Valkyrie Planning the 2008 Film Research Paper

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As Baigent and Leigh point out, von Stauffenberg's co-conspirators were "aristocratic" men who despised what they now knew to be a murderous regime (26). However, it was Stauffenberg who was "the most active leader in the conspiracy against Hitler," which is exactly how Operation Valkyrie is portrayed (Hoffman xiv). The close relationship between Nina Stauffenberg and her husband is rendered thinly but at least accurately in the film, based on what historian Hoffman has to say. Although there are several other ancillary characters that were not addressed or developed in Valkyrie, the filmmakers chose what are arguably some of the most historically important in terms of the attempted assassination of Hitler.

Of course, the central event of Valkyrie is the attempted but failed assassination of Hitler. Interviews with Berthold von Stauffenberg, the Colonel's son, verify the accuracy of the historical events that shaped his father's life. For instance, Jones claims that indeed, "On 20 July 1944, a German colonel left a bomb in the Fuhrer's office. It exploded, just missing its target, and the following day the officer was shot." Berthold's bolstering of the story by his inner conflict: the psychological pull between conformity to the state and respect for his father, corresponds well with Housden's psychological exposition of the dynamics of resistance and conformity.

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V. Conclusion

Based on a close watching of the film Valkyrie, including a recording of key quotes, it is possible to determine whether the filmmaker accurately represented the historical facts of Operation Valkyrie. Indeed, the film might be a Hollywood version of the actual events and with Cruise as Stauffenberg lacks the emotional intensity that it would have had in a more skillful actor's hands. However, Singer did not err appreciably from history.

Historical research shows that the events that took place before, during, and after Operation Valkyrie were portrayed with admirable accuracy on screen. The biographical evidence substantiates the strong character of Colonel von Stauffenberg, who genuinely believed that it was a moral obligation to try and stop Hitler. Historical accounts present Stauffenberg's co-conspirators in a similar light as they are shown on-screen. Nina Stauffenberg is portrayed relatively well, too. The unfolding of Operation Valkyrie did happen as Singer shows in his film, from the early stages of the conspiracy to the bomb in the Wolf's Lair, to the aftermath.

Hollywood films based on true stories often miss a lot. However, this film does a fairly good job of capturing history. Even the dialogue in Valkyrie seems to parallel the voice of Stauffenberg and his team.

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