OPERATION: DAYBREAK tells the true story of the assassination attempt on the life of Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich in Prague during the Second World War. In terms of narrative structure it's almost exactly the same as in the recent remake ANTHROPOID starring Cillian Murphy; I saw that version first which means that I've been spoilt. As such, while I enjoyed this film, I found it only good compared to the remake which I thought was quite brilliant.
The film plays out in a typically gritty 1970s fashion and could be described as downbeat. The likes of Timothy Bottoms, Martin Shaw, and Joss Ackland play the conspirators and do their jobs well, while Anton Diffring makes for an excellent Heydrich. The film is slightly overlong in parts and it does drag a little in the first half, but once the assassination attempt is staged it really picks up and remains both moving and thrilling right through the climax.
The film plays out in a typically gritty 1970s fashion and could be described as downbeat. The likes of Timothy Bottoms, Martin Shaw, and Joss Ackland play the conspirators and do their jobs well, while Anton Diffring makes for an excellent Heydrich. The film is slightly overlong in parts and it does drag a little in the first half, but once the assassination attempt is staged it really picks up and remains both moving and thrilling right through the climax.