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I just finished some research about an aspect of the Vietnam war and a lot of things came rushing back to me. I am a vet of that era, so this is resonant for me.The war movie as a genre has had some excellent films. The best ones for me include: All Quiet on the Western Front, Full Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan, Memphis Belle, Catch 22, Twelve O'Clock High and Dr. Strangelove. There are many other good ones --Bridges at Toko-Ri would be in that category.
Follow Ups:
I remember Pork Chop Hill (Korean War) as one of the greatest black and white war mores as a child. Although I loved the action, I could not quite grasp the insanity of it all - losing a hill and then retaking it again while suffering severe casualties. "Objective Burma," starring Errol Flynn, was a great bread and butter war movie, where Japanese soldiers chase Earl and the boys through the humid, muggy and unforgiving jungles of Burma during World War II. Of course, the flamboyant Flynn completes his impossible mission of destruction and gets away with nary a scratch,although he loses most of his men. He was so clever during this movie or at least more clever than his Japanese counterpart, outwitting him at every turn.
The Hill--Does anyone remember this rather obscure B&W flick from the 50s with Sean Connery? It was about the British army and punishment meted out for various infractions by the grunts. In-your-face psychological study and very definitely a different war flick. I recall at the end studio surveys were passed to exiting audiences. One of the questions: What did you think of the music soundtrack? I thought at the time it was a weird question; there wasn't any track.Johnny Got His Gun--A devastating piece in color from Dalton Trumb's book. Trumbo was one of the writers blacklisted by the House Un-American Acitivities Committee during the height of the McCarthy witchhunts. "Johnny" takes place in WWI and its central character is a young man who has both arms and legs blown off and is kept alive as a medical experiment. Incredible piece of work you'll not forget.
...interesting no one mentioned "Bridge on the River Kwai". Alec Guiness won Best Actor Oscar.
If I remember correctly, "Gallipoli" was directed by Aussie Peter Weir
Halls of Montezuma with Richard Widmark. Wonderful movie.
Sands of Iwo Jima with John Wayne. A sleeper. Surprise ending.
I almost forgot one called "Sahara" with Humphrey Bogart. A classic. Hard to find, but worth the effort.
It is called "Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt" and it was made (of all places) in East Germany by Joachim Kunert in 1964.Chances of an American viewer seeing it are probably quite slim (What you say, Richard?), but it is one powerful movie (as I recall).
Anyone on the other side of the Atlantic seen it? I woud be very curious about your reaction.
The Thin Red Line, Zulu, Glory, All Quiet on The Western Front, The Red and the White, 300 Spartans, Siege of Firebase Gloria, Captain Horatio Hornblower, Son of the Morning Star (tv movie), Alexander Nevsky, Rifleman Sharpe tv movies, Run Silent Run Deep, They Were Expendable, Khartoum, The Four Feathers, Charge of the Light Brigade (Flynn not Hemmings), Lawrence of Arabia.
nt
... Castle Keep (Burt Lancaster, 1969).A funny one this - it could almost make it onto the "alternative movies" listing which was posted a little while ago. Quite surreal atmosphere, but worthwhile seeing. I think it was based on, or inspired by, someone's memoirs - or possibly a novel by someone who saw active service.
Oh that reminds me of another one I liked... more Sci Fi than war... The Keep... Don't know why I liked it but I did, along with the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.
"The Train". Recommended.
Paul Scofield and Jean Moreau were excellent, as well. Remember Papa Boule, the engineer? The film would have been much less in B&W. I'd see it again, if I could find it.
Gino---Yes, a very good picture. It's available on a very nice looking DVD.
... I went looking in my library tonight for the one where John Wayne played a tank commander but didn't own it. I watched a "Bridge too Far" instead. A walking-talking beginning-to-end depicted SNAFU if there ever was one. Whose SNAFU did you ask? EVERYBODY's!
An interesting topic and I would nominate Platoon, Pork Chop Hill, Saving Private Ryan, Twelve O'Clock High, Das Boot, The Enemy Below and for a humorous note, Kelly's Heros.
Agree on Platoon and Das Boot. Never saw either Pork Chop Hill or the Enemy Below. Will try to find them somewhere.
Robert Mitchum (American Destroyer Captain) vs. Curt Jurgens (German U-Boat skipper) a little contrived, but worth the rental and then some
I love the paralleling of a comic book with Min Komf (sp?)
This subjects pops up at regular intervals. Just a few to ponder:Paths of Glory
Grand Illusion
Canal
The Seven Beauties
Ashes
Waterloo
Train
Judgment at Nuremberg
The 300 Spartans...and I will yield to Steve (in the best convention tradion) to nominate that special one...
Paths of Glory is a great film. I saw it when I was ten or so and it had a great impact although I didn't know who Kubrick was and I never remembered the title. As an adult I wanted to find it again but couldn't. I heard a radio talk show host mention it as his #1 all time war movie so I rented it and was so happy to find this wonderfull film again. War is not just tragic it also has no sense of fair.
Steve
Guns of Navarone
Heaven Knows Mr.Allison
Enemy Below.
.
.there were others I particularly enjoyed but don't remember which ones. There are so many.
Never seen Heaven knows... but liked the other two a lot. Also Apocalypse Now, Das Boot, Lawrence of Arabia (well, WWI) and there was one that I'm totally spacing the name of... it was about the Boar war... bunch of Brit soldiers against Africans. Fail Safe comes to mind for a cold-war film along with Dr Strangelove.
Breaker Morant is about the Boer War. However, this war involved no natives. It was between the Dutch Boers (who had been in South Africa for several generations) and the fairly recently arrived British.There are two superb films that deal with the Zulu War (where the British invaded the Zulus, the most powerful and hostile tribe Africa has known). The first film is Zulu from 1964, and it deals with the battle of Rorkes Drift where 4,000 Zulus were repulsed by 100 entrenched British soldiers. The other Zulu movie is Zulu Dawn from 1979. This film flopped, but I find it to be Zulu's equal, albeit in a different way. Zulu Dawn deals with the first battle of the war, the worst defeat ever inflicted upon a European power by natives. Both are fascinating films that showcase the height of both the Zulu and the British Empire.
Thanx, I'm pretty sure it was Zulu Dawn that I was thinking of.
Justin--Isandlwana wasn't the worst defeat Europeans suffered at the hands of Africans. An Italian army was defeated by an Ethiopian one at Adowa in the late 1800s, much bigger disaster than the British one at Isandlwana. If you want to count Asia the British retreat from Kabul in the 1st Afghan War was much worse too as was the British defeat at Maiwand in the 2nd Afghan War, though the Afghan forces at Maiwand were more in the nature of a proper army, with very well served artillery no less.
Heaven knows Mr.Allison is about a marine stranded alone on a deserted pacific ilsand with a nun during WWII. The island suddenly is no longer forgotten as the war finds them.
Two south african movies which you may be referring to and that come to mind are Zulu and Breaker Morant.
a walk in the sun, go for broke and battleground.
Should we consider also:Stalingrad
Big RedOne
Duel in the Sun
Birth of a Nation
The Desert FoxDes
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