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"Valkyrie" and the Myth of the "Good German"
Pajamas Media ^ | January 8 | John Rosenthal

Posted on 01/08/2009 9:26:42 AM PST by AJKauf

“Many Saw Evil,” the posters for the new Tom Cruise film Valkyrie proclaim, “But They Dared to Stop It.” Or tried, at any rate. The members of what is known in Germany as the “July 20th” plot failed, of course, to kill Hitler and were unable to seize power. If this slight exaggeration amounts to wishful thinking, however, the suggestion that the would-be assassin, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, and his co-conspirators “saw evil” in the Nazi regime amounts to an outright distortion of the historical record.

In fact, Stauffenberg served the Nazi regime loyally almost to the very end ...

(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Germany
KEYWORDS: hollywood; moviereview; myth; nazi; valkyrie; wwii
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To: fish hawk

How would the German citizens know what was going on in the ovens? The German camps were not death camps. Those who died in Dachau for example, mostly died from disease and lack of care.

There were no extermination camps in Germany. These camps were OUTSIDE Germany, mostly in Poland. And yes, what was going on in Poland was most certainly hidden from the general population, and the world in general.


81 posted on 01/08/2009 4:20:11 PM PST by Melas
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To: Bender2

Tom is a big hit in Frisco!


82 posted on 01/08/2009 4:32:19 PM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: Billthedrill

Manstein was arguably the best MILITARY mind in Germany. It was a blessing that the “Corporal” insisted on making so many poor strategic decisions which ultimately hastened the defeat of Germany. BTW, Hitler also hampered the German war machine by making so many poor decisions on weapon systems. An example was his initial decision to use the ME262 as a bomber instead of a fighter. That decision delayed the ultimate introduction of the first operational fighter jet of WW2. If introduced earlier and in greater numbers, the ME262 could have tipped the air war in favor of Germany. That might have changed everything. Frightening to consider.


83 posted on 01/08/2009 5:01:44 PM PST by LeonardFMason
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To: LeonardFMason
the ME262 could have tipped the air war in favor of Germany. That might have changed everything. Frightening to consider.

It would have meant that German cities would have gotten nuked first. There was no way the Germans could have prevailed.

84 posted on 01/08/2009 6:27:10 PM PST by glorgau
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To: Melas
I'm so relieved to hear that there were no Jews or idiots or cripples or mentally ill people killed in Germany. I guess those were all lies. Yes, Hitler and his SS killed not only about 6 million Jews but about 9 more million of other people and a vast number of them were Germans and many of them were killed in Germany. What have you been reading anyway.(the New York Times??)
85 posted on 01/08/2009 6:33:00 PM PST by fish hawk (Atheism is a non-prophet organization)
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To: Kitanis

“Hopefully.. Voters will see through Obama and his shortcoming’s in 2012. “

That was what I thought in 2008.

I have faith in the American Constitution. I don’t have any faith left in the average American voter anymore. The majority of them are brainless Zombie-Drones of the leftist media.

Unless Obama screws up big time, he will be re-elected. And he always has the mainstream media and the educaitonal elite ready to blame the Republican 8 year term of Bush II for all his own mistakes.


86 posted on 01/09/2009 6:35:31 AM PST by ZULU ( TRAPPED IN NEW JERSEY!!! Non nobis, non nobis Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.)
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To: Pilsner

I am not real familiar with Stauffenburg’s history. However, I believe that while he never joined the NAZI party he was supportive of the NAZI’s untill the Night of Long Knives where the NAZI’s purged a lot of their own membership including some military officers and it became evident just how totalitarian this new regime was going to be. Later he was disturbed by the atrocities that he saw committed on the Russian Front.


87 posted on 01/09/2009 11:36:37 AM PST by dschapin
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To: Owl_Eagle
You know, some folks, the stupid ones, get their history from movies. I only wonder how many people will have some sort of revelation about this plot that it was based on compassion for the Jews.

Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, was an upperclass German Wermacht officer like all the other conspirators.

A Graf, which is akin to a Count, would have been more concerned with his holdings being put in jeopardy in the event of being on the losing side of a war.

Since Nazi Reichsmarshalls were not allowed to surrender, only to do "the honorable thing," their Fuhrer would also not surrender. The conspirators were offering a helping hand in an "assisted suicide" and making themselves more forgiveable in the eyes of their conquerors.

On the bright side, at least the movie doesn't portray the conspirators as being moved to action because the Nazis were contributing to global warming with the ovens in the death camps.

88 posted on 01/09/2009 11:51:37 AM PST by N. Theknow (Kennedys: Can't fly, can't ski, can't drive, can't skipper a boat. But they know what's best.)
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To: AJKauf; Allegra; big'ol_freeper; Lil'freeper; TrueKnightGalahad; blackie; Larry Lucido; Diplomat; ..
I am just back from seeing Valkyrie and while I shall not ever take back any word I have ever said about Tom Cruise, his craziness, his possible gayness, his bad films and his Scientology faith, but this evening I am flabbergasted in the true sense of the word!

I went to the theater thinking of how I'd review "Maverick Being on Hitler's Six" to ya'll and prepared for another attempt to revise history to fit the liberal PC slant of the day. I went wondered how they'd somehow blame George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for the plot to kill Adolf failing. My mindset was ripe for Tom's attempt at a German accent to be like Kevin Costner's take on talking Brit for maybe the first 30 seconds or so of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. My entire being was set for an abomination to make fun of and ridicule to high heaven!

