Hail Hitlah

A long overdue post for the benefit of voicing out my opinion of the film.

*****

Valkyrie
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

Based on actual historical events, "Valkyrie" followed the life of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg from being withdrawn from the German African Front to eventually involving himself on an intricate plot to asassinate the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler, in Germany.

Fresh from injuries sustained on the African battlefield, Stauffenberg is introduced to an underground resistance of high ranking officers and politicians. Their aim: to kill Hitler and propose a peace treaty with the Allies, thus ending the war. In order to machinate the coup, the dissenters rewrite Operation Valkyrie - a protocol that enables the Reserve Army to take over Germany in case of Hitler's death. The resistance omitted the clause that gives the pro-Nazi SS (German special security force) that same privelege, thus the sole control of Germany in case of the Fuhrer's death goes to the head of the Reserve Army, General Fromm.

Stauffenberg got the revised Operation Valkyrie signed by Hitler and in a continued effort by the conspirators, they devise a plan for another asassination attempt. Stauffenberg himself and his adjutant Lieutenant Haeften execute it by planting a bomb on one of Hitler's staff meeting in the Prussian military HQ - Wolf's Lair.

They rig the bomb inside the staff meeting and quickly return to Berlin. Together with the resistance, they force General Fromm to execute Operation Valkyrie believing that Hitler died from the bombing. Fortunately (or rather unfortunately), the Nazi dictator survive the attempt when the bag containing the bomb is moved away from where it will be fatal to the Fuhrer. And just as Stauffenberg and the rest of the conspirators mobilize to occupy Germany, Hitler with help from his trusted SS officers consolidate power and eventually root out the dissenters.

All are either executed or have committed suicide. Colonel Stauffenberg died from firing squad the same night their underground group fail the coup.

Left: Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, Right: Tom Cruise
The verdict...
The director did a good job of presenting the failed July 20 plot to kill Hitler in a way that it will be moving not only for World War 2 buffs but also to regular Joe viewers. The storyline, although mostly based on factual occurences, has been written to accommodate bits of fiction just enough to make it dramatic.

The production design did a great deal of research. From costumes to props to the actual locations, the film relives that era where the Nazi is at its height of power and makes you visualize how Germany looks like back then. It was as if you're looking at a 1950's movie setting, only not in black and white.

Of course, a posing problem of the film (and also on most Americanized foreign movies) is that characters converse in English. Obviously, expressions and intonations differ a lot between German and English and it may be off-putting for a German to see how lines are delivered or acted out awkwardly. But personally, it should be so trivial to matter if you won't be too anal about it. C'mon, you're probably not a German anyway to care.

Funny thing is that when I checked out the net for photos of the real personalities behind the conspiracy, almost all look like the actors that played them in the movie. Adolf Hitler himself looks really similar to the actor who played his persona (David Bamber). On the top of my list though is Bill Nighy who resembled General Olbricht strikingly accurate. Try to search a photo of the real General Olbricht on the net and compare it with Bill Nighy's depiction so you'll see what I'm talking about.

Great acting. Great production. Great storyline. This movie has the making of a classic if not for Tom Cruise himself. I can't figure out what's wrong with his acting in the film but he seems really out of place among stellar performances by his supporting casts... Terence Stamp (as Ludwig Beck) and Christian Berkel (as Colonel Quirnheim) first come to my mind.

Aside from that, it's totally an experience to watch the movie and worth watching on a good cinema. Know about the later part of the Nazi Germany era on a non-boring way.

8.5 of 10.

Hail Hitlah

A long overdue post for the benefit of voicing out my opinion of the film.

*****

Valkyrie
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert!

Based on actual historical events, "Valkyrie" followed the life of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg from being withdrawn from the German African Front to eventually involving himself on an intricate plot to asassinate the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler, in Germany.

Fresh from injuries sustained on the African battlefield, Stauffenberg is introduced to an underground resistance of high ranking officers and politicians. Their aim: to kill Hitler and propose a peace treaty with the Allies, thus ending the war. In order to machinate the coup, the dissenters rewrite Operation Valkyrie - a protocol that enables the Reserve Army to take over Germany in case of Hitler's death. The resistance omitted the clause that gives the pro-Nazi SS (German special security force) that same privelege, thus the sole control of Germany in case of the Fuhrer's death goes to the head of the Reserve Army, General Fromm.

Stauffenberg got the revised Operation Valkyrie signed by Hitler and in a continued effort by the conspirators, they devise a plan for another asassination attempt. Stauffenberg himself and his adjutant Lieutenant Haeften execute it by planting a bomb on one of Hitler's staff meeting in the Prussian military HQ - Wolf's Lair.

They rig the bomb inside the staff meeting and quickly return to Berlin. Together with the resistance, they force General Fromm to execute Operation Valkyrie believing that Hitler died from the bombing. Fortunately (or rather unfortunately), the Nazi dictator survive the attempt when the bag containing the bomb is moved away from where it will be fatal to the Fuhrer. And just as Stauffenberg and the rest of the conspirators mobilize to occupy Germany, Hitler with help from his trusted SS officers consolidate power and eventually root out the dissenters.

All are either executed or have committed suicide. Colonel Stauffenberg died from firing squad the same night their underground group fail the coup.

Left: Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, Right: Tom Cruise
The verdict...
The director did a good job of presenting the failed July 20 plot to kill Hitler in a way that it will be moving not only for World War 2 buffs but also to regular Joe viewers. The storyline, although mostly based on factual occurences, has been written to accommodate bits of fiction just enough to make it dramatic.

The production design did a great deal of research. From costumes to props to the actual locations, the film relives that era where the Nazi is at its height of power and makes you visualize how Germany looks like back then. It was as if you're looking at a 1950's movie setting, only not in black and white.

Of course, a posing problem of the film (and also on most Americanized foreign movies) is that characters converse in English. Obviously, expressions and intonations differ a lot between German and English and it may be off-putting for a German to see how lines are delivered or acted out awkwardly. But personally, it should be so trivial to matter if you won't be too anal about it. C'mon, you're probably not a German anyway to care.

Funny thing is that when I checked out the net for photos of the real personalities behind the conspiracy, almost all look like the actors that played them in the movie. Adolf Hitler himself looks really similar to the actor who played his persona (David Bamber). On the top of my list though is Bill Nighy who resembled General Olbricht strikingly accurate. Try to search a photo of the real General Olbricht on the net and compare it with Bill Nighy's depiction so you'll see what I'm talking about.

Great acting. Great production. Great storyline. This movie has the making of a classic if not for Tom Cruise himself. I can't figure out what's wrong with his acting in the film but he seems really out of place among stellar performances by his supporting casts... Terence Stamp (as Ludwig Beck) and Christian Berkel (as Colonel Quirnheim) first come to my mind.

Aside from that, it's totally an experience to watch the movie and worth watching on a good cinema. Know about the later part of the Nazi Germany era on a non-boring way.

8.5 of 10.