Tom Cruise Nazi Movie (about Claus von Stauffenberg) Going Forward (Fox News)

[Yrys]

Seem to start with a bad foot ... even before starting...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,286215,00.html

It’s too bad that Tom Cruise doesn’t listen to the pre-cogs he starred with in "Minority Report." Those predictors of the future
would beg him not to make “Valkyrie,” the next movie on his slate. But it’s too late. The press releases have gone out. A cast is being
signed for the Bryan Singer-directed film. And a crew is being rounded up. According to the Internet Movie Database, one of the first
members of the crew who’s been secured is a prosthetics expert. That’s because by the time Cruise’s character in "Valkyrie" — a Nazi
general under Hitler’s command — is in full throttle on screen, he’s already lost an eye and a couple of limbs.

“Valkryie” is based on an original script by Singer cohorts Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander. It concerns an unsuccessful plot
by his generals to murder Hitler in 1944 — not because the Cruise character opposes the Holocaust or Hitler’s other policies, but because
he’s worried that the world’s most evil despot will ruin Germany in the history books.Cruise is executive producer on this unusual project,
which he’s making for United Artists with Merrill Lynch’s money.

He and Singer have already hired, according to trade reports, an eclectic cast including Carice van Houten, the sizzling sexpot from the
misguided Paul Verhoeven thriller “Black Book.” Also coming aboard are said to be Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Patrick Wilson,
Bill Nighy and Stephen Fry.

Tom’s character, just to keep you up to date, is Claus von Stauffenberg, who was executed by the Nazis for attempting to kill Hitler with
two suitcase bombs on July 21, 1944. Prior to the assassination attempt, Claus was severely maimed, which means Cruise should be
looking pretty grim for most of the film, unless he decides to alter history. One reason Cruise may have agreed to do this project is
because von Stauffenberg is considered by some Germans to be a folk hero.

Cruise, however, is not. In Germany, he’s taken a lot of hits for his unwavering devotion to Scientology. Germans consider the group
a cult and do not recognize it as a religion. Cruise would like to change that. Nevertheless, according to Spiegel Online, last Sunday
— before Cruise staged photos in the South of France with wife Katie Holmes and baby Suri — the diminutive movie star spent many
hours visiting the Scientology center in Berlin.

According to German press accounts, Cruise and Holmes toured the Scientology facilities, “taking in an exhibition on the history of
the faith organization and also meeting with members.”

Meanwhile, it’s hard to imagine at this point why Cruise and company are calling their movie “Valkyrie.” A Valkryie is a female
warrior from Norse mythology, perhaps best known from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.” The von Stauffenberg story is heavily male,
and includes no such characters unless van Houten decides to climb aboard a winged horse and kill Hitler herself.

 

[Pte AJB]

I recently read the book "Secret Germany: Stauffenberg and the Mystical Crusade Against Hitler" by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. An excellent read. As far as I know, Stauffenberg was never a General, he reached the rank of Colonel.

I don’t know how well the story will transfer to film, as many of the intricacies of Stauffenberg’s motivations are rooted in Prussian mythology and a Teutonic Knights based code of honour.

Stauffenberg was not so much concerned as what the ‘history books’ will write of Germany than as he was appalled by the absolute absence of morals governing the conduct of war on the Eastern Front. It would be these experiences that would solidify his resolve to carry through with his assassination attempt on Hitler. Had a member of the room not bumped into Stauffenberg’s explosive laden, suitcase causing him to move it a few feet away from Hitler, the war would of turned out very differently.

 

[Northern Ranger]

If I recall, lots of towns have named a street after him.  I know I lived on it in Lahr.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

Meanwhile, it’s hard to imagine at this point why Cruise and company are calling their movie “Valkyrie.” A Valkryie is a female
warrior from Norse mythology, perhaps best known from Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.” The von Stauffenberg story is heavily male,
and includes no such characters unless van Houten decides to climb aboard a winged horse and kill Hitler herself.

Nice research.  "Valkyrie" was the codename for the contingency plan to execute the Replacement Army's movement to critical points in the event of domestic disturbances.  The plan was approved by OKW and was to be used as the "cover" for the seizure of infrastructure, etc. after Hitler's assassination.

 

[Yrys]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6240312.stm

Germany imposes ban on Tom Cruise
Stauffenberg's son has objected to Cruise playing his father

Germany has banned the makers of Tom Cruise's new movie from filming at military sites in the country because the actor is a Scientologist.

