Hangmen Also Die

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1:43

Hangmen Also Die

1943

2h 14m

War

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, insurgent Franticek Svoboda (Brian Donlevy) assassinates the brutal German leader Reinhard Heydrich (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski). Svoboda escapes with the aid of history professor Stephen Novotny (Walter Brennan), but Novotny is then captured, along with 400 other Czechs, through the machinations of Nazi sympathizer Emil Czaka (Gene Lockhart). The Czech prisoners are then told that if Svoboda does not surrender, they will all be executed.

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TIME Magazine

02/25/2013

Although Director Fritz Lang gives this familiar material occasional touches of distinction, the picture still misses Grade A rank.

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Variety Staff

Variety

02/25/2013

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.

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Theodore Strauss

New York Times

02/25/2013

2.5/5

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. Nor does it match in emotional power and conviction its heroic theme.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jul 29

Where it’s most effective is when [Lang] plays the up to the heroism of everyday citizens, driven less by altruism than hatred for the enemy, and in the telling little touches strewn through the film...

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Joshua Polanski

Midwest Film Journal

07/04/2024

Still inspiring as text, the choir of voices of the oppressed victims of fascism transforms the resistance poetry into a marvelous song that matches nearly anything in Lang’s filmography.

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T.C. Kemp

Birmingham Post

02/19/2022

The picture is brilliantly produced and acted. Theatricalism is notably absent. It is sufficient in a film of this sort to allow the facts to speak -- and here, action is eloquent beyond words.

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D B

@Honor Jul 7

Absolutely stunning movie.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom May 24

Hangmen Also Die! is an amazing war thriller that creates a constant feeling of fear and tension throughout the film. Even decades later, its atmosphere remains powerful and unsettling, especially because of how realistically it portrays oppression and psychological pressure. What makes the movie especially disturbing are the repeated threats of hanging and the fear hanging over nearly every scene. The film does not rely on graphic violence to feel intense; instead, it builds suspense through dread, paranoia, and the danger surrounding the characters. The performances and direction are excellent, helping the story feel serious and emotionally heavy without losing momentum. The film balances suspense and drama very well, making it both engaging and difficult to forget. Overall, Hangmen Also Die! is a gripping and memorable classic that succeeds as both a thriller and a war drama. Its dark atmosphere and emotional intensity leave a lasting impact, and I rate it an 8/10.

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Martin B

@RT44235356 02/10/2022

A WWII propaganda movie. The Czech people universally defiant and noble. The Germans cartoonishly evil. The consumers of the movie not the ones living under Nazi rule nor making the sacrifices. A good example of the extent the movie industry would go to support the cause but not very accurate.

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05/27/2021

I am from Prague. Dr. Svoboda was the neighbor of my grandparents. He was a roentgenologist, and he had service just in the time Heydrich was brought into hospital. So yes, he did his roentgen picture. And that was, the rest was taken over by German doctors.

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04/13/2021

Overlong and occasionally dull, however it deserves serious recognition for being one of the few "Propaganda Films" made in America during WWII that specifically attacks the Nazis and Fascism more broadly for their evil ideas and not just because they were our enemies.

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s r

@ScottR 07/09/2017

A Czech perspective on Nazi occupation. Well made, but a little long.

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Fritz Lang

Director

Brian Donlevy

Dr. Franticek Svoboda

Walter Brennan

Prof. Stephen Novotny

Anna Lee

Nasha Novotny

Gene Lockhart

Emil Czaka

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Hangmen Also Die: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, insurgent Franticek Svoboda (Brian Donlevy) assassinates the brutal German leader Reinhard Heydrich (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski). Svoboda escapes with the aid of history professor Stephen Novotny (Walter Brennan), but Novotny is then captured, along with 400 other Czechs, through the machinations of Nazi sympathizer Emil Czaka (Gene Lockhart). The Czech prisoners are then told that if Svoboda does not surrender, they will all be executed.

Director: Fritz Lang
Producer: Fritz Lang, Arnold Pressburger
Screenwriter: John Wexley
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Arnold Pressburger Films
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 15, 1943, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 9, 2014
Runtime: 2h 14m

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