Best War Movies Discussion

[DragonGunner]

Some of my favorites..

Kelly's Heroes
Bataan
Saving Private Ryan
The Deer Hunter
Apocalspe Now.."I love the smell of naypom in the morning."
The Fighting Sea Bees
Battle of the Bulge
Defiance
The Great Escape
Platoon
The Enemy Below
Enemy at the Gates
Bat21
and about 200 more....

 

[Dave Doehrman]

If you want a realistic look at combat in Vietnam up in the DMZ, the best movie you can watch is Hamburger Hill (The last half of the movie). Taking one step up in the mud and sliding back down 3 steps, being shot up and bombed by our own aircraft and then the rush and adrenalin high from engaging the enemy in close combat.

We Were Soldiers is another good and realistic movie about Nam. Make sure you read the book if you want to know what really happened at the end of the battle.

The biggest pile of crap is Apocalypse Now and Platoon. Oliver Stone must have been really stoned if that is what he remembers. Yea, Right.. a huey slick is really going to pick up a river patrol boat. The good guys in his movies are the stoners. The guys who drink beer are the baby killers and rapists. The Deer Hunter is another attempt to make money and not portray a realistic situation.

 

[ViperJock]

Some great ones up there. Also for consideration; Blackhawk Down and Casablanca. I don't know if mini-series can be included, but if so; Band of Brothers.

 

[Benny]

The biggest pile of crap is Apocalypse Now and Platoon. Oliver Stone must have been really stoned if that is what he remembers. Yea, Right.. a huey slick is really going to pick up a river patrol boat. The good guys in his movies are the stoners. The guys who drink beer are the baby killers and rapists. The Deer Hunter is another attempt to make money and not portray a realistic situation.

Do a little research on Oliver Stone and you'll understand why those movies were like that.

I don't know if mini-series can be included, but if so; Band of Brothers.

I don't see why not...BoB was a 10 hour movie IMO.

 

[Rocket57]

Downfall

Not what most would think of as a 'war' movie, Downfall covers Hitler's last few days and the fall of Berlin. In German with English subtitles. Five stars!
I found the DVD at Target.

Downfall (2004) - IMDb
"In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his Generals and advisers to fight to the last man. "Downfall" explores these final days of the Reich, where senior German leaders (such as Himmler and Goring) began defecting from their beloved Fuhrer, in an effort to save their own lives, while still others (Joseph Goebbels) pledge to die with Hitler. Hitler, himself, degenerates into a paranoid shell of a man, full of optimism one moment and suicidal depression the next. When the end finally does comes, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender."

 

[Bunnykid68]

If you want a realistic look at combat in Vietnam up in the DMZ, the best movie you can watch is Hamburger Hill (The last half of the movie). Taking one step up in the mud and sliding back down 3 steps, being shot up and bombed by our own aircraft and then the rush and adrenalin high from engaging the enemy in close combat.

This ^^^^^ and the Patriot.

 

[sonovasailor]

Saving Private Ryan. I see my father in the old man's eyes. He was in the Navy when Pearl Habor was bombed, had an Air Craft Carrier sink out from under him in May '42. He was in every anphibious landing in the Mediteranian. He saw more action than Eisenhower. Was bombed and torpedooed by Japanese Bettys and Zekes, German Heinkels and Stukas and an Italian "washing machine charlie", Shot at with Anzio Annie and a few 88's. He came out without a physical wound but many scars. He didn't retreat into a bottle. He was a good father, a good man and a good role model. I get a lump in my throut when I see the old James Ryan.

 

[firehawk1]

Not what most would think of as a 'war' movie, Downfall covers Hitler's last few days and the fall of Berlin. In German with English subtitles. Five stars!
I found the DVD at Target.

Downfall (2004) - IMDb
"In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his Generals and advisers to fight to the last man. "Downfall" explores these final days of the Reich, where senior German leaders (such as Himmler and Goring) began defecting from their beloved Fuhrer, in an effort to save their own lives, while still others (Joseph Goebbels) pledge to die with Hitler. Hitler, himself, degenerates into a paranoid shell of a man, full of optimism one moment and suicidal depression the next. When the end finally does comes, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender."

^THIS^ Fantastic movie! Now I know at least 3 people have seen it. Me, rambone, and Rocket57. The actor who protrayed Hitler was spot on.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1906358272/tt0363163

 

[dhnorris]

zulu (cringes away from potential ban hammer) Kelly's heroes and my favorite The Big Red 1

 

[scowens]

The Patriot, Of Gods and Generals, Revolution?? With Dustin Hoffman, The Boys of Co. C, Saving Private Ryan, Firebase Gloria, We were Soldiers, Northwest Passage for who it depicted: Robert Rogers - better to read the book: "White Devil"....

 

[JetGirl]

To Hell and Back (Audie Murphy).

You know the scene where he jumps on the tank that's on fire and starts blasting..?
I read the accounts of others somewhere, and they all said in real life he did that for almost an HOUR straight. Not giving thought to the fact that the tank was likely to blow any second...
Great movie. I'm impressed he played himself in it, too.

