Valkyrie

Rating: 9/10 (19 June 2017)

I had seen Valkyrie, the 2008 film by Bryan Singer at the cinema, and I anxiously awaited its DVD release. I was gifted the DVD shortly after release and watched it for a few months straight several times. I added it to my June schedule after realizing I hadn't seen it in nearly 10 years since those months passed just after the DVD release, to see if it held up for me. I was happy to learn that it did, which is not always the case in a film I liked at the time of release after year pass. Valkyrie stars Tom Cruise and Kenneth Branagh in a retelling of the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler and political coup plotted by renegade German Army officers. Historical films are a tough batch if you're historically inclined and know the outcome of what's being filmed, and Valkyrie managed to sustain suspense despite knowing how the plot turned out.
Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) has been severely damaged, like many, by WWII. Losing an eye and an arm in battle, Colonel Stauffenberg along with many others has come to the conclusion that an honorable surrender is the only way out of the war. The problem with the idea of an honorable surrender is the fact that Adolf Hitler would have to be eliminated in order for that to take place. All previous attempts on Hitler's life had failed so Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg has been recruited to head this attempt. In order for this attempt to work, Operation: Valkyrie must be changed to enable the members of the coup to take control of Berlin in the event of Hitler's demise. As the coup members go to work plotting an assassination of Hitler and a military takeover of Berlin, their plan is thwarted by a series of failings and a rout of bad luck.
I remember being in the minority on the issue of the switch to English from German at the beginning of the film, and I was still unbothered by the change in language despite being a fan of foreign cinema. Granted, I'm usually on board for inventive methods of storytelling, but the language shift left me equally as unfazed ten years later. the most fulfilling part for me of waiting so long between viewings was being more familiar with the actors in the film. I had never seen a Kenneth Branagh film before the first time I saw Valkyrie, but I had heard about him a great deal; ten years later, however, I am familiar with Branagh and recognized him immediately in Valkyrie. The same can be said with my experience with Eddie Izzard. I had never even heard his name before my first viewing of Valkyrie, Izzard is well known to me now, and it was a treat to see him in such a role. I'm a classic film fan so I don't often get as much experience with contemporary actors as I probably should so this was a fun exercise in recognition that comes with ten years of cinema maturation. The pacing in Valkyrie was perfect building tension through the end of the film beautifully despite one knowing how the film ends. I was also especially stricken by the lighting of the film. Valkyrie was lit in a way that often evoked a dream-like state while simultaneously providing a ripped-from-the- past historical drama feel, as well. Adding to the tension of the well- paced film was the score, filling the audience with a sense of unease at every turn. Valkyrie is a strong war drama, which well utilizes a unique method of storytelling gripping audiences until the final credits roll; I'm glad the film held up.