Attention: this whole article is filled with movie spoilers.
The plot line behind Valkyrie is based on a true story about an attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler. We already know how it ends—they fail—so there won’t be any surprises when the credits roll.
Just because you know how a movie ends isn’t always a recipe for failure. Consider these classic films:
Titanic (1997)—Boat sails. Boat hits iceberg. Boat sinks. Lots of people freeze to death in the icy waters of the north Atlantic. We knew all that before we bought our popcorn. But writer/director James Cameron threw in a romantic story line and characters we could feel for and sailed away with 11 Oscars and a boatload of money. The chemistry between Leo and Kate as well as the special effects and the music didn’t hurt either.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)—The title characters are the bad guys, aren’t they? We know that from the “we rob banks” tagline. We don’t care. The chemistry between Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway charms our money out of us, and Arthur Penn’s groundbreaking direction takes us for a wild ride, even though we already know that it doesn’t end well for them.
The Sound of Music (1965)—At the end of the film, when the Von Trapp family flees from the Nazis, we already know they’re going to make it to Switzerland. Wouldn’t we have been really disappointed if they hadn’t, especially after all those great musical numbers and Julie Andrews’ uplifting performance? I’d have left the theater in tears instead of humming “Doe, a deer.”
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)—The film begins with title character’s death, so we already know how it ends for T.E. Lawrence. Ah, but the journey—that’s what sweeps us along. Not only is this film beautifully photographed and staged on a scale using live performers that would be unthinkable today, the cast—Peter O’Toole, Anthony Quinn, Alex Guinness, Jose Ferrer, Omar Sharif – shines brighter than the desert sun.
Gone With the Wind (1939)—We know going in that the South loses. Still, you can’t help but be captivated by the scheming Scarlet and the roguish Rhett, perfectly portrayed by Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn that the film was made before I was born. It still holds my interest no matter how many times I watch it.
