The Oppenheimer and Peaky Blinders star has one fantastic underrated gem in his filmography.
Cillian Murphy may be best known for his imposing lead performance as the gangster Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders, his menacing portrayal of Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and his layered interpretation of atomic bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer, but his most underrated role and movie tells a remarkable, lesser-known true story from World War II. 2016’s Anthropoid, directed by Sean Ellis, fixates on the Czechoslovak soldiers who organized the assassination of high-ranking Nazi general Reinhard Heydrich in Prague in 1941. Murphy stars as Jozef Gabčík alongside Jamie Dornan as Jan Kubiš; they are two paratroopers charged with completing the task codenamed as Operation Anthropoid.
Anthropoid received mixed reviews from critics, but its gripping narrative remains an important rendition of history. Additionally, Murphy and Dornan’s standout performances strengthen Anthropoid‘s entertainment value, and the movie boasts amazing action sequences. Establishing palpable tension over its two-hour runtime, Anthropoid is an absolute thrill to watch.
Anthropoid Is Great Despite Its Mixed Reception
In spite of Anthropoid‘s 67% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic score of 59, the film warrants more attention. In thoroughly developing its main characters outside of their main objective, Anthropoid succeeds in an area many other war movies neglect. The buildup to Gabčík and Kubiš’ successful assassination of Heydrich follows the soldiers’ contact with various allies in Prague after they parachute into the region. While some may find the first half of Anthropoid too slow, the film’s hesitance to immediately cut to the chase allows viewers to find out who Gabčík and Kubiš really were. The two men were notably assisted by Adolf Opálka (Harry Lloyd), Marie Kovárníková (Charlotte Le Bon), Lenka Fafková (Anna Geislerová), and several others throughout Anthropoid‘s narrative, and the film does well to develop their interpersonal relationships before arriving at its biggest and most action-packed moments.
The resistance achieved its goal thanks to a grenade hurled by Kubiš under Heydrich’s vehicle, mortally wounding the SS officer. The riveting scene is drenched with suspense, as Gabčík’s machine gun jamming nearly turned the mission in to a disaster. The fighters’ harrowing attempts to conceal themselves from the Gestapo in the wake of Heydrich’s unexpected death instill a sense of anxiety and dread in the movie. Furthermore, Murphy and Dornan portray their characters’ determination, fear, and acceptance of their fate through the whole ordeal with earnestness and attention to detail.
Anthropoid concludes with the resistance fighters’ heart-pounding last stand against Nazi forces in a local cathedral. The lengthy sequence is intense and devastating, as massive exchange of gunfire in different areas of the building ends with Gabčík, Kubiš, and their allies dead. Anthropoid‘s emotional closing moments leave a lasting impression on audiences. The movie’s ending serves as a poignant reminder of the immense sacrifices made by those who bravely opposed Nazi rule during the Second World War.
Why Anthropoid Remains an Important War Movie
The historical significance of Anthropoid cannot be denied. While pivotal events such as D-Day, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the Battle of Iwo Jima have been depicted in popular media numerous times over the decades, Operation Anthropoid has not been the subject of many English-language World War II-inspired productions. The often overlooked story of an incredibly courageous group of soldiers who likely knew they were sacrificing their own lives to revolt against the Nazi occupation should attract a greater spotlight.
Anthropoid’s unique subject material makes it more valuable since it’s hard to pinpoint another contemporary movie that chronicles Gabčík and Kubiš’ heroics in such an impressive fashion. The title wholeheartedly confronts the grim reality of Nazi occupation in Eastern Europe while highlighting the efforts of those who sought to end it. In relation to Anthropoid‘s impact on Murphy’s career, the star’s role in the movie remains one of his better performances, even though he is better known for other remarkable roles. Neither Murphy nor the film as a whole received much awards consideration, thus Anthropoid still holds the status of an underrated gem in the realm of war movies.
Anthropoid is currently available to rent or purchase through VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube TV.
