Favorite War Movie?

[Zuni]

For me it is either Saving Private Ryan or Patton. Band of Brothers and A Bridge Too Far are also fantastic.

[lazarus]

1. Henry V

Kenneth Branagh's version of Henry V is exceptional.

[BeatleBoot]

2. Force 10 From Navarone

Only because Barbara Bach is just tooooo hot!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. Grand Illusion, Alls Quiet on the Western Front

Grand Illusion: About WWI, directed by Jean Renoir and starring 1930s French heartthrob, Jean Gabin.

[Zuni]

5. I have the first English Printing

of all Quiet, published in 1929. One of my all time favorite books.

[K8-EEE]

70. Yes, Grand Illusion!! And...

The Best Years Of Our Lives, which is really a movie about the effects of war on the returning soldiers.

[BOSSHOG]

4. The Enemy Below

with Robert Mitchum as the American Destroyer Skipper playing cat and mouse with a German Submarine. Excellent acting, superb action scenes.

[Zuni]

6. good call

I like that movie too. Hardy Kruger is in all the old war movies too.

[everythingsxen]

7. Saving Private Ryan is awesome...

Stalag-17 is also good; as is The Great Escape.

Battle of the Bulge and The Dirty Dozen are another great pair of movies.

[Zuni]

15. My grandfather's favorite movie

was Stalag 17. He was a Soviet Officer who was captured by the Germans at Kharkov and spent more than 2 years in a POW camp. He defected to American lines with my grandma in 1945 as the war was ending.
In the early 1950s he got admitted to the US and the first movie they saw in this country was Stalag 17.

[randr]

8. Last Stand at Little Big Horn

Custer meets his maker!

[pistoff democrat]

9. Born on the Fourth of July

The Best Years of our Lives

[JohnKleeb]

10. I like those too zuni

maybe Enemy at the Gates also. I have all 5 of those. Excellent,

[Zuni]

11. I love Enemy at the Gates

John, check out a novel called War of the Rats--it is the book that Enemy was based off. I also have the actual book Enemy at the Gates, but it is a straight military history, but very good though.

My grandfather was an officer in the Red Army during the war.

[JohnKleeb]

I have the book enemy at the gates

BTW now that you know I am Slovene, my ancestors were Partisans. I dont have any Russian blood but my great grandfathers worked on the Railroad.

[Zuni]

28. Partisans, eh?

Must make for interesting stories. There was a real ugly war in yugoslavia during WWII, sort of like the 1990s, except the Croats were far worse in the 1940s than than the Serbs were in the 1990s. Ante Pavelic could have taught Slobo, Karadezic and Mladic a few lessons in cruelty.

[JohnKleeb]

34. The Croats yeah

These people(my relatives) were Slovenes as you know, had a son of theirs killed so I think that could be why.

[underpants]

27. That is a great one. A very different perspective.

I mean the Russian German part of WWII. We don't see or think of that part of it much around here.

The scene where they are on the fairies and then get off with either a rifle OR ammo handed to them (we then see why) is as chilling to me as the first half hour of Saving Private Ryan.

[Zuni]

32. Crossing the Volga

Stalingrad is built along the largest river in Europe, the Volga. To get soldiers into Stalingrad, the Russians had to cross the river as the Germans had it surrounded on three sides. It got worse as the fight went on because the Germans took the high ground overlooking the river and were able to mount artillery and air-ground spotters to intercept the convoys crossing.

Watching the beginning of that movie always leaves my heart pounding. I can imagine how terrifying it must have been, and the fact that retreat was often a death sentence.

[JohnKleeb]

35. The music that is played when the Russian machine gunners gun down their

own is simply tearful.

[Zuni]

40. being a Russian soldier must have been so horrid

Incidents like that were tragically all to common in the Red Army, who used Stalinist methods of terror to keep soldiers in line. Having to face German bullets or Russian ones must have been so emotionally crippling.

I think my grandfather might have ordered some pretty draconian things during the war. He never came out and confessed, but he hinted that he had done some things at the time he was ashamed of.

[JohnKleeb]

42. I would envision

so yeah. The war in Russia is very interesting. The Russians gave so much.

[Intelsucks]

12. Saving Private Ryan - We Were Soldiers

WWII and Vietnam. Both films will make you bite your finger nails off. :scared:

[Zuni]

13. We Were Soldiers

and Ryan are both, embarrasingly enough, tear jerkers for yours truly.

