12.30.08
Review: Valkyrie
Chick 2 says:
Whether it is the best movie ever made or not, I feel that Valkyrie is an important movie, and definitely one to go see. Tom Cruise plays Claus von Stauffenberg, a German colonel committed to leading an assassination plot of Adolph Hitler. Having been to Germany and walked through a concentration camp myself, this movie struck a note with me about Germans who believed in a Germany without Hitler. From what I have seen, Germans today are ashamed of their role in world history and I would think this movie would make them proud of the brave men and women who risked everything to free their country from the Fuhrer’s grip. Say what you will about Cruise in real life, as an actor he never fails to make you sympathetic to his cause. You find yourself rooting for the success of the mission, even though you are fairly certain that you remember the history books on World War II correctly. I am typically a fan of Bryan Singer and his films usually deliver just the right amount of action and drama without pushing the envelope of creeping into your nightmares. The movie is never slow, but doesn’t quite deliver the hold-your-breath tension such a plot deserves. It does, however, in the end (and I don’t think I’m giving anything away here when I say), that is, when it’s over, display the passion and dedication of these patriots to their mission and their extreme sense of honor and character. It makes one wonder, would I have the same amount of courage to do what I believed was right?
IF you’re looking for the right combination of drama, action, and history THEN GO.