Best War Films

[yoniluvrca]

I enjoy films set in war very much. The other day I watched, for the first time in a very long time, a classic from the '70s-Kelly's Heros.

While this film has it's flaws, I guess, it is one of my top three favorite war films, the other two being Apocalypse Now & Dr Strangelove.

I am wondering if anyone has any fav war films to recommend. I have probably seen them, but perhaps there is an oldie that I have forgotten and can view again.

 

[baltimoron]

War Films Rule!

I love war films too.

Here are some of my favs:

WW2:
Dirty Dozen
Force 10 From Navarone
U-571
Hart's War

Nam:
Platoon
Platoon Leader
Full Metal Jacket

Cold War:
Hunt for Red October

Drug War:
Clear and Present Danger

American Revolution:
The Patriot

Kosovo/Serbia:
Behind Enemy Lines (Ok, I admit I like this )

There's probably more that I can't recall but I'll post later.

 

[fade069]

!800's-Last of the Mohicans,
WW2-Saving Private Ryan, Memphis Belle
Cold War-Crimson Tide
Modern-Tears of the Sun, Behind Enemy Lines, Blackhawk Down

 

[Rocket Man]

Saving Private Ryan is my favorite WW2 movie.
Glory is my favorite Civil War movie.
Full Metal Jacket is my favorite Vietnam movie.

 

[tboy]

All good movies, Savings Ryan's Privates...oops I mean saving private ryan is one of the best wwII movies ever made. There was some veterans who viewed the d-day beach scene and said it was TOO real.....that's exactly how it was...scary...

Another worth mentioning is Stalag 17.....based on actual events too.

Anyhow, another good war movie, from a side not often seen in North America is "enemy at the gates"....if you haven't seen it, rent it.

I found the war movies from the 50's and 60's were too much like progaganda and there is always John Wayne who comes in to save the day. Plus they are too sterile, not an actual depictiion of the way war and combat is supposed to be like.

Tears of the Sun is one of Willis' best...I've watched that many times. I know I know, a little cheesy at the end but some of the comments of his squad members shows the dedication a leader can earn of his men......

 

[stinkynuts]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006HAWP/qid=1139033234/sr=1-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7740903-8568043?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=130

The best war movie ever is Grave of the Fireflies. It's an deeply moving and dark animation about two young children who are orphaned during World War II.

Believe me, this movie is a must see. Don't take my word for it. There are 500 reviews at amazon.com, and the average rating is 5/5 stars.

 

[Mr. Downtown]

I think Apocalypse Now Redux is a masterpiece. Next favs are The Great Escape and The Guns of Naverone. For foreign film selection, Das Boot.

 

[shack]

Duck Soup.

 

[Asterix]

Two classics from David Lean, "Bridge Over The River Kwai", and the incomparable "Lawrence of Arabia". Often over looked, the early 60's film "Zulu" with a young Michael Caine. Excellent production. To a lesser extent, "Patton", and the WW1 saga "Galipoli".

 

[Lady Kyla]

Devil's Brigade

Recently saw an oldie but with Canadian content on a true unit

Devil's Brigade............which was kind of different in that it portrayed Canadian units in an American style movie. Cliff Robertson starred the Canadian commander.

 

[yoniluvrca]

Two classics from David Lean, "Bridge Over The River Kwai", and the incomparable "Lawrence of Arabia". Often over looked, the early 60's film "Zulu" with a young Michael Caine. Excellent production. To a lesser extent, "Patton", and the WW1 saga "Galipoli".

I think that we have similar tastes Asterix. I tend to love the older films that you mention. This is why I liked Kelly's Heros so much. It looked like a traditional WWII film but the characters were unlike the usual WWII characters. Oddball (Donald Sutherland) is most definitely a Viet Nam style soldier in a WWII flick. And I am sure that there were characters like him back in that war.

Another great film was The Sand Pebbles staring Steve McQueen.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060934/

 

[dj1470]

In my opinion, the best war movies were. . .
A Bridge Too Far - Redford, Elliott, Caine, Olivier, Schell
and. . .
The Great Escape - McQueen, Garner, Attenborough, Coburn, Bronson

And by far the best portrayal of the Cold War . . .

