Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 13:01:20

Very Good Movie

A little over the head for my 14 year old but I enjoyed every bit of it.

2012-05-24 22:27:26

Remember von Stauffenberg!

"Look them in the eye, they'll remember you."Much has been made of the controversial Tom Cruise's role in this film, and I too was somewhat skeptical of what he, along with "Hollywood," would do with this heroic tale. As it turns out, the film was much better than I expected. Cruise is a strange dude, no doubt, but the man is not a bad actor and I found him perfectly sufficient in portraying the personage of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. It should be noted as well that Cruise bears a striking resemblance to the real Stauffenberg. It seems needless to say, but 'Valkyrie' is the story of the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Stauffenberg, an aristocratic Christian type, was just one of a large conspiracy of army officers to take down the Fuhrer. Stauffenberg is the central character because of his willingness to do the deed personally. Their reasons for doing so were no doubt varied and complex, but to write them off as mere self-serving traitors (as some have done) would be preposterous. Watching the film, one is struck by the physical and moral courage these men displayed, knowing all along what their potential fate would be. Say what you will, these men were downright heroic. Which is also why one can't help but share in the heartbreak as their briefly promising plan disintegrates before their eyes. These men are tragic heroes.The film is relatively simple, nothing flashy, just a compelling drama. The acting is generally good, my only blatant complaint is the guy who played Hitler. Too much of a skulking caricature, but this was very minor. As a student of history, I was already familiar with the story but sadly, I think it's safe to say that many Americans are quite ignorant of the fact that there were indeed many "good Germans" such as these men. Therefore, I applaud this effort to bring the story to mainstream audiences, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed the film. Four stars for this Profile in Courage.

2012-05-24 05:00:36

Epic and Well Done

I recently bought this movie and right off the bat, As expected from amazong, It was in mint condition, All the box art was intact a.k.a the case, The movie it's self if a true work of art, For me, It show's the Germany we never saw or heard much of, The people behind the war, The way thing's worked, So forth, The movies was as detailed by several movie reveiws, Epic, Gripping and Suspenseful, I myself was glued to the movie from start to finish and still am every time. If you have an interest in movies related to war or war movie's in general, I would reccomend this movie, It's vary well done, The acting is superb and above all it is one of the best I have seenin a long long time.

classicalsteve 2012-05-23 23:35:47

Failed Heros Recognized: A Tour-de-Force Film About Fallen Heros -- The Film Is Its Own Valkyries, Raising Fallen Heros

