Valkyrie (2008)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Great Film overall

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This was a fantastic movie. I care nothing about History at the time, and dislike drama's immensely, but this was thrilling and wonderful and well shot and acted.Tom Cruise is fantastic in this. This was right at the infancy of the modern Social Justice Feminism movement. I remember these bunch of feminists and social justice folks bad mouthing this movie because of the accents and well, Tom Cruise was in it.Tom Cruise for years, has been attacked by members of Hollywood and the establishment. I wonder why? I suspect he's a Republican and Hollywood is trying to push Liberalism.But this movie, you know, from the tagline and so fort; but it is well executed, has great tension and at the end you are pulling for Tom Cruise to win as all reality is suspended....the mark of a great movie.EXCELLENT; highly entertaining and recommended. 10 out of 10. The camera work is top notch, the acting and so is the stunning music.

Valkyrie is the story of a team of German officers during WW2, who after fearing for the progress of the war, they make a plan in order to assassinate Hitler ,seize power and then make peace with the advancing allied forces. When I was in my teens I really loved that movie for I had a major crash with anything related to history, after I though that it didn't worth and now I see as a quit accurate adaptations of this real life conspiracy, which not many people know it.As for casting, the actors were extremely similar to their counterparts, with Tom Cruise seeming to be a twin to Claus Von Staufebenrf, the protagonist and main character to the flick. The cinematography is amazing and the sets are as accurate as they get, what do you expect Bryan Signer of the X-men directed it. But anyway as all we know basic history is it obvious what was the result of the conspiracy.Man I think that if they had Eric Lenscher (Magneto) with them things would have been different.;)Now there are some inaccuracies here and there and some thinks that were changed but over all the crew tried to be as authentic as possible and be faithful to the history and the did it. When you adapt a story from a novel ,a comic book, a historical event it is impossible to be 100% accurate, some changes for production sake and keeping the run time in reasonable length, but the most important think is the film present to the audience the main facts and present them as close to reality as that is possible. Here that is a bit easier for the story is focus mainly in Germany and the whole story is started in March 1943 and ended in July 1944. The last part is crucial for may saved the movie from becoming like Alexander of Oliver Stone or Bayhem Pearl Harbor. It focuses in one story of a bigger period and didn't try to make it as complex as possible but as good as it could be. Just think the most well known and praised WW2 movies, like some my favorites Saving Private Ryan, Letters from Iwo Jima, Das Boot, the Great Escape, the Downfall, the Pianist and Schindler's list. All focused in one in event of character and play the story as it went and showed the way the people reacted. This way is more easy, it helps the audience to relate to the characters and it can then focus to make the settings and costume accurate.As conspiracies shown in movies go this is one of the best , because it is grounded to reality and simple in order everyone to get the bigger picture. That is how conspiracies are made, not with absurd complicated traps and goal. For real it is impossible 9/11 and similar conspiracies to be true because are so absurd that Willie Cody will come and say :"that's stupid" !

There's probably a foreign language (German) film that is far superior, but I think this is probably the best Hollywood attempt at this interesting subject matter. I went and saw this at the cinema, not for Tom Cruise, but because I've seen a few documentaries on the subject. This movie of course stretches credibility in parts, but let's be honest the primary reason for movies is to entertain. You want enlightenment, go read a book or watch a documentary on the subject.I'm not the biggest Tom Cruise fan, but he is excellent in roles where he is being pushed by unseen forces. He's able to create a level of tension that is believable. For proof of this, doubters can go watch The Firm, as well as the first and best Mission Impossible.

As seems normal for American big-budget movies of a historical nature, this must be seen as 'based on fact' rather than factual. The conspirators didn't get anywhere near the control of Berlin and Germany as Is suggested here. Indeed, some of the factual errors are huge - For example, Himmler Is shown not In his all-black SS uniform, but In the field-grey of the Wehrmacht(regular army) which Is a mistake of the highest order. He had no connection with the Wehrmacht In any form. Indeed, despite his presence and plenty of talk regarding the SS, not a single SS man or black SS uniform Is ever seen, especially silly when one considers that Hitlers' personal Bodyguard of two thousand SS men were In close proximity to him at all times. Then we see men In the brown uniforms of the SA (Sturmabteilung), an organisation disbanded In 1934, a full 10 years before the date In which these events are set. Hitler and his confidantes (Keitel, Himmler, Goering, Goebbels)look like comical caricatures rather than representations of the real people. Perhaps this was Intentional, but that makes It all the more puerile. Despite all of this, If you're a war-movie buff or just a person who likes to root for the underdog, then you'll enjoy this movie, Historians and purists will hate It. It's otherwise very well made, although where exactly the $75 Million budget went (other than In the pocket of Mr. Cruise) one can only speculate. The cast - mainly English actors - are superb and Bill Nighy In particular Is excellent as General Olbricht. Why Tom Cruise was chosen for Stauffenberg I simply cannot fathom. He's good at action movies, but this was beyond him and he's put to shame by the excellence of the other cast members. Stauffenberg had aristocratic bearing which Cruise couldn't replicate. Apparently, the whole cast were ordered to refrain from putting on German accents because poor Mr.Cruise couldn't do one, so even the German actors had to speak without an accent! Okay so an accent Isn't really necessary but It adds to the realism. Why didn't they simply get a more suitable man for the part? Tom should stick to what he's best at - this was way beyond him.