Anthropoid. HHhH (or The Man with the Iron Heart) is not a bad movie per se, it's just oddly structured, rushed and given the existence of Anthropoid, feels a bit redundant.

Entertaining, informative and original

[mitchel1986 · 8/10 · 2 October 2017]

Watched this movie at a sneak preview last night, and I enjoyed it!

The assassination of Obergruppenfuhrer of the SS Reinhard Heydrich is a story worth telling. Several movies did (in some way); Operation Daybreak (1975), Lidice (2011) and the more recently released Anthropoid (2016). HHhH chose a slightly different angle, in twofold. The first part of the movie centers around Heydrich and his rise to power. The second part focuses on his assassination, told from the viewpoint of the Czech resistance, Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis in particular. The first part is slow, prioritizing character development. The second part is faster, making it a completely different (and original!) movie.

I read some negative reviews complaining about the two movies in one structure. I understand, it feels a little unsatisfied and rushed at times. Rosamund Pikes character as Heydrichs wife is not used to its full potential in my opinion, and some details are left out of the story (Kubis did not actually commit suicide but was fatally wounded and died in the hospital, not only Gabcik but they both shot at Heydrich in the car…etc). Nevertheless, I found in highly entertaining, informative and original. And the casting of Stephen Graham as Himmler is beyond scary.

Well worth a watch! Makes you at least want to know more about this very interesting story when you leave the theater.

One more thing, we should stop comparing present day Nazi characters in movies with the representation of Ralph Fiennes' Amon Goeth in Schindler's List. It just unfair :)

Thrilling and exciting movie , based on the true story of the man who ruled the SS and those dared bring him down

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 29 January 2020]

Based on the extraordinary true story of a ruthless man , of how the architect of the Holocaust was assassinated , and , finally , those who dared bring him down. As the Allied Military Intelligence decided a risked challenge , being proceeded by valiant soldiers with the mission to assassinate Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich . Based on facts about life of the most heinous General of III Reich : Reinhard Heydrich (Jason Clarke) , his wife Lina Von Osten (Rosamund Pike) and the subsiguient operation carried out in Prague on 27 May 1942 after having been prepared by the British Special Operations Executive. Film based on the true story of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich , Bohemia and Moravia's Reich-Protector , mostly set in Prague and was adapted from a book written by Laurent Binet . During World War 2 , in 1942 Czechoslovakia, SS-General Reinhard Heydrich (he was 38 when he was shot) is appointed by Hitler to become the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia , he is known as "The Butcher of Prague". As a squad of Czech expatriates formed by brave soldiers : Jan Kubis (Jack O'Connell) , Jozef Gabcík (Jack Reynor) , among others, are parachuted into Czechoslovakia in order to assassinate the German governor Reinhard Heydrich . The group is assigned a dangerous assignment called Operation Anthropoid ; it was designed by the Allies to eliminate a high-ranking Nazi (it is believed that Admiral Canaris passed crucial information to Allies for organizing the attack) . They are helped by partisans as Anna (Mia Wasikowska) , Janák , Pyotr , among others .

This interesting film with nice acting is justly divided in two parts : the first deals with a Heydrich's mini-biography , from his starts as a disgraced officer of the German Navy dismissed for indecent behavior, the ambitious Reinhard Heydrich who crosses paths with the zealous member of the Nazi Party and his future wife , Lina, sees himself rising through the ranks as Chief of the Main Security Office of the Reich. Along the way the German Fascists expand their borders , scorching Europe from end to end. The second part is set in 1942 : The Third Reich is at its peak and it concerns the Czech resistance in London decides to plan the most ambitious military operation of WWII : Anthropoid . Two young recruits in their late twenties, Jozef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, are sent to Prague to assassinate the most ruthless Nazi leader - Reich-protector Reinhard Heydrich, Head of the SS, the Gestapo, and the architect of the "Final Solution". It is based on the novel Laurent Binet and script from David Farr and Cedric Jimenez himself . Based on a true story , there are various films telling the same story of Operation Anthropoid, It was formerly adapted by Fritz Lang, in 1943 'Hangmen Also Die' , Hitler's Madman (1943) and Atentat (1964) , Operation Daybreak by Lewis Gilbert and Operación Anthropoid (2016) , starring Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan, and which was released late summer 2016 .It explores the preparations, execution, and aftermath of this operation and the bloody revenge on the Lidice village . This film shows the operation leading up to Heydrich's death as well as the massive German reprisals that followed it . This movie was one of the few productions who took the time and the effort of carrying out a nice setting and since the film was set in the Czech republic, the filmmakers made use of Czech army equipment . One of the best things about this interesting film results to be its excellent recreation , shot in Budapest and Prague and authentic scenarios, we have the full details of the events, the arrival of the command, the plan of attack, the realization of it, the Nazis retaliated with physical elimination of Lidice, and as they surrounded the Church of St. Cyril by the treachery of one of the components of the command . The picture contains an intriguing and appropriate original music by Guillaume Roussel . Furthermore, a functional and atmospheric Cinematography by director of photography Laurent Tanguy . The motion picture was professionally directed by Cedric Jimenez .

