Tom Cruise Talks ‘Valkyrie’ Controvery, Accents and More
From the German controversy to the accent quandary
A RopeofSilicon reader just sent in a few comments from an interview Tom Cruise had with Total Film Magazine regarding his upcoming film Valkyrie. Cruise addresses the inspiration, screenplay, controversy, accents and the film’s box-office chances.
Valkyrie is set to hit theaters on December 26 and if you haven’t watched the most recent trailer I attached it to the bottom of this article. Give it a watch, you won’t be disappointed. The full Cruise interview is featured in the October 2008 issue of Total Film Magazine.
On Claus von Stauffenberg:
“We got hold of the uniform, I put the thing on and it was like I immediately felt, ‘OK. We’re going to tell this story. I knew there were attempts on Hitler, but I didn’t know about von Stauffenberg until I read Christopher McQuarrie’s screenplay.”
On the screenplay:
“The screenplay itself is extraordinary. It made my hands sweat when I was reading it. This movie, you must understand, is not a biopic. It’s not a documentary. It’s a thriller - very dynamic, very tense.”
On the lack of German accents in the film:
“You know, we spent a lot of time going back and forth over that. All of a sudden you’re listening to people trying to put on accents and Bryan finally said, ‘No, no, no.’ Just tell the story. We don’t want to do an accent movie, just try and find something neutral that won’t distract from the story and the characters.”
On the controversy in Germany that Cruise took the role:
“I don’t really have anything to say about that. I fell a great, great responsibility to tell this story. I thought of the issue in terms of what von Stauffenberg represents - people opposed to the Nazis and what they stood for. Someone who realized that and took the steps that ultimately cost him his life. To me, I find that very moving, OK? Incredibly moving.”
On the film’s box-office chances:
“I have no idea what the response will be. We have no idea, man. Believe me, we put so much pressure on ourselves. I want to entertain. You know, as a kid, I’ll never forget the money I saved to go to the cinema and be entertained.”
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