United Artists, 2008
Mov No. Unknown
Genre: Historical Drama
Rated:PG-13
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Staring: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard
Oscars: 0 Nominations
AFI 100 years, 100 _____ tributes: None
Runtime: 2h
Best quote: "We have to show the world that not all of us are like him [hitler]. Otherwise, this will always be hitler's Germany. " - Henning von Tresckow
The very thought of a plot to kill one of the greatest mad men in the history of the world, by his own people no less, is unthinkable. Yet indeed, it did happen. Fifteen times. This story focuses on the last attempt, July 20th, 1944.
Valkyrie is the first production from the reborn United Artists, a company who recently celebrated it's 90th anniversary. The film stars an also somewhat reborn Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a disgruntled officer in der führer's army who is nauseated by the atrocities committed by hitler and his ss.
Stauffenberg is committed to doing something about hitler, and teams up with a group of officers who share his distaste for hitler's Germany. Together they plot to kill hitler and himmler, and negotiate a treaty with the allies. We know how the story ends, because hitler was not killed at the wolf's lair, hitler's hiding place in East Prussia. No, hitler chickened out and killed himself when the war was all but over in April of 1945.
Tom Cruise does a spledid job in the role of the Colonel (who is actually considered a hero in Germany). He plays the part with an electricity that we haven't seen from him in a while. His best role is still Born on the fourth of July; however, his role in Valkyrie is right there at the top of his oeuvre.
At times, Cruise acts with his body, not with words. You can read the script and act the lines, and that's ok; but you can also act without speaking, and that is harder to do. Cruise pulls it off wonderfully. At times you can see the fear and anxiety in his character. His eye movements (he only has one) show the true emotions of the character.
The supporting players are also well cast; Kenneth Branagh as Major-General Henning von Tresckow who also tries to kill hitler but fails; Tom Wilkinson as General Friedrich Fromm, a man torn between his distaste for hitler and his love of the third reich who keeps himself on the wining side.
The cinematography is amazing and the authentic German settings make the film that much better. the score conveys the suspense extremely well. The movie flys by at a fast pace, never letting up on the suspense.
Valkyrie is an extremely well crafted thriller that tells the story of a German soldier who, relatively unknown for many years, should now be considered a hero. He is not just a hero to the Germans but is a hero to everyone in the world for what he did... try to rid the world of a monster.
Is the movie worth your time to watch?
8.5/10 02-01-09
