Best War Movie Ever

Cammin1 · Post by **Cammin1** » 07 Oct 2004 01:26

Das Boot #1 for me by far.

A Bridge to Far, Longest Day, Kelly's Hero's and Stalingrad are also good imo.

Kelt · Post by **Kelt** » 07 Oct 2004 03:22

Nibelung wrote:What do you think about The Big Red One and Steiner - Cross of Iron? ...although they are not my picks.

best,
Nibelung

Cross of Iron is one of my fovourites. It was the first 'realistic' war movie I saw. Until then war movies had been John Wayne mowing down hordes of expendable Japanese/German extras, with no blood in evidence.

Plus, the 'heroes' were German, not British or American. A refreshing change, and one which shows the Germans as human beings, not a bunch of mindless NAZIs who got their kicks butchering Jews and Gypsies.

Polynikes · Post by **Polynikes** » 07 Oct 2004 05:37

Filippov 125 wrote:Also in Star Wars:

In addition to the Broomhandle Mausers,

The regular Stormtrooper blaster is a converted Sterling Arms Mk4/L2A3 Submachine Gun

The HUGE blasters carried by the Sandtroopers are converted Lewis Mark I machine guns

The other big blasters carried by Sandtroopers are MG-15's

One of the Bounty Hunters in The Empire Strikes back is holding an MG-42 with the bipod and stock removed.

Greedo's blaster is a Ruger MK 1 pistol

The Rebel soldiers on Hoth use converted MP-44's

Some of the Bounty Hunters and Stormtroopers use EXTREMELY modified MP-44's (they are almost unrecognisable)

The Stormtroopers are also seen carrying modified MG-34's

the list goes on...

All good spots, now can you identify the source of the uniform design of the Federation troops in "Starship Troopers"?

Doggowitz · Post by **Doggowitz** » 07 Oct 2004 07:12

Starship Troopers is intentionally a satire of Facism, Militarism and Nazism.
The Uniforms are 100% modern-Looking SS/Gestapo Uniforms.

The Logo is the Reichsadler, the caps are m43s the collar patches SS the leather coat is Gestapo-like.

Absolutely brilliant satire on Nazism and totalitarism.

cyberdaemon · Post by **cyberdaemon** » 08 Oct 2004 18:03

best ww2 theme
the list is edited

ambush
das boot
thin red line
Kukushka
winter war
schindlers list

movies i want to see surely

patton
all quiet on the western front
Etulinjan Edessä
saints and soldiers
der untergand
pianist
die brüke
no mans land
apocalypse now!
path of glory
platoon
bridge too far
the alamo

non-ww2

three kings
black hawk down
braveheart
rules of engagement
courage under fire
dead presidents
the glory

some of the movies are about the effects of war that it causes to our psychology.

Liluh · Post by **Liluh** » 08 Oct 2004 23:43

cyberdaemon wrote:best ww2 theme
apocalypse now!

I`ve seen this one. It adds quite a lot to the original version, moreover, the parts are really essential and explain the story much better now. I really wonder why these scenes were formerly cut out. Well, I guess the part with playboy bunnies serving as... well, I won`t disclose since you didn`t see it, but I guess it was too controversial for the moment of release.

Btw. Can anyone give me thoughts about the "french" part in the movie? It`s quite long and doesn`t fit well in the movie (not that well at least).

col. klink · Post by **col. klink** » 09 Oct 2004 05:37

Regarding Apocalypse Now Redux:

I think it relates to the farther up river they travel, the closer they get to Kurtz's compound they sort of devolve or go backwards towards a more primitve time. Notice how the closer they get to Kurtz the more primitive (and to some extent more effective) the weapons become. The rubber plantation is a place frozen in time; there they feel Viet Nam is still a French colony. In a way it's sort of like how the US presidential campaign got stuck on who did what during the Viet Nam war.
I like the film a lot; the Joseph Conrad story it borrows from, The Heart of Darkness, is great too. They both tell the story of an "advanced" society trying to bring "civilization" to perceived backward or primitve "savage" people. Instead it's the civilized who change and become savage. Sort of like how as Afghanistan and Iraq move towards Democracy (hopefully) the US becomes more authoritarian and militant. Sorry for interjecting all the talk about US politics but I just got done watching the 2nd presidential debate.
That documentary they made on the making of the film is pretty good. Also, the journal that Coppola's then wife kept during the filming and turned into a book called Notes, is a good read relating to the film

