An Unexpected Triumph

Rating: 10/10 (21 May 2009)

VALKYRIE deserves wider attention than it received during its theatrical release, a theater run mired by the media emphasis on the tacky behind the scenes stories of the making of the film and the character destruction of Tom Cruise. This is a fascinating bit of World War II German history that is not as well known as the other aspects of the Third Reich and it bears telling. Writers Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander have used the facts of the 15th unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler as spearheaded by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) and molded a thriller and a classy drama populated by some of our finest actors. Director Bryan Singer manages to recreate Germany of 1944 and make it all look real - too real for comfort - and paces this complex mission with steady and harrowing momentum.
The film belongs to Cruise who is rarely off screen. His acting is solid and credible. The other actors whose presence gives the film a sense of realism are Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Terrance Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard, Christian Berkel, Tom Hollander, Jamie Parker, Carice van Houten, and David Bamber (excellent in the role of Adolf Hitler). What makes this cast stand above the average ensemble crew is the sense of selflessness each actor brings to his/her role. Even though many of these fine actors are only on the screen for moments, their contribution is so well crafted (and directed) that the audience feels as though each is fully understood as members of this infamous historic event.
This film appears to be an honest, non-sensationalized view of history about which too few people are informed. As a quasi-documentary it holds up well: as a thrilling drama it deserves kudos. Grady Harp