Good film...Cruise should do more like this...

Rating: 10/10 (9 August 2009)

Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, is the true story of World War II German army officer, Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, one of many German army officers who saw that Hitler's war was not only a suicidal one, but one that could ultimately bring about the destruction of the whole of Europe. Von Stauffenberg, like many of his fellow conspirators, believed that if Hitler could be assassinated, the Allies could be negotiated with and perhaps Germany could be saved from defeat and hopefully, untold destruction.
It is 1943 and the German army is taking a pounding from all sides; losses of life and machinery are piling up and the Allies are showing no signs of weakening. Stauffenberg is in cahoots with several officers; Major-General Henning Von Tresckow(Kenneth Branagh), General Friedrich Olbricht(Bill Nighy), and the nervous, reluctant General Erich Fellgiebel (Eddie Izzard), along with retired General Ludwig Beck (Terrance Stamp) and The hopefully soon-to-be new leader of Germany, Dr. Carl Goerdeler (Kevin McNally). The plan is to sneak a bomb into one of Hitler's high-level meetings, kill the Fuhrer, round up the SS with the troops serving as the reserve guard, and with any luck, put a new government in place before anyone knows what has happened. It would be a very risky coup' and everything had to fall into place in order for it to be a success. One major stumbling block is General Friedrich Fromm(Tom Wilkinson), who is the man that would have to give the order to put Operation Valkyrie into effect, essentially mobilizing the in-country reserves and taking control of the government and the armed forces. He is aware of the plan but is quite on the fence about the whole matter. There is a scene where he tells Von Stauffenberg and General Olbricht in no uncertain terms, that he will stand on whatever side the victors are on. He will not sacrifice life, limb or his position unless the deal has already gone down and the conspirators are successful. This puts the pressure on the entire rest of the plan going off without a hitch, and most notably, Von Staffenberg's ability to makes sure Hitler is in fact dead.
It goes without saying that the plot failed in the end, but that does not diminish the tension of the story and even though we know how things come out, the sheer fact of the risks these men were willing to take, makes for a riveting film. These men are, and should be, remembered as heroes; men who were far more loyal to the nation of Germany than to the chain of command that of course ended with Hitler at the top. They were true patriots that believed that the fate of the fatherland was doomed if Hitler remained in control, and were intent on stopping a madman from taking everyone down with him. Von Stauffenberg has been a loyal soldier, even losing an eye, his right hand and several fingers of his left hand in battle, but he knows all too well that if his children are to ever know peace in their lifetimes, Hitler must not be allowed to continue his self-destructive rampage into oblivion.
Valkyrie is a well made film, focusing on the mechanics of the plot and the passion of the conspirators. These are men that have an abiding love of their country and know that if they fail, they will all certainly be executed and their families would be in peril as well. Cruise, while not my favorite actor, does two things very well in movies: he does cocky well and he does intense well. Here he is required to be intense and pulls it off well. Cruise plays Von Stauffenberg as a man who cares deeply about his family and the future of his country. He is a man that has given a lot to his country, including bits of his body. The one thing he will not part with, however, is his soul. He knows that in the grand scheme of things, his life is a small price to pay to bring his beloved Germany back from the brink. Cruise plays Von Stauffenberg as a cool customer; professional and reserved and determined.
Branagh's Von Tresckow is seen only periodically throughout the film, but he is one of the key conspirators. Branagh plays Von Tresckow as a confident, thoughtful man, who like Von Stauffenberg, is close enough to Hitler's inner circle to see his insanity and to fear it. After placing a bomb concealed in a drink bottle on Hitler's plane (a bomb that does not go off), he calmly retrieves the bomb from one of Hitler's aides, saying it was given to him by mistake. Not knowing if anyone was wise to him, he plays it as smoothly as if he were in no danger at all.
Bill Nighy's General Olbricht is scared right out of his wits about the whole plot, but bravely pushes forward, showing that he is a man of honor, but still just a man.
The sets are as much of a character as any of the actors and everything looks stately and grand, just as it did in the 'glory' days of the Third Reich. This is a very authentic looking film, and the uniforms look more like uniforms than costumes, something you don't always get to see in movies. Also, David Bamber did a chillingly creepy version of Adolf Hitler, maintaining the presence of a complicated, detached madman.
Director Bryan Singer has portrayed these men in a very honorable, ethical manner and has done real justice to their memories. The plot unfolds with time line titles and clear direction. We collectively hold our breaths watching the events unfold, understanding what is at stake and what is to come. These truly were honorable men, and although they failed, history would bear them out to be the heroes that they were.