| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Drama |
Now wikipedia tells me that a valkyrie in norse mythology is one of a host of female figures who choose those who die in battle. The valkyries bring their chosen who have died bravely in battle to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin, where the deceased warriors become einherjar. There, when the einherjar are not preparing for the events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals, where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens, and sometimes connected to swans.
When you watch the movie, you will also remember that Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is the second of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. It is the source of the famous piece Ride of the Valkyries.You've probably heard it many times in your childhood, while watching cartoons or war movies even without realizing it.
In the movie, Valkyrie is an operation where Hitler's own Reserve Army is deceptively used against the him.
Moving on with the review...It is a movie where Cruise plays Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, a Good German famous to his countrymen for his resistance to the Nazi mandate. Trained as a loyal soldier, the well-bred officer's disgust at his Führer's leadership deepened following severe wounds suffered during battle in Tunisia, where he lost a hand and an eye. And the assassination plan and subsequent government transition that Stauffenberg devised, with help from a network of dissident army officers and political leaders, was an audacious blend of suspenseful daring and wonkish political strategy.
History confirms, of course, that the July 20, 1944, operation failed when a bomb planted in Hitler's presence did too little damage; the Nazi leader survived with minor scratches, army loyalists quelled the coup, and Stauffenberg suffered the consequences, along with scores of others.
History has always shown us that we crave for strong leaders.Not necessarily right or wrong, but simply strong.
If a leader is strong, he will lead his men to death and beyond...Alexander,Napoleon,Hitler...they epitomised strength and conviction.They could sway entire masses by the sheer force of their will and conviction.People would gladly give their life for them.
Ultimately, it was Hitler's demonic charisma that caused the defeat of operation Valkyrie.
The movie moves you.You earnestly wish that Col. Claus von Stauffenberg be successful in his endeavours,even though you know that is not possible.If you know WW2 history, you will know right from the beginning that the good colonel is bound to lose.
It is not fate that determines the outcome of the movie, but history.
The ensemble cast is terrific, although I wish the British actors would have lost their British Accents.
Tom Cruise received a lot of flak for following scientology while playing the role of the good colonel, but is as usual good.I wish that the characters were a bit more developed than being so one-dimensional.
Bryan Singer's credentials and previous movies were played up more than usual to counter all the negative publicity Tom Cruise gave it...but I guess the movie is worth watching once.
Which brings me to the question...What Is History?
What qualifies as history?
I cringed at the fact that Mangal Pandey was being telecast on the history channel.Ketan Mehta's mangal Pandey is rife with errors and wild guesses.
Would that qualify as history?
The answer is clear.History basically turns into fiction given enough time and more often than not, fiction becomes a part of the history.
This is the process of myth making.
This is how gods are born.
This is how mere mortals rise as demigods.
This is how one attains immortality.
And maybe someday Valkyrie too would be showcased on the History Channel
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