STRIPES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[exbrower]

Alltime favourite is from the 1950s. Paths of Glory by Stanly Kubric, starring Kirk Douglas. Second favourite also by Kubric Full Metal Jacket. Third Apocalypse Now.

 

[Hornet]

Movies made in the 80's or later (more technology and cinematography):

1) Thin Red Line (realy got into the minds of the soldiers and made you feel like you were there with them)
2) Saving Private Ryan (the battle scenes were awesome)
3) Last of the Mohicans
4) Black Hawk Down
5) Enemy at The Gates
6) Memphis Belle
7) The Patriot
8) Platoon
9) Full Metal Jacket
10) Shot Through the Heart (about the Bosnian war with two friends who become snipers on the opposing sides)

Movies made before that
1) The Great Escape
2) Lawrence of Arabia
3) The Bridge on the River Kwai
4) A Bridge Too Far
5) The Guns of Navarone
6) The Dirty Dozen
7) The Eagle's Nest
8) Kelly's Heroes
9) Batle of Britain
10) Midway
11) Tora, Tora, Tora
12) The Enemy Below
13) The Blue Max
14) The Sands of Iowa Jima
15) The Dam Busters
16) The Battle of the Bulge
17) M.A.S.H.
18) All's Quiet on the Western Front
19) Sargeant York
20) The Cruel Sea

Other's that I don't know whether we'd call them War movies or something else:

1) Gladiator
2) Sparticus
3) Troy
4) Apocalypse Now Redux (yes it's set in a war but I think that's just the backdrop to the real story)
5) Band of Brothers
6) Top Gun
7) War and Rememberance
8) Winds of War
9) North and South
10) Waterloo

 

[A-ROD]

Midway is my all time favourite....

Memphis Belle is near the top of my list as well.

 

[Tyler1]

#1 Star Wars

 

[mandrill]

Favourite war movies:

1. Platoon
2. Platoon
3. Platoon

I could keep going on. The Oliver Stone classic is the only war film I've ever seen which managed to succesfully combine rivetting action drama and believable atmosphere. The others are just hollywood action-ers in a war setting. SPR has some nice action scenes, particularly the Omaha Beach opener. But the ra-ra All-American ethic is annoying and many of the subsequent sequences are unrealistic, although they provide great action.

The Last of the Mohicans is a great "classic" war movie.

 

[baltimoron]

Some others

Here's some others, especially if you're looking for older war flicks:

WW2:

The Longest Day with John Wayne
Gung-Ho (the original flick which showed Asian-American troops in WW2 Europe)
Tobruk

Vietnam:
The Green Berets with John Wayne

 

[nominis]

Here's two that are frequently overlooked - "Twelve O'clock High" a classic of burnout and tension amongst the bomber crews of WW2. My SO who hates war films was rivetted by this old piece starring Gregory Peck. And the second which is an espionage thriller behind enemy lines is "Where Eagles Dare" with an excellent cast including Richard Burton and a young Clint Eastwood.
Alistair Mclean wrote several books upon which many famous films were made amongst those are Where Eagles Dare and The Guns of Navarone

 

[CapitalGuy]

Quality War Flicks you never hear about.

.........because they aren't from Hollywood.

Try "The Odd Angry Shot", (1979) about Australian SAS in Vietnam. In between drinking cans of Fosters beer, Australian soldiers tread on a few landmines, and generally experience the war in Vietnam. It's a realistic war movie, believeable actions scenes, lots of Army humour, and for anyone who's ever served, an understated closing scene that is too true.

"Attack Force Z". (1982) Another Aussie SAS flick. Essentially, is a low-budget commando raid movie. Before anyone knew who he was, a young Mel Gibson plays an allied commando who leads 4 international commandos to rescue a Japanese defector from a Japanese-infested island in the Pacific.

"The Lighthorsemen" (1987). British cavalry fighting the Turks in 1917 Palestine.

"Gallipoli" (1981). Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.

"Privates on Parade" (1982). The members of SADUSEA (Song And Dance Unit South East Asia) fall in and out of love while trying to dodge Malayan Communist bullets in the late 1940s. Yes, you read that right!!