Brilliant War movies

Joe Brody

Well-known member
roundshort said:
What is the bacon scene in a war movie?

I'm intrigued. 'Yes' or 'No' -- do you got something in mind? Or are you just throwing sh*t up against a wall to see if something sticks?

Paden said:
Slightly off-topic question. Has anyone here had the opportunity to see Hearts of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now? I've never seen it myself, but I'm intrigued by it, having heard stories that the Apocalypse production was quite tumultous. Some claim making the film almost led to Coppola's ruin, personally and professionally. I was curious to see if anyone here had seen Darkness, and if it's worth seeking out.

It's on my list. Anything has to be better than the 'redux'. Some scenes are better left on the floor.
 

roundshort

Active member
I still think it hard to watch A.Nw the whole way through. The movie is too slow and too damned long! not a fav.

I really can not think of any war movies with a decent bacon scene or quote.
 

Joe Brody

Well-known member
roundshort said:
I still think it hard to watch A.Nw the whole way through. The movie is too slow and too damned long! not a fav.

This coming from a fan of Full Metal Jacket. Apocalypse Now is the better film. I give you Full Metal Jacket has one or two superior glimpses into the human condition but as a dramatic work Apocalypes Now is superior.
 

roundshort

Active member
Joe Brody said:
This coming from a fan of Full Metal Jacket. Apocalypse Now is the better film. I give you Full Metal Jacket has one or two superior glimpses into the human condition but as a dramatic work Apocalypes Now is superior.


AN is too dman long... It could be about 35 to 40 min shorter and still work. FMJ is a very neat and tidy movie. Movies are too dmaned long.

I have to give AP some of the best and most used quotes, ever in any movie, but FMJ, that is they way to.

Marines vs. Army, no contest!
 

Ray Delark

New member
Watch "The Train"!

From Amazon.com
"Plot Synopsis: Oberst von Waldheim wants to bring modern paintings, the ones the Nazis called "degenerated", out of Paris before the Allied Forces liberate Paris. He is able to persuade his bosses to give him the train. Labiche, a French railway offical is asked by the management of the museum to stop this train, but he is not willing to risk the life of his people for art. But when his old friend Boule is shot by the Germans accusing him for sabotage on the engine he starts to work against the Germans, and tries to delay the departure of the train untill the Allied are arriving."...
This is one of John Frankenheimer's breathless gems--all marvelous action that never lets up. Burt Lancaster plays a French train engineer during the waning days of the German occupation who tries to prevent Nazi colonel Paul Scofield from transporting a precious art collection back to Germany. Utilizing sabotage and cunning deception, Lancaster and his Resistance colleagues stall for time with the Allies on their way. It's a brilliantly made film, showing off Lancaster's acrobatic skills (he performed all of his own stunts) and Frankenheimer's sense of pacing and brilliant use of space. It's choreographed with the utmost precision (those are real explosions during the pivotal strafing sequence) and extremely authentic in its details. Lancaster is in rare minimalist form, and Scofield manages to extract intelligence and sympathy. A firecracker action film shot in crisp black and white, with yet another telling audio commentary by the always instructive director. --Bill Desowitz" :whip:
 

DazDaMan

New member
Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I was having a nose at some of the other threads and spotted this one, so thought I'd add my 2p!

Battle of Britain: Britain's finest hour on the big screen. Plenty of warbirds (the 35th largest air force in the world at the time!), some great performances, and Ron Goodwin's excellent score.

Dark Blue World: low-budget, Czech-made movie about two Czech pilots, flying with the RAF, who fall in love with the same woman. An excellent weepy, as well as an excellent war film in general, one of my top-ten all time fave movies.

633 Squadron: Cliff Robertson leading an RAF Mosquito squadron into a Norwegian fjord to bomb the cliffs above a factory making rocket fuel for the German V-weapons project. Great music, thrilling flying sequences.

Tora! Tora! Tora!: brilliantly done, although a little too "documentary" at times.

And while everyone hates it, I actually really enjoy Pearl Harbor, but more as an action movie, rather than a war film (and God knows that love triangle storyline is utter CRAP despite the luscious Kate Beckinsale!)

