Valkyrie By David Vaughn   •   May, 2009 After filming Superman Returns with HD cameras, director Bryan Singer used 35mm film in the loosely based true story Valkyrie, in which Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The film opens in North Africa with a rich golden hue; when Stauffenberg ventures back to the fatherland, the color palette opens up with bold reds and lush greens. Although the film is a middling affair, the audio and video presentation is stupendous and a demo showpiece.

Colonel Stauffenberg and his troops receive a present from some allied planes in a strafing run.

• Chapter 2, 0:04:33
• Detail, frequency range, surround imaging
• Look at the texture and wrinkles in the fabric of the uniforms and the clarity of facial pores and hair.
• Listen for the panning of aircraft through the soundfield, the snap of the machine guns, and the deep bass from the explosions.

The Stauffenberg family takes refuge in their basement.

• Chapter 8, 0:22:54
• Shadow detail, fine detail, frequency range, surround imaging
• Look at the shadow detail in the background, the texture of the bricks, and the grain in the wood.
• Listen to the tight bass of distant explosions, the subtle sounds of dirt dropping to the floor, and the illusion of your roof straining under the impact of the bombing.

Hell hath no fury like a Hitler scorned. The co-conspirators meet their maker.

• Chapter 31, 1:48:37
• Shadow detail, fine detail, audio dynamics, surround imaging
• Look at the shadow detail in the background, the bullet entering Lieutenant Haeften's back, and the well-preserved grain in this low-light scene.
• Listen for the gunshot erupting from the left side of the room and then echoing throughout the entire soundfield.

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