The word "Walküre" (aka Valkyrie in English) comes from German composerRichard Wagner's opera "Die Walküre", the third installment of hisfantasy cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung". In Wagner's "The Ring", theValkyries were winged maidens who fly to battlefields to raise fallenheroes and take them to the great sanctuary of Valhalla. Walküre wasalso the code-name for a military operation created by the German-Naziregime to be enacted if Adolf Hitler suddenly died. Although the filmitself refers to the word in the latter sense as a military-coupoperation, the film is also a referendum on the fallen heroes who losttheir lives trying to save Germany. "Valkyrie" the film becomes theValkyries of these fallen heroes.Certainly, when we think of the heroes of World War II, our mindsconjure images of Roosevelt, Churchill, Patton, Eisenhower andMontgomery. But aside from the political leaders and militarycommanders, many civilians and lower-ranking military officers wereinvolved in resistance movements in both France and Germany who wantedHitler stopped. These people, many whose names have been lost tohistory, risked their lives to undermine the German-Nazi Regime thatnot only occupied many European countries but began persecuting andexecuting innocent people. "Valkyrie", starring Tom Cruise in his bestrole since "Jerry Maguire", Kenneth Branaugh ("Henry V" byShakespeare), and a host of notable supporting talent including TerenceStamp (General Zod of "Superman" I and II), and Tom Wilkinson ("MichaelClayton"), documents the last but most elaborate plot to assassinateHitler before Germany and Austria would be devastated by the alliedforces. And also save the remaining lives of people dying inconcentration camps. They wanted to demonstrate that not all Germancitizens, both military and civilian, approved of Hitler's vision ofGermany that included such inhumane intolerance.The assassination and coup attempt was headed by Colonel Claus vonStauffenberg (Cruise), a decorated military officer who was loyal toGermany but detested Hitler's strategy and ultimately his "finalsolution" persecution of innocent civilians. Many of the events asportrayed in the movie actually occurred. When Stauffenberg loses a fewlimbs and an eye after one of his last military campaigns, he isseduced into joining a band of conspirators made up of high-rankingmilitary and civilian personnel. The conspirators simply want toassassinate Hitler, but Stauffenberg points out that an assassinationis not enough. A detailed military coup needs to be enacted, otherwisethe highest-ranking members of the SS would simply take over thegovernment where Hitler left off and continue the dictatorship.Among the many detailed plans in the German Government is an operationknown as Walküre (aka Valkyrie in English), a detailed militarystrategy that outlines how the government would continue in the eventof the death of Adolf Hitler. Since Hitler was absolute dictator duringthe Nazi Regime, there were no constitutional guidelines for successionand/or transfer of power. The conspirators who want to oust Hitlerthrough assassination decide to use the military's own plan to takecontrol of the the government before the SS.The film chronicles the debates between the conspirators, theassassination plan, and then the plan itself. The only minor criticismof the film is occasionally the conspirators are shown discussing theirplots, sometimes only a room away from the Führer himself! Knowing thatconspirators were often plotting, the German-Nazi regime wouldconstantly watch and survey anyone and everyone for even the slightestinkling of disloyalty. Even those who were innocent but did not reportsuspicions quickly enough to authorities could find themselves underarrest. However, at other moments, the conspirators use coded languageto indicate their intentions which seem much more realistic.Overall an outstanding and compelling film that keeps you on the edgeof your seat. One of the best films in recent memory, a tragic buthonorable subject. The film details relatively accurately the actionsof a small group of people willing to risk their lives to stand up toHitler and show the world that not everyone in Germany would kill or bekilled without question or pause. This film is for those people outsidethe allied forces who tried to right a terrible wrong. They lost thecoup and their lives, but ultimately they won.

ajwilzn 2012-05-22 21:49:51

Good movie, despite the bad reviews.

Bad reviews and a slight amount of stiff acting by Cruisenotwithstanding , Valkyrie is a great, historically-accurate movie. With the exception of a single, short scene, Cruise's acting was decentto very good. All the other actors besides Cruise gave superbperformances.The lack of German accents/German itself, and the substitution of theactor's natural accents instead, detracted nothing from the film; ifanything, it made it a little easier to watch and follow, and moreaccessible for viewers who may not know the whole story behindStauffenberg and the July 20th bomb plot.In summary, Valkyrie is a movie worth seeing, about a great andprincipled man who believed in serving God and his country over acrazed madman and the Nazi regime.8 stars out of 10.

DonnaTN 2012-05-22 04:28:21

RE: ALWAYS Remember the difference between fact and fiction.

When viewing movies based upon historical events, remember that themovie is STILL a fictional representation of the events... unless it isa documentary.Always remember that fiction is not historically accurate. However, afilm can give you the feel of the times, with the fashions, thesettings, the cars, the customs, manner of speech, the beliefs at thetime, etc.Just remember the film is not merely a documentation of what actuallyhappened, and exactly what everybody said. Often there are "composite"characters based upon putting two or more actual people together intoone character.

