Too much of everything

Excellent but underrated film

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Televisión version about July 20 Plot professionally shot by Lawrence Schiller . This version (1980) about the historic events results to be an adequate retelling about the ¨July 20 plot¨ in which a group of officers attempt to take control of the German government , including magnificent actors and acceptable direction . This is a fine movie about the July 20 plot of 1944 lead by Wehrmacht Colonel Count Stauffenberg ; being made with good American actors as well as British and passable production values , though in television style . The picture contains brief remarks about Claus Graf Von Stauffenberg (1907-1944) , but focusing mainly the July Plot . The film packs a colorful cinematography by Freddie Francis and atmospheric musical score by Lawrence Rosenthal . This story about Stauffenberg and the famous event from how was orchestrated the dangerous plot has been well played by Brad Davis as Stauffemberg , Madolyn Smith Osborne as his wife Countess Nina Von Stauffenberg , Kenneth Colley as Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel , Michael Byrne as Gen. Olbricht , Jonathan Hyde as Professor Joseph Goebbels , Rupert Graves as Axel Von Dem Bussche , Helmut Griem as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel , Vernon Dobtcheff as Fellgiebel and Mike Gwilym as Adolf Hitler . There are various adaptations about this famous plot and his main participant , Stauffenberg ; they are the followings : First German version about July 20 Plot professionally directed by G.W.Pabst in 1954 with Bernard Wicki ; German adaptation titled 'Stauffemberg (2004)' with Sebastian Koch, Christopher Buchold , Hardy Kruger Jr , Remo Girone and directed by Jo Baier who bears special remembrance to 'Valkyrie' (2008) by Bryan Singer with Tom Cruise , Tom Wilkinson David Scofield , Bill Nighy Christian Berkel and Kenneth Branagh.Adding more details over the widely described on the movie , the deeds happened of the following manner : In the early part WWII Stauffenberg (Brad Davis) served with distinction as an officer in a Bavarian cavalry regiment in Poland , France and North Africa where in 1943 he was deeply wounded. He was saved by the expert supervision of Dr. Ferdinand, Germany's most famous physician . Reporting back for service , he was appointed chief of staff of the Army Department. During his convalescence he revised his attitude . He made no secret of his utter contempt for Hitler and Nazism . He resented any form of totalitarianism, especially National Socialism, and criticized Hitler as the Antichrist . The meticulous Stauffenberg then decided to join the conspirators against Hitler with the goal of liquidating the Nazi regime and replacing it with a new social state that would maintain the good name of fatherland . Always impelled by Christian morality and angered by the excesses of Nazism, Stauffenberg became the leader of the conspiracy . At the center of the plot were such senior officers as Gen. Von Tresckow , chief of staff in Army Group Center on the Russian front , Col.Gen Friedrich Olbricht (Michael Byrne) , head of supply Section of the Reserve Army , Major Gen. Erwin Van Witzleber and General Beck (Ian Richardson). Added to these senior members were a number of younger officers (Rupert Graves) who believed who Third Reich was a catastrophe for Germany and were willing to gamble their lives on the outcome of the plot . Others knew of the plot but did not take an active role in it. Among them were Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (Helmut Griem) , popular war hero, General Canaris and Field Marshal Hans Von Kluge , army group commander in France . In March 1943 General Tresckow decided that the time had come for action. A British-made bomb time , disguised as a bottle of brandy, was placed on the Fuehrer's plane , but the bomb failed to explode and it was never discovered . Then General Von Tresckow agreed with Stauffenberg that the assassination attempt must be made at all costs: 'We must prove to the world and to future generations that the men of the German Resistance movement dared to take the decisive step and wager their lives on it'. When Hitler (Mike Gwylin) called a conference of his close military advisers at the headquarter at Rastenburg, Staufffenberg arrived and in his briefcase along with papers and reports, was a British time bomb. He set the timer on the bomb and brought it into the conference room. After greeting the Fuehrer , he placed the briefcase on the floor beside Hitler and the excused himself: 'I must make a telephone call'. And the bomb exploded . Meanwhile , Stauffenberg , certain that all in the hut had been killed was a plane bound for Berlin , but he learned to his amazement that Hitler had not been killed by the blast . Officers who were in the plot were dismayed and virtually paralyzed into inaction. Officers loyal to Hitler as Otto Remer had taken control of the War Ministry and arrested the conspirators . General Fromm (Helmut Lohner) hurried to cover his tracks,he had four officers shot by a firing squad in the courtyard below.Beck was killed with a coup de grace.Hitler's vengeance was terrible .The conspirators were handed over to the tortures of Gestapo,many more were killed in a a massive blood purge. Some were strangled with piano wire and their bodies hanged like animal carcasses on huge hooks General Fromm , who had been active in ordering the executions could not save himself,principal leaders met a barbaric death, among them the Adm . Wilhelm Canaris . Field Marshal Von Witzleben 's execution was typical , the old man was pushed into a cellar prison,placed under the first meat hook and stripped to the waist,a running noose was placed over the hook and wound around his neck,he was lifted and allowed to fall with the whole weight of his body ,young cadets ,forced to view the gruesome spectacle , fainted .

