Valkyrie | Based on a True Story

Valkyrie is surprisingly accurate, but in its tone, it misses the mark entirely. It makes the leader of the conspiracy into someone the audience is supposed to identify with, which is problematic.
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Valkyrie is a 2008 American-German historical thriller film set in Nazi Germany during World War II. The film depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country. Valkyrie was directed by Bryan Singer for the American studio United Artists, and the film stars Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the key plotters. The cast included Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp and Tom Wilkinson.
Cruise's casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of the von Stauffenberg family due to the actor's practice of Scientology, which is viewed with suspicion in Germany. Because of this, the filmmakers initially had difficulty setting up filming locations in Germany, but they were later given access to film in locations, including Berlin's historic Bendlerblock. German newspapers and filmmakers supported the film and its attempt to spread global awareness of von Stauffenberg's plot.
The film changed release dates several times, from as early as June 27, 2008, to as late as February 14, 2009. The changing calendar and poor response to United Artists' initial marketing campaign drew criticism about the studio's viability. After a positive test screening, Valkyrie's release in North America was ultimately changed to December 25, 2008. United Artists renewed its marketing campaign to reduce its focus on Cruise and to highlight Singer's credentials. The film received mixed reviews in the United States and in Germany, where it opened commercially on January 22, 2009.
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Hashtags: #History #Valkyrie #Stauffenberg #Review #BasedOnATrueStory

[knowshistory]

Your complain about the movie not showing that Hitler was barely hurt from the explosion would completely contradict the story telling of the movie. In this scene, it shows Stauffenbergs point of view. He saw the explosion from outside the barracks and he thought that Hitler was dead. So, to carry on with the plan, is the logical conclusion to him.
Showing an only mildly injured Hitler to the audience might be historically correct, but it would ruin the story telling approach the movie uses here.

If the movie maker conciously decides to take Stauffenbergs point of view here, he has to follow it. Stauffenberg sees a body carried out of the barrack under a blanket and falsely assumes that it is Hitler. When the plot carries on and for some hours (in the film, some minutes) it looks like the coup d'etat had worked, the audience can hope with the plotters it might turn out well (even if we know the plot failed).
But if the movie would show, as you suggest, how Hitler was only mildly injured and maybe gave the orders how to deal with the plotters, the whole movie wouldn't have worked as it was intended too.

[martijnstuart]

I have to disagree with some of your assessments. Firstly, Stauffenberg adjutant Von Haeften DID actually step in front of the firing squad taking the bullets meant for Stauffenberg. Secondly, even if Stauffenberg's agenda for resisting Hitler wasn't exactly 'heroic', some of his other conspirators definitely did have righteous motivations.

[samyazamorningstar]

I would love to see the conspirators motivation untouched. Not because nowadays it's cool to have terrible people as protagonists, but to show the complexity of human beings. To call Stauffenberg "fiercely" anti-semitic is simply wrong. In fact, his anti-semitism was very mild by the standard of his time. His was a family that welcomed a half Jewish bride during the time when interracial marriage is a punishable offense. There was even a nobleman who divorced his half Jewish wife to preserve the family honor, so the fact that his brother actually married a half Jewish woman is very interesting. It was clearly a slap in the face to the Nazi racial law.

He definitely didn't start as a hero. However, judging from his conversation with Joachim Kuhn, something in him was clearly changed. In fact, this is probably the case of most heroes and saviors of the Jews. People such as Schindler didn't start helping Jews because of humanitarian reason. Schindler did it because of the financial benefits. Yet, by the end he really put a real effort to save people.

I think by the time he planted the bomb, Stauffenberg was aware that the allies would demand an unconditional surrender, which was why he asked Tresckow whether or not they should continue. From political standpoint, it was probably pointless, but the most important thing for them is to show that not everyone was like Hitler.

[RagnarQuirin]

I would like to know what you think about the downfall ( Der Untergang) I quite enjoy your videos.

[Argos-xbek]

I wish you were my world history Teacher

[corbinmcnabb]

Early in the movie, when the bomb on the plane didn't go off, there is mention of Oster being arrested. "Find a replacement" is the response. Probably asking too much to expect an explanation about Oster, but his importance was that he was the number two man in the military intelligence. Find a replacement is a bit of an oversimplification.
Also, the motives varied. Some did oppose Hitler before the war started, much more before things started going south for Germany. That said, if you could get help from people whose motivations weren't so pristine, if they could help, they took it. There is conflicting information about Staffenburg. Most agree with this, others have suggested more moral reasons. We will never know with certainty.
At this point though, the idea that the western powers would negotiate with a new German regime after Hitler's death was unlikely. The Allies wouldn't say it publicly, at the time, but they wanted Hitler giving irrational orders with little or no concept of strategy, so they weren't sorry the attempt failed.

[anonymousanonymous]

Suggestions:
-Amistad
-Antwone Fisher
-Sophia Scholl
-John Adams HBO Series
-Emperor

[stephenwright]

It's appropriate for Tom Cruise to be in this, David Miscavidge being HIS Führer.

[LtScarecrow]

That there’s a nice uniform fleece you got there. Makes me miss my old ACU gear

[LtScarecrow]

Also, thank you. Some days I feel like I’m the only person around who knows the Valkyrie conspirators were less white and more gray in terms of their ideals and actions

[oscartango]

Speaking from the future, you've gotten way more critical of movies. I thought the explosion happened while they were on the flight back to Germany. I find it hard to believe that they were just outside the bunker when it exploded.

[joshthrowaway]

Nice cheddar Pringle’s on the bookshelf they are my addiction to cypher

[nachoolo]

In my oppinion, they should have keep their motivations and personalities untouch.
Vikings and Game of Thrones have shown that you can (more or less) relate to "terrible" people, heck, if he wasnt the personification of evil in modern media, we could even relate to Hitler.

[rodvafe]

Terence Stamp actually looks pretty much like Conrad Adenauer

[BountyFlamor]

Wasn't Stauffenberg on his way home on a car and outside of the Wolf's Lair already when the bomb detonated?

[Kedanjt]

Not too sure where you got your information.
I forget his name, but one of Stauffenberg's coconspirators did step in front of him during the execution.
Also, it was mainly the anti-Semitism that disillusioned him from the Nazi party.
While he was a major part of the war effort, he also frequently gave lectures on why the Nazi party was immoral at the frontlines. It was for this that he was sent from Africa, away from the S.S

[bbbabrock]

Have you done any of t Operation Arachniod movies on Rienhold? Two different ones came out just recently.

[nt]

Just one mistake and yeah its a nitpicki and b late, but General Ludwig Beck did not die from Bloodloss but was shot by a Feldwebel (equivalent of a us staff sergeant ), after hier attempts failed, in a room next to the one he tried his suicide. [Joachim Fest: Staatsstreich. Der lange Weg zum 20. Juli. S. 280.]

[davidiscool]

Hey Cypher, it would be really interesting if you did an episode on the movie Hotel Rowanda. I don't know much about the Rowandan genocide, but what I have heard makes it seem like the movie turned down the amount of violence.

[theswan]

I like this series because of how ripped off I felt by Bruce Lee's bio wherein his back is broken and he heals it. Which didn't happen. Other's are Johhny Depp's John Dilinger movie. The woman in the pale peach dress. Or the recent movie about Catherine the Great and Constantine.

I never did understand how Rasputin charmed the Russian Royal family until Alan Rickman convinced me. Another very good movie that I hope is historically correct is Brad Pitt as Jesse James.