Operation: Daybreak (1975)

Really Surprised!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Operation Daybreak is the World War II movie which adopted from the actual Operation Anthropoid ,occurred in 1942, and some parts are from the novel "Seven Men at Daybreak". It's very interesting that this movie filmed use more than 80% of actual event as the screenplay and many things looked very realistic.I think this movie has 2 parts. First is the thrilling for every viewer in the SOE's mission to kill General Reinhard Heydrick. (SOE is the British's Secret Service Organization before they changed to MI6) Everyone can see Heydrick's notoriously action which made him "the Butcher of Plague" before his assassination. This part can make everyone think about the operation and could judge about what Heydrick's deserved. Another part is about the tragedy that occurred until the end of the movie.In my opinion, Operation Daybreak is the very interesting film which everyone who likes in history should see. The most part of the film is inspired by actual story even it is not the documentary. Nevertheless, due to it's not completely "hero" film, everyone should understand the crew and the circumstance during World War II in order to understand this movie.At last, if you like history, this is one of your choices, but don't hope too much about "the beautiful way of the film".

What was wrong with this movie? Horrible directing and screen writing. The actors, to their credit, almost surpassed the cheesy soundtrack, inept direction, and poorly developed characters. Heydrich was indeed a monster and he was arguably second in command of the Nazi regime to Hitler. It would have been more interesting to have an actor around his own age (32) to have portrayed him rather than one 25 years older than the actual Heydrich. I cannot underestimate how shoddy the production was, devoid of nuances, amateurish pacing, lighting; everything. They probably had a sub par caterer as well. The question remains as to whether the assassination of Heydrich was worth it. It was common knowledge that the assassination of a German officer in occupied territory usually meant that 50 innocent civilians were rounded up and shot. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise that two villages and their inhabitants were erased as a result of killing the second highest ranking Nazi. Yet had he not been killed, Hitler would have left him in charge of all of occupied Europe. Heydrich was the chief author of the Final Solution and there is little doubt that at least a million more Jews would have been killed under his supervision. The ambitious, scheming Heydrich was a more cunning and efficient killer than Hitler. He may even have found a way to do away with him and extend the war.

Yes the music does date the film (were ARP synthesisers ever a good thing) but does that matter? No!! Some poetic licence is taken with the facts (how Jan Kubis really died or the romance with Anna) but the portrayal of the occupiers, particularly Reichsprotektor Heydrich in no way understated how heinous these people were.The depiction of siege at St Cyril's conveys a whole range of emotions as tension builds. The motivation of the resistance was unquestionably heroic at this part of the episode.This is so much more than an action story. However the issues tend to be portrayed in a very polar black / white manner. Even Karel Chudra's motivation is shown in very clear terms (he is treated far less sympathetically in Czech history). It is unfortunate that the film did not have time to develop the political tension between London and the local resistance. How aware was London of the probability of reprisals following the assassination? Was it their intention that reprisals would do more to stir local opposition to the occupation than the assassination itself? Why did Karel Moravec later take his own life?Overall, however, this is a film to see and for the most part it is very realistic. Visit Prague and leave the tourist traps to see St Cyril's - it looks just like the movie and is almost guaranteed to make you cry for all the victims of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia.

I have studied the Heydrich assassination at some length as an historian, and the film does take some liberties with the facts. However this is to be expected as this is drama – not a documentary. The battle at the end does contain some errors such as the end of the agents in the main church, one was fatally wounded and the other two took poison, instead of being killed in the gun battle, but this in no way detracts from the overall accuracy of the film.The battle in the crypt likewise ended with the four agents committing suicide by gunshot, rather than a mixture of enemy action and suicide.I have been in the crypt many times and have never failed to be impressed by the astounding courage of these men.'In their darkest hour they lit a beacon that illuminated the world'