Unlike many Hollywood war movies, Anthropoid emphasizes the fear and humanity of its leads. Jan Kubiš is depicted as struggling with realistic terror, while Josef Gabčík remains steadfast but grimly aware of their likely fate. Critical Reception
is a historical war thriller that dramatizes one of the most daring and consequential missions of World War II: the assassination of SS General Reinhard Heydrich . Directed and co-written by Sean Ellis , the film focuses on the true story of Operation Anthropoid , the secret mission to eliminate the "Butcher of Prague," who was Hitler’s third-in-command and a primary architect of the Holocaust. Plot Overview
Overall, Anthropoid is regarded as a hard-hitting, informative historical lesson that honors the sacrifice of those who stood against the Nazi regime.
The harrowing execution of the assassination attempt on May 27, 1942.
An intense final sequence depicting the horrific Nazi reprisals and the paratroopers' legendary last stand at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral . Themes and Style
Filmed on location in Prague, the movie is noted for its period-accurate costumes and environments. Director Sean Ellis utilized a "shaky-cam" aesthetic and a muted, sepia-toned palette to evoke a sense of gritty realism and constant dread.
The film follows two exiled Czechoslovak soldiers, (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubiš (Jamie Dornan), who are parachuted into their Nazi-occupied homeland in December 1941. With minimal intelligence and the help of a dwindling local resistance, they must plan and execute the assassination of Heydrich in the heart of Prague. The story is divided into three distinct phases:
The film explores the moral dilemma of the mission—the knowledge that killing one high-ranking official would inevitably lead to the execution of thousands of innocent civilians in retaliation.
