Maverick's Family.

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Valkryie Movie Review

­­­­INTRODUCTION

‘Valkyrie’ is based on a true story, featuring various courageous characters ranging from political individuals and army officers who plot to assassination Hitler. The movie is filmed in 2008, and directed by Bryan Singer and casted by Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, etc.  Its genres are Drama, History, Thriller and War with the theme ‘To think for the greater good and not to follow blindly’.

The main character is Colonel Stauffenberg played by Tom Cruise. He wanted to save Germany from destruction by Hitler. After being badly injured from an air strike, Stauffenberg lost one eye, his right hand and two fingers. At the hospital, he was recruited by General Olbricht. Initially, Stauffenberg was angry at the pointless strategies discussed by Dr.Goerdeler and General Beck at his first meeting. During his subsequent meeting, he suggested using ‘Operation Valkyrie’ to use the Reserve Army to control Germany after Hitler is assassinated.

For ‘Operation Valkyrie’ to work, Stauffenberg will need various parties to participate, namely General Fromm (Chief of War Ministry) and General Fellgiebel (Communications at Wolf’s Lair). Even though Staufenberg has failed to convince General Fromm to join the cause, he managed to make him stay neutral as well as making Staufenberg the Chief-of-Staff. Being the Chief-of-Staff allows Stauffenberg to access Hitler’s military debriefings, thus giving him a chance to detonate a bomb near Hitler. Nevertheless, Stauffenberg was only allowed to arm the bomb if he sees both SS Himmler and Hitler at the meeting. This condition becomes a liability to because he had to seek confirmation from the committee to proceed every time.

With more committee members being issued an arrest warrant, Stauffenberg decided to tell his wife and children to leave Germany for their own safety. Stauffenberg along with Lieutenant Haeften decided to arm the bomb on July 20, 1944. However, they weren’t given the go-ahead as Himmler was not present. This stressed Stauffenberg, resulting in various mistakes such as toppling the briefcase, forgotten jockey cap and his hasty exit. In addition, the meeting room was changed from a bunker to an open window hut due to the hot weather. The change in location reduces the effect of the blast since it is an open environment.

After the blast, the poor reception resulted in a lack in communication. The fear of being traced restricted General Olbricht from mobilizing the Reserve Army. After four hours, Colonel Quirnheim issued the mobilization behind General Olbricht’s back. This delay cause a major setback as it slowed down the efforts in capturing the pre-defined list of individuals from finding out that there was a coup on Hitler and his Nationalist Socialist Party (NSP). During this confusion, Major Remer was used to arrest all the SS officers. The arrest was halted when Remer received direct instructions from Hitler on the phone handed by Minister Joseph Goebbels. This ended up turning the tide against Stauffenberg and his team which was later arrested and sentenced to death. Stauffenberg’s last words was ‘Long live sacred Germany!’, which was the most emotional part of the whole movie.

WHY THIS FILM

Even though the movie was rated 7.7/10, I felt that it’s an exciting movie for history-loving audience like me. In addition, it had an interesting storyline as it requires heritage information rather than just fiction. As a thriller genre, the film maker expressed creativity by hiding the outcome of the survival of ‘Colonel Stauffenberg’. Nevertheless, the movie is bound to attract negative opinions from well-versed historians. There is bound to be critics who sense a difference when the film attempts to change the story to make it more interesting. In addition, the movie may not be surprising to some history lovers.

 FILMING TECHNIQUES

As seen in the pre-production footages above, the scripting was tough because the writers needed time to find archives. Most witnesses are either above the age of 75 or gone. Also, they may face rejection due to the trauma. It was tough to source for logistics such as old uniforms, weapons and vehicles too.

From the movie, you could see the post-production effects such as cuts, trims, transition and effects. In the before-the-scene footage, you could see how the film crew filmed at isolated places and used directional microphone to prevent unwanted noises.

In the starting scene, with just words and the nazi flag, the audio of the soldiers displayed their bravery. The sound effects prepare the audience, which was later transited during the fade in/out of the nazi flag.

