Best War Movies.

[Pure]

It's memorial day in the US. a solemn day. The combined wars in Iraq and Afghan. have now topped one trillion in expenditures, and loss of brave lives: 4400 in iraq, and 1000+ [US] for Afghanistan. and Brits [more than 350, in both theatres], and Canadians as well.

What the best war movies? your favorites.

Which films, in artistic terms, convey, best, the grandeur of humanity and the horror of war?

Apocalypse Now has my vote: somehow the surreal parts make the whole thing real..
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Top War Movies

John Farr's Memorial Day List


10) They Were Expendable (1945)-
9) Patton (1970)-
8) All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)-
7) The Longest Day (1962)-

6) Apocalypse Now Redux (1979)-
5) From Here To Eternity (1953)-
4) The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957

3) The Deer Hunter (1978)-

2) Saving Private Ryan (1998

1) The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)-

 

[rgraham666]

Favorites?

Stalingrad, Battle of Britain, Platoon, and the first twenty or so minutes of Saving Private Ryan.

 

[CharleyH]

It's memorial day in the US. a solemn day. The combined wars in Iraq and Afghan. have now topped one trillion in expenditures, and loss of brave lives: 4400 in iraq, and 1000+ [US] for Afghanistan. and Brits and Canadians as well.

What the best war movies? your favorites.

Which films, in artistic terms, convey, best, the grandeur of humanity and the horror of war?

Apocalypse Now has my vote: somehow the surreal parts make the whole thing real..
====

Top War Movies

John Farr's Memorial Day List


10) They Were Expendable (1945)-
9) Patton (1970)-
8) All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)-
7) The Longest Day (1962)-

6) Apocalypse Now Redux (1979)-
5) From Here To Eternity (1953)-
4) The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957

3) The Deer Hunter (1978)-

2) Saving Private Ryan (1998

1) The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)-

I don't know that there is such a thing as a best war movie, RG. However, I tilt toward Sam Pechinpah's Cross of Iron as the best of the best. The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now with major, major cudos.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The 1969 Russian film, WAR & PEACE, is the most authentic. The Russian Army re-created the 1812 battle of Borodino with 1000s of infantry and cavalry and immense sets they set ablaze and roll the cameras thru. Its impressive to see what infantry does to cavalry. The film fills 4 discs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SVC_9V8K5Y&feature=related

 

[jomar]

They may not all meet Pure's criteria, but some good movies:

Full Metal Jacket

The Big Red One

The Green Berets

We Were Soldiers

Platoon

84 Charlie Mopic


ETA: I just finished Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes, which is supposed to be the latest and greatest Vietnam novel. Can't say it's the best ever, but it took the man 30 years to write and he sure earned the right put it on paper - highly decorated marine. Good read.

 

[rgraham666]

I don't know that there is such a thing as a best war movie, RG. However, I tilt toward Sam Pechinpah's Cross of Iron as the best of the best. The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now with major, major cudos.

Oh yeah. I forgot about that one. Only seen it once but I remember it well.

The book was pretty damned good as well.

 

[sr71plt]

Umm, I think it was a short DOD film on personal hygiene. Can't remember the title.

 

[MzDeviancy]

Not a movie, a miniseries, but Band of Brothers.

 

[jomar]

Not a movie, a miniseries, but Band of Brothers.

Yes. The Pacific wasn't as good, but BoB is tough to follow.

 

[MzDeviancy]

Yes. The Pacific wasn't as good, but BoB is tough to follow.

Hugely. Even if you don't like war movies, it's amazing because it's so much more about the journey of the people. Not just shit getting blown up ;op

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The Longest Day, by far.

 

[Katyusha]

The Great Escape, A Bridge Too Far, Midway, Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Thin Red Line and Stalag 17 haven't been listed yet. Also, I like Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, Full Metal Jacket, and Patton.

 

[grey228]

Not everything happened in 'Nam or Wuh-Wuh-Deuce.

There are some new movies (not necessarily Hurt Locker, which was hyped).

Try:

-- Three Kings

-- Jarhead

-- Black Hawk Down (Scott's extended version would be best)

-- The Kingdom

When you are examining war, look at the year it occurred and adjust your narrative accordingly. The zeitgeist and the demographic of the civilian population will determine a war's "lasting appeal".

