@Wolfshanze:
Letters from Iwo Jima has a lot of combat scenes… not sure which film you watched. Downfall its not. You seem to be leaning back towards nominating Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor if all you want is action scenes and nothing else bordering on reality.
Pearl Harbor has action, but it is a chunk of ridiculousness sandwiched in between longer segments of romantic drama. Been a very long time since I have seen the movie, but I am quite certain that is accurate. My point is that BotB is at least grounded and realistically ambitious.
@Wolfshanze:
So now what… do we have to break down the action % on film to determine if it qualifies for the list? Your argument that there’s not enough action in Letters from Iwo Jima would likewise apply to Saving Private Ryan, which devotes nearly the same % of film time to “boring old drama” as opposed to Michael Bay-style action.
What would you categorize Letters from Iwo Jima as? An action film, a romance, a drama? Yes it is a war film, but would you call it an action film? I wouldn’t, even though it has some amount of action in it. Same can be said of Patton… has some action but it really isn’t something I would call an action movie. I made that point back on page 4. Das Boot is kinda a close call too, but it does have a consistent amount of action; just action that is different from firing machine guns-action.
Saving Private Ryan is a well balanced drama-action film. From my recollection there are at least (5) separate action/combat sequences throughout the movie, two of which are on a pretty large scale and bookend the film. For me that qualifies as an action movie.
@Wolfshanze:
I’m sorry… this list is pretty good, but if you’re going “top 10 ever”, I can’t see Battle of the Bulge on the same list as Saving Private Ryan or Bridge Too Far… that’s a travesty. You’re really trying to thread the needle on % of action if your last and only justification of a pure fluff film like Battle of the Bulge qualifies while other films with action but “a tad too much drama” don’t qualify. Patton has way too much story to be considered if you’re going down that road. I assure you there is more action in Letters from Iwo Jima than in Das Boot which is at the top of the list.
You are approaching this from the wrong perspective. This list is defined by action; therefore that should be the most important consideration. Overall quality is a close second because that factors into how good and best it really is. Kelley’s Heroes is another “pure fluff film” but it should be on this list for sure. It is a classic film, with lots of great actors, a concise plot and consistent (and better than decent) action.
Point: this list is not about the best WWII films. Or the most accurate. Or the most critically acclaimed. Or the most gritty and realistic. It was defined as the best Action, with no real additional qualifications. Bridge on the River Kwai (IMO) should not be on the list or even in honorable mentions. It is a great film to be sure, but it has precious little action in it. It may have been considered an action film in its day, but even compared to 70s war films like BotB, Midway, Patton and Tora Tora Tora, Bridge on the River Kwai has virtually no action until the very end.
Do I believe that Battle of the Bulge would make the Top 10 “Best” WWII films of all time… no, there are better ones. However, I think it deserves credit in certain areas.
@Wolfshanze:
Rotten Tomatoes:
Das Boot 98%
Saving Private Ryan 97%
Patton 95%
Letters from Iwo Jima 91%
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.
.
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Battle of the Bulge 67%
Again… ratings don’t matter most here. By your own admission (and mine) at least 3 of the 4 movies you listed are not/could not be classified as “action” films. If that is true, we have a very short list of predominantly action-only WWII films. BotB should be included.
@Wolfshanze:
P.S.
There is more film time devoted to randomly breaking out into song in Battle of the Bulge than any other movie (or proposed movie) on this list… that should tell you something! :roll:
False.
In Das Boot the entire crew breaks out into “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” at least once, maybe twice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pddW-HeHAwo
Memphis Belle has a beautiful rendition of “Oh Danny Boy” (from Harry Connick Jr. no less).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSFtAL3caSE
I don’t know if you want to call it singing, but Bridge on the River Kwai has those damn limeys whistling that inane Colonel Bogey marching song F-O-R-E-V-E-R
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83bmsluWHZc
Ultimately… this isn’t even my topic. I am defending the inclusion of BotB because it fits the criteria set forth, not because it is a worthy historical piece. It has a lot of decent war action in it. Much more than most other films.