Valkyrie (2008)
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A group of German army officers plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and seize control of the country during World War II.
The story
During World War II, Wehrmacht Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg becomes increasingly disillusioned with the future of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. After being injured in an air raid, he is recruited by General Friedrich Olbricht to join the German Resistance. Stauffenberg works to rewrite the plans for Operation Valkyrie, a national emergency plan, as a means to dismantle the Nazi regime following the successful assassination of Hitler. His position in the Reserve Army grants him direct access to the Führer, and he must navigate the complexities of the conspiracy while coordinating with other high-ranking officers who are also seeking to overthrow the regime.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
During World War II, Wehrmacht Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, disillusioned by Hitler's regime, joins the German Resistance. He rewrites the plans for Operation Valkyrie to seize control of the country after assassinating Hitler. On July 20, 1944, Stauffenberg places a bomb in a meeting room where Hitler is present. The bomb explodes, but Hitler survives because the blast is muffled by a table leg. Stauffenberg flees to Berlin, believing the assassination successful. While the plotters attempt to seize control of the government and arrest Nazi leaders, they are eventually confronted by loyalist forces. The film concludes with the execution of the conspirators and a memorial to their actions.
- Original title
- Walküre
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Bryan Singer
- Writers
- Nathan Alexander · writer; Christopher McQuarrie · writer
- Cast and characters
- Tom Cruise · Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg; Kenneth Branagh · Major General Henning von Tresckow; Bill Nighy · General of Infantry Friedrich Olbricht; Tom Wilkinson · General Friedrich Fromm; Carice van Houten · Nina Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg; Terence Stamp · Colonel General Ludwig Beck; Kevin McNally · Dr. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler; David Schofield · Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben
- Genres
- historical thriller
- Themes
- Resistance; Conspiracy; Loyalty vs. Morality
- Tone and mood
- Serious; Dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical Fiction; War; Political Thriller
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the performances and the portrayal of a 'homegrown hero' while others criticized Tom Cruise's performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 62% · scale: percentage · review count: 196
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Awards · Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Director · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Actor · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Supporting Actor · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Supporting Actress · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Music · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Costume Design · Nominated; Visual Effects Society Awards · Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Tom Cruise's casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of the von Stauffenberg family due to his practice of Scientology.; Tom Cruise prepared for the role for eight months, including studying history books and speaking with von Stauffenberg's family.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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