Best War Films

Snufkin · March 21st, 2009, 09:10 PM

Best War Films

Hello - I'd like to ask people for thier best (could be several best) War Films. There isn't another specfic thread for this and my thinking behind it is for likeminded people to contribute thier thoughts so others can track them donw and have a look. As well as the classics that everyone will come up with, I'm interested in foreign war films and I'm not just sticking to WWII either.

I'll start off with my own recomendations in no particular order:

Schindlers List
Downfall
Where Eagles Dare
Saints and Soldiers
All quiet on the Western Front (1930 and 1979 remake)
Apocalypse Now
Cross of Iron
Southern Comfort
First Blood (Rambo)
Days of Glory
Paths of Glory
Platoon
Gallipoli
Escape to Victory

The Great Escape
The Pianist

I bought, and was very dissapointed in "Come and See."

foxx · March 21st, 2009, 09:18 PM

Kelly's Heroes & The Dirty Dozen

**Rick Danger** · March 21st, 2009, 10:12 PM

Yes, I enjoy "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Great Escape". Also, I think that "Saving Private Ryan" was great, esp. the gritty scenes of the fighting on Omaha Beach. A lot of other movies I feel did not portray how brutal that fight truly was. And of course the ULTIMATE MAN MOVIE, "The Dirty Dozen".

Here are three classic movies I'd recommend:

Battleground (1949)
Director: William A. Wellman
Writers: Robert Pirosh (story)
Robert Pirosh (screenplay)
Release Date: 20 January 1950 (USA)
Plot: A squad of the 101st Airborne Division copes with being
trapped in the besieged city of Bastogne during the
Battle of the Bulge.
Awards: Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations
Principal cast:
Van Johnson ........... Holley
John Hodiak ............ Jarvess
Ricardo Montalban ... Roderigues
George Murphy ....... 'Pop' Stazak
Marshall Thompson ... Jim Layton
James Whitmore ...... Kinnie

A Walk in the Sun (1945)
Director: Lewis Milestone
Writers: Harry Brown (novel)
Robert Rossen (screenplay)
Release Date: 25 December 1945 (USA)
Plot: In the 1943 invasion of Italy, one American platoon lands,
digs in, then makes its way inland to attempt to take a
fortified farmhouse...
Awards: Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.
Principal cast:
Dana Andrews ..... Sgt. Bill Tyne
Richard Conte ..... Pvt. Rivera
George Tyne ....... Pvt. Jake Friedman
John Ireland ........ Pvt. Windy Craven
Lloyd Bridges ....... Sgt. Ward
Sterling Holloway ... McWilliams

The Longest Day (1962)
Directors: Ken Annakin
Andrew Marton
Writers: Cornelius Ryan (screenplay)
Cornelius Ryan (book)
Release Date: 4 October 1962 (USA)
Plot: The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the
Allied and German points of view.
Awards: Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations.
Principal cast:
Eddie Albert ... Col. Thompson
Paul Anka ... U.S. Army Ranger
Hans Christian Blech ... Maj. Werner Pluskat
Richard Burton ... Flight Officer David Campbell
Red Buttons ... Pvt. John Steele
Sean Connery ... Pvt. Flanagan
Mel Ferrer ... Maj. Gen. Robert Haines
Henry Fonda ... Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
Gert Fröbe ... Sgt. Kaffekanne
Curt Jürgens ... Maj. Gen. Gunther Blumentritt (as Curt Jürgens)
Christian Marquand ... Cmdr. Philippe Kieffer (commando leader)
Robert Mitchum ... Brig. Gen. Norman Cota
Edmond O'Brien ... Gen. Raymond D. Barton
Wolfgang Preiss ... Maj. Gen. Max Pemsel
Robert Ryan ... Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin
George Segal ... U.S. Army Ranger
Rod Steiger ... Destroyer commander
Peter van Eyck ... Lt. Col. Ocker (as Peter Van Eyck)
Robert Wagner ... U.S. Army Ranger
Stuart Whitman ... Lt. Sheen
John Wayne ... Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort

**scoundrel** · March 21st, 2009, 10:16 PM

Saving Private Ryan
Lawrence of Arabia
Le Grand Illusion
Bridge Over The River Kwai
The Cruel Sea
Tora Tora Tora
The Horse Soldiers
Reach For The Sky

Also cannot praise too highly the TV series Band of Brothers: I read Stephen Ambrose's excellent book as well. I still totally admire the series, the book and the men who inspired it, in spite of the very accurate description of the love-hate relationship between US soldiers and their British comrades.

