Best War Movie Ever

Discussions on WW2 and pre-WW2 related movies, games, military art and other fiction.
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knieptang
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#76

Post by knieptang » 08 Dec 2004, 03:33

There is only one movie for me, and I have seen a lot of movies concerning World War 1 and World War 2.

"Paths of Glory", a Stanley Kubrick movie, starring Kirk Douglas and many others.

"Die Brücke" from Bernhard Wicki is also very remarkable

Not to forget "Nothing new on the Western Front", the first version from 1930, and many other movies...

"Paths of Glory" stands out, for me one of the best movies ever made.

Regards / Michael

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BethBrown
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#77

Post by BethBrown » 08 Dec 2004, 07:28

for me
WW2
When trumpets fade
Bridge over the River Kwai
A Bridge Too Far


other times and places
Waterloo
Heaven and Earth
With Fire and Sword


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Cool-E
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#78

Post by Cool-E » 09 Dec 2004, 03:58

knieptang wrote:There is only one movie for me, and I have seen a lot of movies concerning World War 1 and World War 2.

"Paths of Glory", a Stanley Kubrick movie, starring Kirk Douglas and many others.

"Die Brücke" from Bernhard Wicki is also very remarkable

Not to forget "Nothing new on the Western Front", the first version from 1930, and many other movies...

"Paths of Glory" stands out, for me one of the best movies ever made.

Regards / Michael

This is a great list of movies.

"All Quiet on the Western Front" (In Westen Nicht Neues" the 1930's version is great

"The Bridge" (Die Brucke) is based on a true story of the HJ at the very end of the war.
"Paths of Glory" is very, very good, maybe the best.

Also good is "The Best Years of our Lives" about the return of US vets after the war.

"Enemy at the Gates" is a terrible movie: make a war movie or a love story but not a mish/mash like this. The only movie worse than it is "Pearl Harbor."

"Platoon" had every stereotype there is: the incompetent LT and the pot-smoking enlisted men, etc.

"Twelve o'clock high" and "das Boot" are great character studies and "Pork Chop Hill" has good action. So is "The Train."

For the Pacific War check out "The Gallant Hours" and "Run Silent, Run Deep."

Just my opinion, but I could be wrong.

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Kaiserzeit
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#79

Post by Kaiserzeit » 09 Dec 2004, 09:30

Dear Forum Members,

Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but for all my fellow film buffs, the best internet reference site for actors, titles, subjects & movies of all types (in my opinion) is:

http://www.imdb.com/

(The Internet Movie Database)

Regards,

Kaiserzeit

Zygmunt
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#80

Post by Zygmunt » 09 Dec 2004, 17:32

Firstly, yeah, I'd agree with Kaiserzeit, imdb.com is a useful resource.

As for Vietnam films, I was very impressed by "84 Charlie Mopic" - it's very difficult to track down, but I would say it's worth it. One that's been recommended to me though I still haven't been able to see it is "The odd angry shot" - about the Australian SAS in Vietnam.

Now, would anyone agree with my theory that "Aliens" is actually a Vietnam film?
BAZ wrote:... Catch 22 (hey, now THERE'S a movie).
Yes, but moreover, there's a book. The way they edited the film to meet their running time means that I think most people would get a lot more from it if they've read the book... actually, I'd recommend the book to anyone irregardless of whether they have an interest in the film. Best book ever? Just possibly...

Another film mentioned here developed from a book is "The Thin Red Line". I was surprised when I read the book after seeing the film. The film doesn't leave out much, but still... I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoyed the film. Thinking of the passages in the book regarding the fate of the jewel-encrusted sword still make me angry, years later.

Regarding realism, Sam Fuller said that the only way to really show a cinema audience the realities of combat would be to fire rifles at them, and the studio wouldn't let him do that.

Zygmunt

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Klaus Yurk
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#81

Post by Klaus Yurk » 09 Dec 2004, 17:56

Zygmunt,

While I don't know that I would class "Aliens" as a Vietnam film, it is definately a war film. It follows many of the conventions of the genre. I really admire what Cameron did in that film, so I guess I could list that as a favorite too. It's "real" genre is under SF though.

My favorite (more standard) war films are "Zulu" and "All quiet on the Western Front."

Klaus

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Ogorek
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#82

Post by Ogorek » 09 Dec 2004, 18:28

Zygmunt.....

Agree with you on 84 Charlie Mo-Pic.....

I suppose that the "detail weenies" would eschew it for some uniform errors.... but what a show....

Had a friend stop over when it was on in the middle of an action sequence, and he couldn't believe that it was a movie and not archival (but how did they get so close) footage....

a real winner !

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Bjørn from Norway
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#83

Post by Bjørn from Norway » 09 Dec 2004, 18:41

Actually I find most war movies not too good at all. Parts are usually good, but there is always something wrong to my opinion.