TomCruiseFan99 2012-05-21 23:56:38

Thrilling history lesson

As a 29-year-old South African, the July 20th plot to assassinateHitler (let alone the other 15 attempts) was news to me. I never knewabout it until I first heard of the making of this movie. We weretaught World History in school, and the second World War formed part ofthat, but somehow we must have just glossed over the fact that therewere inside-attempts on Hitler's life.So, eager to learn something about history I never knew, I reallylooked forward to this movie (that and the fact that I'm a huge Cruisefan). And I have to say I was really impressed. The negativepre-release hype had me very concerned, but it was all in vain. Themovie was well made, had very good performances and managed to do thenear-impossible: maintain suspense in a movie where the outcome isknown in advance. (The outcome obviously being that they don't succeedin killing Hitler. Not a spoiler by the way).The first half of the movie is basically the set-up. We see Tom getrecruited by the dissident officers due to his outspoken and vocalcriticism of the way the country is being run into the ground. Once hejoins the "rebels", his vision in getting rid of Hitler becomes evenmore focused and determined, which leads him to orchestrate the July20th plot.In the second half, Brayn Singer builds an ever-increasing level ofsuspense and close calls as the plan gets put into motion. And itreally is an eye-opening experience to see everything that OperationValkyrie entailed. With the success of the mission hinging on so manyfactors, one can only marvel at the intricacy and scope of the plot.Cruise was very good in the lead role, with just the right amount ofself-belief and maybe false optimism to play Von Stauffenberg. Some ofthe supporting actors though, to be honest, put in even betterperformances, especially Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson. So leave yourskepticism at the door, and give this movie a chance. It's inspiringand tragic, but instills hope in humanity, that only by making a standcan any of us hope to make a difference.

teacher_tom516 2012-05-21 21:59:12

Why the Nazis are NOT the bad guys... (SPOILERS)

... at least until the movie ends.I've seen a lot of complaints about how Hitler was a rather sad lookingold man who wasn't scary and would never hurt a fly, much less a Jew,and how the Nazis didn't seem like the bad guys - in fact they seemedalmost sympathetic - according to some reviewers.Well, after thinking about it a lot here's what I think is therationale behind it. The movie tries to take us into this world wherepeople are disappearing, arrested by the Gestapo, you hear wild rumorsof Jews being executed but you don't actually see it. All you see areyour brother officers and all you have is their word.Finally when we hear Hitler's voice speaking to Remer, the gloves areoff. We see the executions, we see the show trials, we hear Hitler'svoice on the radio and we see that yea, the Nazis really are the badguys.The movie, to its credit, doesn't make up characters but it DOESconflate characters or change roles slightly to allow for maximumeconomy of characterization. Off the cuff I remember: Goerdeler - conflated slightly with Gisevius and the part of the groupwhich was idealistic, civilian and kind of anti-Stauffenberg Pompous general - Supposed to be Wehrkreis III commander Joachim vonKortzfleisch but I guess they wanted to make him look more pompouslyover bearing and less sympathetic (and Ian McNeice is certainly one tomake it work!) rather than being 'a simple soldier who'd rather bepulling weeds in his garden'.Africa Korps general - probably supposed to be von Broich but he'sgiven a generic name and killed off. He probably represents the priorefforts of the resistance to recruit the likes of Manstein and laterRommel. I think this might have been problematic as a lot of peopleapparently thought he WAS Rommel! von Haeften - takes the roles of all the ADC's, Klausing, etc.Mertz von Quirnheim - takes the roles of Stieff/Gersdorff in procuringand explaining the explosives as well as the role of Thiele in takingFellgiebel's call.Major Freyend and General Tresckow take the roles that theirsubordinates (Sgt.Vogler and von Schlabrendorff respectively)historically had - again for the sake of both economy of characters andmaking sure the lead characters are the ones who are active, ratherthan having a lot of active minor characters.We hear references to Helmuth Stieff, Col.Linstow and General Bieler aswell in the dialogue. It's really nice to think that the writersweren't just pulling names out of their rear ends as is the case in alot of Hollywood historical epics.There is some measure of dramatic license in the scenes but this isalways done to concisely condense what would have taken at least 3 morecharacters an 1-2 more scenes to explain if the history was strictlyadhered to.The movie does suffer slightly from shallower characterization than alot hoped for but this isn't because the actors acted poorly - to thecontrary they did the best with what they got. Unfortunately, becauseof the demands of the genre, what they got sometimes wasn't enough toreally give us a good glimpse of their characters. As it was Witzleben seems virtually irrelevant, which is tragic as hehas the hands down BEST end speech during the Volksgericht trials, Beckis reduced to the 'father figure' who Cruise's Stauffenberg is tryingto please - a sort of conflation of Ludwig Beck and Stefan Georgeperhaps! - but his role as Stauffenberg's PRECURSOR, the one who wouldhave had his finger on the trigger or the one arming the bomb in 1938,is absent. Goerdeler is reduce to the role of hostile and idealisticopponent to the practical and decisive Stauffenberg and his role as oneof the key founders of the Resistance, his opposition to the Nazis overthe Mendelsohn statue and his complex nature and naiveté is likewiseabsent.To its credit though, the movie does not pander. It uses its dialogueconcisely, smartly and effectively. They look and sound like theofficers we've read of in books. A lot of people in my experiencereally tend to respond on a purely emotional level to cinema. They needto have their pulse raising not because of what someone says orexplains but because of what they see. A lot in this film is explainedthrough dialogue, through exposition (though there are, fortunately,matching images particularly when discussing the bombing plans) and ifyou're not paying attention you won't make the connection.I can appreciate how well the filmmakers did and how they really triedhard to be true to history even if it went AGAINST THE GRAIN of what somany people think the Nazis/German were because of learnedstereotyping. But most people can't - they only see 'actors' behavinglike they're in a script which "wasn't researched" where Cruise wearsan eye-patch. To this younger generation raised on stereotypes andsweeping generalizations and MTV - where images carry so much power andare so ingrained into their consciousness that when they see the GermanWW2 uniform they immediately think "NAZI" (regardless of whether thatuniform was Waffen SS or POSTAL WORKER - those Reich mailmen had IIRC areally sinister looking black uniform so much so that some of thosepoor sods were shot by vengeful Allied troops and partisans becausethey thought they were SS!) - they're just not going to get it. Thatis, IMHO, a problem if not a major "weakness" of the movie - you'regonna have to actually THINK, READ, RESEARCH, DO YOUR HOMEWORK toappreciate this movie.Heaven forbid a movie forces us to actually use our heads.

