DVD Cover (Image source)
My parents have always been fond of watching the old movie called
Operation Daybreak, which is centered around World War 2. We must have re-watched it on old VHS tapes and pirated DVD discs several times. The movie's powerful scenes are amplified by the use of synthesized music that adds to the emotions it evokes.
Operation Daybreak is an enthralling war drama film released in 1975 that recounts the Czech resistance's plot to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, the notorious Gestapo (Nazi secret police) deputy chief also known as Hitler's executioner. Directed by experienced filmmaker Lewis Gilbert, who has directed three James Bond films, the movie features a diverse cast, including American actor Timothy Bottoms and Anthony Andrews, who gave an impressive performance as one of the Czech patriots. The story's compelling nature holds your attention and serves as a reminder of the Nazi's brutal reign of terror. Today, the Czech village of Lidice, which was horribly destroyed in retaliation for the assassination, is often forgotten, but the movie's retelling keeps its memory alive.
To summarize, the movie tells the true story of the Czech partisans resistance's attempt to assassinate a high-ranking Nazi official during World War 2, and the resulting brutal search for the British-trained Czech resistance members responsible for the act. The film climaxes with the violent sweep of the German forces, culminating in the destruction of the small village of Lidice. A remake of the movie called
Anthropoid was made in 2016, but it lacks the same emotional impact as this original.
The ambush scene from the movie