YMMV / Valkyrie

• Alternative Character Interpretation: While Fromm definitely executes Stauffenberg and the other traitors within reach to save his own skin, it can be argued he also did it to prevent Hitler from dealing them a worse fate like how Goerdeler was hanged with piano wire. He also permits all of them to be quickly buried with full military honours. It doesn't take long for the SS to dig up their bodies, remove their decorations and cremate them, rendering this null and void.
• Americans Hate Tingle: There was a lot of controversy about Tom Cruise playing the role of someone well-respected in Germany for his assassination attempt on Hitler, not helping that this was shortly after his well-known obsession with Scientology gained more mainstream exposure. However this was mostly political complaints, as German filmgoers and directors were more forgiving of the movie and Tom Cruise's role.
• Catharsis Factor: After the movie's initially ended in a downer with the plot failing and all the conspirators being executed, seeing the title cards about Germany being forced to surrender and Hitler killing himself—with the quote about those who resisted being admired for what they did and the risk they took—still offers a pretty satisfying and triumphant note to close out on though.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Carice Van Houten (Nina von Stauffenberg) had a Romance on the Set on Black Book with co-star Sebastian Koch. Koch played Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg in a German Made-for-TV Movie in 2004.
  • David Bamber (Hitler) and Tom Hollander (Brandt) both played Mr. Collins in adaptations of Pride and Prejudice (1995 and 2005, respectively).
• Ho Yay: At one point in the movie, it seems like Lieutenent Haeften has a bit of a crush on Stauffenberg.
• Memetic Mutation: Tom Cruise's allegedly wearing a fake butt in the opening scene certainly raised some eyebrows.
• Moral Event Horizon: General Fromm arguably crosses it when he orders Stauffenberg's execution only to cover up his own involvement in the plot to kill Hitler. Though, to be fair, Stauffenberg would have been tortured to death if Fromm had handed him over to the Gestapo. Historically, he even ordered that all the conspirators receive an immediate burial with military honours.
• Nightmare Fuel: The Wehrmacht Oath being recited in German at the beginning of the film. It almost sounds like the souls of Nazi troops are speaking from beyond the grave.

---