2012-05-21 17:55:50

Valkyrie

Loved this movie. I also liked the fact that it is based on a true story. I looked up the story about the main character and enjoyed reading more about him and his family. Tom Cruise did a great job, as always.

2012-05-21 03:49:18

Wow, Tom Cruise can act. Who knew?

Valkyrie, the latest film from noted director Bryan Singer, is a film that sets out to prove there were good Germans during the Third Reich. In that it largely succeeds. It also sets out to revive Tom Cruise's somewhat stalled career. In that... well, time will tell. It always does, as the Doctor once said.The movie focuses on the formation of a plot to kill Hitler using Operation Valkyrie, a plan originally drafted to maintain law and order in the Reich in the event of Allied bombings destroying Berlin. The plotters, led by Claus von Stauffenberg, played ably by Tom Cruise, planned to use Valkyrie as a way to round up the SS and take control of the government after assassinating Hitler.The July 20 plot to kill Adolf Hitler was one of fifteen that failed to do so over the years (I do hope I'm not spoiling the movie for you by pointing out he doesn't die). Knowing that Hitler survives makes this movie less about his assassination and more about how close the coup plotters came to success, even though the Fuher lived. Before the plot began to fall apart, we see that they'd managed to take over the government quarter, arrested much of the SS heirarchy and were about to arrest Goebbels (something his children, in retrospect, might've appreciated). In the end, in fact, the only thing that caused the coup to fail was the fact that, well, Hitler wasn't dead. Ooops.It's interesting for someone like me, who loves history and enjoys reading alternate history, to ponder how things might've gone different had the plot worked. Had Hitler died, had the plotters been more on the ball and moved faster, or even, heck had the other plot shown in the movie worked, just what would've happened? (for the record, I believe the Allies would've negotiated with a new government, but Stalin would've demanded territorial concessions, like, for example, Poland, which might've caused the whole thing to collapse)The movie is tense and entertaining. The fact that it was shot in Germany lends a nice authenticity to the movie that is spoiled only by the fact that none of the leads has a German accent. The pacing is good, the sets are great, etc, etc.Ah, but you want to know about Tom Cruise, right? Well, I'm not a fan of his work in general. I find him to be very overrated and, in fact, one of the only things I've seen him in that I really enjoyed was Tropic Thunder.But that said his performance in this movie is adequette. It's not anything to write home about, but it's ok. It gets the job done. Workman-like. Nothing special.Despite that, and even if you aren't a Cruise fan, I recommend this movie. If nothing else, it highlights a part of German history most people outside Germany are unaware of, and does so in an entertaining way. No bad thing, that.