I have two candidates:

1. Talvisota - The Winter War. A clear winner!
2. Hunde, wollt Ihr ewig leben? - In my humble opinion the best German WW2 movie.

B

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BethBrown
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#84

Post by BethBrown » 09 Dec 2004, 20:15

some additions for my list
Zulu Dawn (despite a misleading ending still a good film)
Breaker Moran
The Blue Max

Zygmunt
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#85

Post by Zygmunt » 09 Dec 2004, 21:00

Okay, just a few pointers to back up my Aliens/Vietnam comment:

i) The presence of a stereotypically incompetent, inexperienced commissioned officer.

ii) Big business is looking to make a profit from it all (the company rep).

iii) The scene where they are forbidden from using their main weapons for fear of damaging the nuclear reactor... like as in, the troops had to fight with one hand tied behind their backs so that it wouldn't go nuclear... sound familiar?

But sure, I accept that my pet theory isn't going to convince everyone, so I won't push it.

As an aside to Ogorek (and anyone else familiar with 84C MoPic):
Have you seen "The Blair Witch Project"?

Zygmunt (amused that in his last post he used the words "realism", "really" and "realities" all in one sentence... sigh)

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Ogorek
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#86

Post by Ogorek » 09 Dec 2004, 21:26

No Zygmunt.... I Haven't....

All the clips I saw of it made me not give a ratzass about the folks....

Big difference to MoPic..... when you finally saw him at the end (except for the brief "taking a piss" clip) you felt damn bad for the guy.... even worse than that manipulative (the good sergeant was SOOOO... Good, and the BAD sergeant was SOOOOO BAAAAD) scene in PLATOON.... though the creeping through the jungle part before that was well done and atmospheric...... Hey Stone - you might learn something about subtlety, but that might mess up your agenda.

While we are at it.... THE CRUEL SEA is still a masterpiece. Had a double feature at a buddy’s house, first THE CRUEL SEA, and then ENEMY BELOW..... Had always loved ENEMY BELOW, but seeing them together, it could not hold a candle to the CRUEL SEA.

Another forgotten maritime masterpiece was THE KEY..... book by Jan De Hartog. Holden, Loren and Trevor Howard. Liverpool, ocean-going rescue tugs and a Bleak, Bleak, Bleak portrait of the Battle of the Atlantic.

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Beppo Schmidt
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#87

Post by Beppo Schmidt » 10 Dec 2004, 00:27

Band of Brothers
Saving Private Ryan
The Bridge at Remagen
Patton
The Longest Day
A Bridge Too Far

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Cool-E
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#88

Post by Cool-E » 10 Dec 2004, 03:23

Another movie that is very good, but not well known is "Operation Daybreak." It is about the Czech attack on Heydrich.

Zygmunt
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#89

Post by Zygmunt » 10 Dec 2004, 16:28

"The Blair Witch Project" was made several years after "84C MoPic", and though about a group of young folk in the US, not a bunch of Americans in Vietnam, there were some striking similarities in the film-making - the use of hand-held cameras, the pseudo-documentary format... frankly, I felt that the makers of Blair Witch had almost certainly seen MoPic at some point and been, ahem, 'inspired' by it. But no matter, if you've never seen Blair Witch then there's no reason to go out of your way to watch it.

In spite of my promise not to force my Aliens/Vietnam thoughts down anyone's throat, I can't help but add some more:

The military force has to travel a long way, to a place the middle of nowhere which they'd never heard of before, to solve somebody else's problem.

When Ripley wants to leave the planet she is delayed because a hostage has been taken (Newt), just as the US had problems extricating itself from Vietnam because of PoWs.

The Grunts try to use technology to track down an unsophisticated, but deadly foe (motion detectors, as in Vietnam attempts were made with "people sniffers" and McNamara's wall)

The bad guys move like ghosts and "mostly at night". Sound familiar?

The Dropship pilot's helmet graffiti ("Don't shoot I'm friendly") seems stylistically reminiscent of Vietnam.

One more (and this is open to interpretation) when Ripley makes it back to the safety of the ship in orbit, she discovers that actually she has brought a problem with her - is this a metaphor for the problems that the US brought back from Vietnam - drug use and discipline problems in the military, and disaffected veterans?

The more I look at "Aliens", the more I feel it is the story of US involvement in the Vietnam conflict.

Zygmunt (who should be getting back now, as it will be night-time soon, and they mostly come at night. Mostly)

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Klaus Yurk
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#90

Post by Klaus Yurk » 10 Dec 2004, 21:04

Zygmunt,

Well, I won't argue if you want to use "Aliens" as a Vietman metaphor. Definitely, a war movie.

Yes, they mostly come out at night. But "they" can SPRING of out any dark shadow! Anytime!

So beware.

:P

Klaus

P.S. I wouldn't recomment "The Blair Witch Project" to anyone. It is a piece of amateurish dreck. Enjoyed a short, trendy period and then sank back into the primordial slime from whence it came. 8)

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