Wuchak RELEASED IN 1975 and directed by Lewis Gilbert, "Operation: Daybreak" tells the true story of Britain sending a trio of Czech-born commandos (Timothy Bottoms, etc.) to Czechoslovakia in 1942 to assassinate SS-General Reinhard Heydrich (Anton Diffring), Hitler's buddy, infamously known as "the butcher of Prague." Unfortunately, the Czechs paid heavily with the SS eradication of the innocent village of Lidice, as well as (not shown) Lezhaky, the village where the parachutists dropped and received aid in the first act.The movie plays like a docudrama with a haunting synth-based score, which some love and some hate (regardless, there's some period music as well). The story is a mix of drama, suspense, thrills and tragedy. It's not a typical WW2 movie due to the covert mission. It's more akin to "The Guns of Navarone" (1961), "36 Hours" (1964), "The Eagle has Landed" (1977) and "Valkyrie" (2008), although of course the story is totally different.One element of the plot will tick you off, but it happens (I'm not going to give it away). Nicola Pagett is jaw-dropping beautiful. The authentic Czech Republic locations are a plus. This really happened; and the ending chronicles what happened to the Czechs.THE FILM RUNS 118 minutes and was shot in the Prague area. WRITERS: Ronald Harwood (screenplay) & Alan Burgess (novel).GRADE: B

TurboarrowIII I found this to be a moving film. It shows the courage not only of the men sent to kill an evil monster but also the resistance men and women already in the country who help them. It may not be 100% accurate and some scenes are included for dramatic effect but there is a lot of tension and, at times, terror in this film. Bottoms, Andrews and Shaw all put in good performances. When Shaw is wrestling with his conscience about betraying his comrades this is handled well. He has no excuse for his actions. In the film it appears to be that he wanted his family to be safe but in real life it was apparently because of the reward. However, Shaw is realistic at showing his character as he struggles with his conscience.Anton Diffring was always excellent at playing Nazis and here he portrays Heydrich as cold, ruthless and totally evil which most people would consider him to have been. He says that whatever happens to any Slav is of no possible interest to him which shows the total disregard the Nazis had for human life.The end of the film is very moving and sad. Bottoms, Andrews and their fellow fighters put up a tremendous resistance and it is particularly sad when the treacherous Shaw character asks them to surrender. The sadness of knowing their friend has betrayed them must have been hard to take and they make this obvious by firing at him. Overall I found this to be a great film. It shows the heroics of many people who went through a living nightmare to rid the world of the Nazis which I consider to be the most evil regime in history.

karl-669-955532 Was this the movie on HBO, at the earliest years of HBO, where the two assassins are held up in a room that is being flooded by the Germans. The last scene, they take their own lives and you see poker cards floating in the water as it is rising.I have been trying to figure out what movie that was. I was glued to the screen when I was young, but cant remember what the name of the movie was. The movie as I recall, was two assassins that were sent to take out a German Officer, and they attempted at a train station. I cant remember if they succeeded, but they did not get away and were held up in a house, probably a basement.

Kieran Green 'Operation Daybreak' Which is based on a true story Is a criminally and largely Un-Seen ClassicOperation Daybreak, tells about the assassination of SS general Reinhard Heydrich,who was the inhumane,Reich protector assigned to Prague and Bohemia , Circa 1942,British intellegance informs The two men assigned to this perilous mission, that should Hitler die Heydrich, will Assume Hitler's place,The two men who carry out this deadly mission are The Last Picture Show's(Timothy Bottoms, And Martin Shaw (Tv's Judge john deed) The two who are Czech commandos's, are swiftly parachuted into Prague, Where they set about their plan which gets underway in no time,The mission unfortunately has it's unseen setbacks, Which sees Their target fatally wounded,and then come the massive reprisals, and the thrilling climax that has a bloody shootout in the church where the Partisans, are stationed, the film culminate's in the Churches's catacomb's to an excepitonally and emotionally driven end, Directed by Lewis Gilbert, (The Spy Who Loved Me, Educating Rita, Is a largely excellent production filmed on location in Prague itself, The film which is increasingly HARD to find Really does require a DVD,Urgently!!!