[Intelsucks]

16. They both get to me as well

I can't imagine charging into showers of flying lead to "follow orders". I have no idea how I would handle it.

[Intelsucks]

14. Black Hawk Down is also excellent

n/t

[Zuni]

17. the book is far better

The book is an amazing read. I like Bowden's writing a lot.

[Intelsucks]

23. I'll have to check it out

n/t

[asteroid2003QQ47]

21. Casualties of War

"Full Metal Jacket" too.

[trof]

18. The Great Escape

Now a classic.

[soothsayer]

24. I thought this would be at the very top of the thread!

I think it was always a classic... What a great flick.

[JohnKleeb]

25. I love that as well

That theme song is so addicting, and its a great movie too, good acting and great story.

[trof]

26. Me too. Buncha youngsters.

;-)

[KensPen]

30. Gotta Love the Cooler King.....

Great movie.....
now when will the "dirty dozen" be mentioned?

[Zuni]

29. The Great Escape rocks!

It is such a cool movie. It is long, but does not seem that way once you get into it.

[Seldona]

19. Apocolypse Now

Such memorable characters. Killer soundtrack.

Second would have to be Full Metal Jacket.

R. Lee Ermy is the defacto Drill Sergant if there ever was one.

Come to think of it I would have to say these would be a tie. Really cannot decide which I like better.

[Maine-i-acs]

39. Nice one Seldona

I'd throw Platoon at #3 behind Full Metal Jacket, which is right behind Apocalypse Now at #1.

[MaineDem]

20. "Band of Brothers" above all

If we consider that a movie.

I remember seeing "Battle of the Bulge" in Cinerama. I must admit it was impressive. I still enjoy watching it.

"Apocalypse Now" is haunting. That and "Full Metal Jacket" are my favorite Vietnam era movies.

I can't pick just one.

[JohnKleeb]

22. BoB is so beautiful

Sigh it made me tearful though, well all war movies do that now.

[Zuni]

36. BoB

gets to me too. I hate how when you get used to one of the charecters, and then he ends up wounded or killed. You really begin to understand why old soldiers became like family.

[JohnKleeb]

38. Yeah

Sigh I dont even what get in to what happened to Muck and Pencala, when I read All Quiet on the Western Front, btw I havent seen the movie yet but when I read that, I began not to care that these guys were my "enemies", I mentioned that in my essay and my english teacher was like that is the point.

[Zuni]

41. That is the best war novel

ever written. I have a first edition of it, published 1929. Nothing describes the futility of war better. I had tears in my eyes when I read it

[JohnKleeb]

43. I agree

[Catch22Dem]

51. Hey John

Read Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. That book will haunt you for the rest of your days, bro!

[maveric]

73. Best of all time, BoB!

All elements of that movie/miniseries were of excellent quality. The storylines came from the actual members of E company. I actually cry during some scenes.

[Intelsucks]

31. The Timing Of This Post Is Perfect

I've been on a major war movie DVD jag lately. I'm taking notes from this thread.

[BOSSHOG]

33. Bridge over the River Kwai

and Von Ryun's Express. They are older movies but the emotions and human interaction in time of war are palpable.

[MarianJack]

44. I like them both

I love when the Doctor is yelling "MADNESS" at the end of "Bridge..."

I think that 2 great post war movies are "The Best Years of Our Lives" and "Coming Home".

[Raenelle]

56. Glory first, but Bridge is really a great movie.

Also Patton, Stalag 17, The Great Escape.

[LanternWaste]

37. Hnery V and Band of Brother

Henry V ('89 production) and Band of Brothers, both of which have already been mentioned. What can I say?... I think both have an equal measure of passion in addition to raising very sublime questions on a thing which seems to bring out both the very best and the very worst of man.

I'd put Schindler's List in there too, but I'd have a hard time classifying it as a War Movie. Heck, I have a hard time classifying that movie at all.

[Jonte_1979]

45. "Paths of Glory"

Great critique on the absurdities of warfare.

[Zuni]

54. Kubrick's best film

I almost forgot that one. Excellent film.

[Faygo Kid]

46. "Gettysburg"

I really enjoyed the movie, and the performances. "Gods and Generals," however, was terrible. A huge disappointment.

[JohnKleeb]

47. me too and I agree Gods and Generals was a disappointment

Fredricksburg though was neat for me at least.

