German Military in the Business of Filmmaking
Pamela Scott Shelton
July 02, 2007
The German military is refusing the film crew of Valkyrie, which is scheduled to begin work on location in that country this summer, access to certain locations if actor Tom Cruise plays the lead character of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Von Stauffenberg is the German officer responsible for carrying out the attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. The story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is one of the subjects of World War II history that has not received a lot of attention. Often times, when the plot or attempt to assassinate Hitler is mentioned, we do not even read the name of Claus von Stauffenberg in the discussion on the attempt. It was good to see Tom Cruise take on the task of unraveling the story surrounding von Stauffenberg and the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler.
The German military's response comes as a complete surprise. Once again, it puts Germany in the spotlight of the German military versus the religious beliefs of a person. The German press has reported that Tom Cruise’s belief in Scientology is the cause of the standoff between the German military and allowing the film crew access to certain sites directly related to von Stauffenberg's plot.
Tom Cruise has never, that I am aware of, attempted to use his celebrity to convert people to Scientology. Scientology is a faith based practice that seems to be a source of positive inspiration in the actor’s life. There appear to be some members of the press and public who would seemingly like to create an atmosphere of negative cult-like stories and bad press about scientology; perhaps because it would be tabloid news that would draw a lot of attention and magazine sales. However, Cruise has never behaved strangely – although some people want to call jumping on Oprah’s couch and professing his love for the woman who has since that time given birth to his child and become his wife, as odd behavior. Other people might think Cruise's expression of love as having been fun and heartfelt. While hordes of paparazzi hound the actor for glimpses into his personal life to feed a ravenous public appetite, a rare occassion when the actor himself gives the public a glance of a strong and emotional outpouring of love for a woman who would become his wife – and people react adversely to that demonstration of love. Sometimes things are just really hard to understand.
The fact is that Tom Cruise is a great actor, and he has proven that time and again. No one should be concerned with his ability to deliver an outstanding performance, or a box office winning performance. His films have for the most part been successful, and that is the most the industry expects from an actor. While some people want to suggest that Cruises’ performance in M- I-III (2006), or even that the success of the film was hurt by the actor’s jumping on the couch expressions of love, or by his affiliation with Scientology, is not a strong argument, because MI-III is as good as the first MI (1996), and III is better than MI-II (2000). MI-III has fast paced action and a good plot with great technology and special effects. Reviews on the Barnes & Noble web site give the film four out of five stars. I would give it the same rating. MI-III is worth adding to your personal film collection.
So it is hard to understand what the German military’s concerns are with this very talented actor in the role of Claus von Stauffenberg. Von Strauffenberg deserves to be recognized for his act of bravery that demonstrates that not all WWII Germans were willing to blindly follow Hitler down the path of racism, bigotry, and madness. Tom Cruise is an actor who could perform this role with the acting skill and expertise that this role and this war hero deserves to be honored with. Cruise is still – as evidenced by the tabloid headlines – a huge public draw, which translates into a financial plus for the film.
Rather than accuse the German military of being religiously bigoted – again – we should all hope that this somehow stems from the German military’s strong desire to sever the modern image of Germans from that of the World War II image of Hitler. If that is the case, perhaps it is just an instance of the German military’s over zealous jumping on the couch expression of let’s move on. Unfortunately for the German military, it is impossible to move on until the story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, and other stories like his that have not yet been told, are told on film. The German people and the German military should be glad that an actor as talented and capable as Tom Cruise is the vehicle for bringing to the public the story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Cruise is a proven veteran, capable of portraying the dignity and loyalty of a German officer who felt compelled to take action into his own hands when Hitler proved to be the ultimate madman.
Historically, von Stauffenberg is an important figure, but he was also a man with some very special characteristics that make the role of playing him an acting challenge. The role requires a balance with a complex history. Tom Cruise can pull this off smoothly. Let’s hope the German military rethinks its decision here, and that all can move forward as planned. Cruise has taken on the role of a special man in this film project, and this is one I look forward to seeing.
The German military's response comes as a complete surprise. Once again, it puts Germany in the spotlight of the German military versus the religious beliefs of a person. The German press has reported that Tom Cruise’s belief in Scientology is the cause of the standoff between the German military and allowing the film crew access to certain sites directly related to von Stauffenberg's plot.
Tom Cruise has never, that I am aware of, attempted to use his celebrity to convert people to Scientology. Scientology is a faith based practice that seems to be a source of positive inspiration in the actor’s life. There appear to be some members of the press and public who would seemingly like to create an atmosphere of negative cult-like stories and bad press about scientology; perhaps because it would be tabloid news that would draw a lot of attention and magazine sales. However, Cruise has never behaved strangely – although some people want to call jumping on Oprah’s couch and professing his love for the woman who has since that time given birth to his child and become his wife, as odd behavior. Other people might think Cruise's expression of love as having been fun and heartfelt. While hordes of paparazzi hound the actor for glimpses into his personal life to feed a ravenous public appetite, a rare occassion when the actor himself gives the public a glance of a strong and emotional outpouring of love for a woman who would become his wife – and people react adversely to that demonstration of love. Sometimes things are just really hard to understand.
The fact is that Tom Cruise is a great actor, and he has proven that time and again. No one should be concerned with his ability to deliver an outstanding performance, or a box office winning performance. His films have for the most part been successful, and that is the most the industry expects from an actor. While some people want to suggest that Cruises’ performance in M- I-III (2006), or even that the success of the film was hurt by the actor’s jumping on the couch expressions of love, or by his affiliation with Scientology, is not a strong argument, because MI-III is as good as the first MI (1996), and III is better than MI-II (2000). MI-III has fast paced action and a good plot with great technology and special effects. Reviews on the Barnes & Noble web site give the film four out of five stars. I would give it the same rating. MI-III is worth adding to your personal film collection.
So it is hard to understand what the German military’s concerns are with this very talented actor in the role of Claus von Stauffenberg. Von Strauffenberg deserves to be recognized for his act of bravery that demonstrates that not all WWII Germans were willing to blindly follow Hitler down the path of racism, bigotry, and madness. Tom Cruise is an actor who could perform this role with the acting skill and expertise that this role and this war hero deserves to be honored with. Cruise is still – as evidenced by the tabloid headlines – a huge public draw, which translates into a financial plus for the film.
Rather than accuse the German military of being religiously bigoted – again – we should all hope that this somehow stems from the German military’s strong desire to sever the modern image of Germans from that of the World War II image of Hitler. If that is the case, perhaps it is just an instance of the German military’s over zealous jumping on the couch expression of let’s move on. Unfortunately for the German military, it is impossible to move on until the story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, and other stories like his that have not yet been told, are told on film. The German people and the German military should be glad that an actor as talented and capable as Tom Cruise is the vehicle for bringing to the public the story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Cruise is a proven veteran, capable of portraying the dignity and loyalty of a German officer who felt compelled to take action into his own hands when Hitler proved to be the ultimate madman.
Historically, von Stauffenberg is an important figure, but he was also a man with some very special characteristics that make the role of playing him an acting challenge. The role requires a balance with a complex history. Tom Cruise can pull this off smoothly. Let’s hope the German military rethinks its decision here, and that all can move forward as planned. Cruise has taken on the role of a special man in this film project, and this is one I look forward to seeing.
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