HANGMEN ALSO DIE! (1943) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Fritz Lang

Written by - Bertold Brecht, Fritz Lang, John Wexley

Starring - Brian Donlevy, Walter Brennan, Anna Lee

"HANGMEN ALSO DIE! is a film set in Czechoslovakia during Nazi occupation and is based on the true story of the assassination of its administrator Reinhard Heydrich, known to many as "the hangman". It particularly follows the aftermath of the assassination and the resulting Gestapo investigations. 

This film is also known for being BERTOLD BRECHT's only screenwriting credit. 

HANGMEN ALSO DIE! was directed by master of cinema FRITZ LANG, and their collaborations is quite suited given both their interests in similar themes, such as social injustice and exploitation. The screenplay is also mostly devoid of sympathy, and even the most melodramatic of moments seems rather genuine. 

Overall, among the greatest features of the film is the atmosphere of paranoia which they are able to create, with the Czechs forced to fight back their terrible oppression at the hands of the violent Nazis by way of secrecy but with great resilience and bravery. 

It can now be clearly defined as not being very historically accurate, but to its credit, it was produced while the second world war was still taking place and many of the informations had not yet been revealed. Instead, HANGMEN ALSO DIE! can be praised for being a thriller handled masterfully both in pace and substance. Despite the intricate storyline, it never seems to tangle and maintains an excellent level of intensity."

Drama, USA