The German defence ministry said Cruise has "publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult". Scientology masquerades
as a religion to make money, Germany said, but leaders of the church reject this.

Cruise's producing partner Paula Wagner said the star's own convictions had no relation to the film's content. "Personal beliefs have
absolutely no bearing on the movie's plot or themes," she said.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

I thought Claus von Stauffenberg was a Colonel not a General?

 

[3rd Herd]

Rereading Keegan's Six Armies in Normandy as he corrects himself with every new edition there was a very nice descriptive passage of the actual events of the bombing and the immediate after action by both the conspirators and the Nazi's. As to the brief case being moved it seems that "due to fear of the RAF block buster bomb, the conference location was moved as the Todt organization was reinforcing the roof of the originally scheduled meeting place, a concrete bunker". Which I think would have contained the blast far more effectively. There is also Plotting Hitler's Death written by a German journalist Joachim Fest who chronicles the resistance to Hitler beginning with Hitler's taking power. The BBC has an excellent little article titled 'Honouring a would-be assassin'  with diagrams and photos at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3909635.stm

 

[exspy]

Just saw a photo of Tom Cruise dressed as Von Stauffenberg on today's episode of 'Inside Edition'.  It's just what you would expect, no real surprises.  They did side by side profile shots of Von Stauffenberg and Cruise together, with the hostess gushing at their remarkable likeness.

They also showed previous movie depictions of Von Stauffenberg which included Brad Davis in 'The Plot to Kill Hitler' (1990) and an unnamed British actor in 'The Desert Fox' (1951).  Interestingly both Cruise and Davis play the Colonel with the patch over their left eye while the actor in 'The Desert Fox' had the patch over his right.  I didn't notice which actor had which arm missing.

This film, 'Valkyrie', also stars Kenneth Branagh although I don't know which character he will be playing.  Branagh played Reinhard Heydrich in the movie 'Conspiracy' (2001) which was about the 1942 Wannsee Conference.  Cruise should have swallowed his pride and cast Branagh as Von Stauffenberg.  That would have been a great casting choice.

 

[Bobby Rico]

Hmm, I don't really like the idea of making Stauffenberg appear to be a hero, which seems to be the intent of this movie.  According to the histories I've read of the assassination attempt on Hitler, the conspirators weren't necessarily trying to topple the Nazi regime, but were simply trying to depose of Hitler as the leader and install someone else in his place.  I just find it as strange as someone attempting to spin Rommel and make him appear to be a hero because he didn't happen to like Hitler and was also implicated in the assassination attempt on him.

 

[geo]

Saw a show on the history channel a while back
from pictures of the era, they recreated the conference room and the trestle table under which Stauffenberg placed his briefcase.
They started off by reproducing the blast with manequins.  Till they were able to reproduce the injuries that medical documents (and pictures) showed.  Once that was done, they moved the briefcase back to where stauffenberg is said to have placed it - prior to ducking out of the room for his phone call.  Per the documentary, Adolph woulda been toast and the German Army might have been able to sue for peace OR fight the war without political meddling from the fearless leader.

 

[time expired]

The killing of GROFAZ (Grosste Feldherr alle zeiten) may have been a
very mixed blessing for the Allies.There is a distinct possibility that
without his incompetent leadership and interference in the military
operations, the war have lasted well past May 45.As it is the Germans
have glorified him as an example of what "real Germans" felt about
Hitler and his NSDAP regime, much as the French use the resistance
movement for the same type of alibi
                                Regards

 

[larry Strong]

Just saw a photo of Tom Cruise dressed as Von Stauffenberg on today's episode of 'Inside Edition'.  It's just what you would expect, no real surprises.  They did side by side profile shots of Von Stauffenberg and Cruise together, with the hostess gushing at their remarkable likeness.

They also showed previous movie depictions of Von Stauffenberg which included Brad Davis in 'The Plot to Kill Hitler' (1990) and an unnamed British actor in 'The Desert Fox' (1951).  Interestingly both Cruise and Davis play the Colonel with the patch over their left eye while the actor in 'The Desert Fox' had the patch over his right.  I didn't notice which actor had which arm missing.

This film, 'Valkyrie', also stars Kenneth Branagh although I don't know which character he will be playing.  Branagh played Reinhard Heydrich in the movie 'Conspiracy' (2001) which was about the 1942 Wannsee Conference.  Cruise should have swallowed his pride and cast Branagh as Von Stauffenberg.  That would have been a great casting choice.

Did they show a pic of the 6 ft Claus von Stauffenberg vs the 5 ft Cruise?