[Zuni]

53. Gods and Generals sucked

The battle scenes were fantastic, but the dialogue was so unreal. Jackson's charecter in particular was dead wrong, far too soft. I read the book , and it is good, but it is no Killer Angels (the book Gettysburg was based on)

[SiobhanClancy]

74. I loved "Gettysburg"

especially the performance of Jeff Daniels as the great MAINE hero Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain:)

[Intelsucks]

48. The Deer Hunter

n/t

[Jonte_1979]

49. How could I forget "Deer Hunter!?

Brilliant movie.

[pistoff democrat]

52. Do you remember the scene

with Christopher Walken sitting, it's outside, I think he's leaning against a post, and tears are streaming/his face contorted in pain - that about did me in!

[Zuni]

55. Hated it

so boring

[salin]

76. along with that... Coming Home (?)

With Jane Fonda and Jon Voight

[Catch22Dem]

50. I see a lot of Viet-Nam here, so.....

My favs are:
Bridge at Remagen
Bridge Too Far
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Eagle has Landed
The Great Escape
The Longest Day

Ok, I could go on forever. If I had to pick just one, I'd have to go with Great Escape because McQueen is soooo fuckin' cool.

As far as non-WWII movies: I liked Three Kings LOL

[alwynsw]

57. Stage Door Canteen - Surprised it hasn't showed up yet

But then, there are so many. We just watched The Best years of Our Lives again.

Civil War era has to be Shenandoah for me. Gotta love Jimmy Stewart.

[gpandas]

58. favorite anti-war movies

all quiet on the western front,catch-22, hamburger hill, and, of course, the book "johnny got his gun" by Dalton Trumbo, which i suggest a lot of you that think war is 'cool' read.

[ProudGerman]

60. I don't think anyone on this thread thinks war is "cool".

Liking a war movie does not make someone a warmonger.

My favorite "light-hearted" war movie is Kelly's Heroes. A movie with a tank that shoots paint is an instant classic in my book. My favorite serious war movie is Das Boot.

[JohnKleeb]

61. same movies that make others hawkish make me dove

Saving Private Ryan, two words for ya Omaha Beach.

[pistoff democrat]

64. Oh, yes, ProudGerman, Das Boot

I prefer Tin Drum. Did you see that one?

[HamstersFromHell]

66. Definitely "Das Boot"

As much as "my" generation was raised to think anything Nazi (and by association German) as evil, by the end of Das Boot you really felt sorry for those guys.

Of course, I can only watch it in German with English subtitles, the dubbed version just doesn't cut it. I have both the original release and the director's cut. I wish they'd release the entire mini-series on DVD.

[K8-EEE]

71. Das Boot, Wonderful!

Wow when the bolts go flying off the walls in the sub...I really did feel myself gasping for air, great direction!

[Catch22Dem]

67. And Donald Sutherland was simply BRILLIANT!

[pistoff democrat]

62. I love that book AND

it was made into a movie as well years ago, B&W, probably in the 1960's...

Coming Home

Born on the 4th of July

Testament (tv)

Catch 22

Dr. Strangelove

[kodi]

59. thin red line

visually a masterpiece

[Cooley Hurd]

63. The Battle of Britain...

I also loved "Memphis Bell." Greatest line (from Sean Astin as the ball turret gunner): There's a hole in the wing as big as my DICK!

[mobuto]

65. M.A.S.H, Dr. Strangelove, Zulu, Gallipoli, Spartacus, Bridge-River Kwai

I suppose you'd have to add Casablanca too. Paths of Glory,
Das Boot, The Caine Mutiny...

And as previously mentioned, La Grande Illusion, Henry V (Branagh more than Olivier), Patton and many others.

[HEyHEY]

68. Devil's brigade

Cause it's the only one about Canadians

[Faygo Kid]

69. Forgot to add "Glory"

A magnificent and moving story.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

72. German Movie "The Bridge" and French Movie "357 Platoon"

The German movie "The Bridge" which occasionally plays late night on cable is about 12 and 13 year old boys drafted into Hitler's army at the end of the war, when only young boys and old men were left to defend the Fatherland. The young uniformed boys have to defend a meaningless bridge against the advancing American army.

The French movie "357 Platoon" is all about the war in Indochina and is pretty gritty.

I like to see movies from different perspectives and points of view. The German movie "Stalingrad" was also good.

[RobinA]

75. Just a Small Movie...

"A Midnight Clear." It's a WW2 movie done more in the Vietnam movie style. An excellent scene in the woods on Christmas Eve. Opened my eyes to the fact that the German Army wasn't necesarily the same thing as the Nazis.