donnabarr 2012-05-19 04:30:18

Poetry with Red Flags

There will be a lot of specific spoilers in this review, but hiding theplot in an historically-based movie is like trying not to tell that theboat went down in "Titanic." This household is made of of a couple offilm geeks, and one lay expert in German 20th-century military history,so you're warned.I perked up when the film began with a translation of the originalHitler Oath running across the screen (search "Hitler_Oath" onWikipedia). The oath was central to the hesitation caused in theofficer corps after the Attentat (attempted assassination). Thedirector had my attention.In our household, we enjoy Tom Cruise as an actor. I personally thinkhe's funny, in a very restrained, rather sly, self-referential way.He's also extremely tightly wound. Directors who seem to know how touse him cast him to play very tightly-wound characters, and are notdisappointed. Von Stauffenberg was a badly-wounded man, with all thedelayed stress, pain and frustration that entails, and he yearneddesperately to stop his beloved country from falling any further downthe cliff it had already flung itself off of. He was a traditionalGerman officer, a class that had been trained in extremeself-restraint, right down to their posture ("Haltung."). I expect anyactor playing him to be very upright in physical and moral stance, butto be barely repressing rage and pain. Who better than Cruise? Moments of humor include Cruise throwing his eyeball into EddieIzzard's drink to get his attention (We didn't recognize Izzard untilwe saw his name in the credits, and madly hunted the DVD to get anotherlook at his performance. With no more disguise than a pair of glassesand a flat expression, Izzard hid in plain sight. What a chameleon!)Another moment is when von Stauffenberg turns and snaps the HitlerSalute at Tom Wilkinson (Fromm). Of course Fromm made a huge mistake; aman missing a hand and most of his fingers would no more have beenexpected to salute than he would have been expected to hurry whilechanging his shirt. Besides, saluting Hitler with a handless arm was anoutright insult. Von Stauffenberg more or less told Fromm to go haveintercourse with himself. Loudly.Marvelous minor performances include the officer of the reserve army,with his frustrated sigh of "Assemble the men," and his snapped, "WE'rethe coup, you idiot!" And the sergeant at the Wolf's Lair, whoperfectly mimes Military Fear that causes him to make a terrifieddecision not to touch that empty telephone. His performance isaccurate, right down to the nervous head-shake. Watch for the wholecrew of the teletype message-transfer center, trying desperately not toget themselves -- and their families -- killed if they make the wrongchoice (I was a military teletypist in the '70's and it was allspookily familiar, right down to the message-checking and the sound ofthe raving keys).I've studied the German army in the period intensively, and I can saythe sets, costumes, etc., were beautifully done. The use of the redswastika flags reflect the original use of them in the Third Reich,whose artists and film designers knew what would look good on thescreen. Von Stauffenberg's wife is portrayed as faultlesslyfashionable. Germany had conquered France, but the French fashionindustry refused to be crushed, as a form of very French protest. Withaccess to this industry, wives of high-caste German military officerswere expected to maintain a highly fashionable appearance as a form ofpatriotism; to have appeared in old or cheap dresses would have been toaccuse the regime of being unable to keep up the populations's surfacestandard of consumerism.The music was more Stravinsky than the thin and upbeat love-songs andmilitary marches that were allowed in the Third Reich, but at leastwe're allowed samples of those original tunes. It would have been funto hear some of the fake swing from the official jazz bands that weresupported to compete with Allied broadcasts.We know how this would end, but we were on the edges of our seats(well, couch and rocking-chair) all the way through. There was a realattempt to show the terror Germans lived while under this government,although it might have been more real to show how the regime began toinsanely clean house, killing thousands of people in and out of theofficer corps. As a World War One Austrian soldier, Hitler hated theGerman officer corps, and wouldn't have held back if he'd had thechance to get them, even as he cleaned out the very soldiers who foughtthe war. Not the first -- or last time -- personal or politicalconsiderations would cripple an army.I could bore for England about the history and how it relates to thismovie; again, excellent research.The cute use of the MGM logo, small and silver, at the end of thecredit roll: it looks exactly like the cockade, oak leaves and silverstrap on a German officer's cap. Yes, we got the joke, so whoeverpulled it, it wasn't in vain.Then again...the MGM lion logo came before the modern German capdesign. We've been comparing the logo and the cockade design more andmore. And remembering the Third Reich hired artists. Who can always getpast censors with a little clever design. Did "Valkyrie" point out anold joke the artists pulled on the Nazis a long time ago? It would befun to think so.

