Fueled by a personal vendetta, Tom Cruise dove into ‘Valkyrie’, while Brad Pitt’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ emerged as the more celebrated flick.

The Brad Pitt vs. Tom Cruise feud has been nothing short of a dramatic movie itself. The alleged animosity began when the two forces of nature collided for Interview with the Vampire (1994) and then never returned to share the screen ever again. You can’t put two lions in the same room and not expect them to battle it out for the crown, can you? The feud only got more interesting when Tom Cruise came out with Valkyrie in 2008 and Brad Pitt answered with Inglourious Basterds the very next year.

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview With the Vampire (1994) | Credits: Warner Bros

Both films are set during World War II and both their characters play a part in bringing Adolf Hitler to his knees. A weird coincidence that both rivals starred in 2 different films that followed the same theme, with release dates so close to each other. The only difference is that while one is real, the other is fictional. Here’s why Tom Cruise wanted to play German army Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.

Tom Cruise’s Reason Behind Saying Yes to Valkyrie

Tom Cruise in Valkyrie (2008) | Credits: United Artists

Valkyrie is based on the real-life story of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and other German army officers who plotted the assassination of Adolf Hitler in 1944. Unfortunately, Operation Valkyrie failed and the Colonel was eventually executed.

In a 2008 interview with Cinema Blend, Tom Cruise admitted that Valkyrie was an extremely important movie that tells an important story. Of course, movies that depict notable moments from History will always hold a special part in the Hollywood hierarchy as they help us understand the world that came before us with ease.

Saying yes to the movie was not a difficult choice for Cruise who grew up totally against the Nazi ideology. He stated,

I think that’s definitely– it’s an important story. I want to entertain audiences. That was a bonus for the film…It’s important to know, of course, that it’s not everyone. It’s not everybody who felt that and fell into that Nazi ideology. That, to me, was surprising. I grew up wanting to kill Nazis, wanting to kill Hitler. I thought, why didn’t someone just shoot him?

Cruise’s sentiments certainly echo those of many. Films like Valkyrie will always be a step in the right direction.

Did Brad Pitt Call Valkyrie Ridiculous?

Brad Pitt in Inglourious Basterds (2009) | Credits: Universal Pictures

Well, apparently not.

You could definitely say that Valkyrie and Inglourious Basterds were rival films of their time, both depicting a similar topic. While Cruise’s film tells the story of a failed assassination attempt, Brad Pitt’s movie is fictional and ends with the fall and death of Hitler at the hands of Eli Roth’s Sergeant Donny Donowitz.

Back in 2009, it was reported that Pitt had called Valkyrie a “ridiculous movie” while talking to German magazine Stern (via Digital Spy). The full quote was,

It was a ridiculous movie. The Second World War could still deliver more stories and films, but I believe that Quentin [Tarantino] put a cover on that pot.

He went on to praise his own film stating, “With Basterds, everything that can be said to this genre has been said. The film destroys every symbol. The work is done, end of story.”

Later, Pitt’s manager refuted the quote saying that it was “inaccurate” and that the actor had “never even seen Valkyrie” (via EW). Well, there you go.

In the end, both films were highly successful in terms of both reception and box office numbers. Valkyrie made $201 million and Inglourious Basterds made $321 million at the box office. While the former has a 62% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Inglourious Basterds has 89%. Clearly, while they are both great on their own, Pitt’s flick takes the cake here.

Valkyrie is available to watch on Prime Video.

Inglourious Basterds is available to rent/buy on Prime Video.