Valkyrie
Originally published at Revenge of the Geek. You can comment here or there.
So filming has started on Valkyrie, the Hollywood film about the plot by German generals to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. While this film is listed as a thriller, the cast list and this photo make me think otherwise.
Tom Cruise as Colonel von Stauffenberg? There are just so many ways that I cry when I read that. Not due to Cruise’s Scientology beliefs, just that he feels so wrong. Maybe he’ll do a great job, but someone who feels so American in a role that should be so German…
The rest of the cast list sounds like the film should be something out of ‘Allo ‘Allo. Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard… Amin Mueller Stahl is listed and he brings strength to any role, but the rest - despite them being some of my favourite actors - makes it sound like some boys school stage revue version of the story.
Given the success of Downfall, I think telling such an important German story such as this should be best left to the Germans. But given how well Downfall did internationally, I can see how Hollywood wants to ride that cash cow. True war stories often make better stories than made up ones. Film on location, dress your cast in pretty uniforms and quoila, instant credibility.
I just cringe at the thought of Cruise murdering a German accent.