Shropshire critic hits out as major chains not showing Anthropoid – film about Czech inhabitants of county
Cinemas in Shropshire will not be showing a new blockbuster film chronicling one of the most daring missions of the Second World War – despite the fact the two main protagonists have strong links with the county.
A Shropshire film critic today hit out at the "disappointing and frankly nonsensical" decision by Odeon and Cineworld not to show Anthropoid, which was released on Friday.
Carl Jones said he was sure there would have been big audiences for the show and added that he hoped smaller independent cinemas in the county would pick it up.
The film details the story of Czechoslovak patriots Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis, who lived on the Shropshire border before taking on their wartime mission.
The pair embarked on a top secret attempt to kill one of Hitler's key right hand men, Nazi SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the brutal Nazi "protector" of Czechoslovakia and an architect of the Holocaust.
Kubis and Gabcik fled to Britain after the German invasion of their homeland. And, while stationed in the grounds of Cholmondeley Castle in 1940, they became friendly with the Ellison family in nearby Ightfield, near Whitchurch – in particular their two teenage daughters Edna and Lorna.
But despite the links, and much publicity on the story including a feature in the Shropshire Star last week, it is not on the list of films being shown at Odeon in Telford or Cineworld in Telford or Shrewsbury. Even the independents, such as the Old Market Hall in Shrewsbury or Majestic in Bridgnorth, have no plans to show it.
The film, starring Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy as the two Czechs, has been widely praised by critics for highlighting an important story from the war.
Mr Jones, who reviews films for Radio Shropshire, said: "It's surprising, disappointing, and frankly nonsensical to miss Shropshire off the distribution list for this film. Interest has been high, thanks to local media coverage of the leading men's connections to the Ellison family in Ightfield, near Whitchurch.
"The family itself doesn't feature in the film, but that doesn't really matter because people in Shropshire are familiar with the story, and I'm sure there would have been a big audience."
"It's not the fault of the big cinemas, of course – they are at the mercy of distributors who think they know best where a film will be successful. Clearly, in this case, they hadn't done their homework, and have made a big mistake.
"Let's hope that some of our community cinemas, like the Old Market Hall in Shrewsbury, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, and Festival Drayton Centre in Market Drayton, pick it up over the next few weeks to make sure Shropshire audiences get the chance to see it."
