Just wanted to see what people thought. I put a couple up that I liked myself with a few random ones that I thought would pull votes.
While not in any particular order:
1)I’m a big fan of Apocalypse Now, and I think it just comes down to Coppola’s genius…
2)Glory…some Civil war buffs may shake their heads, but I thought if it was going to give any justice to the men who fought for the Union, I thought it did a fantastic job and had a awesome score to boot.
3) I could choose River Kwai or FMJ, but I’m going with other with Last of the Mohicans…ok, its a love flick, but its also tells a tale in a time period completely ignored by 99% of Americans, and for that, it gets my vote.
Choices are horrible.
This must be the bottom 10 list
No Longest Day, Midway, Battle of the Bulge, Tora Tora Tora, Waterloo, etc.
kinda like kelly’s heroes myself :-)
Das Boot ist sehr gut. Especially the music.
As a child always loved Battle of the Bulge( I loved tanks), now i think it looks dated and downright silly. IL will agree with you on The longest Day or the other Cornelius Ryan book, A Bridge Too Far. Mostly because of the impeccable English accents and that I like Germans to speak German. (is that too much to ask?)
Thought Thin Red Line was awful as was Enemy at The Gates(a cockney Chuikov!)
Platoon. Maybe it was because I saw it in my youth. Loved it. Apocalypse now and FMJ are my others. FMJ’s first half is so good that the second half doesn’t tank it for me.
FMJ does really start well and then tail off. Like Vietnam films, but WW2 ones really do it for me. Might be my grandparents’ stories and all those models they bought me. There is something about glue…
While those are good movies, I also like The Longest Day, Patton, Run Silent Run Deep, Midway, Tora Tora Tora, Black Hawk Down, Act of Valor, Red Tails, Battle of Britain.
@Imperious:
Choices are horrible.
This must be the bottom 10 list
No Longest Day, Midway, Battle of the Bulge, Tora Tora Tora, Waterloo, etc.
Well, I’m glad you aren’t a movie critic because Apocalypse Now, Das Boot, Bridge on the River Kwai, and Full Metal Jacket are easily as good, or better, than your choices.
I’m surprised nobody mentioned The Dirty Dozen. Another good one is Von Ryan’s Express which my dad loved.
Mine are Dass Boot, Full Metal Jacket, and the third is a revolving door usually based on which movie I’ve seen most recently(currently The Guns of Navarone).
Guns of Navarone was a great movie too. I also agree with Full Metal Jacket. I don’t think anyone can think about the Marines without seeing either Private Pyle or hearing the Drill Instructor cutting them down.
easily as good, or better, than your choices.
No way. Sorry. That is an incorrect statement.
And i own all them on DVD. I think i got nearly every War movie, except looking for extended version ( almost 2 hours longer) of Waterloo where the Prussians get a bloody nose from the French.
IL, you mean portraying the battle of Ligny? I have Waterloo, did not know there was an extended version. Might be too long for me, but I no nothing of Napoleon’s last victory.
Guns of Navarone was a great movie too. I also agree with Full Metal Jacket. I don’t think anyone can think about the Marines without seeing either Private Pyle or hearing the Drill Instructor cutting them down.
I bet you’re the kind of guy who would F–- a person and not even give him the g–damn common courtesy of a reacharound!
@Imperious:
easily as good, or better, than your choices.
No way. Sorry. That is an incorrect statement.
And i own all them on DVD. I think i got nearly every War movie, except looking for extended version ( almost 2 hours longer) of Waterloo where the Prussians get a bloody nose from the French.
For the record, I’ve seen most of the movies that you listed and I don’t dispute your claim that they are quality movies, I dispute your claim that the offered choices were all horrible.
I clicked other because none of my favorite war movies are up there my top three would have to be
3. Taegukgi, a great movie about two brother conscripted into the ROK army during the beginning of the Korean war and their fight for survival
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taegukgi_(film)
2. Assembly, one of the best movies ever made about war and the toll it takes on soldiers. Ii follows the life of a captain in the PLA fighting in the Chinese civil war in 1948 and then into Korea and how it effects him later in life. One of my all time favorites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_(film)
1. Gettysburg, One of the greatest war movies ever made. The level of attention to detail is great and the movies characters are so relatable and the scope of the movie is so grand that it is very hard not to become engrossed in it all while watching. I have watched this movie a dozen times and I still get chills at certain points (like when the Union line volley fires in the the Rebs during Pickets charge).
Honorable mention:
The Warlords, another awesome Chinese war flick set in the 1860’s during the Taiping rebellion. The costumes, the battles, the relationship between the three main characters and the interesting turn it takes when their personalities change make it a really good movie. This movie would make my top 5 list every time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warlords
I have Waterloo, did not know there was an extended version.
It was the original movie version released back in 1971. The DVD is a truncated version for whatever reason.
IL: about Waterloo. Mine is on video, but is only 2hrs long. Seems longer. Except for the battle at the end, found it hard going, so only watched it once. Pity, as I had high hopes.
Gettysburg is a good one. Das Boot is a classic. Tough to choose. I would love to see a movie based on The Forgotten Soldier. With the computer graphics today that would be awesome.
Interesting not about Waterloo. The director stated that while filming he was in control of the worlds seventh largest army when you combined all the various armies.
Mine is on video, but is only 2hrs long. Seems longer.
The cut scene ends when you see Blucher and his men retreating vowing to come back. Its about midway thru the movie.
The movie is fantastic and very accurate.
FMJ is decent, but it is by far not one of Kubrick’s best……would Dr. Strangelove be considered a war movie (GENTLEMEN! THERE IS NO FIGHTING IN THE WAR ROOM!)? Not saying it’s his best, that is hands down Clockwork Orange.
Bah, Inglourious Basterds should of been on this list.
