Valkyrie

"I swear by God this sacred oath
that I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler,
the Führer of the German Reich and people, supreme commander of the armed forces,
and that I shall at all times be ready, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath."


If you haven't seen the 2008 movie Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, this author humbly suggest you do so immediately.

Valkyrie is the story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a young officer in the Nazi army. Von Stauffenberg was a key player in the July 20th, 1944 plot on Adolf Hitler's life. German officers plotted to kill Hitler, and then use Hitler's own national contingency plan to assume control of the government.

Ultimately, the plan fails, but the film does a superb job drawing the viewer into the tension and drama of the story. Even in the end, when the conspirators are arrested and facing execution, the ending is dramatic and artfully done.

From the opening oath, to the final "Long live sacred Germany!," this film delivers a powerful look at the German Resistance movement. It is definitely food for thought, and is in my opinion, a very good movie.

B