Valkyrie (2008)

A dramatization of the 20 July assassination and political coup plot by desperate renegade German Army officers against 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 near-inevitable defeat. To this end, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, an Army officer convinced he must save Germany from 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 the Fuhrer. 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.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | conspiracy | nazi germany | nazis | military | 

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Taglines:

Based on the incredible true story.

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Genres:

Drama | History | Thriller | War

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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:

Rubicon

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

Carice van Houten, who plays Countess Nina Von Stauffenberg, was the longtime companion of Sebastian Koch, who played Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg in the critically acclaimed German television movie Stauffenberg (2004).

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Goofs

The pencil detonators are improperly armed throughout the movie. While the arming procedure does call for crushing the cap to release the acid, the detonator is equipped with a safety device that must be removed after the device is armed for it to function. The safety device is not shown at any time. It can be argued that the conspirators opted to remove this device beforehand, however this is unlikely, given the risk. The pencil detonators, while state of the art at the time, were commonly known to release the striker immediately after arming, which would instantly detonate the explosive if the safety device was not present. The conspirators would have known this.

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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.

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Connections

Featured in The Journey to 'Valkyrie' (2009)

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Soundtracks

Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries
Written by Richard Wagner
Performed by The Slovak Royal Symphony Orchestra
Courtesy of Naxos
By Arrangement with Source/Q

User Reviews

Excellent, historic thriller

"Valkyrie" takes on an important event in the history of Nazi Germany: the failed assassination attempt of German officers of the Wehrmacht against Hitler in 1944. Most Germans like myself are quite familiar with the story of the "Stauffenberg-Attentat" since it was not only the topic of many German docudramas (e.g. one made by well-known director Pabst in 1955) but is also widely discussed in history class in school.

I was pleasantly surprised about the "American" interpretation in Valkyrie and think that Singer and Cruise came up with an excellent film. Although the outcome is known and the movie develops rather slowly in the beginning, it manages to create a highly suspenseful and darkish-intense atmosphere that keeps you captivated until the end. Complains regarding the American/English accents and the German actors not speaking with German accents, or criticizing that Stauffenberg was "in reality" more charming and not as stiff as Cruise' interpretation, are niggling and banal at best. The movie does not focus on the private, psychological side of Stauffenberg but on his leading role in the assassination plot planned and executed amidst the "heart of darkness", which -we can be sure- was more than nerve-wracking and left certainly little space for charm and jokes. BTW: I was glad to see Nina von Stauffenberg portrayed as the knowing and smart wife that she actually was. The performance of all actors is superb, and Cruise certainly deserves special praise since his commitment to the role is tangible and remarkably intense.

Highly recommended!