Brilliant War movies

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Again, more or less a poll. What are some of your favorite war movies.

-Fort Apache - technically a Western, I guess, but it's about the Indian wars - sort of a Custer film
-Spartacus - I was impressed, I didn't expect to like this
-Lawrence of Arabia - of course it's on my list
-Sergeant York - Gary Cooper gives a great performance as a delinquint turned pacifist turned the great American hero of WWI
-Bridge on the River Kwai - David Lean again, this time in a classic battle of wills and confused loyalties
-The Great Escape - another POW film, I can't not include this
-The Caine Mutiny - story of a crazed captain (Bogart) during WWII and his officers that take control of the ship from him
-Gunga Din - great film, can't help but love the final scene
-The Best Years of Our Lives - a post-WWII film about 3 servicemen returning to their former lives and loves, realizing that the best year of their lives were their military years


I know, I know, I listed much too many, but I'll narrow my list down later, I suppose. We might as well go for 5 or so picks per person, as we did in the Spielberg thread.
 

00Kevin

Indyfan
my favs (no order):

-Lawrence of Arabia(the most talked about film in this table)
-Saving Private Ryan
-The Dirty Dozen (classic....I love it)
-the Patriot( was smashing)
-"Hart's war" was good too, but not as good as some (another POW)

also, my friends are OBSESSED WITH:

Braveheart

they WORSHIP IT, I have a friend, andrew, right next to me, telling me about braveheart (or at least how it's spelled)
 

westford

Member
I'd have to say The Great Escape - it's a British institution, on TV every Christmas... (The forthcoming game on PS2 looks pretty good too, but that's OT ;))

From what I remember of Bridge On The River Kwai, it's a good one. David Lean's certainly an important director of the 20th C.

What about Papillon? (Forgive the spelling, I know it's French for 'butterfly' but I can't speak French.) Been ages since I saw it, so I forget if it's a POW film or just a prison film, but it's got Steven McQueen in it too just to confuse me!

Saving Private Ryan was pretty good, esp the opening scenes showing the D-Day landings. I visited Normandy in 1994 (the 50th anniversary of D-Day), and saw some of the beaches and the cemetries of those killed, so to see it recreated so vividly on fim was incredible, in a good and a bad way.

Another recent one - Enemy at the Gates. That was another film that showed the harsh realities of war, such as the scenes with the boats crossing the river and being attacked by enemy planes, and deserters being shot by their own generals.
 

swords

New member
Raid on Rommel
Patton
Lawrence of Arabia
The Dirty Dozen
and Zulu


[Edited by swords on 04-21-2003 at 09:13 am]
 

Kill Cavalry

New member
oh man, there are far too many! I'll just pick my top ten favortie. Here they are in, in no particular order...

Andersonville (a little known Civil War POW flick, fantastic!)
Braveheart
Force Ten from Navarone (go Harrison Ford!)
The Dirty Dozen
The Great Escape (in the motorcycle scene with Steve McQueen he drove not only his character's motorcycle, but also dressed up as Nazis and chased himself!)
Spartacus
Saving Private Ryan (you really have to be in the mood for it, don't watch it if you want an uplifting flick)
Full Metal Jacket (ditto)
Glory
The Battle of the Bulge

If I had to pick a favorite I'd have to say Glory. Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick, and others...how could you resist?
 

Kill Cavalry

New member
I don't think BoB counts, because it is a miniseries and not a flick, that's why I didn't include it. But as a message to every person who sees this message, if you have not seen Band of Brothers, I truly pity you. Rent it, or better yet buy it. Ebert and Roper called it the "best miniseries ever" and they are not kidding.
 

00Kevin

Indyfan
Kill Cavalry said:
I don't think BoB counts, because it is a miniseries and not a flick, that's why I didn't include it. But as a message to every person who sees this message, if you have not seen Band of Brothers, I truly pity you. Rent it, or better yet buy it. Ebert and Roper called it the "best miniseries ever" and they are not kidding.

My friend has it on DVD (he says it was $100!!!) and we agreed that someday I could either borrow it or he cold make a copy

and no, it doesn't count
 

Kumba

Guest
Aren't you all forgeting the best WWII movie?! Kelly's Heros! haha, well may be not the best, but very entertaining. U-571 is ok too. Oh, and of course, The Guns of Navarone, my all-time favorite.
 

DrJones56

IndyFan
Phew, this here's a toughy...

1 - Saving Private Ryan: Greates War Movie Period
2 - Patton: Gotta love that guy...
3 - Srgt. York: GREATES WWI movie.
4 - The Great Escape: Here's to the Fifty.
5 - Platoon: GUNNERY SARGENT FIRST CLASS RONALD LEE ERMEY!
6 - Midway: One word: Heston!
7 - Kelly's Heroes: Just a fun war movie, always fun to watch.
8 - The Dirty Dozon: Same as Kelly's Heroes, just fun.
9 - We Were Soilders: The SPR of Vietnam, it was a hard movie to watch, but it needed to be told, plus Barry Pepper was in it.
10 - The Patriot: Gibson gives a stunning performence...
11 - The Sand Pebbles: Dunno, just always liked it.
 