Not a film, per se, but a six-part TV series: Piece of Cake. Made back in the 1980s, and based on the book of the same name, this tells the story of the men of the RAF "Hornet Squadron", detailing their boredom in France during the Phoney War period, the overwhelming during the blitzkrieg in France, and their devastation during the Battle of Britain. Very emotional, very thrilling, and brilliant to watch.
 

Gustav

New member
No worries, Daz. You can dig up as many old threads as you want. I see you're also a fan of gorgeous Kate Beckinsale.

On the topic of mini-serieses, Band of Brothers wasn't bad either. Some of them were a little boring, but what I liked most about it was that it showed so many different battles.
 

Kill Cavalry

New member
"The Crossing" is an account of George Washington and the battle of Delaware, I mention it because hardly anybody has seen it, and it's a damn good film.

However, if I had to recommend only one war film, it would be "Glory." A fantastic masterpiece about the American Civil War, I have yet to see a wartime drama top this one.
 

DazDaMan

New member
Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels is damn good to watch, although it does tend to drag a bit until you get to the flying sequences. But when it does finally come up with the goods, it's breathtaking! REAL WW1 planes, REAL dogfighting, and some excellent (for the time) special effects....
 

Ray Delark

New member
Cammy, Never So Few (1959) is a great war movie with a great cast!

Plot Synopsis: Captain Tom Reynolds and his band of skilled O.S.S. operatives are in WWII Burma to train the Kachin natives in modern warfare. But jungle combat, particularly against a Japanese army as familiar with the terrain as the Kachin, is more grueling than Reynolds had reckoned. Some respite is found in the arms of beautiful Carla, but after Chinese rebels cross the border to loot and murder American soldiers, Reynolds abandons all notions of "military protocol" and seeks requital.
 

Ray Delark

New member
Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Steve McQueen, Paul Henreid, Charles Bronson, Dean Jones, and Brian Donlevy were in Never So Few.
 

AndyLGR

Active member
I watched Fore 10 from Navarone last night, which was ok. Nothing brilliant. I thought the performances of Robert Shaw and Edward Fox with their stiff upper lip style soldiers were one of the worst aspects of the film. Along with the addition of Carl Weathers which was awful and seemed as though he was playing the dumb audience member, only added to get the main characters to explain the plot. Plus he was also subject to some typical 70's racism too. This film wasn't as good as the book either. It was interesting to note the cross over actors in there with actors meeting who starred in Star Wars, ESB, The Spy who Love Me and TLC. Anyway it got me thinking about the better war movies that are out there too.

Stalag 17 - A great film that works well despite its claustrophobic setting of just being in a prison camp. Theres plenty of humour along the way and I like the sub-plot of them trying to find the traitor in their midst too. Which also reminds me of Danger Within, another POW UK movie.

Where Eagles Dare - My favourite of the sabotage secret mission movies, probably because of the addition of Clint Eastwood.

Guns of Navarone - another great example of the sabotage movie. However I do think that this one also isn't as good as the book that its based on.

Ice Cold in Alex - surely one of the best movies ever made. John Mills starred in many enjoyable war movies and this is possibly his best. Again as with many war films theres the addition of a traitor in their midst, however the performances of the central cast are fantastic. I like the fact that come the end of the film he's one of them and seems respected for his help in getting them to Alexandria

I'm not sure if these 3 movies count as bona fide war movies, but Green for Danger, Cottage to Let and Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon are other favourites of mine. Green for Danger is set during the war at a hospital in London and follows Alastair Sim as he tries to track a murderer. Cottage to Let is set in Scotland and is about an inventor that the nazi's are trying to kidnap. Again theres an undercover Nazi in their midst. The Sherlock Holmes movie is part of the series that they set in the present day and basically made them in to war propaganda movies, this one is about a bomb sight that must be kept secret from the Nazis.
 
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JuniorJones

TR.N Staff Member
Paths of Glory.

Stripes! But with a serious face.

paths+of+glory_kirk+douglas.gif
 
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