The scene above was when Colonel Stauffenberg was attacked by the fighter plane, in it we could see a combination of the J-Cut and Cut-Away at 0:48. J-Cut, with the anti-aircraft weapon sound was used to let the audience know that an air strike is going to happen. Subsequently, Cut-Away shows the nervousness of Colonel Stauffenberg when he tried looking for the aircraft location. In 1:18, L-Cut was used with a dimmed background sound to show that Colonel Stauffenberg hearing was damaged after the initial airstrike. This is commonly used in most war movies to show the effects of war. At 2:11, the zoom camera-angle effect was used when Colonel Stauffenberg lay injured on the ground.

In this scene was when General Olbricht and General Tresckow went to obtain the failed Liquor bomb, we could see the Cutting-on-Action at 0:22 when they entered the room and the lower-ranking soldiers instantly stood up to greet them. This is usually used in room movement scenario.

The above scene was when the committee discuss about the plot to kill Hitler, the Cross-Cutting, Match-Cut and L-Cut was used to show what the character is thinking in his head. Ludwig Beck voice was used in the L-Cut to show a smooth transition of B-rolls. At 1:06, the discussion voice was transited back to the actual meeting room by using Match-Cut, providing a smooth sync to the actual timeline.

In this scene when Colonel Stauffenberg visited Hitler’s Berghof, you could see various camera angles and soundtracks being used to intensify the mood. At the start, the drone footage shows­­ the car moving up­­hill, while at 0:33, the pan-angle shows the Berghof. At 0:07 and 3:20, you could feel the soundtrack creating tensions within Colonel Stauffenberg. In addition, Cutting-On-Action was also used to intensify the mood in the building.

Above is the telephone scene when the bomb exploded, you could see the pressure faced by Colonel Stauffenberg when the phone rang. This is further intensified with Cross-Cutting and Cutting-on-Action at 0:08. The call from General Fellgiebel to Colonel Stauffenberg is an indication for Stauffenberg to leave. The nervousness was later shown when he forgotten his hat while rushing to leave.

In this scene was when ‘Operation Valkyrie’ was initiated, you could see various camera angles such as tracking shot at 0:04 behind the soldiers stand in attention and tilt angle at 1:30 showing the General perspective towards the lower-ranking soldiers.

In this scene was when Minister Joseph Goebbels made a phone call, you could see a Smash-Cut when he was quietly in the room observing the Reserve army coming to arrest him.

Above is the scene when the conspirators were sentenced to death, a range of Jump-Cuts was used to show each character being killed at a different time, location and ways. Various camera angles and soundtracks were also used to show the sadness in each character such as the pan, tilt and tracking shots. The final scene when Colonel Stauffenberg shouted ‘Long Live Sacred Germany!’ ended the soundtrack, bringing tears to many.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I felt that the movie deserves a higher rating as it shows the divide in Germans. There are a majority of Germans in World War 2 who fought the war because of the Nationalist Socialist Party ideology. Some unique character such as Colonel Stauffenberg was praised as a heros, for trying to save Germany from being annihilated, despite the lack of success.

Even though the movie genres may bring about some historic stereotypes, its film production managed to bring up the reputation of Bryan Singer. He and his crew managed to generate interesting scripts and gathered a bunch of talented casting. The sound effects on the video such as dimmed sounds, nervous and remorseful soundtracks show the true feelings of the character in each scene nicely. As for the visual effects, various camera angles such as tilt, pan, zoom and tracking shots was used to show difference. Not many transitions were used in the video, but there were still a variety of cut types used such as Cutting-On-Action, Cut-Away, Cross-Cutting, Jump-Cut, Match-Cut, Smash-Cut, L-Cut and J-Cut.

Overall, the efforts by the crew along with the richness of the historic contents made me feel that this movie should be watched by more people as it teaches many valuable lessons to everyone. One major takeaway is the theme: ‘To think for the greater good and not to follow blindly’. 