British tanks were hopeless crap (true).
British infantry were only reliable as planners and tacticians, not really up for it when the brown smelly stuff hit the fan (not true, but I can see why US soldiers felt it this way).
British artillery was highly respected (probably because we used to deal very harshly with gunners who hit our own or American boys by mistake).

Another TV series: The World At war, narrated by Laurence Olivier. Must see.

Estreeter · March 21st, 2009, 10:18 PM

For me, easily Patton.

elf4736 · March 21st, 2009, 10:37 PM

A Walk in the Sun

The Cruel Sea

The Bridge

Pork Chop Hill

Zulu

All Quiet on the Western Front

3 of these movies were Directed by Lewis Milestone

mrbusch · March 21st, 2009, 10:38 PM

Das Boot
Black Hawk Down
Guns of Navarone

foxx · March 21st, 2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoundrel

The Horse Soldiers

I think it's one of John Fords most underrated films. The beginning where the Soldiers are sitting under the trees and become photographed is very lyric. The last sequence where John Wayne is riding over the Bridge before it explodes is great.

And then something else. The scene where one of the Boy Soldiers with his little drum receives a stern rebuke by his old teacher. Who else than John Ford could tell such storys that great?

Another great War Movie was Lewis Milestones "All quiet on the western front" from 1931. It still has some of the most haunting and forceful war sequences (The Remake was quite good too)

**tabler** · March 21st, 2009, 10:41 PM

My son has been through 2 tours of Iraq, 1 trip to bosnia , 1 trip to Sierra Leone and several stints fighting fires when the Firemen where on strike (he was a tank commander in the British Army) and he told me that the next thing you could come across to actual war is the Tom Hanks film, Saving Private Ryan.

**tabler** · March 21st, 2009, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbusch

Das Boot
Black Hawk Down
Guns of Navarone

Das Boot, or 'the boat' is one of the greatest films I have ever seen.

March 21st, 2009, 09:10 PM	#1
Snufkin Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 143 Thanks: 466 Thanked 1,722 Times in 140 Posts	Best War Films Best War Films Hello - I'd like to ask people for thier best (could be several best) War Films. There isn't another specfic thread for this and my thinking behind it is for likeminded people to contribute thier thoughts so others can track them donw and have a look. As well as the classics that everyone will come up with, I'm interested in foreign war films and I'm not just sticking to WWII either. I'll start off with my own recomendations in no particular order: Schindlers List Downfall Where Eagles Dare Saints and Soldiers All quiet on the Western Front (1930 and 1979 remake) Apocalypse Now Cross of Iron Southern Comfort First Blood (Rambo) Days of Glory Paths of Glory Platoon Gallipoli Escape to Victory The Great Escape The Pianist I bought, and was very dissapointed in "Come and See."

