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When I think of Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is not Nazis. In fact, Nazis wouldn’t even make the top ten. So when United Artists announced that they’d (finally) be releasing Tom Cruise’s World War II movie, Valkyrie, on Christmas Day, it seemed like a pretty odd choice. But, hey—this is Tom Cruise we’re talking about here. He’s done crazier stuff before—so I guess I can overlook that. But after listening to months of hype (and not necessarily the positive kind), I still had my share of doubts.
Based on actual events, Valkyrie tells the story of a massive plot by German politicians and military officers to assassinate Hitler and regain control of the country.
Already rather well known for his dissenting opinions, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise) is recruited to take part in the plot after he’s wounded in battle in Africa. With the help of a number of other high-ranking officials, von Stauffenberg sets out to rewrite Hitler’s Operation Valkyrie—a plan to regain control in the event of a revolt—in order to cut off Hitler’s inner circle and remove the Nazis from power.
Anyone who paid attention in high school history class already knows how the Nazis’ story really ended. So if you hate knowing how a movie’s going to end before it even begins, you’ll obviously find Valkyrie frustrating. At the same time, though, unless you studied WWII more extensively than the average high school student, this particular story might be new to you. Sure, you’ll have an idea of how it ends, but the characters and their story will be unfamiliar. And—hype and overblown budget and Tom Cruise’s wacky off-screen behavior aside—it’s actually an interesting story.
Like director Bryan Singer’s last feature, 2006’s Superman Returns, this isn’t an action-filled, thrills-and-spills kind of movie. It’s a slow-building drama with heavy suspense that continues to mount throughout the film until it’ll nearly take your breath away. You might even find yourself caught up in the story enough to ignore your history lessons and hope that—just this once—the good guys can pull it off.
Of course, Valkyrie still has plenty of flaws. Take the dialogue, for instance. While the film’s all-English dialogue is explained in the first scene, the language was never really a major issue for me. After all, it may be a film about Germans, but it was made by an American studio for an American audience. So I have no real problem with the filmmakers’ decision to stick with English dialogue. On the other hand, the random smattering of accents—from American to British, with a few others thrown in for good measure—is rather distracting. A bit of consistency would have been nice.
Even more frustrating, however, is the film’s tendency to hastily brush over the details—especially since Valkyrie isn’t really an action film. If it had been all about the explosions and the intrigue, I could have overlooked the detail deficiencies. But the focus of Valkyrie isn’t on the action; it’s on the planning and the follow-through. And, unfortunately, the actual plan isn’t explained as thoroughly as I would have liked—so I ended up feeling a bit confused about how it was all supposed to play out.
Despite its sketchy details and random accents, though, Valkyrie is a surprisingly gripping film. Of course, if you’re in the market for some holiday cheer—or some blockbuster-worthy action—you’ll want to look elsewhere. But armchair (or, I suppose, theater seat) historians will enjoy this grim but suspenseful look at the other side of Hitler’s Germany.
Blu-ray Review:
The Blu-ray release of Valkyrie is a history buff’s dream. Though the disc’s special features menu includes a number of behind-the-scenes making-of features, the focus is on authenticity—and the filmmakers’ attention to those little historic details. So, as a result, you’ll learn all kinds of interesting little historical tidbits as you learn about the filmmaking process.
In addition to a digital copy of the film and a pair of commentary tracks, extras in this two-disc release include Journey to Valkyrie, a broad making-of feature that covers everything from casting to the filmmakers’ challenges with getting permission to film on location in Germany. Taking to the Air takes a closer look at the vintage aircraft used in the film, while Recreating Berlin explores the sets, right down to the smallest of props. The African Front Sequence shows some of the stunts and effects used to create the dusty war-time scene. And The Valkyrie Legacy is a History Channel documentary on the history of the Nazis and the resistance movement.
The most fascinating feature, however, is The Road to Resistance: A Visual Guide, which offers a tour (led by von Stauffenberg’s grandson) of some of the story’s real-life locations, from von Stauffenberg’s Berlin home to the home where the members of the resistance met (including interviews with the homeowner’s daughter).
Not only will this collection of interesting and educational extras teach you a thing or two more about a little-known piece of history, but it will also add some interest to the film itself. So after you check out the film, be sure to take the time to go through the special features, too.
