The Man with the Iron Heart[3][4] (released as HHhH in France and Killing Heydrich in Canada) is a 2017 biographical action-thriller film directed by Cédric Jimenez and written by David Farr, Audrey Diwan, and Jimenez. An English-language French-Belgian production, it is based on French writer Laurent Binet's 2010 novel HHhH, and focuses on Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague during World War II.
| The Man with the Iron Heart | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Cédric Jimenez |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | HHhH by Laurent Binet |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Laurent Tangy |
| Music by | Guillaume Roussel |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Mars Films (France) |
Release date |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $32 million [1] |
| Box office | $4.4 million [2] |
The film stars Jason Clarke, Rosamund Pike, Jack O'Connell, Jack Reynor, and Mia Wasikowska. It was shot in Prague and Budapest from September 2015 until February 2016.
Plot
editReinhard Heydrich is serving as an officer in the German Navy. After beginning a relationship with Lina, he is court-martialled for breaking his word to another woman he had been having sex with. He marries Lina and follows her in joining the Nazi Party and idolising Adolf Hitler. He meets Heinrich Himmler and is appointed head of SS counter-intelligence, working with Heinrich Müller to fight Communists in Weimar Germany. After Hitler is appointed Chancellor, Heydrich becomes Chief of the Gestapo.
After the German Invasion of Poland and World War II breaks out, Heydrich is promoted to Chief of the Reich Security Main Office. His Einsatzgruppen mobile death squads follow the German Army, committing genocide across Eastern Europe. He blackmails General Eduard Wagner into sending the Einzsatzgruppen information to allow them to exterminate Jews and other Untermenschen. In September 1941, Heydrich is appointed Acting Reich Protector of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, declaring that he will turn Prague into a "Jew-free" city. On 22 January 1942, Heydrich chairs the Wannsee Conference, to ensure there is a "Final Solution" for the genocide of Jews. In May 1942, Heydrich is attacked by Czech resistance fighters and dies of his wounds several days later.
Cast
edit- Jason Clarke as SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich
- Rosamund Pike as Lina Heydrich
- Stephen Graham as Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler
- Jack O'Connell as Jan Kubiš
- Jack Reynor as Jozef Gabčík
- Mia Wasikowska as Anna Novak
- Gilles Lellouche as Václav Morávek
- Tom Wright as Josef Valčík
- Enzo Cilenti as Adolf Opálka
- Adam Nagaitis as Karel Čurda
- Geoff Bell as SS-Gruppenführer Heinrich Müller
- Volker Bruch as SS-Obersturmbannführer Walter Schellenberg
- Barry Atsma as SS-Gruppenführer Karl Hermann Frank
- Noah Jupe as Ata Moravec
- David Rintoul as General der Artillerie Eduard Wagner
- Vernon Dobtcheff as Emil Hácha
- Ian Redford as SA-Stabschef Ernst Röhm
- David Horovich as Vizeadmiral Gottfried Hansen
- Oscar Kennedy as Milic Zelenka
Production
editThe film is based on Laurent Binet's novel HHhH about Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague.[5] The title is an acronym for Himmlers Hirn heißt Heydrich ("Himmler's brain is called Heydrich"), a quip about Heydrich said to have circulated in Nazi Germany. Cédric Jimenez directed the film based on the script he co-wrote with David Farr and Audrey Diwan, which was financed by Légende Films, Adama Pictures, Echo Lake Entertainment and FilmNation Entertainment. Alain Goldman and Simon Istolainen produced the film.[5] Principal photography on the film began on 14 September 2015 in Prague and Budapest, and concluded on 1 February 2016.[5][6][7] On 28 October 2015, The Weinstein Company acquired the American distribution rights to the film.[8] However, due to their bankruptcy soon after, the film was never released in the United States.
Reception
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2017) |
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 67% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 5.83/10.[9]
Boyd van Hoeij of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Finally less a two-stories-for-the-price-of-one situation than essentially two films of about an hour each, this is nonetheless a visually impressive Hollywood calling card for Jimenez, who almost manages to overcome the material’s structural weaknesses with impressive directorial verve."[10]
See also
editOther films on this subject
- Hangmen Also Die! (1943)
- Hitler's Madman (1943)
- The Silent Village (1943)
- Atentát (1964)
- Operation Daybreak (1975)
- Conspiracy (2001)
- Lidice (2011)
- Anthropoid (2016)
References
edit- ^ "HHhH (The Man with the Iron Heart) (2017) - JPBox-Office". www.jpbox-office.com.
- ^ "The Man with the Iron Heart". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ "The Man with the Iron Heart". FilmNation Entertainment.
- ^ "THE MAN WITH THE IRON HEART - British Board of Film Classification". www.bbfc.co.uk.
- ^ a b c Kay, Jeremy (6 May 2015). "Jason Clarke, Rosamund Pike, Jack O'Connell join 'HHHH'". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ "On the Set for 9/18/15: Rian Johnson Calls Action on Star Wars: Episode 8, Ghostbusters & The Magnificent Seven Wrap". SSN Insider. 18 September 2015. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "On the Set for 2/5/16: Vin Diesel & Nina Dobrev Start Shooting 'xXx' Sequel, Ben Affleck Wraps Production on 'Live by Night'". SSN Insider. 5 February 2016. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (28 October 2015). "Nazi-Era Thriller 'HHhH' Lands At Weinstein Company". Deadline. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
- ^ "The Man with the Iron Heart (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "'The Man With the Iron Heart' ('HHhH'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 16 May 2017.