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| Reel commentary: ... a taut, suspenseful WWII flick with a little “old school” feel that may very well one day be mentioned in the same breath as some of the great ‘70s war thrillers like Von Ryan’s Express, The Great Escape or Where Eagles Dare ... full review |
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By Frank Wilkins
Bryan Singer, who brought us Superman Returns and two of the three X-Men films, seemingly steps outside of his super-hero comfort zone to direct Valkyrie, a suspenseful WWII thriller centered on one of the many failed plots to assassinate Adolph Hitler during his tyrannous reign of Germany. But upon closer examination, it’s not too difficult to realize that many superhero themes run throughout Valkyrie, including a lead character that, like many superheroes, is just an ordinary man moved to extraordinary actions.
What IS a bit more difficult to imagine is Tom Cruise in the superhero role. But as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer whose job it is to remain stoically emotionless and seemingly loyal so as to penetrate Hitler’s inner-circle, Cruise does just fine. No “deep, soul-searching range” needed here. Hopefully, viewers will be able to see past the lingering negative buzz and Cruise’s sofa-bounding antics to give the film a chance. It actually works as intended. It’s a taut, suspenseful WWII flick with a little “old school” feel that may very well one day be mentioned in the same breath as some of the great ‘70s war thrillers like Von Ryan’s Express, The Great Escape or Where Eagles Dare.
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Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg
All images copyright © 2007 Universal Pictures
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Injured while serving in North Africa, Stauffenberg eventually becomes disillusioned by Hitler’s ideals and leads the little-known German Resistance movement where he devises a cunning strategy to use Hitler’s own emergency plan to stabilize the government in the event of his demise – Operation Valkyrie – to remove those in power and topple Hitler’s regime. A stellar cast of A-lister’s joins Cruise in the group of defectors, including Bill Nighy, Terrance Stamp, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, and Eddie Izzard. David Bamper as Hitler brings chills, but not so much because of his performance – he’s not on the screen more than a few minutes - as much due to his resemblance to the angry little Austrian.
Singer and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie – with whom Singer earlier paired on The Usual Suspects - keep the pace steady, interesting and orderly despite the sometimes intricate and involved behind-the-scenes machinations of the coup attempt. We’re treated to some fairly nifty gadgets and dangerous scenarios, which would feel right at home in a Mission:Impossible film or even any episode of McGyver. Even though we know the outcome, we still find ourselves caught up in the proceedings and can’t help but run through numerous “what if” scenarios. Much of the film’s suspense and tension comes from what we’ve invested in the characters and our affection for knowing that what they are doing is right. Yet we’re also torn because we wonder how these men of principles could have joined forces with Hitler in the first place. These men were certainly faced with an agonizing dilemma and the filmmakers effectively bring us along and drag our own sensibilities through the mud. A few clever little nuances and poetic licenses top off the highly effective script, including some juicy ambiguities about exactly which members of Hitler’s inner-circle were involved – if any – and just how complicit they were? Seems some were eager to sit on the fence, ready to fall to either side depending on the dangerous plot’s outcome.
Singer’s attention to details pays off with a great sense of presence throughout Valkyrie. He uses various locations where many of the actual events occurred, including the historic Bendlerblock that hosts the film’s stirring final scenes. Singer’s interest in history and his exhaustive research – including knowledge taken from The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich – pay off in a huge way by lending the film a stylistic “period” feel. Blood red flags emblazoned with the swastika carry maximum impact and immerse us in the terrifying world of 1940’s Germany.
Frank Wilkins
 Comments
Frank Says:
December 26, 2008 at 19:23
More Valkyrie quotes:
"God promised Abraham that he would not destroy Sodom if he could find ten righteous men... I have a feeling that for Germany it may come down to one. "
"Gentlemen, we can save Europe from total destruction. "
"Just remember: this is the military, nothing ever goes according to plan. "
"am involved in high treason with all means available to me. Can I count you in? "
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§arah Says:
December 31, 2008 at 13:04
More Valkyrie quotes:
"Erich Fellgiebel: "What makes you think you're stronger than the very momentum of history?"
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VonHaeftonfan Says:
December 6, 2008 at 13:03
More Valkyrie quotes:
"He was as guilty as us!"
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Screen Formats: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide-Screen)
Subtitles: English; French; Spanish.
Language and Sound: English: DTS 5.1 HD; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access.
Supplements:
- Feature-length commentary track with Tom Cruise, Bryan Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie.
- Feature-length commentary track with Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander.
- The Journey to Valkyrie
- The Road to Resistance: A Visual Guide
- The African Front Sequence
- Taking to the Air
- Recreating Berlin
- 92nd Street Y: Reel Pieces with Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer
- The Valkyrie Legacy
Number of Discs: 2 with Keepcase Packaging - Disc 2 is a digital copy of the film.
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Buy the DVD
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Buy it on Blu-ray
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| Tom Cruise |
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Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg |
| Kenneth Branagh |
... |
Major-General Henning von Tresckow |
| Bill Nighy |
... |
General Friedrich Olbricht |
| Tom Wilkinson |
... |
General Friedrich Fromm |
| Carice van Houten |
... |
Nina von Stauffenberg |
| Thomas Kretschmann |
... |
Major Otto Ernst Remer |
| Terence Stamp |
... |
Ludwig Beck |
| Eddie Izzard |
... |
General Erich Fellgiebel |
| Kevin McNally |
... |
Dr. Carl Goerdeler |
| Christian Berkel |
... |
Colonel Mertz von Quirnheim |
| Andy Gatjen |
... |
Angry SS Officer |
| Jamie Parker |
... |
Lieutenant Werner von Haeften |
| David Bamber |
... |
Adolf Hitler |
| Tom Hollander |
... |
Colonel Heinz Brandt |
| David Schofield |
... |
Erwin von Witzleben |
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