Mum's Monday: Valkyrie

WARNING SPOILERS

When casting Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, Tom Cruise, wouldn’t automatically be a first choice. Stauffenberg is tall, has one hand and has lost an eye. Whereas Tom Cruise is shorter and is well known for being a Hollywood heart-throb. However, if you look at a side on, profile picture of Stauffenberg, the resemblance to Tom is uncanny. Therefore, he becomes the perfect actor for the part of the Colonel.

Based on a true story, surrounding one of the most famous, of a few, assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler (Played by David Bamber in the film), during world war 2.

After a failed attempt on Hitler’s life, when a bomb, disguised as a bottle of alcohol, doesn’t go off, and is discovered, when one of the perpetrators goes to retrieve it, there is some quick thinking in the script. Whereas the person with it, suggests they open it and have a drink. The reply to that is basically ‘Hitler wouldn’t like it, if one of his officer’s drinks, whilst on duty. A very clever get out, just when you think the plot has been rumbled.

The special effects to turn Tom Cruise into the injured Stauffenberg, is extremely well achieved and realistic looking.

This film doesn’t use artistic licence, but it doesn’t have to, the story in itself is dramatic enough, showing the lead up, organisation and preparation to conclude with the, hopeful demise of Hitler. Also what would happen after Hitler is no longer alive.

The intended destination, the Wolf’s Lair, is taken into account when deciding on the amount/ size of the explosives. The line ‘This is a military operation, nothing ever goes to plan’ you could almost say, it predicts the future. We know from the true story, what happened, so this may go some way to explain, why the plot ultimately failed. In this case a change of building and not enough explosives, saved Hitler’s life.

There is a bit of tension in the film and the music adds to it, but it is mostly a light-hearted and sad in the end, telling of a true story.

This film also shows, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions, and to be certain of something first.

Watching the film, made me wander, what would have happened if the plot had succeeded. It does give a little insight of after the attempt, how Germany would have ended the war sooner. However, it failed, but the legacy still lives on and this film was still made. It does make me think how much more famous could it have got if they had achieved their goal.