Hangmen Also Die! (1943) (Blu-ray + DVD)

At the height of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, four German exiles in Hollywood director Fritz Lang, playwright Bertolt Brecht (earning his only US credit), composer Hanns Eisler and actor Hans Heinrich von Twardowski pooled their talents to create Hangmen Also Die!, a remarkable film about the Czech resistance.

Twardowski plays Reinhard Heydrich, an SS Obergruppenführer and the Reich-Protector of Czechoslovakia, known alternately as The Hangman and The Butcher of Prague . When he is assassinated by a surgeon (played by Brian Donlevy), the city is locked down and the doctor must rely on the help of the resistance to evade capture.

Shot by the great James Wong Howe (Sweet Smell of Success, Seconds), Hangmen Also Die! Is a gripping blend of war picture, film noir and political thriller.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

2K restoration from original film materials of the full-length uncensored version High Definition (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Audio commentary by film historian Richard Peña Story of a Hangman: Robert Gerwarth on Reinhard Heydrich, an interview with the author of Hitler's Hangman: The Life of Heydrich Newsreel footage Restoration comparison Trailer Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Vladimir Zimakov

First pressing only: Fully illustrated collector s booklet containing new writing by Gerd Gemunden, author of Continental Strangers: German Exile Cinema, 1933-1951