The best war film ever made?
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Band of Brothers is pretty high on the list for me.
but it might be tied with "Aliens" [it was pitched as "Vietnam in Space" by the director]
but it might be tied with "Aliens" [it was pitched as "Vietnam in Space" by the director]
I liked Saving Private Ryan.
I dont have any first hand war combat experience, but I really enjoyed:
Gettysburg
Glory
The Alamo (John Wayne)
Does Lord of the rings count? There was a real war in that movie :redface:
Gettysburg
Glory
The Alamo (John Wayne)
Does Lord of the rings count? There was a real war in that movie :redface:
Another vote for Saving Private Ryan.
Even though some of the older movies don't have the same technical quality as the high tech films of today.
A Bridge Too Far was a great War movie.
A Bridge Too Far was a great War movie.
funny you should mention KH... when i read your subject line, that's *exactly* the movie i thought of!710 said:
if there needs to be a "best war" film category, i'm all for having it be a bit irreverent; of course, for the "war is hell, we're all in this together" perspective, the other films mentioned are all excellent.
for "leadership in war" films, "patton" and "12 o'clock high" are excellent.
woof woof, indeed!
Full Metal Jacket
I also really liked Lawerence of Arabia...
I also really liked Lawerence of Arabia...
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"The Great Escape" with Steve McQueen would have to rank right up there. Based on a true story as well.
Osiris_x11
Gold Member, Moderator: Marketplace
best? most popular? most accurate? most intense?
Overlooking some subtle (some gross) inaccuracies, Battle Of The Bulge is amongst my favorite movies in general.
I tend to be drawn to World War II films, as that era in history (1919-1945) I find particularly interesting.
Other war movies I enjoy viewing ALOT: Spartacus, Patton, Platoon, Apocalypse Now, The Beast, Saving Private Ryan, Stalingrad, and dozens others... :biggrin:
As each era is different, each war in the past was different. Resultingly, war movies of different conflicts are difficult to compare.
Ex.
- American Revolutionary War
- American Civil War
- World War I
- World War II
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
- Gulf War
Overlooking some subtle (some gross) inaccuracies, Battle Of The Bulge is amongst my favorite movies in general.
I tend to be drawn to World War II films, as that era in history (1919-1945) I find particularly interesting.
Other war movies I enjoy viewing ALOT: Spartacus, Patton, Platoon, Apocalypse Now, The Beast, Saving Private Ryan, Stalingrad, and dozens others... :biggrin:
As each era is different, each war in the past was different. Resultingly, war movies of different conflicts are difficult to compare.
Ex.
- American Revolutionary War
- American Civil War
- World War I
- World War II
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
- Gulf War
Star WARs 
Seriously though, while it isn't necessarily a "war movie", the opening sequence for Gladiator has some of the best ancient war shots. Newer movies that try to emulate that look like Troy, Kingdom of Heaven and Alexander just seem to miss the mark.
Seriously though, while it isn't necessarily a "war movie", the opening sequence for Gladiator has some of the best ancient war shots. Newer movies that try to emulate that look like Troy, Kingdom of Heaven and Alexander just seem to miss the mark.
Best ever? I guess that would depend on your question as to the best at what?
Saving Private Ryan was an incredible movie. It showed the horrors of war as well as the unexpected humanity in the common soldier.
I was born blind in one eye so I didn't follow in my father's footsteps or his father's footsteps before him and I didn't have the priveledge of serving my country in uniform. And while I'm not blind to the ills of the real world, I can tell you with a straight face that every time I've seen SPR, I've cried at the end.
Black Hawk Down was another very powerful film that left me literally spent when I left the theatres. I own this one on DVD but I haven't been able to muster the emotional fortitude to sit down and watch it again despite how good I thought it was.
The Band of Brothers series was also quite powerful.
On a less serious front, I have a soft spot for some of the older, less spectacular films like A Bridge Too Far, The Great Escape and the original Dirty Dozen.
Saving Private Ryan was an incredible movie. It showed the horrors of war as well as the unexpected humanity in the common soldier.
I was born blind in one eye so I didn't follow in my father's footsteps or his father's footsteps before him and I didn't have the priveledge of serving my country in uniform. And while I'm not blind to the ills of the real world, I can tell you with a straight face that every time I've seen SPR, I've cried at the end.
