Valkyrie (2008)
Drama, History, Thriller |.
Valkyrie is a thriller film directed and co-produced by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander. The film is set in Nazi Germany during World War II and depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country. The film was released by American studio United Artists and stars Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the key plotters.
Cruise’s casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of the von Stauffenberg family due to the actor’s practice of Scientology, which is viewed with suspicion in Germany. Because of this, the filmmakers initially had difficulty setting up filming locations in Germany, but they were later given access to locations such as Berlin’s historic Bendlerblock. German newspapers and filmmakers supported the film and its intention to spread global awareness of von Stauffenberg’s plot.
During World War II, Wehrmacht Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is stationed in Tunisia, where he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the future of Germany under Hitler’s tyranny. His battalion comes under attack by P-40 fighter-bombers of the No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Desert Air Force.[6] Stauffenberg is severely injured in the air raid and is evacuated home to Nazi Germany. While recuperating, he is recruited by General Olbricht into the German Resistance, which includes General Ludwig Beck, Dr. Carl Goerdeler, and Erwin von Witzleben.
Stauffenberg proposes using Operation Valkyrie, which involves the deployment of the Reserve Army in a national emergency, as a means to take control of the country. The plotters redraft the plan’s orders to dismantle the Nazi regime after assassinating Hitler.
Director: Bryan Singer
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Nathan Alexander
Stars: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten
►Cast:
| Tom Cruise | … | Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg |
| Kenneth Branagh | … | Major-General Henning von Tresckow |
| Bill Nighy | … | General Friedrich Olbricht |
| Tom Wilkinson | … | General Friedrich Fromm |
| Carice van Houten | … | Nina von Stauffenberg |
| Thomas Kretschmann | … | Major Otto Ernst Remer |
| Terence Stamp | … | Ludwig Beck |
| Eddie Izzard | … | General Erich Fellgiebel |
| Kevin McNally | … | Dr. Carl Goerdeler (as Kevin R. McNally) |
| Christian Berkel | … | Colonel Mertz von Quirnheim |
| Jamie Parker | … | Lieutenant Werner von Haeften |
| David Bamber | … | Adolf Hitler |
| Tom Hollander | … | Colonel Heinz Brandt |
| David Schofield | … | Erwin von Witzleben |
| Kenneth Cranham | … | Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel |
| Halina Reijn | … | Margarethe von Oven |
| Werner Daehn | … | Major Ernst John von Freyend |
| Harvey Friedman | … | Dr. Joseph Goebbels |
| Matthias Schweighöfer | … | Lieutenant Herber |
| Waldemar Kobus | … | Police Chief Wolf-Heinrich von Helldorf |
| Florian Panzner | … | Second Lieutenant Hagen |
| Ian McNeice | … | Pompous General |
| Danny Webb | … | Captain Haans |
| Chris Larkin | … | Sergeant Helm |
| Matthew Burton | … | Lieutenant-General Adolf Heusinger |
| Philipp von Schulthess | … | Tresckow’s Aide |
| Wotan Wilke Möhring | … | Sergeant Kolbe |
| Christian Oliver | … | Sergeant-Major Adam |
| Bernard Hill | … | Confident General – Desert |
| Julian Morris | … | Young Lieutenant – Desert |
| Helmut Stauss | … | Dr. Roland Freisler |
| Tim Williams | … | Doctor |
| Karl Alexander Seidel | … | Stauffenberg Child (as Alexander Seidel) |
| Timo Huber | … | Stauffenberg Child |
| Justus Kammerer | … | Stauffenberg Child |
| Annika Becker | … | Stauffenberg Child |
| Marie Becker | … | Stauffenberg Child |
| Katharine Mehrling | … | Female Singer |
| Andy Gatjen | … | Angry SS Officer (as Andy Gätjen) |
| Achim Buch | … | Soldier |
| Manfred-Anton Algrang | … | Albert Speer (as Anton Algrang) |
| Matthias Freihof | … | Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler |
| Gerhard Haase-Hindenberg | … | Reich Marshal Hermann Göring |
| Jon Collin Barclay | … | Second Lieutenant Kretz |
| Matthias Ziesing | … | Young Officer – Wolf’s Lair |
| Tom Wlaschiha | … | Communications Officer |
| Carsten Voigt | … | Checkpoint Guard |
| O’Shea Miles | … | Sentry – OKH (as Miles O’Shea) |
| Anna Holmes | … | Central Communications Operator |
| Michael Fritz Schumacher | … | Young Officer (as Michael Schumacher) |
| Niklas Bardeli | … | Aide to Stauffenberg |
| Christoph Förster | … | Aide to Stauffenberg |
| Andre Schwedt | … | Keitel’s Adjutant |
| Isabella Drischel | … | War Ministry Secretary |
| Max Urlacher | … | Officer |
| Justin Beard | … | Wolf’s Lair Operator |
| Tilmann von Blomberg | … | Arresting Officer |
| Karsten Mielke | … | Remer’s Driver |
| Travis Andrade | … | German Soldier |
| Jason Barry | … | SS Officer |
| Joel Bryant | … | SS Soldier |
| Mike Dunn | … | Motorcycle Driver – Desert |
| Wolfgang Grossmann | … | Standartenführer Neuner |
| Michael Ihnow | … | Officer |
| Efka Kvaraciejus | … | SS Soldier – Berghof |
| Kyle Leatherberry | … | SS Officer |
| Daniel Mandehr | … | SS Officer |
| Jacob Newton | … | Soldier |
| Ron Osburn Jr. | … | Nazi Staff Sgt. |
| Dieter Rupp | … | Paramedical Officer |
| Dylan Saccoccio | … | Shirtless Soldier |
| Justin Shelden | … | Injured Soldier – Desert |
| Gubbi Sigurdsson | … | Soldier |
| Paul Umbriaco | … | German Soldier |
| Tyrell van Boog | … | Lieutenant |
| Sean Velie | … | Injured Soldier – Desert |
| Nicolas Walier | … | Waiter |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia