Film based on the true story of the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in Prague and was adapted from the book Seven Men at Daybreak by Alan Burgess . During World War 2 , in 1942 Czechoslovakia, SS-General Reinhard Heydrich (he was 38 when he was shot but Anton Diffring who was in his late fifties) is appointed by Hitler (George Sewell plays two parts in this movie; he is a German officer, seen at the film's climax and also, briefly he plays 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 three soldiers : Jan Kubis (Timothy Bottoms) , Karel Curda , (Martin Shaw) and Jozef Gabcík (Anthony Andrews) are parachuted into Czechoslovakia in order to assassinate the German governor Reinhard Heydrich . The group is assigned a dangerous mission called Operation Daybreak ; 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 Janák (Joss Ackland) , Anna (Nicola Pagett) and Pyotr (Vernon Dobtcheff) .On 27 May 1942, Heydrich proceeded on his daily commute from his home to Prague Castle. Gabčík 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, Gabčík stepped in front of the vehicle, trying to open fire, but his Sten gun jammed. Heydrich ordered his driver, SS-Oberscharführer Klein, to stop the car. When Heydrich stood up to try to shoot Gabčík, 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 Čurda 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 Čurda, after attempting suicide, was hanged in 1947 for high treason .
It is based on the novel by Alan Burgess and on a true story that also was adapted by Fritz Lang, in 1943 'Hangmen Also Die' , Hitler's Madman (1943) and Atentat (1964). It explores the preparations, execution, and aftermath of this operation and the bloody revenge on the Lidice village . Operation Daybreak 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 duplicating WW2 German Tiger tanks, 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 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 but inappropriate original music by David Hentschel composed by means of synthesizer . Furthermore a functional and atmospheric Cinematography by magnificent French director of photography Henri Decaë . The motion picture was professionally directed by Lewis Gilbert . Lewis was a craftsman and expert on all kind of genres such as comedy : ¨Shirley Valentine , Educating Rita , The admirable Chricton¨ ; Adventure : ¨The seventh dawn , The adventurers ¨ ; James Bond movies as as : ¨Moonraker , The spy who loved me , You only live twice¨ ; Drama : ¨Alfie , A cry from the streets¨ and wartime : ¨Damn the Defiant , Sink the Bismark¨ .
It is based on the novel by Alan Burgess and on a true story that also was adapted by Fritz Lang, in 1943 'Hangmen Also Die' , Hitler's Madman (1943) and Atentat (1964). It explores the preparations, execution, and aftermath of this operation and the bloody revenge on the Lidice village . Operation Daybreak 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 duplicating WW2 German Tiger tanks, 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 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 but inappropriate original music by David Hentschel composed by means of synthesizer . Furthermore a functional and atmospheric Cinematography by magnificent French director of photography Henri Decaë . The motion picture was professionally directed by Lewis Gilbert . Lewis was a craftsman and expert on all kind of genres such as comedy : ¨Shirley Valentine , Educating Rita , The admirable Chricton¨ ; Adventure : ¨The seventh dawn , The adventurers ¨ ; James Bond movies as as : ¨Moonraker , The spy who loved me , You only live twice¨ ; Drama : ¨Alfie , A cry from the streets¨ and wartime : ¨Damn the Defiant , Sink the Bismark¨ .