Black Hawk Down was another very powerful film that left me literally spent when I left the theatres. I own this one on DVD but I haven't been able to muster the emotional fortitude to sit down and watch it again despite how good I thought it was.
The Band of Brothers series was also quite powerful.
On a less serious front, I have a soft spot for some of the older, less spectacular films like A Bridge Too Far, The Great Escape and the original Dirty Dozen.
yeah, me too. First thing i thought when reading the headline was, Kellys heroes, and offcourse, a bridge to far.
Saving Private Ryan with Full Metal Jacket a close second.
I can't decide, they were all good in their own merit:
Saving Private Ryan
Glory
Full Metal Jacket
Black Hawk Down
Crimson Tide
Braveheart
Galdiator
7 Samurai
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Das Boot
The Bridge on River Kwai
and of course Big Mamma's House 1 AND 2 :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
Saving Private Ryan
Glory
Full Metal Jacket
Black Hawk Down
Crimson Tide
Braveheart
Galdiator
7 Samurai
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Das Boot
The Bridge on River Kwai
and of course Big Mamma's House 1 AND 2 :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
i really liked "the thin red line" but a friend of mine who was in vietnam said "full metal jacket" is the most realistic movie made.710 said:
also i love "combat" re-runs. the should do a "combat" movie.
"saving private ryan" had best acting and special effects.
tom hanks is always excellent.
Great Escape, Stalag 17, and others that are not so violent seem to come to mind first, but I am always up for anything WWII related (big History Channel fan!)
We've got a pretty good 'best of the best' thread going on this, and I would feel remiss if Patton was not in it also.
... and yes I am going to watch Kelly's Heros tonight too.
"Always with the negative waves Moriarity, always with the negative waves. Its a mother beautiful bridge and its gonna BE there."
/kilroy was here.
... and yes I am going to watch Kelly's Heros tonight too.
"Always with the negative waves Moriarity, always with the negative waves. Its a mother beautiful bridge and its gonna BE there."
/kilroy was here.
Osiris_x11
Gold Member, Moderator: Marketplace
personal...
Da Hapa/Christian, amazing! Same w/ me, except I can't even get myself to see it in it's entirety.
My father also was in the militarty, an influential officer at the time as well as a 'think-tank'. So I can totally feel where you're coming from! At times, a bit much to take in. . . :frown:
On topic...
Howabout Pearl Harbor
:biggrin:
Da Hapa said:
Da Hapa/Christian, amazing! Same w/ me, except I can't even get myself to see it in it's entirety.
My father also was in the militarty, an influential officer at the time as well as a 'think-tank'. So I can totally feel where you're coming from! At times, a bit much to take in. . . :frown:
On topic...
Howabout Pearl Harbor
Re: best? most popular? most accurate? most intense?
Wasn't world war II 1939-1945?Osiris_x11 said:
I collect war films, WWII (1939-1945) is a bit of a favourite for me. Now many people have mentioned some great war films from that era like: A Bridge too far, Battle of the Bulge, Patton, 12 'O Clock High, Kelly's Heros, Bridge Over River Kwai, etc. All are Brilliant movies and I can watch them over and over again.
But, my vote for BEST WAR MOVIE has to go too: THE LONGEST DAY.
It has all the best actors of the day John Wayne, Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Michael Cain, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, etc. The list just goes on and on... Great plot with the D-day landings and 3 hours long.
Other movies not mentioned already which deserve to be in the running for "Best War Movie" are:
Battle of Britton
Tora Tora Tora
Battle of Midway
The Guns of Navarone
The Dam Busters
Gallipoli (WWI)
And many more which I'm sure if I wasn't so old I could remember... :biggrin:
Hey we could turn this thread into a list of great war movies so that we don't miss any...
But, my vote for BEST WAR MOVIE has to go too: THE LONGEST DAY.
It has all the best actors of the day John Wayne, Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Michael Cain, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, etc. The list just goes on and on... Great plot with the D-day landings and 3 hours long.
Other movies not mentioned already which deserve to be in the running for "Best War Movie" are:
Battle of Britton
Tora Tora Tora
Battle of Midway
The Guns of Navarone
The Dam Busters
Gallipoli (WWI)
And many more which I'm sure if I wasn't so old I could remember... :biggrin:
Hey we could turn this thread into a list of great war movies so that we don't miss any...
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