Valkyrie (2008)

A dramatization of the July 20, 1944 assassination and political coup plot by desperate renegade German Army officers against Adolf Hitler during World War II.

Director:

Bryan Singer

Writers:

Christopher McQuarrie, Nathan Alexander

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Carice van Houten

2 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg
Kenneth Branagh	...	Major-General Henning von Tresckow
Bill Nighy	...	General Friedrich Olbricht
Tom Wilkinson	...	General Friedrich Fromm
Carice van Houten	...	Nina von Stauffenberg
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Major Otto Ernst Remer
Terence Stamp	...	Ludwig Beck
Eddie Izzard	...	General Erich Fellgiebel
Kevin McNally	...	Dr. Carl Goerdeler (as Kevin R. McNally)
Christian Berkel	...	Colonel Mertz von Quirnheim
Jamie Parker	...	Lieutenant Werner von Haeften
David Bamber	...	Adolf Hitler
Tom Hollander	...	Colonel Heinz Brandt
David Schofield	...	Erwin von Witzleben
Kenneth Cranham	...	Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel

Storyline

In Nazi Germany during World War II, as the tide turned in favor of the Allies, a cadre of senior German officers and politicians desperately plot to topple the Nazi regime before the nation is crushed in a nearly inevitable defeat. To this end, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, an Army officer convinced he must save Germany from Adolf Hitler, is recruited to mastermind a real plan. To do so, he arranges for the internal emergency measure, Operation: Valkyrie, to be changed to enable his fellows to seize control of Berlin after the assassination of Der Führer. However, even as the plan is put into action, a combination of bad luck and human failings conspire on their own to create a tragedy that would prolong the greater one gripping Europe.

---

Plot Keywords:

nazi | conspiracy | nazi germany | nazis | military | 

---

Taglines:

Many saw evil. They dared to stop it.

---

Genres:

Drama | History | Thriller | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] TFM Distribution [France]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English German

Release Date:

25 December 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Bryan Singer Thriller

Filming Locations:

Beelitz-Heilstätten, Beelitz, Brandenburg, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,027,007, 28 December 2008, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$83,077,833, 16 April 2009

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$200,276,784, 16 April 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), United Artists, Bad Hat Harry Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin McNally and Sir Kenneth Branagh appear together in Conspiracy (2001), another movie about Naziism and World War II. In that movie, all played true Nazis involved in following Adolf Hitler's order regarding the "Final Solution". In this one, they play Germans disgusted by the regime and trying to put an end to it.

---

Goofs

Stauffenberg is shown to have arrived at the "Wolfs Lair" in a Junkers-52. However, he made his journey from Berlin to the "Wolfs Lair" using a Heinkel-111, a German middle range bomber.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
soldiers in unison: I swear by God this sacred oath: That I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and that I shall at all times be ready, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath.

---

Connections

Featured in Adolf Hitler: The Greatest Story Never Told (2013)

---

Soundtracks

They'll Remember You
Written by John Ottman and Lior Rosner
Orchestrated by Lior Rosner
Performed by the Rundfunkchor Berlin
Mezzo Soprano: Sylke Schwab
Conductor: Günther Joseck (as Günter Joseck)
German Language Music Consultant: Lee Rothfarb, Ph.D.
Lyrics adapted from Wanderer's Nachtlied II by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
The Rundfunkchor Berlin is an ensemble of The Rundfunkchor-Orchestra und Chöre GmbH Berlin
Shareholders are Deutschlandradio, The Federal Republic of Germany, The Federal State of Berlin and Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting Service

User Reviews

The Failed Plot Against Tom Cruise

I'm appalled at the way the specialized and not so specialized media attacked Tom Cruise for this movie. Why? He's not just good but very good in his against type performance. I've heard critics calling him "distractingly bad", how ridiculous and nasty. The film by the great craftsman Bryan Singer is a suspenseful, beautifully made historical thriller with a remarkable attention to detail. In an effort to be accurate the Jews are never mention because in fact the attempt to assassinate Hitler had nothing to do with that. The real reason? The war had turned against the Germans, it was clear that they were entering a down spiral and Hitler's madness was at the center of that. Regardless of the fact we know how the story ends, the movie manages to be a gripping tale based on real events. Well done Mr.Cruise, you won! Your Valkyrie is performing stupendously at the almighty box office.