Directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, Bohemian Rhapsody), and written by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, Valkyrie is the “true” story of the last-known attempt against Hitler’s life before the close of World War II. Tom Cruise plays Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, stationed in Tunisia, who quickly becomes disillusioned by Hitler’s commands during the final year of the war. This is one of few movies with Cruise in an ensemble cast (Magnolia and Tropic Thunder being successful examples). Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Izzard, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson, and others play various (mostly interchangeable as far as this plot is concerned) officers. Although these characters feel very similar to each other, the outstanding actors bring as much gravitas as they can to an inherently life-or-death situation.
Buy Valkyrie Blu-rayAll of these German officers are committed to assassinating the most powerful person in the country, Adolph Hitler. You may be wondering how so many like-minded folks found themselves in the same room. Unfortunately, you will continue to ask yourself this because no answer will be found in this production. As can happen in an ensemble piece, nearly none of the characters are given enough of a background to feel like genuine human beings. This leads to confusion down the road as you try to keep characters organized during the climactic scenes. It doesn’t help that there are an abundance of blonde, blue-eyed minions to keep track of during critical plot points.
Early in the film, Stauffenberg is injured, losing his left eye, right hand, and two fingers on his left hand. One memorable scene has Stauffenberg being forced into a Nazi salute in front of an unfriendly superior. “Heil Hitler,” he says, right arm outstretched. The stump at his wrist hanging in the air like what it is, an accusation. Stauffenberg’s injuries are real, and serve as a reminder of the dangers his actions could bring down on the heads of himself, his wife, and his young children.
Colonel Stauffenberg easily finds like-minded companions of very high rank. How he does this is not made clear. Singer doesn’t have time to polish the rough edges because he is much more interested in the inherent thrills, chills, and fears of trying to lay a bomb at the feet of the Fuhrer. Singer is right that this is where the story lies. The viewer knows that Hitler died of suicide in a bunker at the end of the war, but we are emotionally invested in Stauffenberg and his family and co-conspirators. How close will they get? Who will get away and who will face the firing squad?
The writers have done their best to cram in as much of a historical situation as possible; however, the lack of any detail, or even a single lingering scene to add to characterization (outside a few brief moments for Cruise’s Stauffenberg), keep the film from reaching more than mediocre heights. Accents are problematic throughout. For the opening scene, Cruise speaks in German with subtitles. Then everyone reverts to English with their own accents and with not one German accent in hearing range.
