Review: Valkyrie

Valkyrie

OPENING: 12/25/2008

STUDIO: United Artists

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge
Many saw evil. They dared to stop it.

Opening Statement
“Hitler is dead…I saw the explosion myself. We shall proceed with Operation Valkyrie!” — Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg

Facts Of The Case
July, 1944. Colonel Claus Von Stuaffenberg (Tom Cruise, Lions For Lambs) has become disillusioned by World War II and, particularly, what the Fuhrer has done to his beloved homeland. He returns from North Africa battered, both physically and emotionally, with an entire hand and his right eye gone. Stauffenberg’s new assignment is becoming the leader of the reserve army, and his first task is creating Operation Walkure, a plan to smoothly ensure Germany will be governed properly after the death of Hitler. The governing party in question wouldn’t be devoted Nazis, however, but a secret German Resistance who have been itching to destroy the Fuhrer’s control for sometime.

The Evidence
The company involved was tempting. You have director Bryan Singer re-teaming with his Usual Suspects scribe Christopher McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for the 1995 nail-biter. You have one of the Hollywood’s A-list actors playing the lead, with a supporting cast to die for, including Bill Nighy (Shaun Of The Dead), Tom Wilkinson (In The Bedroom), and Terence Stamp (Superman). Also, you have a story which, while repeatedly told in many literary sources, is one of the most interesting and fascinating in 20th century history. However, Valkyrie winds up being a stellar disappointment, a film which struggles every second to maintain suspense, let alone build it. Singer and Cruise are more than qualified to make this story intense even if the outcome can be seen from a mile away; alas, this ends up being a frustrating, mediocre movie which can’t hold up because of star power alone. I think studio head Les Grossman would have been pissed if he were financing this epic.

The storytelling is straightforward but shaky. The entire first half is devoted to Stauffenberg’s situation, which includes the extreme worry exhibited by his wife Nina (a nice English debut for Dutch actress Carice Van Houten) over the safety of their four children. Despite his disabilities, Stuaffenberg has formulated his assassination plot without an ounce of fear and recruits many followers who assist him in his campaign. The members of the German Resistance have obviously been opposed to Nazism from the beginning, but meeting them is a challenge. We understand these individuals in theory, but not in execution, as they seem to be presented more as slight caricatures of good-hearted Nazi oppressors.  Even with the odor of an Allied invasion and a Nazi Germany about to collapse under its own weight, their motivations’ are questionable as they don’t register as being simply for the inhumanity or persecution which has stained the world.  In other words, McQuarrie and his partner Nathan Alexander are much more concerned about the brilliant plan than the planners themselves, whose dimensions are murky at best.

Most viewers will no doubt become impatient over the excessively overlong buildup, as Valkyrie doesn’t wake up until the assassination sequence at Wolf’s Lair. By that time, however, you almost feel as if you’ve seen the entire movie already, as the second half has the usual scenes of chaos, distress, and uncertainity. It’s one thing to know already that the operation backfired and failed, but it’s another when it’s not handled with the appropriate power. The supposedly catharthic climax lacks the emotional punch and gravity for us to really care all that much. It’s a shame Walkure didn’t get fully consummated, but it’s an even bigger shame when a host of talented individuals can’t contribute a worthy cinematic salute. Valkyrie is never boring, mind you; it just rambles and rumbles when it should rivet and reward.

Cruise has remained one of the most charismatic actors in the past 25 years, and the screen has been surely blessed by his presence. However, his Stuaffenberg is so rough and wooden all the sandpaper in the world wouldn’t help. The guy looks and acts exactly the same as he did when the film started: Cruise in an eye-patch. I would guess his method here is look sternly in the camera, hoping the audience could feel his silent rage which is presumably built-up inside of him. It’s also rather jarring to hear his very American accent mixed in with the all of the British ones on audible display, although I blame this on Singer and McQuarrie more, who felt the need to film this in English with English-speaking actors (thus removing a huge chunk of authenticity). Alas, this is one of Cruise’s weakest performances and certainly his least believable; all of those blasted Far And Away detractors should definately agree…for once!

The supporting cast is undeniably strong but many of them are left outside to chill out. For example, Kenneth Branagh is one of the today’s finest and he’s only given two scenes, both of which the actor isn’t free to fully bring out his chops. Tom Wilkinson and Thomas Kretschmann (the only German actor, and the only one who feels like he belongs) are quite good in key roles, but the unyieldly, complicated script doesn’t give them much to work with. Bill Nighy is excellent as Olbright (one of the leaders of the Resistance) and anytime Terence Stamp plays a General you know he’s going to kick ass. However, the best performance doesn’t come from any of the men, but Halina Reijn as the Resistance secretary Margarethe von Oven. Just watch her in the film’s closing moments, as she remains the only effective, emotional force even when she has little dialogue and keeps a phone to ear much of the time.

The Rebuttal Witnesses
On the flip side, there are several scenes which do ring true. Singer, after all, is too smart and sophisticated a filmmaker for us not to feel something at times. I felt the scenes which worked best were in the Reich communications complex, especially when all the secretaries discover the “truth” behind Hitler’s assassination. Other highlights were the ones in woodsy Wolf’s Lair, the moment where we meet Hitler and watch him sign and approve Walkure, and some stirring points as the Resistance gains control of the Lion’s Den. All of the scenes filmed at Bendlerblock (the HQ of the Resistance) were actually filmed on-location at the memorial. The Ministry of Defence has always been leary about letting studios film there, but they made an exception here.

If there is anything else which Valkyrie does accomplish, is giving us an intriguing window into what working as a Nazi was like on the inside. Production designer Lilly Kilvert (The Last Samurai) and set designer Bernhard Henrich both do an exceptional job in re-creating many of the Reich’s digs, including the Army High Command center (with its emblam-marked chow hall and swimming pool), the communications complex and Wolf’s Lair. Once again, Singer’s frequent collaborator and friend John Ottman contributes both as editor and music composer, with the moody latter work making up for the loose former.

Closing Statement
I don’t think I’m being too harsh here, as Valkyrie remains quite watchable. It’s just never credible, and you will soon forget about the film even if the story itself will always be remembered. I recommend you wait for Valkyrie on DVD, as there are other films the holiday season is offering, including the highly touted Revolutionary Road, Doubt and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Court is adjourned!

The Verdict
5/10

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