ghostflash 2012-05-18 23:18:58

Fascinatingly Accurate - In More Ways Than One

Most people are familiar with the assassination attempts on Hitler butfew people know the details of what really happened. This film providesan accurate, not to mention entertaining, glimpse into history anddetails what really went on. The accuracy of the film is one of themain things to commend it for. Some of the locations in the film arethe actual locations where the events took place which brings so muchimmediacy to the film. Even the sets which were copied or created lookstartlingly authentic. The level of set design is astonishing. Thereare so many small details and colours. It wasn't nominated for an Oscarbut thrillers hardly ever get nominated because of the narrowmindedness of the academy, and who cares about awards anyway.Another great thing about this marvellous film, is the acting. Rarelyis such a meaty ensemble cast assembled. Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy,Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp and many more are some ofthe finest actors around today. There is only one principle femaleactor but it's a military story so one should expect this. Tom Cruiseespecially stands out (well of course, he's the lead actor) in athrillingly nuanced role. Unfortunately though, the decision was madefor all the actors to speak in their own accents, which marrs theauthenticity slightly. Despite the opening being in German and cleverlyturning into English, it is still a bit annoying that they don't doGerman accents. Some speak with an English accent, some American andsome German. Aside from that, one has to realise it would be the firstmajor Hollywood picture full of stars to speak with a German accent.And if they all spoke with German accents there would have inevitablybeen some very awkward accents and it would have brought down theacting quality.The key theme the film explores is about making a difficult choice. Oneof the Nazi staff has a very telling line in which he says "We cant beneutral any longer and when we make a choice we've got to come down onthe right side". Bryan Singer constructs a fascinating portrayal ofthis very human dilemma and the film shows all the anguish andindecision and consequences of choices like these.Even though we know how the story ends it doesn't stop Singer beingvery successful in pile-ling on the suspense. The tension iselectrifying as Stauffenberg plants the bomb and hurriedly tries tomake an escape. You really suspend your disbelief and hope theassassination will work. You desperately hope it will be successfuleven though you know it wont. And one just has to sit and watch theachingly beautiful climax.

2012-05-18 05:43:12

Great story although dont be fooled by the previews.

This review is from: Valkyrie [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I really liked this move however I was under the impression by the previews that this movie had alot of action in it. It does not. It is a great story but I just felt desceived.Tom is very good in the movie. It starts of in german with subtitles and then transitions into english so it is easier to watch for the audience which I thought was a great idea and havent seen in a long time. Picture and sound were great and the movie is a recommended watch. Maybe not so much a buy for me.

nama chakravorty 2012-05-17 13:55:23

Bryan Singer's best flick!!!

