Valkyrie
I’m not a huge fan of Tom Cruise, mainly due to personal bias than any lack of acting ability. I can’t really fault him as an actor as the performances I have seen have always been effective.
Valkyrie is no exception. Based on true events it tells the story of an assassination attempt on Hitler’s life from within Germany. Cruise portrays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg well as a man who has begun to have doubts about what he fighting for. The film opens with Stauffenberg expressing these doubts in his diary, as he questions whether he is still fighting for Germany or for Hilter’s quest for domination. After an attack on the base, Stauffenberg is left disfigured when a blast costs him his right hand, two fingers and his left eye.
This doesn’t slow him down, however, as a sequence of events results in him being recruited into a secret organisation who’s aim is to remove Hitler from power. Performances from Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Izzard also add tension in all the right places as you find yourself willing them on.
Historically the film is accurate in portraying the inner conflict within Germany between the Nazis and their opposition. The distinction between the two groups of Germans is made clear very early on, with Stauffenberg acting as the catalyst that sets events in motion.
To find yourself siding with Germans during World War II is a surprising concept at first. Not many films successfully convey the struggles and oppression faced by the Germans under their own leader but this film definitely delivers. It breaks the stereotype that all Germans were Nazis and shows the human dilemmas and dangers of the opposing side. Stauffenberg’s own personal life is also explored to reveal his wife and children and the dangers that his actions place them in.
For those who enjoy war films this is one to definitely investigate. Whilst there is little focus on the battles of the War, the film explores the more important issue of the people involved and what they sacrificed. There is some political aspects too but it is not drawn out as it cuts to the chase pretty swiftly. I had my doubts about this film but these were soon swept aside, which I was pleased about.
