War Movies

[softfilter]

Being a avid reader of U.S. military history with the natural interest of my own family heritage my father being a WWII vet and my greatx3 grand father being a Civil war vet. Movies that I thought that brought these times to life better then others are as follows.(Please note your'e picks do not have to be about U.S military history nor about battles. The era's that certain conflicts centered around also would work!) REVOLUTION-1985 Al Pacino,Donald Sutherland If anything this film captured visually the essence of Colonial America (The movie itself not to good) THE PATRIOT-I know Mel Gibson is the terminator of the American revolution still a entertaining effort ( Gibson stated prior to release of film no one has done the revolution right. THIS AIN'T IT!) RED BADGE OF COURAGE-1974 Richard Thomas one of the few remakes that I like better then original. Others I'll just mention that are fantastic-GLORY,PHARAOH'S ARMY,GANGS OF NEWYORK (Civil War era NYC) ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT-1979 John boy Richard Thomas again. (Remake never seen silent original) PATTON,THE BIG RED ONE and of course SAVING PRIVATE RYAN- Honestly brutal graphic. Oh i might add COLD MOUNTAIN -good .book better! I'll think of more depending how thread goes. LIKE TO READ YOUR PICKS. Once again sorry if this topic already covered...

[D-13]

I know this isn't a movie....but Band Of Brothers I love a lot! Also all the movies you listed are very good as well! Just can't get enough of Band of Brothers

[Freedom_Fighter]

i love Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot, and Cold Mountain

[softfilter]

QUOTE (D-13 @ Jun 19 2005, 11:53 PM)

I know this isn't a movie....but Band Of Brothers I love a lot!  Also all the movies you listed are very good as well!  Just can't get enough of Band of Brothers

THANKS! I'm in the process of renting "Band of Brothers'' series on vol.3 now. EXCELLENT SO FAR.

[Jack Aubrey]

In no particular order:

 

'Patton'

'We Were Soldiers'

'Blackhawk Down'

'The Last Of The Mohicans'

'The Bridge On The River Kwai'

'Northwest Passage'

'Saving Private Ryan'

'Band Of Brothers'

'The Great Escape'

'Zulu'

 

 

[softfilter]

Drums Along the Mohawk- 1939 Henry Fonda,Claudette Colbert ALLEGHENY UPRISING- Also 1939 John Wayne SHENANDOAH-1965 James Stewart,Often overlooked Civil War yarn about a farmer caught between the Rebs and the Yanks refuses to take a side until his son is taken prisoner. (Very good)

[Slaine mac Roth]

I think this may have been done, for some bizarre reason, in the politics forum but I don't mind listing them again:

 

Band of Brothers (can't praise this highly enough)

The Great Escape

The Dambusters

Ice Cold in Alex

The Wooden Horse

The One That Got Away

Saving Private Ryan

The Longest Day

The Battle of Britain

A Bridge Too Far

Reach for the Skies

Schindler's List

The Blue Max

Braveheart

Kingdom of Heaven

Go Tell the Spartans

Black Hawk Down

Battle of the River Plate

The Hill

 

that's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there's more which I'll add when I can call them top mind

[Pratt Boy]

QUOTE (softfilter @ Jun 19 2005, 11:49 PM)

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT-1979 John boy Richard Thomas again. (Remake never seen silent original)

All Quiet On The Western Front (1920) was an excellent movie and it wasn't silent.

Some of the special effects were great considering it was made so long ago.

[softfilter]

QUOTE (Pratt Boy @ Jun 20 2005, 01:28 PM)

QUOTE (softfilter @ Jun 19 2005, 11:49 PM) ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT-1979 John boy Richard Thomas again. (Remake never seen silent original) All Quiet On The Western Front (1920) was an excellent movie and it wasn't silent. Some of the special effects were great considering it was made so long ago. I did not know that! Just seen photograph's of movie black and white images took for granted it must of been silent era flick. Like to see it hopefully local video store has it. Another one I liked Civil War movie again Friendly Persuasion-1956 Gary Cooper young Tony Perkins very similar in story to SHENANDOAH. A family of Quakers from Indiana who's peaceful existance is disrupted by the war.

[Alsgalpal]

Loved the Patriot.

[softfilter]

APOCALYPSE NOW-1979 FULL METAL JACKET-1987

[softfilter]

Another Vietnam film my favorite,The Killing Fields-2001 Sam Waterson, John Malkovich.

[softfilter]

Before this old thread just fades away and we sound tapps.. I was slightly amazed so many picked "THE PATRIOT" as one of there favorites. I to picked this for entertainment value but thought Mel Gibsons character had superman abilities! Such is the magic of cinema. What I did find interesting about this movie was it's mixture of real historical events and fiqures with ones representing the actual person of the revolution. Gibsons character is identical to the very real Francis "The Swamp Fox" Marion who conducted highly sucessful raids on the British after the fall of Charleston S.C. in 1780. The actor portraying British commander Cornwallis was of course based on the real one. The main controversy of this film centered around the character Colonel Tavington based on real British cavalry commander Banastre Tarleton.(Name changed to protect the innocent?) Our British cousins didn't take lightly the barbaric nature of his portrayal. The church burning comes to mind. Though this atrocity no doubt never happened,there is enough evidence to support the claim as one historian put it."Tarleton was cold hearted,vindictive and utterly ruthless" It was said he often gave orders of No Quarter to surrendering colonial American army troops.

[kazzman]

Patton

Saving Pvt. Ryan

Tora! Tora! Tora!

