Review: Valkyrie (2008)

[Homer Yen]

"Valkyrie" - Precision German Engineering
by Homer Yen
(c) 2008

Whatever opinion you had after watching Tom Cruise (TC) jumping on
Oprah's couch and the opinion you will have of him after seeing him on
the big screen will be as far apart as winter in the Alps and summer
in the Caribbean.  Maybe this particular celebrity doesn't do so well
on television shows, where things aren't necessarily rehearsed.  But
he's very comfortable and commanding as a movie star, whether his
roles are as varied as a foul-mouthed celebrity agent in "Tropic
Thunder" or as a military idealist in "Valkyrie".

I say this because the advance buzz was not favorable even though the
advance buzz was generated long before people had actually seen the
film.  And, there was genuine concern expressed by Berthold Schenk von
Stauffenberg, son of the film's hero, Claus von Stauffenberg, who
wanted to stop TC from going through with this project.  Perhaps on
the DVD, we could learn what compelled TC to want to tell
Stauffenberg's story.  In fact, so dedicated was TC to this project
that he personally appealed to the Ministry of Defence, who initially
refused to grant permission to let the production company film in
certain sensitive locales.  Ultimately, TC & co. were given the a-ok
to film at the historic Bendler Block, now a memorial to those who
meticulously organized and audaciously staged one of the most daring
coups in history.

In many ways, making this film is an against-all-odds proposition,
which could be a film unto itself.  And, equally so, the ambitious
plan of Claus von Stauffenberg (played here by TC) to assassinate
Adolph Hitler is also an against-all-odds proposition.  The
history-based thriller is about the July 20, 1944, attempt, and it was
the last of numerous attempts during Hitler's reign before Germany
ultimately surrendered and the Fuhrer committed suicide.

The film is efficient in its telling as we are introduced to the major
players of the plot. Pulling off such an operation requires dozens of
committed people.  The three most pivotal supporting players are: 1> a
high-ranking officer (played by Kenneth Branagh) who initially leads
the charge but then must lay low due to mounting suspicion; 2>  a
general (played by Tom Wilkerson) who will do whatever suits his best
long-term interests; 3>  Another general (played by Bill Nighy) whose
nebbish qualities but access to high command makes him a double-edged
sword.

Stauffenberg's disillusionment with Hitler isn't given the kind of
treatment that could have made this film more inspirational.  He says
to another officer early on in the film that "you can serve the Fuhrer
or you can serve Germany, but you can't serve both."  In fact, not
much is even spoken about Hitler's ruthlessness.  We do see Hitler for
periods of time on screen, and even one look at his face or just
watching him in his War Room ambling about in a mad-scientist way
immediately conjures up a sense of discomfort.  Perhaps TCs
motivations were under scrutiny (much like Kenneth Branagh's
character) and perhaps given the sensitivity of the subject matter, it
was best to just stick to the basics.  TC's character is not the most
complex that he's ever played, but he portrays Stauffenberg as
resolute.


"Valkyrie" is an edge-of-your seat, tense film.  An amazing amount of
planning and prayer went into this operation.  Would men carry through
with their parts?  Would an explosive detonate when assembled by
amateurs?  The Anti-Hitler coalition was committing high treason,
inviting certain death if they failed, but was heroic in their
efforts.  Similarly, for being able to bring the Stauffenberg story
unto the big screen, and against all odds, "Valkyrie" is a heroic
piece of filmmaking.

Grade:	B

S	0 out of 3
L:	0 out of 3
V:	3 out of 3