Vulkan · Post by **Vulkan** » 15 Oct 2004 16:38

1) Das Boot
2) Stalingrad

Germans are pretty good at making films about their own tragedies

Polynikes · Post by **Polynikes** » 15 Oct 2004 21:59

Doggowitz wrote:Starship Troopers is intentionally a satire of Facism, Militarism and Nazism.
The Uniforms are 100% modern-Looking SS/Gestapo Uniforms.

The Logo is the Reichsadler, the caps are m43s the collar patches SS the leather coat is Gestapo-like.

Absolutely brilliant satire on Nazism and totalitarism.

Is that how it's seen in Germany?

I thought it was satire on US patriotism - poking fun at the concept of the "citizen" & governments attempts to instill devotion through a compliant, non-dissenting and patriotic media.
It also drew a parallel between the right wing US military of today and that of Nazi Germany. Sergeant Zim seems modelled on Lee Emery's DI in Full Metal Jacket.

Not many in the USA seem to have got the joke and a spin TV series about marine like space fighter pilots had Lee Emery himself doing his USMC DI routine in the pilot episode.

When the telepathic guy showed up at the end in an ankle length leather trenchcoat I felt sure people would get it but no they didn't which made it even funnier.

Doggowitz · Post by **Doggowitz** » 15 Oct 2004 22:08

The Producer himself said that it was meant as a satire on Nazism. Ive read in several US Forums that they got it too.

Here in Germany most people dont know this film.

I think most People (wherever they live) didnt got the joke, because they were looking it for its action and sci-fi stuff, and simply didnt expected something deeper.

The whole Uniforms and Symbols are 100% German,Facist,Nazi/SS/Gestapo. I saw it from the very first moment when the uniforms appeared.

Well it may be also poking fun of militarism itself, but the German note is the crucial one.

Polynikes · Post by **Polynikes** » 15 Oct 2004 22:28

Well satire is meant to be political parody - exaggerated immitation.

I can't say that Staship Troopers was a parody on Nazism in any way. However it was a parody on US TV culture, US anti-communist sentiment of the Cold War, US patriotism and lastly the all-American soldier image.

There was nothing sinister about the Federation, no death camps, gas ovens etc.

Doggowitz · Post by **Doggowitz** » 15 Oct 2004 22:44

thats correct, but the Uniforms and symbols are in no way US. They are 100% German. Grey, Breeches, Visors, M43s, Leather coats, collar tabs, Jackboots, the logo is a slightly altered Reichsadler even with the X-Cross in background of Prussian Tradition.

The Official in the speach has an 100% SS-Uniform.

On the other side the TV-Clips are imitations on the US WW1/2 Ads on Japs and Huns/Krauts (Bugs).

The Nazi Racism is hidden in the will to extermiante the Bugs. Bugs are nothing other than the 'inferior' race.

Here are some Starship Troopers Uniforms to look at:
SST cap:

Panzer cap:

Artie Bucco · Post by **Artie Bucco** » 16 Oct 2004 05:22

Wow no mention of The Bridge on the River Kwai?

Dead Presidents was a good movie it was a definate change of pace that if hyped more could have hit big.

Polynikes · Post by **Polynikes** » 16 Oct 2004 16:40

Doggowitz,

Yes, I totally agree that the Starship Troopers' uniforms were based on Wehrmacht/SS uniform.

However the satire is directed against US culture. The Troopers are Americans and espouse parodies of US political/patriotic values. The producers put these exaggerated Americans into SS uniform and parody their patriotism/culture/gung ho attitudes.

The arena "football" game in the movie could come straight out of a Hollywood sports script.

WillKellett · Post by **WillKellett** » 17 Oct 2004 02:06

Mako wrote:The Thin Red Line or Platoon.

only complete idiots like platoon

makes all US grunts look like druggie rapists, they took every bad acount that ever happened in the war and smushed it together

what a load of bull

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Best War Movie Ever

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