The Butcher of Prague

“The Butcher of Prague” is a Czech historical drama based on true events. The film tells the harrowing story of the village of Lidice in Czechoslovakia during World War II, which was completely destroyed by the Nazis in 1942. At the center of the story is František Šíma (Karel Roden), a simple worker who ends up in prison because of a personal tragedy. While he is in custody, the situation in the country comes to a head: after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, a high-ranking SS leader, the Nazis decide on a brutal act of retaliation. They choose Lidice as their target—even though the villagers had nothing to do with the attack. The entire village is wiped out: men are shot, women are deported to concentration camps, children are abducted or murdered. Unaware of what is happening outside, Šíma survives in prison. When he is finally released, he is confronted with the ruins of his homeland – and a life that no longer exists. The film powerfully addresses guilt, arbitrariness, memory, and the cruelty of a criminal regime. It is both a tribute to the victims of Lidice and a warning against forgetting.