@CWO:
There’s also a list over here:
http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-world-war-ii-movies-of-all-time?ref=collections&pos=2<ype=l&l=1894511&g=4&collectionId=1153
I have two main issues with these kind of “Top (whatever number) Lists” that populate the internet.
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There are those that tend to be done by an individual which, more often than not, reflect the most pointed level of biased OPINION. It is one person who ranks things based on their personal preferences and rarely takes into account broader social appeal, cultural importance or film legacy. There are exceptions with people who really analyze their subject and take other factors into account, but it’s usually a case of “I like _____”.
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There are those lists which are little more than popular opinion polls (like the Marc one linked to above). These lists offer very little on how well an item meets the requirements for being there, but rather are a larger sampling of opinionated people who say “I like _____”. I tend to view these as popularity contests with anonymous and wide-ranging voters who probably don’t read or care to understand the limitations or nuances of said poll.
A third category would be a list from a small group of truly knowledgeable people who are more than likely “experts” or dedicated critics. These lists are better, since they have decent cohesion, adhere to the requirements and are intellectually vetted to some degree. As much as these types of polls are better, they are not perfect. It is rare that you see an attempt to be truly scientific or unbiasedly rational when creating a Top (whatever number) List. I think it can be done, though there are elements that still involve opinion.
Ha, now all that said, let me rail on the poll in the link Marc posted (no offense directed at him).
How the F#&$ is Dirty Dozen number 5?! That is so beyond reason as to be insulting. Dirty Dozen is a complete joke of a movie. It is entertaining and even funny, but as a war film it has a few things counting against it: (1) it is a different parts comedy and black comedy; no self-respecting or serious war movie should have comedy as a main element. (2) It isn’t even based on a real story. (3) The film strays into whimsical and morbid elements for the final act which convey a detachment from reality. (4) The characters operate in a mode completely bereft of consequences and none of the death in the movie occurs with any impact. The operation without consequences goes beyond the reason that these are men on borrowed time with nothing to lose. It is more like there is no emotional impact for the things they do or the thing that happen to them.
You could say that Kelley’s Heroes has many of those same elements, which it does. However, it differs because while there is comedy, there is also a point for the characters where things no longer are funny. People get hurt or die and the consequences of that are very real. Beyond that, the dynamics of the plot in Kelley’s Heroes are much more plausible than those in Dirty Dozen.
Schindler’s List - Great movie to be sure, but it is hardly a war film. Wikipedia immediately calls this an “Epic historical period drama film”. Not a war film. This is another point where I find these lists to be very poorly defined. The requirements listed at the top of the page for this list is that “The film must take place during WWII.”. That is a ridiculously broad limitation for a list on the “Best World War 2 Movies” –- that title becomes very misleading if not meaningless.
Enemy at the Gates - This film is just not very good overall, without going through the metrics on it. No reason at all for it to be up at No. 14 ahead of Midway, Where Eagles Dare and Letters From Iwo Jima. It falls prey to the poorly done and totally misplaced romance arc too. Its more of a thriller than an intelligently crafted war film. That said, it would still fall into the war film category.
This list should be further suspect because it contains films like Captain America, The Reader, Glory??? (WTF?) and Indiana Jones. I don’t think anyone here put those up for their top 10 WWII films, or would even think to.