 

[Verdad]

From Pure's list, I would have picked Deer Hunter too. Which is not to say I remember all the others all that well, though.

I do remember the opening scenes of Private Ryan. Overall, I thought the movie sucked, and about the opening carnage I'm still undecided whether it was enlightening or just traumatic, but it certainly did stick in my mind.

 

[Pure]

good points, gray,

good points, grey228 ,

i think black hawk down is a splendid movie. *very powerful,* and shows one of those situations where you can (and are) as heroic as you like, but it's not going to work out.

as well, wars in our time, as you suggest, don't take the form of infantries confronting one another, or even air battles. combat lines are not well drawn; the situation is unclear as to who's fighting for whom.

 

[Handley_Page]

Battle of Britain

The Longest Day

Tora Tora Tora

In which we serve (very patriotic).

 

[sr71plt]

From Pure's list, I would have picked Deer Hunter too. Which is not to say I remember all the others all that well, though.

I worked on The Deerhunter, and we didn't consider it a war film--it was an antiwar film (as were The Killing Fields and Good Morning Vietnam, which I also worked on). So maybe the definition of "war film" here is a bit too broad for comparisons.

I have little interest in watching what I would classify as true "war films." Have seen very few of those listed earlier.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I don't know about anyone else but I really liked Heartbreak Ridge.

Not a movie but a short lived series Over There.

Of all the movies listed...Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, We Were Soldiers, Full Metal Jacket and The Big Red One would get my vote.

 

[cloudy]

Apocalypse Now has my vote: somehow the surreal parts make the whole thing real.

This.

It's actually a very disturbing movie, but every time I watch it, I notice something that I didn't before.

Platoon is even more disturbing, but very nicely filmed and acted.

I liked Jarhead, but it's not even anywhere close to the same class as Apocalypse Now, and I don't have any desire to see it again.

 

[Katyusha]

Not everything happened in 'Nam or Wuh-Wuh-Deuce.

There are some new movies (not necessarily Hurt Locker, which was hyped).

Try:

-- Three Kings

-- Jarhead

-- Black Hawk Down (Scott's extended version would be best)

-- The Kingdom

When you are examining war, look at the year it occurred and adjust your narrative accordingly. The zeitgeist and the demographic of the civilian population will determine a war's "lasting appeal".

Black Hawk Down was very good. I haven't seen the others, or The Hurt Locker. Some more that I think were very good that haven't been mentioned here are Glory, North and South (miniseries), Gettysburg, 1776, and The Patriot. All Quite on the Western Front was mentioned as well, and that's WWI.

War movies still seem to be more about 'Nam and WWII than any other war, though, which is why people are thinking more about those here.

 

[Super-Surprise]

Gallipoli

 

[sallythescorpian]

Agree totally with Jarhead, Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker.
Glory
All Quiet on the Western Front
Bridge over the River Kwai
Das Boot ( in german with sub titles, but its so good, you actually forget you have to read the subs)
Platoon
The deer hunter (I know, maybe not fully a war movie but still)
Schindler's list ( again not a battle movie but still in this category, I think)
The Great Escape
Band of Brothers (mini series)
300
Ben Hur(sneaking them in at the end - set in Roman times - not war per se)
Gladiator " " " " " " " " " "

 

[jomar]

Gallipoli

Good one.

 

[JuniperMoon]

paths of glory

It's memorial day in the US. a solemn day. The combined wars in Iraq and Afghan. have now topped one trillion in expenditures, and loss of brave lives: 4400 in iraq, and 1000+ [US] for Afghanistan. and Brits [more than 350, in both theatres], and Canadians as well.

What the best war movies? your favorites.

Which films, in artistic terms, convey, best, the grandeur of humanity and the horror of war?

Apocalypse Now has my vote: somehow the surreal parts make the whole thing real..
====

Top War Movies

John Farr's Memorial Day List


10) They Were Expendable (1945)-
9) Patton (1970)-
8) All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)-
7) The Longest Day (1962)-

6) Apocalypse Now Redux (1979)-
5) From Here To Eternity (1953)-
4) The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957

3) The Deer Hunter (1978)-

2) Saving Private Ryan (1998

1) The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)-

 

[Austin8]

One of my Favorite Movies, just so happens it's a war movie, The Dirty Dozen, 1967.