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THE BUILDING BLOCK OF A FAMILY.

A family to me is not just merely a ‘bloodline’ instead it is something built on since birth. This picture shows our family’s first flat in Yishun, having a ‘flat’ forms the building block of a family structure.

Why is a flat an important necessity? The reason is that it is one of the places where a family would spend most of their time together. Although we may have shifted to Bishan, we still visit Yishun every once a while to reminisce about our past. One of the most precious memory is the three stuffed toy seen in this picture. It may have been lost to the effects of time, but it has certainly not been forgotten.

Each of this stuffed toy links our character to an old movie named “The Land Before Time”. The first toy on the left is ‘Littlefoot’, a young Brachiosaurus belonging to my eldest brother.  Its character is known for being compassionate to other younger dinosaurs. The next is 'Cera’, a young Triceratops owned by my second eldest brother, she uses her strength to protect her loved one. The last is 'Chomper’, a young Tyrannosaurus owned by me. Chomper is a newly born dinosaur and it didn’t have any character and was merely lost in the new world, just like myself in the picture.

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ENHANCING UNITY WITHIN THE FAMILY.

Activity time is one of the essential elements to further enhance the building block of a family structure. Activities can include things like events, sports or an overseas trip where it will help to further strengthen a family unity.

One of our most memorable activity spent together was during the 1990’s, where we visited the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Open House for the first time at Paya Lebar Airbase. This was also the period where RSAF introduce its new Northrop F-5 supersonic fighter.

In the picture, you could see my mother holding my hand onto the missile description “AGM 65G MAVERICK” while my father took a picture of us. Their expression and action show how my name ‘Maverick’ has a connection with their everlasting interest in aviation fueled by the movie named ‘Top Gun (1986)’.

Tom Cruise, one of the most famous actor today, gained most of his popularity from this movie where he played the role of a daring F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot with a callsign “Maverick”.

My given name “Maverick” isn’t just merely a conversion from a callsign. Its history contains a long-lasting story entrusted to me from my parents. In which I am sure it has and will always influence my life choices as I grow older.

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GRANDFATHER INVOLVEMENT.

My paternal grandfather would once a while remind us on the importance of family bonding. Even though he may be the most strict person in the family, he still has a tender heart for “family-ness”.

This photo of us having our dinner was actually at Jakarta, Indonesia. It was our first ever Yong family overseas trip planned by my grandfather. Other than just the five of us, all my paternal relatives also went along.

The reason why there is only the five of us in this photo is due to an overwhelming attention caused by an old tradition where a male is more important than a female. At that time, my father was the only male in the Yong family who has not only one son but three.

The trip wasn’t an easy task to my parents as our family budget was at an all-time low. I can still remember how my parents would deliberately work harder before the trip in order for us to be able to go together as a family. My eldest brother,  who experienced most of the hardship of my parents, shaped him into who he is today. In my opinion, he is the most financially capable amongst the 3 brothers.

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ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.

HSBC, my mother’s employer for 32 years and counting, has played a paramount importance to my family’s well-being. This photo is one of those special occasions where we as a family are attending my mother’s company family day at the Singapore Zoo.

My mother’s dedication to HSBC is remarkable, as this is the first and only company in her working career. These days, it is quite rare to find someone who will work for a single company throughout their entire life.

Other than my parent’s career, the growth in Singapore’s standard of living introduces gadgets such as the television and computer. My addiction to such devices exposed me to the effect of the cathode ray and has since caused my eyesight to deteriorate since primary 3. The addiction has also caused me to relinquish my studies, creating a dramatic drop in my primary school grades.

As my grades dropped and my eyesight worsening, so did my health. In that period I was suddenly diagnosed with ‘pigeon chest’ and was advised to spend more time on physical activities such as competitive swimming. Since then, I began to spend more time on physical activity rather than my studies since health was more important than anything else.

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ATTAINMENT FACTOR.

