Valkyrie (2008)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Bryan Singer

Writers (WGA):

Christopher McQuarrie (written by) &
Nathan Alexander (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Thriller | War

Tagline:

Many saw evil. They dared to stop it.

Plot:

Based on actual events, a plot to assassinate Hitler is unfurled during the height of WWII.

Plot Keywords:

Plan | Germany | Plot | Nazi | German

Awards:

8 nominations

Cast

Tom Cruise	...	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 (as Kevin R. McNally)
Christian Berkel	...	Colonel Mertz von Quirnheim
Jamie Parker	...	Lieutenant Werner von Haeften
David Bamber	...	Adolf Hitler
Tom Hollander	...	Colonel Heinz Brandt
David Schofield	...	Erwin von Witzleben
Kenneth Cranham	...	Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel

Also Known As:

Walküre (Germany) (literal title) (USA) (alternative spelling)
Operation Walküre - Das Stauffenberg-Attentat (Germany)
Rubicon (USA) (fake working title)
Untitled Bryan Singer Thriller (USA) (working title)
Walküre/Valkyrie (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44626) | Czech Republic:12 | South Korea:12 | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-13 | Australia:M | Norway:11 | South Africa:10V | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Hong Kong:IIA | Sweden:11 | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Brazil:14 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | India:UA | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Barton Flats, San Bernardino Mountains, California, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

Initially, Germany's Ministry of Defense would not allow filming on Bendler Block. They relented after appeals from Tom Cruise and Screenwriter/Producer Christopher McQuarrie. The entire crew started every night of filming with a moment of silence in memory of Stauffenberg.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In a number of scenes, Colonel Stauffenberg is seen wearing red stripes on his trouser legs, which are mistakenly believed to be worn only by German Generals; however, red stripes were worn by all German General Staff officers, regardless of rank.

Quotes:

[first lines]
soldiers in unison: I swear by God this sacred oath: That I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and that I shall at all times be ready, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Die Entfernte Melodie

Most entertaining.

Ignore the silly comments of some critics who want this movie to fail. Schickel, Ebert and the L.A. Times got it right. If you're a World War II history buff like me, you'll appreciate the fine effort that is Valkyrie. It shows that American filmmakers as unlikely as Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer can compete with the likes of the Downfall creators in handling such subject matter. Like World War II itself, the full story of the July 20 plot is long and intricate and cannot be fully told in the confines of a two hour feature film. There are certainly many peripherals to the story - its tentacles ran deep into the Nazi diaspora; thousands were executed or "disappeared" (including Irwin Rommel who was not portrayed in the film) - to say nothing of the mixed motives in those Germans wishing to see Hitler dead. These are all subjects that have already been explored and no doubt will be again in the future. Suffice to say, Singer and editor/composer John Ottman focused on the heart of this story: Hitler was destroying Germany/Europe and the July 20 plotters bucked the odds to stop him. The performances from this exceptional cast are first rate. Think what you want about Tom Cruise and Scientology - I'm no big fan of either - but judge the work on its merits. Cruise may not win an Oscar for his portrayal of von Stauffenberg, but he more than gets the job done. In terms of scope, the locations, battle scenes, costumes/uniforms, staging/settings, you can't ask for more in a WWII movie. There's nothing fake, nothing phony to spoil the period experience and vfx are seamless as they should be. If you're expecting a formula Hollywood thriller a la Bourne or M.I., you may be disappointed, but as a serious adult drama Valkyrie delivers the goods. It took some balls to make this movie and UA has earned its kudos.