SMT Weekly Flick by Paul Krismantis
Totet Hitler! (Kill Hitler!)
Valkyrie (Rated PG-13) 120 mins
Eh, September, tied with February as the most worthless movie month on a nearly annual basis. As expected, the first weekend was pretty pathetic, with newcomers AllAbout Steve and Gamer hated by critics and disappointing to audiences (they finished 3rd and 4th in weekend receipts). Weeks like this are a critic’s nightmare, trust me on that one. So when the box-office fails, it’s time to turn to those films I missed months before. That’s right, it’s a DVD review! So microwave some popcorn, cuddle up on the couch, and save yourself some dough by staying in tonight.
So what would you think if I told you Tom Cruise was missing an eye, a hand, and two fingers on the other hand? Maybe that the coming war of Scientology was on its way? Ok, probably not. But at least you’d probably be a little interested. Well then, be sure to check out Valkyrie (if you haven’t already), where Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the real-life German officer who could no longer stand for the perverted German government that had formed under Hitler, and determined to do something about it. Crippled by airplane gunfire during his tour in North Africa, Stauffenberg did not look the part of an able traitor, but his heart burned with love of his country and hate for the man who was attempting to change it forever.
Valkyrie takes place mostly in 1944, when theNazi war machine was at the height of its power, but many Germans were beginning to distrust their Fuhrer. The film begins in North Africa with Stauffenberg expressing his doubts about their military’s mission under Hitler right before suffering his major injuries. While he is recovering, another group of German officers fail at yet another attempt on Hitler’s life. Secretly plotting against the Fuhrer even while meeting him face to face, General Henning von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh) and General Friedrich Olbricht (Bill Nighy) have been planning to end the madman’s life for some time, yet have met constant defeat. Dispirited again, they resolve to make yet another move, this time with more thorough planning. They decide to enlist Stauffenberg as their head man, and it is under his direction that they concoct a master plot to use Hitler’s own emergency plan, Valkyrie, against him. The story is true and we all know the plot didn’t work, but it’s the execution and dedication of these individuals toward doing what most were afraid to do that makes it all worth watching.
This project was Cruise’s baby for over two years, and his dedication to it all is to be admired. The film itself is not perfect. It lulls at times and the character development leaves something to be desired. There is plenty left over to enjoy however. While Cruise is no Shakespearean actor, he does a solid job as the disabled Stauffenberg, holding his own against the more exc ellent character actors around him. As usual, Branagh (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing) and Nighy (Love Actually, Pirates of the Carribbean 2 and 3) are perfect in their roles, even stealing a scene here or there. Also not to be missed are Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins, In the Bedroom) as General Friedrich Fromm, Terence Stamp (The Real Mccoy, Wall Street) as General Ludwig Beck, and a haunting David Schofield as Hitler himself. Cruise knew what he was doing in helping director Bryan Singer (X-Men, Usual Suspects) assemble a cast that would take the project seriously, and as a result Valkyrie sometimes feels as real as the events it portrays.
Whether that’s a blessing or a curse is for you to decide. As an avid WWII history fan I enjoyed this film a great deal, but it might not do as much for the casual viewer. If one is looking for a more emotionally connected WWII piece they should check out Edward Zwick’s Defiance. But if intrigue, history, and a banged-up Tom Cruise sound like your cup of tea, Valkyrie should suit you just fine.
SCORE: 3.5/5