Instead, I was transported back into a plausible Nazi Germany where Tom Cruise actually portrayed a believable character from history. Having been a military collector many years, I was astounded at the correct detail of the Nazi uniforms and decorations. Even to the point of having the mounting threads shown on the right uniform breast where the ribbons would be worn. I cannot recall any war film before that went to that level of realism.

The special effects were outstanding but not overpowering. The real Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg of true history lost one eye, his right hand at the wrist and the outside two fingers on his left hand. In the film this was all shown-- repeat 'shown' in a very realistic way as Tom's Stauffenberg struggled to button a button, use pliers to crimp a detonator and even to cock an automatic Walther PPK pistol with only one hand minus two fingers.

I have said on numerous occasions that the only film Tom ever impressed me in was his second film role in Taps where he played a gung ho teenage military cadet in love with the romantic mechanics of war. Since then I've made fun of him always playing Tom "I'm a Super Star!" Cruise playing whatever role or film was handy. Even in his currently Golden Globe nominated Les Grossman role in Tropic Thunder, under the not-so-fat-suit, fake excess body hair and bald makeup, it was Tom playing Tom the Super Star being an over the top movie exec who believe his Hollywood reality was the true reality.

Tom's Oscar nominated role of Ron Kovic in Born on the Fourth of July was the same, Tom playing a cool antiwar guy that showed how criminal the Vietnam War was for all his lefty chums. Nothing of what little of his acting that I saw of his these many years was ever worth of the price of admission!

That is until today. I have to say I am honestly totally in awe of how good Tom Cruise was in an really, really excellent film that for even the few obscure flaws I found, was one of the best I've seen in years. Tom Cruise gave, in my humble opinion, the very best acting of his career. He was not Tom Cruise, he was Claus von Stauffenberg for a full two hours. I would have no objection at all to him being given an Academy Award for this role. Had I a vote there, it would be his this year.

Of course, even saying this, I fully expect to find nothing has changed in the way Tom Cruise will continue on with his life and such as defending the Scientology line of faith in defense of the recent death of John Travolta's son not being due to L. Ron Hubbard's fantastic joke on the followers of his made up sci-fi jumble of a religion spawned from thousand year old aliens. Tom will still jump on and off couches on talk shows and be his obnoxious, arrogant self in interviews. Nothing in his lifestyle will change and I fully expect his coming films will go back to his old style, but tonight, I have a wonderful time watching a wonderful film where he did a wonderful acting job.

The small 4-plex here in Corsicana has maybe seats for 200 in each theater. When I went in ten minute before film time, there were two others beside myself. By the time the film started, there were nine of us in all. At the end of the film, we all applauded. That has never happened here, never.

89 posted on 01/09/2009 7:13:32 PM PST by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: Bender2

Huh.


90 posted on 01/09/2009 7:16:11 PM PST by big'ol_freeper (Gen. George S. Patton to Michael Moore... American Carol: "I really like slapping you.")
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To: big'ol_freeper
Yes, big, mark it on the seat of your pants... the film is that good!

And, gadzooks, so... is Tom!

91 posted on 01/09/2009 7:20:07 PM PST by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: Bender2

This may help: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2161967/posts


92 posted on 01/09/2009 7:23:51 PM PST by big'ol_freeper (Gen. George S. Patton to Michael Moore... American Carol: "I really like slapping you.")
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To: big'ol_freeper
Re: This may help: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2161967/posts

Under normal circumstances it would, big... but checking the mail a few minutes ago, I got my new Playboy with Carmen Electra's nude spread in!

Talk to ya... in a day or week or month or so!

BTW I hated the film... and Tom was so gay in it!

93 posted on 01/09/2009 7:32:56 PM PST by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: Bender2

Thanks for the ping. I love period pieces, but I avoid Cruise movies as a rule. I’ll look forward to seeing this one once it’s released on Netflix.


94 posted on 01/09/2009 9:08:45 PM PST by Diplomat
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To: AJKauf
I believe the main purpose of the plot to kill Hitler was to avoid the complete annihilation of Germany.
95 posted on 01/09/2009 9:11:33 PM PST by Republic of Texas (Socialism Always Fails)
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To: Bender2

I’m actually surprised by your analysis because of all the negatives I have heard about the movie. I do trust your judgment about these things much more than the average movie critic though.


96 posted on 01/10/2009 5:31:38 AM PST by big'ol_freeper (Gen. George S. Patton to Michael Moore... American Carol: "I really like slapping you.")
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To: Bender2

Thanks for in depth review!

I’ll get the DVD when it comes out!


97 posted on 01/10/2009 3:16:23 PM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: AJKauf
Contrary to what the film repeatedly suggests, the fate of the Jews appears to have played little role in their considerations and it was certainly not the trigger that finally moved them to action.

I saw the movie tonight. It is excellent. I picked up on one reference to concentration camps.

This, "Contrary to what the film repeatedly suggests..." is a bunch of BS from a reviewer with an ax to grind.

If you haven't seen it, see it.

98 posted on 01/10/2009 10:09:17 PM PST by Barnacle (God help us.)
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To: big'ol_freeper
Hey big'ol,

I saw it tonight. It's excellent.

(As long as you can forgive showing a P-40 Fling Tiger attacking German troops in Tunisia.)

99 posted on 01/10/2009 10:13:10 PM PST by Barnacle (God help us.)
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To: Owl_Eagle
I rarely watch movies, and this one didn't even begin to grab my interest, but the motive of the plotters is to save the Jews???

This movie has nothing to do with Jews.

The writer of this article is deranged. See the movie and then tell me who you agree with.

100 posted on 01/10/2009 10:15:48 PM PST by Barnacle (God help us.)
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