Valkyrie (2008): Historical Accuracy of Singer's Film

Introduction

The 2008 film Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, is a Hollywood version of actual historical events. As with any Hollywood rendition of a true story, screenwriters and filmmakers feel they must extrapolate from and embellish actual historical fact to make for a compelling on-screen narrative. Even with a story as remarkable as that of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a filmmaker like Bryan Singer is not producing a documentary but a drama. Therefore, the central questions in this investigative research report are as follows: To what degree does Singer's 2008 film conform to historical fact? How accurately does it convey not just the events of the foiled plot to assassinate Hitler, but also the character of Claus von Stauffenberg? What elements did Singer get right, and which are significantly wrong?

Summary of Evidence

To accomplish this research goal, the first step was to watch the film. Starring Tom Cruise, Valkyrie comes across as far sillier than it should for a film about such a powerful and grave subject. The casting is questionable, and so too is the overall tone of the film. Instead of seeming dark and disturbing, Valkyrie comes across as a kind of Bruckheimer-esque hero film. The accents are also inconsistent: as one reviewer for The Guardian puts it, "Von Stauffenberg's cohorts are played by British actors…who deliver their lines in English accents. The villainous Nazi is portrayed by German actor Thomas Kretschmann who speaks English in a German accent. And then — standing separate and apart — is Cruise himself, intoning his lines in pureblood American" (Brooks).

Issues of language and accent aside, what did Singer do with the facts? This report is not a film critique per se, but an analysis of the historical accuracy of Valkyrie. While the initial portion of the research involves close scrutiny of the film, the bulk of the planning phase involves investigating sources related to the history of World War II. In particular, the historical research examines mainly secondary sources about the biography of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and specifically the story behind the attempted assassination and coup upon which Valkyrie is based. As von Stauffenberg did not knowingly keep a journal — or at least not one that has been made public or translated into English — secondary sources are the most reliable form of information on this subject. It turns out that although dialogue and specific situations were invented for the film, Singer got most of the facts right when presenting the plotting and execution of the attempted assassination of Hitler. Descriptions of the attempted coup by Baigent and Leigh; Craig; Hoffman; Housden; Jones; Thomas; and Vogel and Farrell all substantiate at least the skeleton of the Singer account of historical events.

Research shows that Operation Valkyrie did proceed largely as Singer presents it in his film. Even the dates presented in the film correspond with the actual chronology of events. Moreover, the character of Claus von Stauffenberg may be poorly rendered by Cruise, but biographical material shows that Singer and the screenwriters at least captured the man's motives and general character. Von Stauffenberg did wear an eye patch and was emotionally committed to saving Germany from Nazi tyranny. His wife is also portrayed in keeping with biographical accounts of the family (Hoffman). Finally, the ancillary characters in the film — including Major-General Henning von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh), General Friedrich Olbricht (Bill Nighy), General Friedrich Fromm (Tom Wilkinson), Ludwig Beck (Terence Stamp), and Major Otto Ernst Remer (Thomas Kretschmann) — actually existed and served in the very capacities shown in the film. For example, some, such as Henning von Tresckow, sided with von Stauffenberg, while others, such as Otto Ernst Remer, sided with Hitler.

Evaluation of Sources (OPVL)

Although a range of sources was collected and consulted, two stand out most for their purpose and value in conducting an investigation into the historical accuracy of Valkyrie. Hoffman's Stauffenberg: A Family History is a scholarly biography of the Colonel. Published by McGill-Queen's University Press, the book's credibility is unquestioned. The author presents the material with thorough documentation of primary sources and includes valuable photographic material. The photos of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg are not altogether different from what Cruise looks like, although Cruise is undoubtedly shorter than the man he plays. The purpose of Hoffman's book is to use primary source material to compose a complete picture of the man behind Operation Valkyrie. Hoffman exposes the motives behind Stauffenberg's risky endeavor, which ultimately resulted in his death and threatened the lives of his entire family as well. Stauffenberg believed two central things that caused him to act as courageously as he did: first, that Nazi anti-Semitic ideology was immoral; and second, that Germany was destroying itself by continuing to condone the Nazi political campaign. For Stauffenberg, killing Hitler was both a national and an ethical duty — and this is exactly how Singer portrays his protagonist in Valkyrie. Because it focuses almost exclusively on the life of Stauffenberg, Hoffman's book has the limitation of not thoroughly addressing broader contextual material. Nevertheless, the value of the source cannot be underestimated: it is scholarly, credible, and essential for evaluating the way Singer portrays his main character.

A second source central to this research is Housden's Resistance and Conformity in the Third Reich. Like Hoffman, Housden draws from primary source material and includes valuable photographic evidence that enhances the text. Housden includes direct quotes from Stauffenberg, which are crucial when comparing film dialogue to the actual voice of the Colonel. The purpose of Housden's book is to expose the psychological forces at play in the resistance movement. Resistance and Conformity in the Third Reich is therefore valuable for gaining insight into the character of Stauffenberg and his cohorts, as well as their enemies. The source is constrained by its narrow focus, but within that focus it provides uniquely useful material for this investigation.

Conclusion

Based on a close watching of Valkyrie, including careful recording of key quotes, it is possible to determine that the filmmaker represented the historical facts of Operation Valkyrie with considerable accuracy. The film may be a Hollywood version of actual events, and Cruise's portrayal of Stauffenberg may lack the emotional intensity that a more skillful actor might have provided. However, Singer did not stray appreciably from history.

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

Hollywood films based on true stories often miss a great deal. This film, however, does a fairly good job of capturing history. Even the dialogue in Valkyrie parallels the documented voice of Stauffenberg and his team.

Works Cited

Baigent, Michael and Leigh, Richard. Secret Germany: Stauffenberg and the True Story of Operation Valkyrie. Skyhorse Publishing Inc., 2008.

Brooks, Xan. "Valkyrie." The Guardian. 19 Jan. 2009.

Craig, John S. Peculiar Liaisons: In War, Espionage, and Terrorism in the Twentieth Century. Algora Publishing, 2005.

Hoffman, Peter. Stauffenberg: A Family History, 1905–1944. McGill-Queen's University Press, 2003.

Housden, Martyn. Resistance and Conformity in the Third Reich. Psychology Press, 1997.

Jones, Nigel. "Claus von Stauffenberg — The Man Who Tried to Kill Hitler." Historynet.com. 22 Dec. 2008.

Jones, Nigel. "Claus von Stauffenberg: The True Story Behind the Film Valkyrie, Starring Tom Cruise." The Telegraph. 17 Aug. 2008.

Thomas, Paul. Secret Agents. Black Rabbit Books, 2002.

Vogel, Robert and Farrell, Brian Padair. Leadership and Responsibility in the Second World War. McGill-Queen's Press, 2004.