Valkyrie – Theatrical Trailer
Tom Cruise starts as a Nazi higher up with a personal mission to kill Hilter in Valkyrie, a new movie out this Christmas. A new trailer is out and it cuts between scenes at a past that’s so dizzyingly fast that I had to look away at points. It paints Cruise as a hero with a mission. We all know how it turns out, though.
As I commented on JayBird’s coverage of the first trailer back in November 2007 why doesn’t Cruise have an accent? I know it’s not technically authentic if you’re not speaking the source language in an historical film, but the actors usually strive to mimic the accents of people from the country. It seems kind of outrageous that Cruise didn’t even try. Maybe they discussed it and decided they may as well just sound like themselves. Some of the “Nazis” even have British accents. At least they could make it consistent.
Cruise is very good at playing conflicted characters and he can probably pull this off. Whether the movie will be a success or not we’ll have to see. It’s had its release date changed several times, and there’s been negative advance buzz. The film was scheduled to come out in February, but right around the time that Cruise’s partner, Paula Wagner, stepped down from United Artists it was announced that Valkyrie would have a holiday release. It was perhaps part of Wagner’s negotiations for leaving UA.
Thanks to Geno’s World via Fark for the heads up.
Thanks Celebitchy for the trailer. It does look good. I thought about the accent issue and if I were the director, I would have decided the same. After all, the Germans were not speaking English with an accent but were speaking German at the time. Better stick to the american accent than risk a bad fake accent ruining the movie and becoming the talking point.
It looks like something I would watch. I have been disappointed in cinemas lately so I hope it is worth my money.
It’s much better for an actor to not try an accent they can’t do. Think about Kevin Costner is Robin Hood–sometimes he had one, sometimes not. I’d much rather not suffer through that in addition to suffering through another Tom Cruise hero movie.
Oh, see now, that’s just sad. Just Tom Cruise playing Tom Cruise in yet another movie. WHY!
I had heard that he did attempt a German accent (sorry, I can’t remember the source), but he had such a hard time doing it. I just assume that they figured that he’d sound less ridiculous with an American accent in a German-story film than with a poorly done fake German accent. While it usually bothers me when there’s no consistency in accents in films, I think I’d prefer it that way. A bad accent can be so distracting in a movie (though it is part of why I love The Man in the Iron Mask!).
I don’t see how using accents would make it more authentic. It’d be more authentic if it had been shot in German or with an actual German in the lead role of the movie. But a fake German accent? No, thank you, that’s just bound to turn out ridiculous.
The only good thing about it would be that everything gets dubbed in Germany anyway, so at least the Germans wouldn’t have to suffer through the fake accent.
I read somewhere that the Nazi ZOAZ is playing didn’t so much disagree with the Nazi’s as he felt Hitler was personally off his rocker. He was totally on board with the rest of it. Will be amusing to read the reviews of ” The Good Nazi “. I’m hoping Anthony Lane lands it.
Didn’t see the other trailer and don’t want to. This is as much as I’m willing to see from that movie. Unless I get to review it for my site. And even then, I won’t be fighting others to be the critic.
Tom Cruise sucks so bad it’s embarassing. To Americans, to Germans, to anybody at all. This is one of those projects that never should have been made.
And yeah, about that accent? Either do it and do it right or drop it. This is just ridiculous.
Oh but what a cast… Kenneth Brannagh, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson to name but a few!! I’m in luvvie heaven here!
Despite the Cruiser Propaganda Machine (having to be the intense conflicted hero – again. It was interesting 20 years ago, now just play a proper bad-guy and be done with it – and the reason for the assasination attempt, give us a break!) – I will wind up seeing it and I will enjoy it. 😳
I think the editing in the trailer is inspired and it looks fabulous – all those grey wartime tones and strident stripped classical set design.
I agree with CiCi and Anna.
I’m not spending my money on this movie.
Interesting, Mairead, the cast is definitely up there (Nighy is a god – and did you know Stephen Fry and Eddie Izzard are also in it?) which has really made me think twice. Liked the trailer and agree with an earlier poster (JK) who said there’s nothing more distracting than a bad accent so don’t see that as a problem either. Wonder why they’ve fiddled about so much with the release date?