The Longest Day

The Patriot

Gettysburg

 

And being a Civil War Re-enactor, I've seen a lot of movies made about the Civil War, and have even been in a couple (most notably, Gods and Generals). Quite honestly, I'm not impressed by any of them (including Cold Harbor which sucked, IMO). And in all honesty, I wouldn't really classify Cold Harbor as a war movie. Sure it took place during the Civil War, but there was only 10 minutes that actually took place during the fighting.

[pedro2112]

Once again, the american auidience is missing out on two of the best war films ever made, Stalingrad and Das Boot, both made by the same film company in Germany.

 

Anyone who is a true war film buff (like myself) and watches these two movies, will automatically include them in their top ten war movies of all time.

[kazzman]

QUOTE (pedro2112 @ Jun 26 2005, 06:29 PM)

Once again, the american auidience is missing out on two of the best war films ever made, Stalingrad and Das Boot, both made by the same film company in Germany. Anyone who is a true war film buff (like myself) and watches these two movies, will automatically include them in their top ten war movies of all time.

Looking for them as I'm typing...

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (pedro2112 @ Jun 26 2005, 06:29 PM)

Once again, the american auidience is missing out on two of the best war films ever made, Stalingrad and Das Boot, both made by the same film company in Germany. Anyone who is a true war film buff (like myself) and watches these two movies, will automatically include them in their top ten war movies of all time.

Never saw "Stalingrad," but I own "Das Boot." It's in my top 3.

 

For those who've never seen it, avoid watching the dubbed English version and go with the original German with subtitles.

[Raider917]

My favoritre War Movie is The Bridge over the River Kwai.

[pedro2112]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jun 26 2005, 07:20 PM)

QUOTE (pedro2112 @ Jun 26 2005, 06:29 PM) Once again, the american auidience is missing out on two of the best war films ever made, Stalingrad and Das Boot, both made by the same film company in Germany. Anyone who is a true war film buff (like myself) and watches these two movies, will automatically include them in their top ten war movies of all time. Never saw "Stalingrad," but I own "Das Boot." It's in my top 3.   For those who've never seen it, avoid watching the dubbed English version and go with the original German with subtitles. I actually saw Stalingrad on the big screen. It was showing at the Music box theatre in Chicago (only plays artsy fartsy movies) and it was incredible. It is the definitive movie about action on the Eastern Front during World War II. Makes Enemy at the Gates seem like Micheal Bay's Pearl Harbor.

[softfilter]

I stated at beginning of post a pick dosen't have to be about military combat.But also can be the same time frame which the conflict centered around (Gangs of New York) My guess Kazz you ment to say "Cold Mountain" and not Cold Harbor. The June 1864 battle which the federals suffered horrendous casualties in a matter of minutes. At least I'm not aware of any movie about this. Cold Mountain the movie I thought was good that it was somewhat faithful to Charles Frazier's novel. The book was great especially the vivid discriptions of a bleak war worn south. By the way Neil mentioned in GHOST RIDER this is one of his favorites.(The book) Your'e right on the whole about Civil War movies,there needs to be "A SAVING PRIVATE RYAN" type epic a reality check if you will that shows the carnage of Civil War combat. "GETTYSBURG" is also one of my picks ,this movie received alot of flack about the accuracy of film compared to real events of the battle. Critics missed the point that it was based on Michael Shaara's NOVEL and wasen't suppose to be a documentary. Now the follow up movie or in this case prequel based on his son's novel "GODS AND GENERALS" was just awful. How the hell did they get any fighting done with all those speeches is beyond me!! pedro2112 "DAS BOOT" IS ONE OF THE BEST own that one..

[kazzman]

QUOTE (softfilter @ Jun 26 2005, 10:55 PM)

I stated at beginning of post a pick dosen't have to be about military combat.But also can be the same time frame which the conflict centered around (Gangs of New York) My guess Kazz you ment to say "Cold Mountain" and not Cold Harbor. The June 1864 battle which the federals suffered horrendous casualties in a matter of minutes. At least I'm not aware of any movie about this. Cold Mountain the movie I thought was good that it was somewhat faithful to Charles Frazier's novel. The book was great especially the vivid discriptions of a bleak war worn south. By the way Neil mentioned in GHOST RIDER this is one of his favorites.(The book) Your'e right on the whole about Civil War movies,there needs to be "A SAVING PRIVATE RYAN" type epic a reality check if you will that shows the carnage of Civil War combat. "GETTYSBURG" is also one of my picks ,this movie received alot of flack about the accuracy of film compared to real events of the battle. Critics missed the point that it was based on Michael Shaara's NOVEL and wasen't suppose to be a documentary. Now the follow up movie or in this case prequel based on his son's novel "GODS AND GENERALS" was just awful. How the hell did they get any fighting done with all those speeches is beyond me!! pedro2112 "DAS BOOT" IS ONE OF THE BEST own that one..

Yeah, I meant Cold Mountain. Mistake on my part. I was reading something on the battle of Cold Harbor when I typed that.

[Pratt Boy]

QUOTE (1-0-0-1-0-0-1 @ Jun 26 2005, 06:20 PM)

QUOTE (pedro2112 @ Jun 26 2005, 06:29 PM) Once again, the american auidience is missing out on two of the best war films ever made, Stalingrad and Das Boot, both made by the same film company in Germany. Anyone who is a true war film buff (like myself) and watches these two movies, will automatically include them in their top ten war movies of all time. Never saw "Stalingrad," but I own "Das Boot." It's in my top 3.   For those who've never seen it, avoid watching the dubbed English version and go with the original German with subtitles. I second that.   Das Boot is a great movie. Very long.

[softfilter]

The Pianist(2002)- A very touching film based on a true story about the classical pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman and his fight for survival in nazi occupied Warsaw,Poland. Enemy At The Gate I thought was good and put that down as one of my picks. But would like to see Stalingrad the other Pedro pick (Thought it played once on IFC)