The picture is well based on historical events , these are the following ones : On 27 May 1942, Heydrich proceeded on his daily commute from his home to Prague Castle. Gabcik and Kubi waited at the tram stop at a tight curve . The spot was chosen because the curve would force the car to slow down . As Heydrich's open-topped Mercedes-Benz reached the curve, Gabcik stepped in front of the vehicle, trying to open fire, but his Sten gun jammed. Heydrich ordered his driver, SS-Oberscharfuhrer Klein, to stop the car. When Heydrich stood up to try to shoot Gabcik, Kubi threw a modified anti-tank grenade at the vehicle, and its fragments ripped through the car's right-rear fender, embedding shrapnel and fibres from the upholstery into Heydrich's body, even though the grenade failed to enter the car . The assailants initially hid with two Prague families and later took refuge in an Orthodox church dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague. The Germans were unable to locate the attackers until Karel Curda of the "Out Distance" sabotage group was arrested by the Gestapo and gave the names of the team's local contacts for a bounty .The assassination of Heydrich was one of the most significant moments in the history of the resistance in Czechoslovakia and is considered to be the strongest act of defiance throughout occupied Europe. The act had such an impact that it led to the immediate dissolution of the Munich Agreement as signed by Great Britain and France, as well as Germany's ally Italy. Britain and France agreed that after the Nazis were defeated the annexed territory (Sudetenland) would be restored to Czechoslovakia. As Heydrich was one of the most important Nazi leaders, two large funeral ceremonies were conducted. The first one was in Prague, where the way to Prague Castle was lined by thousands of SS men with torches. The second was in Berlin attended by all leading Nazi figures, including Hitler, who placed the German Order and Blood Order medals on the funeral pillow. The betrayer Karel Curda, after attempting suicide, was hanged in 1947 for high treason .

The tale of two movies.

[noahtaylorvt · 5/10 · 11 October 2017]

Let me just start out by saying that this movie is literally two separate movies, that are merely tied together by a brief moment. The first half half was engrossing, rich in character development, and extremely well paced.

Without spoiling anything, I would just like to say that I would have given the first half of this movie an 8 or 9. Unfortunately for whatever reason they decided to tell a story that was a great injustice to the quality cinema that was setup. In the end you get the same story that Cillian Murphy trudged through almost scene for scene recently. If you are a fan of the pervious movie, and want another take on the situation, I do recommend at least watching this film for the first half. Otherwise it has been done before, and much better in all aspects.

The Nazi fiddle player

[searchanddestroy-1 · 13 June 2017]

This story of the Reinhard Heydrich assassination is well known of all WW2 historians and people interested in this part of history. I am surprised that Cédric Gimenez did it. Unlike the other movies speaking of this scheme, such as Lewis Gilbert's OPERATION DAYBREAK with Anton Diffring as Heydrich, or Fritz Lang's film, or Douglas Sirk's one, this feature focuses mainly on the Prague Hangman in the first part and the partisans characters in the second part. It is very well done, with a good description of characters. But it is unfortunately not said that this action of killing Heydrich did not change anything at all to the war. Nothing, except that the Nazis were very affected by his death, including Hitler, and this lead to the Lidice's massacre, which is told, however. But besides this, the man who replaced Heydrich - Kaltenbrunner - was even more bloodthirsty as him.

Great movie, great acting from Jason Clarke

[jhonny_fens · 7/10 · 20 October 2017]

Great movie! In my view the cast was very important in the charms of the movie. Jason Clarke was the perfect person for the role of Reinhard Heydrich. The way he acts is giving you sympathy for the person he play, meanwhile you don't want this sympathy feeling for this person. This internal sense of feeling gives the film a continuous tension from begin to end. In my view the abstract scene's always got some details in it, this makes that no scene is boring to watch. I personally like the movie build up, very well done.

solid war drama

[dromasca · 7/10 · 26 August 2017]

The assassination in Prague in 1942 of Reinhardt Heydrich - 'protector' of Bohemia and Moravia and one of the planners of the 'final solution' - was one of the most spectacular events of WWII. Although it did not change dramatically the fate of the war, it had a strong impact on the moral of both the German as well as the Czech and other nations fighting on the allies side, proving that the Nazi occupiers were not immortal and that punishment was to be inflicted on the heads of their regime. It also led to savage reprisals that destroyed any hope of cooperation between the German and the occupied Czech areas. 'The Man with the Iron Heart' based on a novel by Laurent Binet and directed by Cédric Jimenez carefully describes the main characters of this historical drama as well as the events before and after the attack on Heydrich.

