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 :)
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 :)