I have come across the 3 movies relating to Operation Valkyrie with Col. Stauffenberg as the main focus. This is the one that i watched most recently but it was the first one made being (1990). Followed by that is Stauffenberg of (2004) and Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise (2009). Now after watching all 3, they are all good watches. I probably enjoyed the (2004) one the most as it had more feeling but 2009 because of the budget and modern look was visually better. After the (1990) and (2004) movies being made am surprised Tom Cruise opted to make another one as the the first 2 fulfill the explanation & feeling. They are all pretty much the same storyline as it is based on a true story with little movie differences here and there. Overall a good watch and doesn't wander off the truths of the incident that we know to be historically true or what we feel is the correct presentation. In many movies actors have tried to play Hitler, so just a little comment on the Hitler in this movie, decent performance. But for me the most defining Hitler i have come across in cinema has to be in ' Downfall' 'Der Untergang' : Bruno Ganz. Also the Himmler in Downfall is the best representation in terms of look i have ever seen. And as we are talking about Nazi representation in movies, the best Heydrich i have seen is in ' Aushwitz the Nazis and the Final Solution'. Although the Himmler in that documentary narrated by Samuel West is terrible. Imagine if all the actors who have represented Nazi personalities so well came together for one movie, now that would be epic for people who show a strong interested in ww2 movies. However in relation to this topic: for me someone should of just blown a bullet into his head rather than beating round the bush coming up with so many complicated ways to kill him yet failing on all accounts.

Well directed by Lawrence Schiller, a modest well-paced telling of the plot to rid the world of Hitler. This drama is set in 1944, German war hero Count Claus von Stauffenberg(Brad Davis), who lost a hand and an eye in action, ramrods a secretive group of high level officers in the attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler(Mike Gwilyn). The scheme is daring and methodical; but succeeding would show the German population just what evil Hitler is doing with concentration camps. Plus the group willing to carrying out the plot have been convinced by von Stauffenberg that the Third Reich is crumbling, Hitler is losing his mind and that the German army is actually losing the war.Being made-for-TV, there is little violence to speak of, no strong language and flat acting. Also in the cast: Ian Richardson, Helmut Lohner, Madolyn Smith Osborne, Johathan Hyde and Kenneth Colley.

This film has a solid plot and remains quite faithful to the historical events which it portrays. Some scenes involving the conspirators are necessarily conjecture but they always remain plausible and certainly do not compromise the facts for the sake of dramatic license.There is a good mix of action and dialogue throughout the film and a tense soundtrack which does a lot to add to the atmosphere. The performances of many of the actors are first-rate. Ian Richardson as General Beck and Ken Colley as Field-Marshal Keitel are characteristically convincing. The presence of Helmuts Lohner and Griem as General Fromm and Field-Marshal Rommel respectively help to give the film a greater feeling of audio authenticity which adds to the effect of excellent costumes and sets. Jonathan Hyde is a convincing Goebells and demonstrates a wonderful range. The best performance by far is that of the little-known Welsh actor Mike Gwilym who puts in a masterly portrayal of the fast declining Hitler.