Product Description Based on the incredible true story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) and his ingenious assassination plot targeting Adolph Hitler, this engrossing thriller reenacts the daring operation to eliminate one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. .com Unpretentious and dramatically straightforward, Valkyrie is a suspenseful yet ennobling story about the last attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler prior to the end of World War II. Tom Cruise is effective if a little opaque as hero Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who channels his anger at Hitler's atrocities and mismanagement of the war by joining a secret organization bent on killing the Führer. When the outspoken Stauffenberg hits on the idea of linking Hitler's death with an official policy to safeguard Berlin during a government crisis--a contingency plan called "Valkyrie"--the group realizes a post-assassination coup could be covered by rapidly implementing the plan. History tells us the plot failed, of course, and Hitler killed himself months later. But that doesn't stop Cruise or director Bryan Singer from approaching the film as a thinking person's thriller, told from inside the conspirators' camp, where the outcome of their deeds were uncertain for several tense hours.In the tradition of The Great Escape, Valkyrie is a war movie full of famous faces, including Kenneth Branagh, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and Eddie Izzard. (The lesser-known David Bamber is very good as Hitler, hunched and cracking under pressure.) The film's gravity is offset a bit by the fun of seeing all these actors in a factually-based slice of history, and by a few, interesting stylistic flourishes on Singer's part, including the peculiarly unsettling image of a mosquito sizzled to death in close-up. --Tom Keogh Stills from Valkyrie (Click for larger image)
N**H
Excellent film with some controversy which may/may not detract from its significance
Excellent film account of the last attempt to kill Hitler. I've read of the reports before, and have seen some accounts of the attempts in films dealing with other aspects of WWII. This film is as accurate as is possible. There are some aspects which are not as they occurred in real life, at least according to many articles and comments and historical accounts of the entire plot. However, that is not terribly important as this film shows how brave the many men and women were in wishing to rid the world of a madman. In many respects, the chaos which ensued on that day in July of 1944, actually led to the Nazi regime unravelling bit by bit from within due to very irrational decisions of how to end the war with no chance of winning. The Nazis were hell-bent on winning or taking everyone down with them. Unfortunately, they chose the latter and many more innocent lives were lost with increased Allied bombing, the ever-advancing Allied armies on all fronts, and the complete destruction of the navy which was so much a part of Hitler's plan to conquer the world.It is sad to know about how the current German govt. wished to not have Tom Cruise play a central part in this film. Their insistence to reject Scientology and claim it to be a cult is admirable and I don't disagree with them, but when all is said and done, Tom Cruise did a remarkable job in his role, as he is quite a fine actor and took this role very seriously to the point where I believe it may be his best effort. I have no argument with either side on this issue and look at the film as a very good account of how Germany tried to rid the world of the worst madman in recorded history.It is quite a testament to von Stauffenberg that he is still honored to this day. He was a remarkable man who sacrificed his life for an incredibly important cause. It failed due to hesitations and minor mistakes which snow-balled very quickly as Hitler was not assassinated. von Stauffenberg was a hero if anyone can ever be called such. His family lived through the rest of the war and went on to live very normal lives, if that is possible for the relatives of a very principled man who died trying to save the world from Hitler's holocaust which ended 9 months later.Lots of people wonder what would have occurred if von Stauffenberg and his cohorts had been successful. That's not what occurred, and to guess is quite silly, but we know for sure that many tens or hundreds of thousands of people would not have lost their lives, from the quest of the Nazis to fight to the last man. All else is speculation.
D**S
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I love everything about VALKYRIE (even with Tom Cruise in it): The compelling (true) story; the terrific cast; the writing, pacing, plot, suspense; the staggering authenticity, from the various uniforms to vintage planes to German teletype machines. This is a movie that is pure quality, made by filmmakers and actors who pay fitting tribute to a small group of German patriots who almost pulled off the impossible in July, 1944.I knew about this assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair in the summer of 1944; what I didn't know is how elaborate it was, how many were involved, and how they almost pulled off a coup mobilizing the German Reserve Army under a directive signed by the Fuhrer himself (Operation Valkyrie). I also didn't know the conspirators were almost exclusively of the aristocratic class, from General Ludwig Beck (Terence Stamp) to Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise). All were men (and women) horrified at what the Nazis had done to their beloved Germany, along with all the atrocities and brutality; they wanted to take control and negotiate with the Allies for peace--before all of Germany lie in ruins. But before they could negotiate, they had to take control of the government, and taking control of the government meant killing Hitler.What a story. And as the events of Operation Valkyrie transpire--even though we all know how it plays out--the viewer is taken on a magnificent thrill-seeking ride, culminating in an emotional, powerful ending. And the cast--top notch. No, I'm no fan of Tom Cruise, but here he turns in a commanding, extraordinary performance as Colonel von Stauffenberg, the leader of Operation Valkyrie. Cruise is surrounded by quite an impressive ensemble, including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp, and Carice von Houten. Look for a quick cameo by Bernard Hill. David Bamber plays a very believable Hitler right down to the Fuhrer's creepy mannerisms, while Jamie Parker is very good in his small role as Stauffenberg's loyal-to-the-last-second aide.Special features. This special edition contains a commentary by Cruise, director Bryan Singer, and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie. The commentary contains a plethora of information--not only about making the movie and what the actors were experiencing, but bountiful historical snippets and information about the characters themselves. It's extremely informative and entertaining (and Cruise has a fantastic sense of humor). This DVD also contains the documentary "The Valkyrie Legacy", which aired on The History Channel. It, too, is very compelling and informative. As a special edition this DVD for VALKYRIE is just about as good as it gets. A must-have for all historical and film buffs.--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning
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