The Man with the Iron Heart 4K 2017

Before watching this film, to my deep regret, I had no information about Reinhard Heydrich. But watching the film prompted me to take an interest in this person. Imagine my disappointment when, after studying the documentary chronicle, I realized how senselessly the film was shot. The facts about Heydrich's biography are distorted. The narrative is muddled. The director focuses on the assassination attempt, but ultimately fails to accomplish either task.

The desire to portray Heydrich as sinister is understandable, but not objective from a historical point of view: he ordered the extermination of millions of Jews without hesitation, but he was a caring father and husband. The film makes no mention of the fact that at the beginning of his “journey,” Heydrich even offered Jews the opportunity to leave Germany voluntarily, but the vast majority of them could not imagine the scale of the tragedy to come and naturally remained in their homeland. Hitler personally forbade Heydrich from participating in combat, but Reinhard was on the front lines more than once as a fighter pilot, was eager for awards, and victories in general. He sought to realize his potential in sports, was well-built, had a truly Aryan appearance, and was a model SS officer, although his detractors pointed to his Jewish ancestry, which, however, was never proven. When he picked up his violin, he became a different person, and he was also well educated. He did not think about morality, did not hesitate, was not mentally ill, but was confident that he was doing the right thing by destroying people who were hated by the regime. Heydrich was loyal to Himmler and highly valued by Hitler, who entrusted him with tasks that even he himself could not accomplish. Heydrich had compromising information on all high-ranking officials of the Reich. He was so confident in himself and in the love of the Czechs for him that he drove around Prague in an open convertible without security.

Heydrich was eliminated not for his bloodthirstiness, but for his thoughtful approach to governing Czechoslovakia. He reorganized the social security system, raised wages and food rations for workers, and as a result, industry produced military products for Nazi Germany efficiently and without interruption. The Czechs were not crazy about Heydrich, but they were quite happy with the status quo. The British needed to eliminate him, and they understood perfectly well the price the Czech people would pay for it.