A precise & nail-biting thriller.

Grade: A

Valkyrie

Indian Release Date: 20/02/09
CBFC Classification:  U/A
Running Length: 2 Hours

Cast: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, Kevin McNally, Jamie Parker, David Bamber
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie & Nathan Alexander
Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Music: John Ottman

“The unsuccessful strugglers against tyranny have been the chief martyrs of treason laws in all countries” – Thomas Jefferson   

Valkyrie in Norse mythology refers to an angel, which chooses who lives & who dies on the battlefield. In context to the movie however Valkyrie refers to Operation Valkyrie, something that was a major component in one of the most ambitious plots to assassinate Adolf Hitler & to overthrow the Nazi government of Germany.

By all documented means, there have been 42 assassination attempts on Hitler (The movie mentions only 15 in the credits by Germans), very few came close to being as successful as this one, which was the 41st one on 20th July 1944. Valkyrie attempts to tell the story of that attempt & meticulously chronicles every tiny detail right from the conspiracy to the conspirators involved & their fates. Beware however that if you have no real interest in the story then you will find the proceedings slow & little to excite you in the movie, but show some interest & you shall be rewarded with an engrossing thriller.

The year is 1943 & World War II rages on everywhere. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) is commanding a German Panzer unit in North Africa & his disapproving thoughts about Hitler & the war are made clear in the first few minutes of the movie itself. His unit is soon attacked by Allied Forces planes & Stauffenberg looses his left eye, right arm & two fingers from his left hand along with most of his men & tanks. While recovering he is approached by General Friedrich Olbricht (Bill Nighy) to be part of a resistance group within the ranks of the German army, which also includes Major General Henning von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh), Colonel General Ludwig Beck (Terrence Stamp), retired Field Marshall Erwin von Witzleben (David Schofield), Dr. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler (Kevin McNally), Colonel Albrecht Ritter Mertz von Quirnheim (Christian Berkel) & others. Tresckow has already made a futile attempt on the Fuhrer’s life but the group lacks a clear strategy about what is to be done even if they are successful in killing Hitler.  This is where Stauffenberg comes up with a detailed plan to use an emergency plan developed by Hitler, called Operation Valkyrie. Operation Valkyrie was intended to be used in case of a coup or breakdown in law and order, where the reserve army would be handed the reigns of Berlin.

However the plan is not a simple one, it involves killing Hitler (David Bamber) & isolating the S.S. before they take charge & a lot of smaller details which have to be taken care of in order for the plan to fall in place perfectly. Also the head of the reserve army, Colonel General Friedrich Fromm (Tom Wilkinson) has to be convinced to be part of the conspiracy. Fromm is someone who doesn’t outright support the conspirators but rather likes to hold his cards close to his chest & would like to go with whoever seems likely to be successful. When Tresckow is transferred to the Russian front, Stauffenberg is placed in charge of the entire operation. With Stauffenberg in charge the wheels in the conspiracy begin to turn, but would Stauffenberg who’s laid everything on the line, including his wife Nina (Carice van Houten) & their little children be able to pull off the unthinkable? The answer to that is known by everyone even fleetingly familiar with history, but the movie maintains the suspense so well that the audience gets drawn into the tale effortlessly.

The movie’s greatest strength is the immaculate research gone into the script. Certain scenes like the very first assassination attempt by Tresckow or when Stauffenberg has to get Hitler to sign a revised version of Operation Valkyrie & the subsequent coup are crackling with energy & suspense. The era has been painstakingly recreated, right from the costumes to the buildings to the vehicles & even the hairstyles are flawlessly done. Even the pen Hitler uses to sign the revised document is an actual one from that era which was manufactured in Germany. The background score for the movie definitely gives the movie an edge & complements the action on the screen very well. The movie is very well shot, though nothing fancy but it maintains the dark & gloomy nature of the movie perfectly.

The acting ensemble is a huge asset for the movie. Tom Cruise slips into the character effortlessly. His appearance (the eye patch & all) helps a lot & he surprisingly looks very similar to the real life Stauffenberg. He also thankfully keeps the smiling & snickering to almost nil. Watch him in the scene towards the end when he has a sudden outburst of anger & then calms down to explain what has to be done next. Kenneth Branagh infuses his character with so much zeal that it is hard not to believe his commitment to the cause, if only he had more screen time. Tom Wilkinson is terribly convincing as the slimy double-agent that you’d easily despise him. Terrence Stamp oozes class & it is a treat to watch him perform his role with so much sincerity.  Dutch actress Carice van Houten who shot to international fame with her World War II thriller Black Book (2006) looks stunning but has a small role which doesn’t do justice to her talents. Everyone else is perfect for their roles & quite a few of them look very alike to the characters they portray. Another thing is none of them put on a fake German accent but rather try and keep their accents neutral & natural, which is a refreshing change from Rule No.37 in the Hollywood Film Rule Book “Thou shall talk in a funny fake foreign accent when playing an officer of the Third Reich”. An interesting point to be noted is the presence of Strauffenberg’s grandson in the movie, Philipp von Schulthess who plays Tresckow’s aide early on in the film.

If Valkyrie has it’s share of faults but none are major other than probably it’s pacing, which can drag a bit in parts but that’s jus the necessary setup to put all the pieces in place. Also for someone looking for action or a movie loaded with drama, look elsewhere since this is not your cup of tea. The movie is a superbly constructed thriller which brings to the screen a highly overlooked part of history & never tries to dilute it with meaningless sentimentality or jingoism.

Final Verdict: A flawlessly constructed thriller which is brilliantly executed in all departments. Do not miss it.

Grade: A
 

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