Should not be overlooked

Everyone's war is different and vantage point is a factor.

"Bridge on the River Kwai" is first rate and I'm glad someone mentioned "The Sand Pebbles" and the "Great Escape."

"Twelve O'Clock High" was used as a study in leadership styles in teaching courses for a while. "Run Silent, Run Deep" "The Caine Mutiny," and "Mr. Roberts" should be compulsory. "Lifeboat", too. Almost forgot "A Walk In the Sun."

I've enjoyed "Guns of Navarone," "Das Boot," "Zulu," and "Black Hawk Down." "The Frogmen" with Richard Widmark was good, too. Going back further "The Great Locomotive Chase" is well worth seeing.

Hey, if you like musicals, "South Pacific" is great. Might "The Man Who Would Be King" qualify as a war flick?
 

swords

New member
Grrrrrr

Im hitting myself. I can't believe I forget Zulu! I agree Broom, a great war movie. The action is not that good, but the suspence is unrelentless! It's tense, hearing the chanting in the mountains while the soldiers are waiting for the Zulus. Critics hated it because of the steroetype of the Zulus, I disagree. Great film, pushed the envolope, the same way the Wild Bunch did.

Im still hitting myself, how could I forget this movie?

The Sand Pebbles I watched quite a while back, it has something to do with a international inncident in China, right? I have a very vague memory of this, I remember theres a big sea, well, river battle at the end, and McQueen taking on a bunch of guys on rooftops.

I really have to revisit these movies...
 

DrJones56

IndyFan
Re: Should not be overlooked

Broomhandle Davis said:
Everyone's war is different and vantage point is a factor.

"Bridge on the River Kwai" is first rate and I'm glad someone mentioned "The Sand Pebbles" and the "Great Escape."

"Twelve O'Clock High" was used as a study in leadership styles in teaching courses for a while. "Run Silent, Run Deep" "The Caine Mutiny," and "Mr. Roberts" should be compulsory. "Lifeboat", too. Almost forgot "A Walk In the Sun."

I've enjoyed "Guns of Navarone," "Das Boot," "Zulu," and "Black Hawk Down." "The Frogmen" with Richard Widmark was good, too. Going back further "The Great Locomotive Chase" is well worth seeing.

Hey, if you like musicals, "South Pacific" is great. Might "The Man Who Would Be King" qualify as a war flick?
Oh, almost forgot about Mr. Roberts, that's an excellent war comedy, I loved it! Guns of Navarone should never be over looked, thanks for poing that out!

And I would consider South Pacific a war movie, lighter in theme, but still very fun.
 

swords

New member
Another movie sprang to my mind: Anyone ever heard of "Ice Station Zebra"? I guess it's your typical cold war film, but the underwater shots were glorious! Well, the external shots of the sub under the ice is what Im talking about. Anyone watch this movie, because I haven't recently. Watched it once late at night on tv and another time during the day.
 

DrJones56

IndyFan
swords said:
Another movie sprang to my mind: Anyone ever heard of "Ice Station Zebra"? I guess it's your typical cold war film, but the underwater shots were glorious! Well, the external shots of the sub under the ice is what Im talking about. Anyone watch this movie, because I haven't recently. Watched it once late at night on tv and another time during the day.
Never seen it...

Almost forgot: Dr. Strangelove! How could we forget?! Excellent film, one of the most memerable scenes in film history.
 
swords said:
Grrrrrr

The Sand Pebbles I watched quite a while back, it has something to do with a international inncident in China, right? I have a very vague memory of this, I remember theres a big sea, well, river battle at the end, and McQueen taking on a bunch of guys on rooftops.

I really have to revisit these movies...

The Sand Pebbles is about China in the 'Twenties during the warlord period when the Empress is in decline and there is a power vacuum. During the preceding century China has been divided up in a semi-colonial manner, not for rule but for trade purposes. The average Chinese had virtually no contact with either the foreigners or the Empress. USS San Pablos cruises the Yangtze protecting international trade and American nationals, a very minimalist role. The Koumintang, a nationalist movement is striking out against foreigners because they are symbols of China's subjugation.

Sadly any who befriend the Americans are liquidated. Frenchy's wife and Pohan are made an example of. Sand Pebbles becomes the focus of a political controversy, the Koumintang attempts to attack it as it attempts to evacuate American citizens (some of whom don't feel they aer American citizens and think they can remain as "citizens of the world.")

I think the action is Zulu is terrific. More interesting is it is very accurate historically.

Dr. Strangelove is garbage.
 

swords

New member
Oh, I think you misquoted. Broom said it was garbage. I never watched it. Is it any good, because I can never get into Kubric's films. "Dr Strangelove, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb", thats a crazy title. Anyway, is it good?
 

DrJones56

IndyFan
swords said:
Oh, I think you misquoted. Broom said it was garbage. I never watched it. Is it any good, because I can never get into Kubric's films. "Dr Strangelove, or how I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb", thats a crazy title. Anyway, is it good?


I loved it, and take it from me, I HATE Kubric's films but I did in fact love Dr. Srangelove.
 
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