Edit: Kenneth Cranham! Terence Stamp! Kevin McNally! On and on the list goes…..I’m seeing this.
No, I’m sure they DID first try to have him do the accent and found it too distracting and decided it was better to go without. But I guess I just wish they would have casted differently, then. Otherwise, like I said – to me it’s just Tom Cruise playing Tom Cruise. 🙁
Eddie Izzard? That’s all I need to know — I’m there.
I guess I’m in the minority when I say this looks interesting. I’ll see it.
Anyone remember his “irish” accent in the movie Far and Away? It was beyond bad, in fact he dropped it halfway through the movie 🙂
A german accent is very hard to pull off.
I speak german, and have a perfect accent when I speak it (according to other germans who grew up there) but even I cant speak english with a german accent! LOL
Movie looks just fine– I think people are just against Cruise and cant separate the person from the actor and acting.
this would have been a great movie with an all German cast. All I see in this film is Tom Cruise, not the person he is trying to portray. Tom Cruise is to egotistical to realize that he just MIGHT not be the perfect actor for every story.
I’m sorry, but if the trailer is any indication, this movie looks like an absolute crap sandwich.
Maybe if they’d gone with someone other than Cruise? I don’t know…
I love the other actors and I love the exciting storyline. I love WWII historical stories. Unfortunately, they totally ruined the story by casting Dweebus as the protagonist. 😕
A pity. I’ll wait til it comes on for free somewhere as I refuse to spend any money on this jagoff.
The trailer is compelling. It looks good. I like Tom Cruise as an actor, but his voice is a little whiney for my taste– as far as this trailer goes.
But the character did not speak English with a German Accent, he spoke German. If that is what the theatres goers wanted then they should have done everything German like someone said.
Weird and/or inconsistent accents kill movies – for me, at least.
But the cast is great. Except for the ZOAZ. But Bill Nighy might get me through the rental. 🙂
The only thing Cruise is good at playing is a gay man trapped in a straight body!!!
Yeesh, I hate that crap! Even if it is in English, they need to speak in a German dialect.
Daniel Day-Lewis would not approve, Tom. In fact, he would have learned to speak German and even poked his own eye out for the role! 🙂
The rest of the cast is superb, though. Take out Tom, throw in a dash of Gary Oldman, and it would be the best British hottie movie EVAR!
Oooh. Daniel Day-Lewis would have been a good choice for Tom’s role!
And double oooh, for Gary Oldman!
This would have gotten more women interested in the film!
Too bad they can’t re-shoot the
movie!:)
If Teh Oldman was in it I think I’d start camping outside the cinema now! 😈
As for the accents thing, lads, would yez ever suspend your disbelief? 😛
Why not do the damn accent? Ralph Fiennes did it as a Nazi character for Schindler’s List. Cate Blanchett did a good German accent for The Good German. I think a mixed accent array would only work if it serves the movie. Tom just sounds strangely American surrounded by English actors.
Eddie ‘cake or death’ Izzard….crap now I have to go see this drivel. I hate cruise but love Nighy and Izzard (Branagh not shabby either)
Question? Xenu the warrior god of scientology was unable to affix a german accent to tommie boy? say it isn’t so!!
I hope this film bombs like Hiroshima and tiny Tom has to pack up his studio ownership dreams and go back to the celebrity center.
Looks interesting, but probably won’t spend money on it. I agree, Daniel Day-Lewis would of been a better choice and I might of bought a ticket. Curious to see, what the critics will write about it.
I saw the movie last night and have to say- the accent thing- yep it was a huge problem! I mean we are talking about German accents, British accents and then…Tom Cruise- who sounds like he is from Los Angeles. Of course, in Los Angeles in 1944 and 1945, people didn’t even sound like that- they had the ‘Hollywood movie voice’ thing.
It was so distracting, I couldn’t take the movie seriously- it is a shame because the rest of the cast was great. Even the British accents went over well, seeing as though it was a period piece. They should’ve definitely gotten someone else to play the role- that was a selfish move on Cruise’s part. He said in an interview, audiences didn’t mind and people just got lost in the sorry– not me buddy. It did matter and nice rationalization! 🙂