Very well executed

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

I've watched this movie three times over the years, and it is hard not to compare it to "Valkyrie". I'm aware that the respective budgets differed a lot, but good scripts don't have to cost millions, and "Stauffenberg" could definitely benefited from a better script. First off, the movie is very rushed. From the first scene to the start of the conspiracy, it is just 16 minutes. The co-conspirators are given just a short scene, and the whole idea behind the coup (the "Walküre" plan) isn't explained; the plot is much better portrayed in "Valkyrie". The morning of 20 July starts 30 minutes into the movie, with the remaining hour following the events of that day. This is here that the poor explanation of the plot results in further confusion. As it appears to have been thrown together in such a slap-dash fashion, the viewer is left with the impression that the plot didn't have a chance of succeeding. Other problems are poor casting (a pathetic Goebbels) and an overly melodramatic scene in Tresckow's HQ, where a woman who has survived a massacre describes the event in a way meant to be emotional, but which is just cringe-worthy for being so over the top. This version might be for those who think that German dialogue in WW2 movies tops the need for a good script, and for those who cannot stand Tom Cruise.

This film was made in Germany for a lot less than what Tom Cruise made his overpriced epic for... and it is a far better movie.What does it do right. Hey, for starters, it's in German. You get the feel for the language and the culture that you simply don't get with Cruise's overpaid Hollywood buddies doing bad optional German accents.Secondly, it's a more honest look at Von Stauffenburg the man. Von Stauffenburg was a guy who initially supported the Nazis. (In fact, almost all of the July 20 conspirators did, they only turned against Hitler when Germany started losing the war. Kind of like Congressional Democrats!) You also see how his religious convictions guided him. Certainly, God would endorse his actions because he was in the right. (Well, uh, no. What a kookie prankster, that God.) Essentially, you get less drama, more character interplay and study. Almost all the same characters are here in this film. The only character who is kind of given the short shift is Hitler himself. He only appears in two scenes and get very little dialog. Sorry, if you are going to make a film about killing Hitler, we need to see more Hitler.Historical details are gotten right. For instance, General Beck commits suicide, but this movie points out he botched his attempt and had to be finished off. This one focuses on Von Stauffenburg more, while Cruises version goes into strange discussions of internal German politics that slowed down the plot.Now, the only reason this film is getting a second look is because some clever people decided to re-release it alongside the Cruise movie.

Not to be confused with the Tom Cruise movie that just came out, this five year old German TV movie 'just happened' to be released on DVD in America right after that movie, uh huh... Anyway, it was surprisingly good quality for a TV movie and it was interesting to see the differences between the two movies. Of course 'Valkyrie' was able to go more into depth with the characters because it was a half an hour longer but there were many scenes that were very similar in both movies. This movie shows us the fate of the main character in the first scene. Bad idea! Luckily, I had already seen 'Valkyrie' so the whole movie wasn't ruined for me.

The assassination attempt on Hitler in July, 1944 is one of the most important events in modern German history. It has been reconstructed dozens of times - none have really been successful. "Es Geschah am 20. Juli" and "Der 20. Juli", both in 1955, were the first early attempts of "Vergangenheitsbewaeltigung" in Germany, both were made for the cinema screen, both with well-known actors of the time that were old enough to experience the event.Several re-filmings (To name two more successful ones: Operation Walküre, The Plot to Kill Hitler) were less successful. Filming in color was not enough to make a good story out of a weak one."Stauffenberg", on German TV was a much advertised and, rumor has it, expensive event. The cast filled with actors the audience is used to seeing on TV, not one a really good one.The plot is ok, but runs through the timeline very quickly, starting in 1933 and running to the Summer of 1944 in about 3-4 minutes, without delivering any input. Too little emphasis is placed on the historical context to show the drama of the situation, and if the attempt was to portray the characters decently, not enough is done here. Without historical knowledge of the time, it is hard to follow the characters, their roles and positions.Hitler and Goebbels (portrayed by Udo Schenk and Olli Dittrich) both look like they have just climbed out of their tombs. The attempt to make them look really evil, fails. In his short appearance, Olli Dittrich makes of Goebbels an insecure, hysterical zombie - it made me laugh.A few moments of the film did keep me on edge, although I knew the outcome, especially shortly before the execution of Stauffenberg and the other "enemies of the state" - a plus.Yet: I am still waiting for THE excellent portrayal of the event.