Bryan Singer's 'Valkyrie' is an outstanding piece of cinema, cinema atits very best. Singer, before this has mostly made poor films,including the much-hyped failure 'Superman Returns', but this timearound, with a meaty and historic subject in hand Singer brings acinematic master stroke. Based on the time of Adolf Hilter, and aconspiracy of assassinating him by his very own people, an incidentthat took place on July 20 1944. 'Valkyrie' catches you attention fromthe word GO and continues to spell its magic till its end. Pluses of the film: Bryan Singer, the captain of the ship is the truehero here, he has directed the film like a pro. Camera-work by NewtonThomas Sigel is simply astounding, background score is spell-boundingand superb production value. Performances are perfect: Tom Cruise issuperb, he plays his part with ease and style. Bill Nighy isoutstanding, he's simply superb in the penultimate 15 minutes. TomWilkinson is in form,once again. Terence Stamp is effective. KennethBranagh is excellent. David Bamber, as Adolf Hitler is good.Minuses: The films length could've been trimmed by 5-10 minutes.on the whole 'Valkyrie' is an excellent film, a complete sweeper.Bravo!

sharktrooper21 2012-05-17 02:24:52

One of the Greater Films of 2008

I know that opinions will be mixed on this but I must say that Valkyrieis one of the better film that Modern Hollywood has produced. Yeah thisis a movie that is trying to tell the public that not all Nazis wereNazis. And you know what? They're right.Let's face it, Germany has kind of become the model country where the"evil people" are born all thanks to Hitler. So you would think that,for once, a movie that portrays Germans as good guys would receivebetter reception. I mean, that is one of the higher parts of this moviein my opinion, to try and stop the hate. I might be exaggerating butthat's probably how this film is going to be interrupted. And I have toadmit, it is refreshing to see people with appearances that are usuallyassociated with villains being portrayed as the heroes.I would strongly suggest this film to anybody but keep in mind thatthis is a MOVIE. You want a historically correct film? That's what thehistory channel is for.

psagray 2012-05-16 13:30:06

A lesson of history

This is a fine movie about the July 20 plot of 1944 made withmagnificent American-British-German actors and great production values.The picture contains a brief biographical remarks about Claus SchenkGraf Von Stauffenberg life(1907-1944), his wife(Van Hooten) and sonsbut focusing mainly the July Plot. The film packs a colorfulcinematography by Newton Thomas Siegel and atmospheric musical score byJohn Ottman, also film-editor.This story about Stauffenberg and thefamous event from how was orchestrated the dangerous plot has been welldirected by Brian Singer(X men). Another versions about this fatefultale are: the classic version(1955) by G.W. Pabst with Bernhard Wickias Stauffemberg, an American TV movie starred by Brad Davies and Germanadaptation titled 'Stauffemberg(2004)' with Sebastian Koch, ChristopherBuchold and directed by Jo Baier who bears special remembrance to'Valkyrie'. There is not in "Valkyrie" big special effects or action scenes bulky.It is a medium-budget film. It is clear that the objective was, firstand foremost, to reconstruct a time and a very specific events asclosely as possible. There is no dialogue at all great phrase; thephrases of the characters are always prosaic, practical, and realistic.Characters are the main attraction of the film. I think there is asingle flat character, but all we are shown something.Film can be considered as a lesson of history, within the magic ofcinema. On the other hand, is a fitting tribute to the others. "Thegood Nazis", who were ashamed of the genocide. They who thought thatthe only way to serve Germany and prevent the destruction of Europe wasto become a traitor to its regime.Regarding the list of what I consider very good side. I focusespecially on the main character for me, Adolf Hitler, played by DavidBamber with great skill, with those head movements, these gait and formof expression that are very successful for their part, great job.Photography and film music are also worth a good job. It misses onemore piece of Wagner but might have been highly charged film. The useof silence seems to me extraordinary. The lighting is also very good.The film is very well treated, from beginning to end, smoothlyconducted by the director. So my mind is that it's a drama, verycorrect in their form with a superb player in its interpretation, witha side that complement, in a masterly manner, and with a splendidrealization by Bryan Singer.

