Review Valkyrie Movie

Year                            : 2008

Genre                         : Thriller

Film Director             : Bryan Singer

Duration                     : 120 minutes

Written by                  : Christopher McQuarrie, Nathan Alexander

Language                   : English

Starring                      : Tom Cruise

                                        Kenneth Branagh

                                         Bill Nighy

                                          Tom Wilkinson

  

                                         Carice van Houten

                                           Terrence Stamp

Valkyrie is an adaptation of a true story that happened on July 20, 1944. This historical thriller type movie that was released in 2008. Directed by renowned director Bryan Singer, the film has set in Nazi Germany during World War II and tells the uprising that occurred on July 20, 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the main rebel leader played by handsome actor Tom Cruise. Meanwhile, the Dutch actress Carice van Houten plays Colonel von Stauffenberg's wife and ruthless leader Adolf Hitler played by David Bamber.

When World War II blaze, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg seriously injured when the Royal Air Force attacked Nazi forces in Africa. He lost his right hand, several fingers on his left hand and left eye. Elsewhere, Major General Henning von Tresckow, tried to kill Adolf Hitler by placing a bomb in a box which he handed to the French drink one member of the group, Colonel Brandt. However, the bomb did not explode. Tresckow flies to Berlin to pick up the box from Brandt. After learning that one of the secret committee member arrested Major General Hans Oster Gestapo, Tresckow asked his friend, Gen. Friedrich Olbricht to find a replacement for Oster. Olbricht then appointed Stauffenberg, and introduced him to a secret committee meeting attended Ludwig Beck, Dr.. Carl Goerdeler, and Erwin von Witzleben.

In an effort to Hitler's assassination, Stauffenberg, in collaboration with Major-General Henning von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh) and General Friedrich Olbricht (Bill Nighy) and some of the political elite. However, they have to face the General Friedrich Fromm (Tom Wilkinson). It's hard to kill Hitler because he was surrounded by people who are loyal and are maintaining the safety of the Führer. Finally formulated a bombing in Rastenburg, East Prussia. At a place called Wolf's Lair (Wolfsschanze) when Hitler held a meeting to discuss military action with the top brass. Stauffenberg included present at the meeting. At the appointed time, accompanied Stauffenberg aides, Lieutenant Werner von Haeften successfully detonates a bomb packed in a briefcase and placed in the position closest to Hitler. After the bomb exploded and killed Hitler assumes Stauffenberg, he immediately contacted the General Olbricht to immediately activate the operation Valkyrie.

However, the expected Hitler killed only suffered minor injuries in the blast. And shortly thereafter immediately smell a coup attempt. Network "The German Resistance" became the target of the army loyal to Hitler. Automatic coup attempt using Military Operation Valkyrie failed, the panic occurred in the rebel group. The failure of the coup attempt was also due to the lack of communication tools that support factors play an important role for the success of the mission. Power is not enough just to "muzzle", but also the mastery of communication channels. When the communication channels are closed, they are instantly paralyzed. Josef Goebbels (who served as "minister of information"), he was one of the most loyal to Hitler, on the same day ordered the radio station reported that Hitler survived the assassination attempt. Information through radio broadcasts is an impact for those who are pro-Hitler and the rebels.

At midnight, the coup leaders who were in the building Bendlerblock, the Defense Department's office of the German government at the time, was arrested. They are General Olbricht, Colonel Stauffenberg, Lieutenant Haeftner, and Colonel Mertz Quirnherm. Ludwig Beck chose to commit suicide in front of the soldiers who are still loyal to Hitler. On the Eastern Front, Major General von Tresckow committed suicide with a hand grenade after he learned the Military Operation Valkyrie failed. Then the majority of these gang members were arrested, including Erwin von Witzleben, and Carl Goerdeler candidate for chancellor of Germany formed the rebels. They were executed.

The film Valkyrie is a very interesting movie to watch. Filled with heroic actions as well as knowledge of the history. One thing that makes this film unique is the fact that this film is a German film history, but a sense of America, as the director and most of the players are American. The scenes were inspired from the real story was able to hypnotize people who watch this film to feel the atmosphere of cruelty and horrors committed by the Nazis at the time. Valkyrie are full of history is worth a watch for students to study science of international relations. In addition to be entertaining, this film certainly will add to the knowledge of the history of the world.

Valkyrie is a movie closely associated to the WWII history within German walls. It is a story of assassination attempt on “der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler” by Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. It is plotted based on a true story, happening in mostly Berlin, Germany during the 1943 – 1944 World War II times. It is pictured quite clearly in the movie how the Germans at that time were obedient to Der Fuhrer, this is greatly visualized early in the movie during the opening where the oath of German soldiers was viewed. Comparing the movie’s scenes with the actual settings of the true story, several alterations can be seen. Some due to the lack of information on the issue, others just due to lack of correctly understanding facts.

Going on to the movies Characterization. The lead role in this movie is Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg acted by well-known Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. Colonel Stauffenberg is depicted as a war casualty survivor that comes home from war full of injuries and decides to help the ‘coup de etat’ done by a small group of politicians and army officers. With outrageous yet sophisticated interests for the German freedom, Colonel Stauffenberg becomes an embodiment of a “Good German”, a model of elegant disenchantment as said by the Guardian. This however is quite disturbed by the acting of Pure American Tom Cruise which gives off an American feel to the story. But all in all his acting was supportive to the development of the plot.

After watching the Valkyrie movie, I'm agree with some of moral values we can learn from the movie. They are:

1. Don't be afraid to start a change, although the extent of the risk that would be faced.

2. We have to believe in what we do.

3. What do you see doesn’t mean things run out just like you expect it will happen but it turns out it happens the other way around.

4. Don't be hasty in taking decisions

5. People will always remember your deeds and your idealism and how you made them feel. Your idealism will be seen from your works and how you can look at the person, straight to their eyes and tell everyone about that already you strive for.

The film subsequently found local support in Germany. Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck saw that Cruise's involvement would promote awareness of a neglected story,and veteran German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl also gave his support to the production.A grandson of Colonel von Stauffenberg, who appeared in the film as an assistant, hailed Cruise's professionalism and indicated that most of his family were curious to see the finished product. Schirrmacher visited the set and agreed that the film would advance global awareness of the German Resistance. Ultimately granting access to the Bendlerblock after reviewing the script, the Defense Ministry said it showed that "barbarism didn't triumph but led to the founding of a democratic Germany".

In November 2007, the head of the German Resistance Memorial Center warned against any potential "myth formation" around von Stauffenberg as a result of the film, urging that any understanding of the Colonel must also be informed by the fact that he had been loyal to the Nazi cause for most of his military career. In the same month Cruise was given a Bambi courage award, presented by German media company Hubert Burda Media, "for tackling a story that had never been covered by Hollywood before".

The Deficiency of this film is did not realize the background of the characters are there, especially all those involved in the murder plot. Not explained their respective ideals, how can there be suspicion, so that Hitler escaped the raid, or why Gen. Erich Fellgiebel who initially refused to enter the plotters ultimately helping. Then at the end was not clear why Dr. Carl Goerdeler eventually hanged (it means caught) without a clear story.  

author : majoy

Thursday, 30 november 2017