The Assassination

None of the English language films dealing with the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, referred to affectionately by Hitler as 'the man with the iron heart', is wholly satisfactory and it comes as no surprise that the most effective version is Czechoslovakian.

Its director Jiri Sequens has been much disparaged because of his links to Moscow but this is generally regarded as his finest film. He believed that for dramatic purposes one cannot improve on History itself and has made this in the manner of a skilled documentarist rather than imposing his own style. Its sense of 'being there' is heightened by the stark black and white cinematography of Rudolf Milic and the fact that the protagonists are played by actors pretty well unknown in the West adds further to its authenticity. It is the chilling portrayal of Heydrich by an East German radio actor named Siegfried Loyda that lingers longest.

Sequens' knack for action sequences is evident in the Nazi attack on the Cathedral which takes up the last twenty minutes and which is brilliantly handled.

The power of this film lies in its simplicity and not for nothing was it admired by a certain Robert Bresson.

The ultimate accolade came from the most bizarre and unexpected source. Heydrich's widow attended the premiere and said "Yes, it was just like that."