Tommy Cruise as Col. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg
Interesting. I don't know what it is about this photo, but there is something weird about ol' Tommy in full nazi garb, even if he is playing a famed anit-nazi hero. That's all I really have to say.
Tom is not a very convincing nazi but perhaps that’s why they picked him for the role of an anti-nazi hero. Tommy’s emotional instability matched with his overconfidence in his ability to ‘will’ a perfect world into existence (a world without psychology) make him a prime candidate for the role of a nazi. I think that Tom’s history with scientology combined with a full movies length of tom prancing around in nazi pageantry, could throw American audiences into confusion. It will be even stranger when nobody feels confused at all. The movie will be defended as an important real life account of Germany’s own attempt to stop the madness of Hitler’s war, which should be enough to cover up the distorted pornographic attraction that Tom and a number of Americans share for the power-loaded symbols of the nazi era.
Agreed and whats more, this project could not exist without a complete financial motivation. There is already an excellent movie in existence called the "The Plot To Kill Hitler" which remains in my mind, and I am sure in many others, as an accurate and sufficient account of the event. So this leads me to the question, when did we start combining idolic film stars with nazi symbology to produce mass amounts of revenue? And, though named after the plot, codenamed Valkyrie, the movie's title reeks of like a Michael Bay blockbuster.
Tom Cruise is a great actor and hottie no matter what!! The nazi outfit will not stop the ladies from flocking to the box office. Plus, any time a movie is made, there is always a financial motivation. People have to see the movie or there is no money to make more movies, hence career is over. Give Tom a little respect, even if he is a lunatic. He's a professional and will work hard to portray his character in the best of his ability and that's all I think the German people and the family can ask for. Lets not smash the movie until we see it. He does look funny in the outfit though.
jimi, stop posting under anonymous. we all know it's you.
frankly i think the controversy over tom playing an esteemed figure in german heritage is somewhat silly. the german government wants to bar the makers from filming in public and municipal buildings on the grounds that he is a member of a controversial 'cult'. now we may not call scientology a cult here in america town, but that's because as a group they've got the money and the influence to file slander and/or religious persecution lawsuits against anyone they wish. technically, scientology IS a cult because it doesn't have enough followers to be given tax-exempt status as a religion by the government. but this is beside the point. the german government may see scientology as a 'cult', and they may not like the controversy stirred up by wildcard tommy traipsin about the country telling people not to take their anti-depressants, but barring him from filming scenes in public property because of his religious views can potentially be very harmful. like i said, tommy and his ilk LOVE to litigate in the name of ol l.ron. personally, i'd probably be offended too, but as i always say you can't legislate against what offends you.
Nazism, and the resistance of it, is still a sore spot for Germany, kind of like an embarrassing stage from high school. Everytime a movie involving the nazis is made a large stink will be made, understandably and perhaps necessarily. So a non-german, crypto-gay, hollywood megalomaniac portraying one of the few redeeming figures from the nazi period is bound to ruffle a few teutonic feathers. Whatever. Nazism is already approaching the realm of the mythological. It shouldn't be treated this way, but it has already been appropriated into the hollywood mythology, and serves hollywood's purposes. Infortunately, some may take it in as an accurate historical commentary, but the best one can hope for is that no one takes it too seriously. I will still see the movie because I like to see art created by madmen.
Aside from the movie and Tom, I think it’s interesting that you describe it as an embarrassing stage in High School. Not that it doesn’t apply, but I think that the reason why there’s a necessary stink to be made on behalf of the Germans, is because the Nazi era for Germany is more than an awkward stage. Rather, the nazi era historically is more like the final confirmation of an already well developed western European thesis on the German nation. Meaning that, Germany has long been perceived as a reactionary and aggressive component of continental Europe. They are naturally ambivalent about even the most conspicuously positive-quality affirming depictions of the nazi era within film or literature. They are ultimately afraid of the negative anthropological statement that’s generated around them any time we (westerners) catch a glimpse of one of the many grotesque historical follies that add to this thesis.
Where do you think this idea about the German nation comes from? I think it tends to all have to do with language. The German language is strict and very hard in how it sounds. I think it's interesting that the German language is almost always spotlighted when it comes to Nazi-era epic films. It comes off like the Nazi's are yelling at their dogs, while the Americans are speaking some kind of working man's poetry in their Brooklyn accent. Think about it, from Saving Private Ryan to the newest installment of any WWII video game, the language of the "Krauts" sounds so vicious and cold. I mean, compare it to the so called "beautiful languages" of French, Spanish and Italian.
