Anthropoid
In December 1941, Czech soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich.
The film earned $4.6M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Anthropoid (2016) showcases meticulously timed plot construction, characteristic of Sean Ellis's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours. With an Arcplot score of 6.7, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jan Kubiš
Jozef Gabčík
Lenka Fafková
Marie Kovárníková
Reinhard Heydrich
Uncle Hajský
Ladislav Vaněk
Adolf Opálka
Main Cast & Characters
Jan Kubiš
Played by Jamie Dornan
Czech paratrooper tasked with assassinating Reinhard Heydrich. Sensitive, moral, and deeply conflicted about the mission's human cost.
Jozef Gabčík
Played by Cillian Murphy
Slovak paratrooper and mission leader. Disciplined, focused soldier who compartmentalizes emotion to complete the objective.
Lenka Fafková
Played by Charlotte Le Bon
Young resistance member who shelters the paratroopers. Falls in love with Jan despite the danger.
Marie Kovárníková
Played by Anna Geislerová
Resistance member who provides safe house and becomes romantically involved with Jozef.
Reinhard Heydrich
Played by Detlef Bothe
Third Reich official known as "The Butcher of Prague". The main target of Operation Anthropoid.
Uncle Hajský
Played by Toby Jones
Resistance leader who coordinates the safe houses and supports the operation despite enormous risk.
Ladislav Vaněk
Played by Marcin Dorociński
Resistance member who assists with the operation but becomes increasingly fearful of Nazi reprisals.
Adolf Opálka
Played by Harry Lloyd
Leader of another paratrooper team who joins forces with Jan and Jozef for the final stand.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš parachute into Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in December 1941, beginning their dangerous mission in a country completely under German control.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when The team learns their true mission: Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the third-highest ranking Nazi and architect of the Final Solution. The stakes become clear and overwhelming.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 91 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The resistance is betrayed by Karel Čurda for blood money. The Nazis discover the paratroopers' location. Marie and Lenka are captured and tortured. The mission that was meant to inspire resistance has led to catastrophic loss., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 97 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. The paratroopers refuse the Nazi offer to surrender. They accept their deaths with dignity and resolve, understanding that their sacrifice, however costly, was necessary resistance against absolute evil., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Anthropoid's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Anthropoid against these established plot points, we can identify how Sean Ellis utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Anthropoid within the history genre.
Sean Ellis's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Sean Ellis films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.9, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Anthropoid takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Sean Ellis filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional history films include Operation Finale, The Importance of Being Earnest and Tora! Tora! Tora!. For more Sean Ellis analyses, see The Cursed.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš parachute into Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in December 1941, beginning their dangerous mission in a country completely under German control.
Theme
Uncle Hajský warns the paratroopers about the cost of resistance: "Every act of defiance costs lives." The theme of sacrifice versus survival is established.
Worldbuilding
The paratroopers establish contact with the Czech resistance, meet safe house operators, and learn the brutal reality of occupied Prague. We see the terror tactics of the Nazis and the fragmented, fearful resistance network.
Disruption
The team learns their true mission: Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the third-highest ranking Nazi and architect of the Final Solution. The stakes become clear and overwhelming.
Resistance
The resistance debates whether assassination is worth the inevitable reprisals. Jozef and Jan struggle with doubt, receive intelligence from resistance contacts, and begin surveillance of Heydrich. Relationships form with Marie and Lenka.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The team conducts detailed surveillance, studies Heydrich's routes and vulnerabilities, acquires weapons, and plans the attack. They navigate the constant danger of Nazi patrols while their relationships with the women deepen, creating emotional complexity.
Opposition
The Nazis unleash brutal reprisals across Prague. Thousands are arrested and executed. The Gestapo closes in, using torture and offers of reward. The resistance network begins to crack under pressure. The safe houses become death traps.
Collapse
The resistance is betrayed by Karel Čurda for blood money. The Nazis discover the paratroopers' location. Marie and Lenka are captured and tortured. The mission that was meant to inspire resistance has led to catastrophic loss.
Crisis
Jozef, Jan, and five other paratroopers are cornered in the Orthodox Cathedral. They face the certainty of death and the knowledge of what their families and supporters will endure. They prepare for their final stand.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The paratroopers refuse the Nazi offer to surrender. They accept their deaths with dignity and resolve, understanding that their sacrifice, however costly, was necessary resistance against absolute evil.
Synthesis
The final battle in the cathedral: desperate combat, flooding of the crypt, ammunition running out. Each paratrooper fights to the death or takes their own life rather than surrender. The Nazis achieve a pyrrhic victory.
Transformation
Title cards reveal the devastating aftermath: mass executions, the destruction of Lidice, but also that the assassination proved the Nazis were not invincible and inspired continued resistance throughout occupied Europe.