A few weeks ago I have seen 'The Zookeeper's Wife' which figured as central character the wife of a Polish Resistance hero who helped him in saving the lives of hundreds of Jews in occupied Poland. The first half of 'The Man with the Iron Heart' had the chance to develop as a 'The Holocaust Planner Wife' with a description of the biography and ascension to power of Reinhardt Heydrich, from an immoral officer in the German navy to the highest ranks of the SS under the influence of his wife. We are used to think positively about love stories, and this is a love story of a different kind, the one between two mean people, united by an ideology of hate, deeply corrupt despite the cultural polish of their education and hobbies. This part of the story and the film is supported by the splendid actor work of Rosamund Pike, with Jason Clarke also giving a convincing performance as the hateful and hated ReichProtektor. I liked less the 'punk' version of Himmler created by Stephen Graham, it was supposed to be sarcastic, but hard to laugh about such an horrific historic character. Over all this part of the film is the best in my opinion, and maybe would have deserved to be developed more. The authors of the script however decided to cut the action in the middle and focus in the second part on the resistance fighters who prepared and executed the assassination, the consequences of their deeds and their fatal fate. It was not bad, but closer to the beaten paths.

Events of WWII like this one seem to continue to be a source of inspiration for film makers - best proof is that 'The Man with the Iron Heart' is released less than one year away from 'Anthropoid'. Each brings a different perspective, and some of them succeed in creating solid stories, with heroes we care about (sympathize or hate). It's the case of this film as well, a film that I recommend.

Historically Accurate

[dncorp · 7/10 · 8 October 2017]

Where did they get all of these props. Almost everything was Historically Accurate down to the clocks, German Hanomags SdKfz (Armored Cars), clothes, Uniforms. Whole City of Extras. The Street Cars, not something Modern CGI can do. Having been to Czechoslovakia "back in the day" still did not look like this 1930s to 1945, Czechoslovakia used to make some of the best Chrystal Glassware (cut crystal glasses), that I still have.

By having all of these authentic props this added lots of credibility to the movie. During the being there were only the early Panzers (tanks) this movie had those.

Asymmetric Warfare (Guerrilla Warfare) always has repercussions as the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) later found out doing similar Missions at Occupied France and other NAZI Occupied Nations.

Never could understand why anybody would kill themselves instead of taking out as many Enemy as possible, until shot and killed. Killing as many Enemy while saving the last bullet for yourself sends the Enemy a different kind of message. For quite a while Operatives have been trained to shoot themselves in the left or right eye, not the temple of the head (not 100 percent assured death).

The animosity between the German Army (Wehrmacht) and the SS is displayed briefly. Many do not realize the hatred of the SA Sturmabteilung and the SS Schutzstaffel with the SS massacres of the SA, as depicted in this movie.

This Movie should be shown at German Gymnasiums (High Schools) as part of German History.

Thoughtful

[kagey-28769 · 7/10 · 29 February 2020]

There's been a few movies about these events and not sure why this one is criticised . For me it was telling the story in an intelligent way from both sides . This was a very evil man who happily would plan the killing of millions and if necessary shoot them himself . It looked good , well acted and seemed truthful to the events as a film .

Better than expected

[nicholls_les · 9/10 · 22 May 2021]

After reading the negative reviews on here, I expected to be disappointed. However the movie is well made and tense throughout. I disagree with others that the second half is disappointing, when you consider that this is a true story you cannot help but feel for the plight of those subjected to such evil.

Technically not good

[plugtopsu · 6/10 · 14 January 2018]

This film does have its moments, lots of sex right from the beginning. There is also a harrowing and heart touching scene with the little boy watching his father being tortured by the SS in the Gestapo HQ in Prague. But this was filmed I believe in Hungary and not Prague, so there are technical inaccuracies. 1) The bombs manufactured by Kubis and Gabcik were totally incorrect. Anthropoid got it right 2) The shooting scene with the Mercedes was all wrong. It was supposed to be on a bend, alongside two passing trams. It was actually in a quiet area, not alongside a bustling market place and probably originally chosen for that fact. Although the original site in Liben between Zenklova and V Holesovickach has all changed out of recognition, Anthrapoid found a lot better site in Prague which was nearly identical to the original site in the Liben district in Prague. They used the junction of Chotkova and Badeniho which was ideal. 3) The outside of the Gestapo building was incorrect, the original one is still in Prague and could have been used. Again Anthrapoid correct. 3) The layout of the crypt in St Cyril and St Methodius cathedral was also wrong, and also the outside shots of this cathedral which were horrendous. Again technically Anthropoid or Operation Daybreak were a lot better than this film, but as a biography of Reinhard Heydrich it was OK I liked Himmler especially, and the things he said could really be believed. Spine tinglingly shocking.