Interesting. I don't know what it is about this photo, but there is something weird about ol' Tommy in full nazi garb, even if he is playing a famed anit-nazi hero. That's all I really have to say.
9 comments:
Tom is not a very convincing nazi but perhaps that’s why they picked him for the role of an anti-nazi hero. Tommy’s emotional instability matched with his overconfidence in his ability to ‘will’ a perfect world into existence (a world without psychology) make him a prime candidate for the role of a nazi. I think that Tom’s history with scientology combined with a full movies length of tom prancing around in nazi pageantry, could throw American audiences into confusion. It will be even stranger when nobody feels confused at all. The movie will be defended as an important real life account of Germany’s own attempt to stop the madness of Hitler’s war, which should be enough to cover up the distorted pornographic attraction that Tom and a number of Americans share for the power-loaded symbols of the nazi era.
Agreed and whats more, this project could not exist without a complete financial motivation. There is already an excellent movie in existence called the "The Plot To Kill Hitler" which remains in my mind, and I am sure in many others, as an accurate and sufficient account of the event. So this leads me to the question, when did we start combining idolic film stars with nazi symbology to produce mass amounts of revenue? And, though named after the plot, codenamed Valkyrie, the movie's title reeks of like a Michael Bay blockbuster.
Also, the family of Heir von Stauffenberg, a true hero, were mortified and in complete digust to hear Cruise would play their father.
Tom Cruise is a great actor and hottie no matter what!! The nazi outfit will not stop the ladies from flocking to the box office. Plus, any time a movie is made, there is always a financial motivation. People have to see the movie or there is no money to make more movies, hence career is over. Give Tom a little respect, even if he is a lunatic. He's a professional and will work hard to portray his character in the best of his ability and that's all I think the German people and the family can ask for. Lets not smash the movie until we see it. He does look funny in the outfit though.
jimi, stop posting under anonymous. we all know it's you.
frankly i think the controversy over tom playing an esteemed figure in german heritage is somewhat silly. the german government wants to bar the makers from filming in public and municipal buildings on the grounds that he is a member of a controversial 'cult'. now we may not call scientology a cult here in america town, but that's because as a group they've got the money and the influence to file slander and/or religious persecution lawsuits against anyone they wish. technically, scientology IS a cult because it doesn't have enough followers to be given tax-exempt status as a religion by the government. but this is beside the point. the german government may see scientology as a 'cult', and they may not like the controversy stirred up by wildcard tommy traipsin about the country telling people not to take their anti-depressants, but barring him from filming scenes in public property because of his religious views can potentially be very harmful. like i said, tommy and his ilk LOVE to litigate in the name of ol l.ron. personally, i'd probably be offended too, but as i always say you can't legislate against what offends you.
Nazism, and the resistance of it, is still a sore spot for Germany, kind of like an embarrassing stage from high school. Everytime a movie involving the nazis is made a large stink will be made, understandably and perhaps necessarily. So a non-german, crypto-gay, hollywood megalomaniac portraying one of the few redeeming figures from the nazi period is bound to ruffle a few teutonic feathers. Whatever. Nazism is already approaching the realm of the mythological. It shouldn't be treated this way, but it has already been appropriated into the hollywood mythology, and serves hollywood's purposes. Infortunately, some may take it in as an accurate historical commentary, but the best one can hope for is that no one takes it too seriously. I will still see the movie because I like to see art created by madmen.
Eric, you realize that you are the one who has posted the longest message under this topical piece.
Aside from the movie and Tom, I think it’s interesting that you describe it as an embarrassing stage in High School. Not that it doesn’t apply, but I think that the reason why there’s a necessary stink to be made on behalf of the Germans, is because the Nazi era for Germany is more than an awkward stage. Rather, the nazi era historically is more like the final confirmation of an already well developed western European thesis on the German nation. Meaning that, Germany has long been perceived as a reactionary and aggressive component of continental Europe. They are naturally ambivalent about even the most conspicuously positive-quality affirming depictions of the nazi era within film or literature. They are ultimately afraid of the negative anthropological statement that’s generated around them any time we (westerners) catch a glimpse of one of the many grotesque historical follies that add to this thesis.
Where do you think this idea about the German nation comes from? I think it tends to all have to do with language. The German language is strict and very hard in how it sounds. I think it's interesting that the German language is almost always spotlighted when it comes to Nazi-era epic films. It comes off like the Nazi's are yelling at their dogs, while the Americans are speaking some kind of working man's poetry in their Brooklyn accent. Think about it, from Saving Private Ryan to the newest installment of any WWII video game, the language of the "Krauts" sounds so vicious and cold. I mean, compare it to the so called "beautiful languages" of French, Spanish and Italian.
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