TOM CRUISE - CRUISE SILENCES CRITICS

CRUISE SILENCES CRITICS

TOM CRUISE has lashed out at critics of his upcoming movie VALKYRIE - urging the media to save their criticism until the film is released. Cruise is playing World War II hero Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg - who led an unsuccessful plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler - in Valkyrie, which is also known as Rubicon. The crew failed to obtain permission to film at Germany military sites because the government objects to Cruise's controversial religion Scientology - which is not recognised as a legitimate church in the country. Cruise, who is currently filming the movie in Berlin, says, "All I can say is, 'Save your comments until you see the movie.' "I want to think positive and concentrate on the film. I carry a great responsibility to the Germans, for whom a man like Stauffenberg means so much. And I feel this responsibility to the man himself. The more I learn about him, the greater my respect and my admiration of him." Von Stauffenberg's eldest son Berthold von Stauffenberg has publicly denounced the casting of Cruise, saying, "He should keep his hands off my father."