One of the many things about World War II that is never taught is that as the defeat of the Axis powers was imminent, end, Nazi Germany turned against Hitler. Failing to kill the man almost twenty times, Hitlers fate would be sealed in a bunker by his own hands, but the plot that came the closest to killing the dictator would be the July 20th plot. 200 dead by an executioners hand afterwards, including one of the leaders of the German resistance movement in Claus von Stauffenberg, would leave Hitler still in power but with the end of his regime in sight. Valkyrie is the story of those men.
Tom Cruise, who eerily looks like Stauffenberg, portrays the iconic German war hero whos stuck with a crisis of conscience. Wanting to serve his country, but dead set against Hitler and his violence, he finds his resolve when he loses an eye and a hand in the African campaign. Coming back to Berlin with a promotion and an eye patch, he gets recruited into the German Resistance with a resolve to eliminate Hitler and end the war peacefully. While we know that they end up failing, each of the men dead after its resolution, Bryan Singer develops a film about good men confronting evil out of the situation.
Tracking the plot from its execution, to its first aborted launch, Singer regains the sort of form he had in his earlier work by crafting the film around men who are trying to do what is right. This is about men who have resolved themselves to try and do something right with their lives in a country where wrong is being rewarded and encouraged; they know the consequences of their actions will wind up with their deaths, as thats the penalty for high treason, but the risk is worth it for them. Singers film is about doing what is good, not what is convenient, and that is what it is for these men. Its something they know will wind up with their deaths if they fail, but they press on because its what is right.
He keeps the thrills on pace, as this is a terse thriller that is engrossing. While the history has been written, Singer keeps his foot on the throttle by keeping the film from relaxing at any point in terms of intensity and structure. This is a thriller of the highest order with a script to match. Its more of a directors film than an actors film as this isnt a film that will garner any awards for its acting, but is more of a showcase for Singers ability.
Thats not to say that this is a film with bad acting. Singer has a top flight cast of mainly character actors, with Cruise being its true significant lead actor, and its a case where having plenty of secondary players elevates everyones abilities. No one stands out, unfortunately, but everyone contributes as needed. There are no underused or cameo appearances, as a deep cast like this is used significantly as there were many parts of the plot.
It may not be The Usual Suspects, but Bryan Singer has crafted a thriller on par with it. Valkyrie is a film not to be missed.
Presented in a Dolby Digital format, with a widescreen presentation, the film looks and sounds wonderful. This is a near flawless transfer to DVD, the films dedication to authenticity comes through wonderfully.
The Valkyrie Legacy is a 43-minute documentary piece by Kevin Burns about the history behind the film. A fascinating look behind the actual events, watching it and watching the movie you get a sense at how close Singer and company followed history. While some events are dramatized, its impressive how much they followed the historical events as well as providing the context needed to understand the significance of the events depicted in the film.
The Journey to Valkyrie is a featurette about the making of the film. It really was a labor of love for Christopher McQuarrie, who saw a lone plaque commemorating the four principles behind the conspiracy itself. Inspired, he and Nathan Alexander started working on the script. Singer was a childhood friend of McQuarrie and as such got to see the script first, and he and Cruise had wanted to work with one another since the first Mission: Impossible film. This presented the best possibility as Cruise was a dead ringer for Von Stauffenberg, thus leading to a series of events that allowed them to make the film.
A Commentary Track from writers McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander is included, as well as one from Cruise, Singer and McQuarrie.
A Digital Copy of the film is included as well.
A minor hit of the 2008 holiday season, Tom Cruise certainly is trying to expand his repertoire of films from his head first jump into being an action star with Mission: Impossible. The DVD is a solid release, as the extras are minimal in quantity but high quality.
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Universal presents Valkyrie. Directed by Bryan Singer. Starring Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard. Written by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander. Running time: 120 minutes . Rated PG-13 . Released on DVD May 19, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
