Stauffenberg (2004)

Director: Jo Baier                                          Writer: Jo Baier
Film Score: Trevor Morris                              Cinematography: Jack Atcheler
Starring: Sebastian Koch, Rainer Bock, Enrico Mutti and Nina Kunzendorf

Stauffenberg is a German TV movie that was renamed Operation Valkyrie only after the American film Valkyrie with Tom Cruise was released and to capitalize on the publicity surrounding that film. This is obvious from the fact that the name of the operation is barely mentioned in this film. Of course Claus von Stauffenberg led the most publicized attempt to assassinate Hitler, planting the bomb himself at the Wolf’s Lair, and coming within a hair’s breath of taking over the government and making peace with the Allies. There have been numerous films dealing with the failed assassination tangentially, from The Desert Fox and Night of the Generals, to the TV miniseries Twist of Fate, but this was the first to deal primarily with the architect of the plan and the aftermath for him and his comrades who were assassinated themselves before they could divulge any more of the people involved in the conspiracy.

The film begins with a lengthy montage, starting with Sebastian Koch as the young Stauffenberg, eager to do well in the army and idolizing Hitler. In 1939 in Poland he still exhibits the master race syndrome in his attitude toward the conquered peoples, but by 1942 in Russia, hearing of the atrocities perpetrated by the SS, he begins to question the real purpose behind the war. From there the film jolts along in large chunks, first to Africa where he loses an eye and one of his hands, then to 1943 in the midst of planning the assassination, to 1944 when he leaves for Berlin to carry out the plan. The story to this point is very elliptical, probably relying on the German familiarity with the story, though it does leave quite a bit out. Once Koch has carried out the bombing he makes a narrow escape back to Berlin. Though the operation known as Valkyrie was supposed to have been set in motion, nothing actually happens until he gets back. Rainer Bock, second in command, lacks the spine to order the military occupation of Berlin in time which allows Enrico Mutti, head of the German Guard, to have his orders rescinded. With predictable consequences for the conspirators.

Ultimately the film is not as good as the American version. To be fair, however, they did have slightly different purposes. As the original German title shows, this film was more about the man than the operation. What is difficult to ascertain without further reading is exactly how much leadership Stauffenberg was given. Here it seems as if he is the leader of the conspiracy and running things to his specifications. In the Tom Cruise film from four years later it was clear he was simply running the assassination and that others higher up were in charge of Valkyrie. The production values are good for a television film, especially the scenes in Africa, and many of the building interiors would be the same ones used four years later in the American version. German writer-director Jo Baier has done primarily television films and does a decent job here directing, but his script leaves so much out that not only is the audience left out of the operational planning, but doesn’t really get a sense of the man either. Nevertheless, the film was given a German Television Award. Operation Valkyrie is an interesting take on the subject, but I would definitely recommend the American version over it.