Didn't really work for me

[jonmainwaring · 4/10 · 22 January 2018]

I was looking forward to this movie, having already seen both Anthropoid and (a long time ago) Operation Daybreak and with the knowledge that a contemporary of mine from my old university college had co-written the script. However, this movie didn't really know what it wanted to be: a study of the motivations that made Reinhard Heydrich the monster he was?; an account of the plotting and execution of his assassination?; or his role in masterminding the Final Solution?

It's a shame because the latter two things have already been well covered in movies and TV plays. Operation Daybreak and Anthropoid are essentially the same movie, although Anthropoid's casting of Cillian Murphy was a mistake because he is so distractingly good looking (I'd shag him and I'm not even gay!) that you are sitting there thinking "This really hot guy is supposed to be on an undercover mission? Maybe in a Bond movie!" So we already know enough about the daring mission and the reprisals. And then there was a very good account of the process of the Wannsee Conference that was done for the telly (with Kenneth Branagh playing Heydrich this time); this show prompted me to visit Haus am Wannsee on my last visit to Berlin, which was a very moving experience for me.

But the real opportunity here was to really get under Heydrich's skin and find out what made him tick. Some of what made him tick was alluded to in the first part of the movie but because of the restrictions of the two-hour length and the decision to, effectively, make this two movies in one we don't really get many answers. OK, we kind of get his wife sort of got him involved in the Nazi thing, but how did he get to be so powerful? I'm not buying that it was just because he could see how to run a chicken farm better than Himmler. More important, how did he become so brutal and unfeeling? These questions aren't really answered.

So, it's a missed opportunity because it tries to cover too much in too little time. Maybe the director and writers ought to have taken a look at the TV miniseries about Albert Speer from the early 1980s that starred Rutger Hauer. There was another opportunist (although, rather strangely, one whom history seems to have been kinder to even though he was responsible for working people to death in munitions factories) and you get some idea why he became so attracted to Hitler, how he was able to turn a blind eye given his ambition and how he was clever enough to avoid getting the hanging after the war he so obviously deserved.

For me, the most interesting thing about the Nazi era isn't the crazy mofos like Hitler, Himmler and the rest, but the enablers: the opportunists who are more concerned with personal ambition and who see their chances and take them, even if it means a lot of suffering for others. I find them interesting because there are more of these types around than perhaps we'd like to admit! And my view is that Heydrich was really one of these: in it for himself rather than some grand purpose!

Good Movie About a Hideous Man

[iwalrus · 8/10 · 30 August 2021]

There have been many movies made about WW2 but movies specifically about the bloodthirsty Nazi Reinhard Heydrich do not often feature.

The movie doesn't shy away from the brutality and provides an insight to the lead up to the war and the role Heydrich played in bringing about "The Final Solution".

Although all the actors played their parts very well and the cinematography was excellent , I feel that the atmosphere and authenticity would have been better if the characters spoke in German with subtitles provided.

In that case the rating would have been higher.

The make-up department deserves credit for Stephen Graham's likeness to Himmler.

I enjoyed this movie quite much for it's raw approach to life and war.

[hnapel · 7/10 · 16 November 2017]

While the story of the assassination of Heydrich in Prague during World War II has been told in other movies up to the point that it invokes a sense of déjà vu this installment can be praised alone for it's grand opening scene with the solemn organ music. This movie sets itself apart from the rest by also showing it from the perspective of the German side and Heydrich' s wife played brilliantly by Rosamund Pike whose beauty you may admire all the same as you will loathe her beliefs. The atmosphere of an occupied city, as far as you can gauge from a free perspective seems authentic. The ruthlessness of Heydrich and the whole Nazi war machine should serve as a reminder of what will be the ultimate consequence of intolerance and blatant racism. The story will always remain captivating for its combination of heroism and tragedy, romance, heartbreak and betrayal even if we suspect that the romance has been emphasized for dramatic purposes. As far as historic accuracy can be trusted we learn that Heydrich's rise in the SS followed a disgraceful discharge from the German navy, together with some scene involving an officer of the Wehrmacht it supports the irritating idea that it was only the Nazi's and the SS that were the true fiends as if not the whole of Germany stood with their arms stretched. Nevertheless I enjoyed this movie quite much for it's raw approach to life and war, if you get to choose a version of the story told so often, this is a good one.

Great repetition...this is the actual postmortem report

[sribulusu · 5/10 · 12 October 2017]

I was intrigued by this Reinhard fellow and did some research and came up on this interesting publication in the a medical journal delving into the postmortem report. Worth a read: http://ahahq.org/Bulletin/January_2009.pdf

The movie definitely portrays the mindset of the SS in a spine-chilling way. Having seeing Anthropoid there was no excitement was the movie went on as I knew what was coming.