2012-05-14 01:36:43

Surprising, and an important footnote to history

Surprising because Tom Cruise apparently took some critical knocks but, here, they aren't warranted. Cruise, in an unexpectedly effective turn from the kind of work with which he is most associated, comes up with an effective and even convincing performance as the Nazi-era German Col. Claus von Stauffenberg who directs an attempt to save literally all of Eurpoe by killing his boss - his Fuhrer, Adolph Hitler. Based on actual events that came to a head July 20, 1944, when a bomb that was planted with Hitler standing only feet away failed to hit its target, Valkyrie was the German code name of the operation to be implemented to keep Hitler's Germany on the Fuhrer's course in the event of his death. The plot, the last known of 15 attempts by German resistant forces to kill Hitler and his vision for the country, is arguably the best known to history as cited in memorials throughout Berlin honoring the lives of the conspirators. This film version, incredibly well acted with a stellar cast that includes Terence Stamp, Kenneth Branagh and the always-superb Tom Wilkinson, comes across with passion, compassion, historic accuracy and a sense of respect for those German military men who snubbed their loyalty oath to Hitler in an attempt to close what they saw even then to be one of the darkest chapters in human history. The film didn't slay any giants at the box office or come close to blockbuster status. That's a shame, if for no other reason than the historic importance of the film didn't hit a mass audience. The film deserved a better commerical showing, and perhaps it will find its just due in the home DVD market. Also unfortunate is the critical slam Cruise was dealt; it isn't justified. Literally within weeks of the failed July 20 plot, most of its architects were executed; ironically, just nine months later, with Berlin surounded by the Red Army and the threat of other Allied forces nearing, Hitler committed suicide. The viewer who is unfamiliar with the history of the event probably will not fully appreciate the film's purpose and message, but so it goes with any other movie based on historic events. This film is too important to be missed if for no other reason than to show that not all the men and women in Hitler's regime shared the evil that cloaked their Fuhrer.

2012-05-13 13:19:53

"Good Thriller!"

Tom Cruise stars in Bryan Singer's 2008 thriller. A German Colonelleads a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during WWII. Tom's greatin this and this special edition has nice picture and sound plus a couple neat extras. I recommend this good thriller.

Robert 2012-05-13 06:46:20

Well worth the wait.

I have waited quite a while for this movie to arrive. It was worth the wait.Having visited the actual site of the attempt in Northeast Poland last year (2007), I was intriqued to have seen the actual event re enacted. I was in Hitler's bunker, although it has been left in disrepair after being blasted to smithereens by the departing Germans in 1945.I stood on the concrete pad of the staff building within which the assassination attempt happened, and it felt like I was being connected with history while watching this movie tonight.Acting was great, despite my recent distaste for any Cruise related efforts, the details were well documented, and I was riveted the entire movie.If anyone wants pictures of the actual bunkers--there are 35 buildings in that " mini town " the Nazi decision makers called home from 1941 to 1944, send me a message. I took hundreds of photos of Hitlers bunker (numbered 13, by the way!), Goerring and Himmlers bunkers, the auto repair shop, the cinema, the barber shop, the typist/communications buildings, etc.

2012-05-12 18:07:22

Cinema Today Requires More Faithful Attention to Detail

I've watched a lot of German cinema, especially by Herzog and Fassbinder. I've even seen war dramas as done by the Germans such as DAS BOOT. It was ok decades ago when James Mason played German General Rommel. No one was worrying much about foreign cinema's impact on our domestic product back then. It is quite another in the 21st century to have all American and British actors playing Germans in WWII in their own American and British voices. There is the necessity of making a viewer feel like he or she is there when recreating history in the movies. I never felt as if I was in WWII Nazi Germany. The rest of the film was faithful enough to the event. Specifically, it studies the July 1944 assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler as masterminded by Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise). I found it interesting if a bit plodding at times. I don't need such linear and literal reenactments of history. I appreciate more imaginative retellings. Had the voices not been such a problem, I would bump this film up another star. A lot of viewers appear to have continual problems with Tom Cruise as an actor. I've never had this problem. He is fine in this film.