March 21st, 2009, 10:12 PM	#3
Rick Danger Vintage Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: In the Chill lounge..... Posts: 1,725 Thanks: 6,794 Thanked 30,933 Times in 1,714 Posts	Three classics to add to your shopping list ....... Yes, I enjoy "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Great Escape". Also, I think that "Saving Private Ryan" was great, esp. the gritty scenes of the fighting on Omaha Beach. A lot of other movies I feel did not portray how brutal that fight truly was. And of course the ULTIMATE MAN MOVIE, "The Dirty Dozen". Here are three classic movies I'd recommend: Battleground (1949) Director: William A. Wellman Writers: Robert Pirosh (story) Robert Pirosh (screenplay) Release Date: 20 January 1950 (USA) Plot: A squad of the 101st Airborne Division copes with being trapped in the besieged city of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Awards: Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations Principal cast: Van Johnson ........... Holley John Hodiak ............ Jarvess Ricardo Montalban ... Roderigues George Murphy ....... 'Pop' Stazak Marshall Thompson ... Jim Layton James Whitmore ...... Kinnie A Walk in the Sun (1945) Director: Lewis Milestone Writers: Harry Brown (novel) Robert Rossen (screenplay) Release Date: 25 December 1945 (USA) Plot: In the 1943 invasion of Italy, one American platoon lands, digs in, then makes its way inland to attempt to take a fortified farmhouse... Awards: Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Principal cast: Dana Andrews ..... Sgt. Bill Tyne Richard Conte ..... Pvt. Rivera George Tyne ....... Pvt. Jake Friedman John Ireland ........ Pvt. Windy Craven Lloyd Bridges ....... Sgt. Ward Sterling Holloway ... McWilliams The Longest Day (1962) Directors: Ken Annakin Andrew Marton Writers: Cornelius Ryan (screenplay) Cornelius Ryan (book) Release Date: 4 October 1962 (USA) Plot: The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view. Awards: Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations. Principal cast: Eddie Albert ... Col. Thompson Paul Anka ... U.S. Army Ranger Hans Christian Blech ... Maj. Werner Pluskat Richard Burton ... Flight Officer David Campbell Red Buttons ... Pvt. John Steele Sean Connery ... Pvt. Flanagan Mel Ferrer ... Maj. Gen. Robert Haines Henry Fonda ... Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Gert Fröbe ... Sgt. Kaffekanne Curt Jürgens ... Maj. Gen. Gunther Blumentritt (as Curt Jürgens) Christian Marquand ... Cmdr. Philippe Kieffer (commando leader) Robert Mitchum ... Brig. Gen. Norman Cota Edmond O'Brien ... Gen. Raymond D. Barton Wolfgang Preiss ... Maj. Gen. Max Pemsel Robert Ryan ... Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin George Segal ... U.S. Army Ranger Rod Steiger ... Destroyer commander Peter van Eyck ... Lt. Col. Ocker (as Peter Van Eyck) Robert Wagner ... U.S. Army Ranger Stuart Whitman ... Lt. Sheen John Wayne ... Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort

March 21st, 2009, 10:18 PM	#5
Estreeter *Administrator* Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The 19th hole Posts: 58,106 Thanks: 449,599 Thanked 896,742 Times in 60,308 Posts	For me, easily Patton. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

March 21st, 2009, 10:37 PM	#6
elf4736 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 178 Thanks: 519 Thanked 2,735 Times in 166 Posts	Best war Movies A Walk in the Sun The Cruel Sea The Bridge Pork Chop Hill Zulu All Quiet on the Western Front 3 of these movies were Directed by Lewis Milestone Last edited by elf4736; March 21st, 2009 at 10:41 PM.. Reason: misspelling

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March 21st, 2009, 09:18 PM	#2
foxx Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 39 Thanks: 2,310 Thanked 417 Times in 37 Posts	Kelly's Heroes & The Dirty Dozen

March 21st, 2009, 10:16 PM	#4
scoundrel Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: England Posts: 26,237 Thanks: 162,388 Thanked 278,408 Times in 26,182 Posts	Saving Private Ryan Lawrence of Arabia Le Grand Illusion Bridge Over The River Kwai The Cruel Sea Tora Tora Tora The Horse Soldiers Reach For The Sky Also cannot praise too highly the TV series Band of Brothers: I read Stephen Ambrose's excellent book as well. I still totally admire the series, the book and the men who inspired it, in spite of the very accurate description of the love-hate relationship between US soldiers and their British comrades. British tanks were hopeless crap (true). British infantry were only reliable as planners and tacticians, not really up for it when the brown smelly stuff hit the fan (not true, but I can see why US soldiers felt it this way). British artillery was highly respected (probably because we used to deal very harshly with gunners who hit our own or American boys by mistake). Another TV series: The World At war, narrated by Laurence Olivier. Must see.

March 21st, 2009, 10:38 PM	#7
mrbusch Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 137 Thanks: 290 Thanked 4,690 Times in 137 Posts	Das Boot Black Hawk Down Guns of Navarone

March 21st, 2009, 10:41 PM	#9
tabler Comfortably Numb Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: St James Park Posts: 7,028 Thanks: 112,504 Thanked 146,054 Times in 8,009 Posts	My son has been through 2 tours of Iraq, 1 trip to bosnia , 1 trip to Sierra Leone and several stints fighting fires when the Firemen where on strike (he was a tank commander in the British Army) and he told me that the next thing you could come across to actual war is the Tom Hanks film, Saving Private Ryan.