Anthopoid - film rec

[amberdreams]

I'm probably not in the best state of mind to give you an enlightened, intellectual review - I just got back and my hands are still shaking.

So this is an emotional reaction post - Anthropoid has a weird name, but that is because this is the name given to the covert operation to assassinate Reinhart Heidrich in Prague in 1942. I deliberately didn't read up the history beforehand, but I think even if you knew the outcome and the ins and outs of it, this would still grip you tight and have you hoping, right up to the very end, that something different was going to happen.

The tension really starts ramping up from the assassination attempt onwards, prior to that the film is about establishing the characters and leading into their plans, debating whether this is such a great idea, and thinking about the likely consequences of success. Then after the assassination attempt, the story turns to what happens next, and how the immediate future pans out for all the characters we've met so far.

Don't go see this if you are feeling fragile - though it might help put your life in perspective. As my hubby said as we walked home, " I thought I had a bad day..."

The only actors I recognised were Cillian Murphy as one of the leads, Ben Wishart in a minor role and Toby Jones, but everyone was excellent. I do recommend it - such a strong, understated cast and script, so well filmed. It felt completely real.

Now I'm going to take some deep breaths and calm myself.

Comments

[viviansface.livejournal.com]

omg! I haven't seen the movie yet but I've seen so many interviews because they were shooting in Prague, which is pretty close to me (and that part of history too, we're pretty familiar with it here, obviously - cillian murphy's character is slovak after all!), and there are a few czech actors in it as well! ahh ♥

IDK, that made me happy. and I'm glad you liked the film! it makes me excited to go see it myself even more.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I hope you like it too - I think they tried to keep it close to the facts though obviously given the ending, there are parts thye could have no first hand accounts of... I liked how they hinted at tension between Czechs and Slovaks without dwelling on it, and the comradeship between the makeshift team was really moving.

Let me know what you think when you see it!

[viviansface.livejournal.com]

will do!

silly question, but - how did you like the ginger actress? she's one of the most famous and well-loved czech actresses and i wonder how she did in a film with people like murphy, etc, in your opinion?

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Oh I didn't know she was Czech. All the characters were totally convincing - I loved the woman who gives them lodgings, and the young bloke who plays her violinist son, and Lenka (the red-head) was great too. She doesn't get a huge amount of dialogue, but she comes across as a really strong, deep character - brave too. She's the more important of the two resistance women, or at least I thought so.

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

This movie sounds right up my alley! It doesn't seem to be playing anywhere in the area: perhaps I'll have to wait for it to come out on DVD. But I'll put it on my list!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I imagine it's not blockbuster material. Or US-friendly - there's not a single mention of America in it after all LOL

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

The film Amen (https://www.amazon.com/Amen-Blu-ray-Mathieu-Kassovitz/dp/B00JEEZS14/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8) is another non-US WWII film that I was very taken by. I had to work to find a copy but it was worth it. (My dad was a history professor whose particular area of interest was the role and activities of the Vatican in the late 1930s and early 1940s, so I had a strong motivation.) But I also did my sole J2AU spn_j2_bigbang on WWII -- it's long been a passion of mine.

Anyway, I will definitely follow up: Amazon says they will have Anthopoid available to buy in the US in November. I'll see if I can rent it somewhere after that time.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the rec about Amen too, I'll see if I can get hold of it. And I remember your WWII fic! ♥

[dear-tiger.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Relevant to my interests! I looked up the trailer, and it looked fabulous. I resisted looking up the actual plot. Thank you for the rec.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I did think of you when I was watching it - though there's no 'enemy' POV to confuse the audience. It's a powerful story though.

[dear-tiger.livejournal.com]

Looks like that POV would've been completely out of place in that movie. And although German POV is my current choice of noodles, I'm still a sucker for any part of that war.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

It was interesting because it did concentrate almost exclusively on the resistance, you only get to see any Germans close enough to see their faces (apart from Reinhard Heydrich) until quite a way into the film - I think that is part of what contributes to the intensity of it.

But I think you will enjoy it!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I just remembered this one - have you seen Conspiracy, with Kenneth Brannagh? It's about Reinhard Heydrich too. If you haven't come across it, you might want to give it a try. It's based on the only surviving record of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, and reconstructs the meeting where they made definitive plans for the genocide of Europe's Jews. It's totally gripping, and Brannagh's Heydrich is so charming and normal it's even more scary to watch. They make it sound so...reasonable.

[dear-tiger.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I didn't know there was a movie like that, or a surviving record. Definitely relevant to my interests.

[siennavie.livejournal.com]

Hadn't heard of it until now! It sounds intriguing so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for it.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

Sounds just like my and steve's cup-of-tea :D Thanks for the rec :D

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Isn't it great when you see something that affects you so profoundly. I'll have to give that a go!