 

[miguel]

In no particular order:

All Quiet on the Western Front (original) -- WWI
The Flying Tigers -- pre-WWII
With Fire and Sword -- Polish-Ukranian War, 17th Century
Stalag 17 -- WWII
The Duelists -- Napoleonic Wars
Last of the Mohicans ('92 version) -- French and Indian War
Enemy at the Gate -- WWII
Outlaw Josey Wales (yeah, I'm stretching it here...) -- post-Civil War
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence! -- WWII
The Last Samurai (somebody get me some Kleenex...) -- end of feudal Japan
The Buccaneer -- War of 1812
Breaker Morant -- Boer War
To Be or Not to Be (either version) -- WWII (comedy -- starts with Polish version of 'Sweet Georgia Brown')
The Blue Max -- WWI
Zulu -- British-Zulu War
Lawrence of Arabia -- post-WWII Arab uprisings
Joyeux Noël -- WWI

And yes, I've seen them all, except for Joyeux Noël, which I plan on getting on DVD soon.

 

[DragonGunner]

To Hell and Back (Audie Murphy).

You know the scene where he jumps on the tank that's on fire and starts blasting..?
I read the accounts of others somewhere, and they all said in real life he did that for almost an HOUR straight. Not giving thought to the fact that the tank was likely to blow any second...
Great movie. I'm impressed he played himself in it, too.

Great movie!! I think they had an actor that was playing him, Audie kept saying how to do this an this an finally someone said lets just get Audie to do it....seems to of worked. Audie had got shot in the left butt, then later crawled out the hole he was in an circled around an shot the sniper, he refused treatment for 3 days because he didn't want to leave. he got gangrene an lost his left butt...he had padding but said the westerns on horseback was painful.

I also forgot Full Metal Jacket....my brother served in nam in 69' on the DMZ. He has never watched any of the Nam movies ever, he can't, but I write things down he has told me....they should make a movie about that.

 

[RockofStrength]

To Hell and Back (Audie Murphy).

You know the scene where he jumps on the tank that's on fire and starts blasting..?
I read the accounts of others somewhere, and they all said in real life he did that for almost an HOUR straight. Not giving thought to the fact that the tank was likely to blow any second...
Great movie. I'm impressed he played himself in it, too.

From what I have been told, they actually toned the movie down from what actually happened so as to be believable to audiences.

 

[CandRFan]

^THIS^ Fantastic movie! Now I know at least 3 people have seen it. Me, rambone, and Rocket57. The actor who protrayed Hitler was spot on.

Photos from Downfall

Definitely a fantastic movie.

And Dave Doehrman's got it right...read "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young." The movie ending sort of offended me a little...the real ending to the battle should have been told. Perhaps it would have been to much for the audience or something?

Lots of great movies being mentioned in this thread. I'd like to add that many of the original US War Department movies made during WWII can be found online (search the moving image section over at archive.org)

Midway, With the Marines at Tarawa, The Memphis Belle, The Battle of San Pietro...all can be found online and make for good watching, even if you have to watch it on a computer screen. If you're industrious enough you could always download the movies and then covert them over to DVD and burn them...

 

[DragonGunner]

Definitely a fantastic movie.

And Dave Doehrman's got it right...read "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young." The movie ending sort of offended me a little...the real ending to the battle should have been told. Perhaps it would have been to much for the audience or something?

Lots of great movies being mentioned in this thread. I'd like to add that many of the original US War Department movies made during WWII can be found online (search the moving image section over at archive.org)

Midway, With the Marines at Tarawa, The Memphis Belle, The Battle of San Pietro...all can be found online and make for good watching, even if you have to watch it on a computer screen. If you're industrious enough you could always download the movies and then covert them over to DVD and burn them...

I agree with you on "We were Soliers.." Mel Gibson did do a great job of acting, he really did sound an talk alot like the real CO...I liked the CBS program that came out several yrs before the movie called "We were Young an Brave"...they had the real guys that had fought there an they told there stories an then some of them went back to Nam an visited the actual battle sight, I taped it an still have it. Its one hour long an is better than the movie, an tells the actual ending. That program with the real soldiers an the CO is very sobering, an chilling.

 

[JetGirl]

From what I have been told, they actually toned the movie down from what actually happened so as to be believable to audiences.

After reading different biographies, that does not surprise me one bit...

 

[Cemetery-man]

All of the above

 

[KG1]

Alot of good movies listed here. Just remembered a couple more of my favs. PT-109 and Mr. Roberts with Henry Fonda and James Cagney. I like all kinds of old war theme movies. I also dig old westerns but that's whole nother topic in itself.

 

[jbombelli]

My favorites?

Saving Private Ryan
Hamburger Hill
Full Metal Jacket
The Dirty Dozen
Where Eagles Dare
The Siege of Firebase Gloria
The Patriot
We Were Soldiers
Enemy at the Gates

These are in no specific order, and I'm sure I've forgotten a few right this moment.



I would have also said Band of Brothers, but the OP said no series'.