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Hangmen Also Die!

1943

Fritz Lang

Brian Donlevy, Walter Brennan, Anna Lee, Gene Lockhart ...

7.7

3,336

Thriller. Drama An apocryphal version of the assassination of the Nazi leader and Czech "protector" Reinhard Heydrich by a resistance fighter in World War II. The story follows the assassin as he evades the widening Nazi dragnet, protected by his fellow Czechs even to the point of self-sacrifice. As the Czech people are put to the sword in increasing numbers in retaliation for the assassination and their refusal to give up the killer, a plan evolves to ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Time Out	"The atmosphere is dark and oppressive, the Nazis are portrayed as ideological gangsters, and the themes of loyalty and betrayal, passive and active resistance, beautifully worked out. Superb performances throughout"
		Variety	"From a directorial standpoint this is a triumph for Fritz Lang, who succeeds with singular success in capturing the spirit of the Czech people in the face of the Nazi reign of terror."
		Chuck Bowen Slant	"Time has revealed 'Hangmen Also Die' to be one of Fritz Lang’s sharpest, bleakest, and most dizzyingly inventive thrillers (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"
		Nathan Rabin AV Club	"While 'Hangmen Also Die' can never again achieve the immediacy it no doubt held for audiences in 1943, it's still a fascinating, beautifully crafted film."
		The New York Times	"For all of Mr. Lang's finesse, his film is too patient—it runs well over two hours—too ponderous to hit its stride as melodrama"
		Dave Kehr Chicago Reader	"For once, the needs of art and propaganda meet: the film contains several interesting twists on familiar Lang themes"

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