Favorite Warmovie

[Mike G.]

If tomorrow I were told I could only have one video/cd of one war movie, it would have to be:

Braveheart

[Andy B.]

Its a toss up for me.....either Patton, or Tora Tora Tora. But you really can't go wrong with any of them.
Andy B. collecting mini badge stickpins.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, there are lots of great films mentioned, but as a British A/B collector and re-enactor, if I had to single out just one movie, I just have to vote for:

"A Bridge Too Far".

Cheers, Ade.

Anything with John Wayne. If I want total accuracy I'll watch a documentary. I watch movies to be entertained. The Duke never fails me. I can't think of many movies I've seen more than once. But I've watched Sands of Iwo Jima, The Green Berets, and of course Rio Bravo (there are soldiers in it here & there, o.k., so it's not a war movie) each countless times since I was a kid.

[coastie]

Anything with John Wayne. If I want total accuracy I'll watch a documentary. I watch movies to be entertained. The Duke never fails me. I can't think of many movies I've seen more than once. But I've watched Sands of Iwo Jima, The Green Berets, and of course Rio Bravo (there are soldiers in it here & there, o.k., so it's not a war movie) each countless times since I was a kid.

Have you seen "The Horse Soldiers"

[W Petz]

WOW!! I cannot believe that you don't have "TO HELL AND BACK" about a real life hero and Medal of Honor winner..Audie Murphy on that list. Which also happens to be my all time favorite war movie. BATTLEGROUND about the 101st ABN in the Battle of the Bulge would be my second choice!! Saving Private Ryan comes in third.
If classified as a movie for TV I would substitute BAND OF BROTHERS in the place of Saving Private Ryan!! Bill

[Mikhealc]

I already posted a reply about the Finnish movie, The Winter War. It is one of the best of all time. It is just an exceptional movie and when you compare it to the Stalingrad movie from the 90s. That Lieutenant's schrill overacting was too much for me. I liked Stalingrad because it dealt with a subject often not dealt with in the west but it was a disappointment as was Enemy at the Gates.

My problems with SPR are similar to David's. The ending is pure Hollywood when the P51 comes out of the sky right as Tom Hanks dies. That kind of timing is only found in a Hollywood script. And the sad thing is that movie started out so well. I do take exception to David describing the interpreter as a Pussyboy. That is crass and fails to understand that in combat there are many variations in behavior and that one isn't necessarily a pussyboy if one finds the stress overwhelming. Patton had to learn that lesson after slapping the soldier in Italy.

Still I would say The Winter War is one of the best and another good one not mentioned so far is Breaker Morant, the first of the very good Austrailan films about war.

mhc

[Chris]

The best war movie ever made IMO was "Too Late the Hero" starring Cliff Robertson and Michael Caine as an American linguist and a British medic. They go out on a patrol with a bunch of bottom-of-the-barrel British troops behind Japanese lines in a meaningless backwater garrison in the Pacific. All the stupidity, insanity, sweatiness, meanness, courage and heroism of war are brilliantly acted and suspensefully brought off. Little known, but a perfect gem.

[LuftwaffeAsse]

I love a lot of war movies

-Where the eagles dare
-The Lighthorsemen
-The Battle of Ryo de La Plata
-The Blue Max
-The Great Escape
-Pearl Harbour

LuftwaffeAsse

[Master3477]

1. Steiner - Das Eiserne Kreuz (Part one)

2. Die Brücke

3. Die Brücke von Arnheim

4. The longest day

5. We were soldiers

and I like Band of brothers

[boyt44]

Here's one that has not been mentioned yet: "Taegukgi" . This is a new Korean movie,which has become the largest grossing Korean movie ever. It deals with two brothers, forced into the South Korean Army in the opening days of the Korean war. The film is intense and shocking,with combat scenes as explicit and brutal as "SPR" . It is a high-dollar production, with correct gear and equipment shown on both sides,North and South. It WILL leave you close to tears at the end. If you want to see a film worth seeing, look for it on eBay under the name "Taegukgi". It is, of course, in Korean, but the DVD I got had english subtitles. Give it a look-you'll be impressed.

[Gaspare]

I enjoy all the movies listed in this topic. .

Heres 2 more to add to the list:
Von Ryans Express
Force 10 From Navarone

[Mark Sheffy]

The Train, with Burt Lancaster

[coastie]

Anybody remember an early war/espionage movie that takes place in France and there was a Brit/American(?) spy who was being helped by a pretty french girl in a Beret, and the beret had an arrow pin on it. He/she fell in love but the war had to go on. He was being chased by the Gestapo and was cornered in a cave without a gun, and the gestapo baddie was talking to him to give up and poked the girls beret (w/arrow) through a hole to show that the girl was dead/captured. Our resourceful agent took the pin off and made a bow with his shoe string and tied the arrow on a stick and shot the bad guy. I didn't make this up nor was I on drugs at the time either Was was the name it's bugs me I can't remember or maybe I'm having senior moments

[Jim Baker]

This is a good thread and really had me thinking. Many good points of view. It's almost a joke amoungst my family that if a war movie is on, I'm going to see it. I think I have seen just about every WWII war movie ever made (in English). I really love a lot of them. Many for entertainment, and many for realism and historical content. I guess it's what I'm in the mood for at the time. I'm surprised that Bridges at Toko-Ri wasn't mentioned. Taking into account the time frames in which the movies were made is also important, not only for the technology available, but also what the censors would let the producers get away with. Taking into account what I've just mentioned, I don't think I could pick a single favorite. I think the best war movies (series) to date are probably Band of Brothers just because it's got it all covered, and from a German perspective, Das Boot.

Movies that should be made:
Guadalcanal Diary by Richard Tregaskis (along the lines of BoB).
Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sager (great book and story).

Those would be some good ones.