Suspenseful Account of an Attempt on Hitler's Life

Rating: Null/10 (6 August 2009)

I'm not a huge fan of Tom Cruise – although I can understand why he's a movie star – but he's actually quite good here. He plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the German soldier who led the most famous plot to kill Hitler in the last months of WWII. It's a story that, while perhaps not well known in terms of detail, is familiar enough for everyone watching to know that the mission failed, so despite a rather dull opening third, the film does well to generate some suspense once the plan is actually set in motion.
There's no doubting the fact that not all Germans serving in the German army during the war were Nazis, but the quality of noble righteousness with which the character of von Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators are painted tends to rankle a little. Had they attempted to kill their fuehrer in the late 30s, when Hitler began his policy of invading neighbouring countries for liebensraum (living room) for the German people, or even in the early years of the 40s when victory in the war looked like a real possibility, I might be more inclined to believe these men were working for a noble cause. Since the attempt on Hitler's life took place in the summer of 1944, when most strategists were already agreed that it was only a question of when – not if – Germany capitulated, I can't help wondering whether self-preservation wasn't more of a factor when it came to going through with the plot.
Anyway, the film itself is a lot better than people believed it would be when the release date kept being put back. There was speculation that the reason was Cruise's German accent, but he – like all the other characters – doesn't even attempt one. That doesn't really bother me – I understand the reasons (and nobody ever complains that Gladiator wasn't in Latin). The film is filled with familiar British character actors, all of whom deliver believable performances (Bill Nighy as the vacillating General Olbricht in especially good.) Even Eddie Izzard turns up (without his frock) in a small role. I also liked the portrayal of Hitler by David Bamber. No bombastic tyrant, very little ranting, just a slight, ageing man with stooped shoulders and a slightly distracted air about him at times who seems to sense that things are slipping from his grasp.