Valkyrie is finally being shown in Philippine cinemas. My dad and younger brother have seen the movie and they said it was great. I've reserved comment until I get to see it. I'll be watching this movie this weekend.
Bit of a late addition here, but after seeing it for the first time I actually thought it was so good, that I went and saw it again the next week I agree Cruise might not have been the best choice for the character but they needed something to pull the audiences in. Overall, I thought it was a well made movie, kept you interested and had a great cast. Mind you, after seeing Love Actually, Bill Nighy just made me laugh, until he started almost crying at the end
I missed seeing it in the theaters but, it'll probably be on DvD in a few months-so i'll see it then.
Just watched this thing on Pay-Per-View. Even with Tom Cruise dying I want my two hours and five dollars back.
The movie should have been about the Stauffenberg's thoughts, personal development, and the thinking of the plotters vs the thoughts of the front soldiers,etc. Instead, it was a "tense" drama movie focusing on fingers, pointless conversations, etc.
I can assure you that my disdain for this movie has nothing to do with a lack of WW2 knowledge. I honestly think "Hogan's Heroes" did a better job of portraying the Third Reich than this movie. There was no development of charecters, there was no suspense, there was no action. I think it could have been longer and been a better movie.
I thought the movie was decent...i also thought it lacked some character development and it did seem as if it would be a little bit hard to follow without a relatively good grasp of WWII. And there was just something about tom cruise being the main character in a big WWII movie that just didnt do it for me...he is just too american, all i could think of was Mission Impossible III...
I saw it a few weeks ago; It was ok, but nothing to really write home about. If someone gave me a copy of it, I wouldn't turn my nose up at it, but "Defiance" went into the cart at chez Target this afternoon before I even considered Valkyrie.
The movie was okay but like anything coming out of hollywood you cant get your hopes up too much. It has Tom Cruise in it and the aim is more about making money and drawing in a crowd than being historically accurate or like a documentary or biography.
I saw it a couple of weeks ago and both from a history standpoint as well as from a collectors standpoint-the movie was very well made and the persons who did their research did a fantastic job-both with actual history down to the breast eagle on the Female Signals Personnel. As for character development-I don't think that was really necessary because they were more focused on the attempts to kill Hitler as well as the events of July 20-1944. The'd have had to make it a mini-series to get into the more personal side of things.-which I wouldn't have minded seeing that happen at all.
I dunno about the "mini series" angle. I think they could have played the "Not all German Officers Supported Hitler Card" a little more heavily. As the movie presents Stauffenberg is pissed because he lost his hand, and eye, and is looking for payback. Instead of the fact that Hitler is making decisions that are costing lives. There was a lot more to the story than one pissed off colonel working in concert with a few generals. I thnk there should have been more development of the motivation to kill Hitler. They could have gone into Himmler and Speer a little more. Maybe even added Rommel to the mix. And what was the deal with the ribbons? why didn't they wear them? Why was a Colonel wearing a "Blood Stripe" on his trousers? Thats just my opinion though and if you like the movie you like it.
I think if it were done the way that The Winds of War and War and Remembrance maxi-series were done-it would easily have been a much bigger movie than it was. They probably could have used Michael Curtiz-s help with the movie. As for the stripes down the Colonels trausers-these are correct as they are Carmine Red instea of the shade of red used by Generals. The srtipes mean that he is a member of the General Staff and the piping on his shoulderboards as well as whatever headgear he wore-would also have to have that shade of red. I agree though that they should have had mention of Rommel as well as more - after event history mentioned. In that, I was a bit disappointed.
Nothing much on my part to be added - I judge it to be a good movie, besides Tom playing an aristocrat German officer - he just looks too American. Regards Kruska