My parents have always believed in rewarding people for their performance. In this photo, I was rewarded with a trip to South Korea with my parents for my academic achievements.

This was also my first ever frostbite experience which was miserable even after wearing multiple layers of winter clothes. Other than the pain, it was also uncomfortable walking around with such thick outerwear, something that I wasn’t used to back in Singapore.

The reason why I was chosen and not my brothers is mainly due to my past study background. Ever since I was young my mother tongue has always affected my studies, so much that it pulled me down from EM3 to Normal Technical and ultimately into ITE College East.

Only after entering ITE did I find my interest in Information Systems, which spurred me into getting back on the right track. From then on, I worked even harder until I was accepted into Singapore Polytechnic’s Diploma in Information Security Management and eventually earning a place in Nanyang Technological University. This gave me the assurance that I will be able to provide well for my family in the future.

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SINGAPORE EVOLUTION.

As Singapore advances quickly, it changes the whole meaning of family to the newer generation of Singaporean’s. Since 2005, people gradually start to spend more time on their education and career advancement rather than their own family. This issue has then since caused an effect on the current low-birthrate of Singapore.

The revolution of our society may have changed through time, but it has not totally influenced our family cohesiveness. Even though my brothers and my parents are working adults, we would still find time amidst our busy schedules to hang out together.

It wasn’t an easy task to travel to nearby countries let alone Europe or America. In this photo, my brothers and parents managed to keep 18 days free in order for us to travel together to Europe after my graduation from Singapore Polytechnic.

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FAMILY DEVOTION.

My devotion to my family was further justified after having to serve national service. The hardship endured during Basic Military Training (BMT) was the most fulfilling as it enabled me to strike conversations with my brothers, whom too, signed on in the Air Force.

The experiences and opinions gained from my BMT and brothers soon made me sign on as an air warfare officer during my officer cadet course. The progression to my commissioning parade taught me more about the true purpose of family. In that period I learned that the true purpose as a soldier is to not to defend the pride of your country, instead, it is to defend the loved ones that are in Singapore.

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100% DEDICATION.

This photo was taken in Sweden when I was there for a short exchange program during my first year in university. I was 24 years old then, an age that is already matured enough to take care of oneself.

But no matter the age or duration, my parents would still give the same amount of love and concern as when I was a baby.

Other than just a simple phone or video call in this technological age, my parents instead went all out to find me in Linköping. The unfamiliarity of this city was not only far from Singapore but also a difficult place to reach from Stockholm International Airport. Nevertheless, this didn’t deter my parents from coming. Instead, they studied hard on the route by using Google search and map.

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NECESSARY REINSTATEMENT.

The family shouldn’t just be a one-sided love, instead, whenever possible the children should return it in various forms. In my case, I knew it was the moment as soon as I passed entered into adulthood.

After the completion of my university internship, I was already 26 years old, while my parents were already more than 50 years old. At that time, I concluded that my parents are no longer young and will soon lack the energy to do any physical activities in the near future.

As I felt grateful for their sacrifices all these years, I decided to bring my parents to countries which require a certain degree of physical fitness. In this drone photo, you could see me guiding my parents around Lake Wanaka, New Zealand on a kayak. Other than kayaking, they enjoyed having their first ever 3-hour hiking experience on the Key Summit, something they can never experience in Singapore or when they are more senior in age.

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THE FINALE.

This is the final picture of my gallery, taken on 24 September 2017. It portraits the final milestone of my parents' generations after 30 years of parenting. The reason why we chose to wear our Republic of Singapore Airforce (RSAF) uniform, is because we have already chosen to dedicate our lives to this specific service.

As soon as I graduate from Nanyang Technological University, I will head back to continue my work as an air warfare officer. Which by then my parent’s can sit back and enjoy a complete, stable and carefree family throughout their entire life.

The ‘legacy’ baton passed on to us, shall now be managed and taken care by three of us. In which I and my brothers will craft three different milestones depending on our characteristics and ideology.