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Best war movie ever?

Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 11:34 pm
by Karl Heidenreich
Hey,

not only nautical (or naval related) but overall war movie?

For me: Gettysburg!

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 12:01 am
by marcelo_malara
I didn´t see that, but will name my favorites:

Ancient warfare: Kingdom of heaven

American Civil War: Glory

Age of sail: Master and Commander

WWII air: Memphis Belle

WWII land: Saving private Ryan

Overall, the best for me is Saving private Ryan. It was quiet shocking the first time I saw it in the cinema. I left the theater in a deep silence, it was the first time the horror of war come to me in such a way. I must admit that after watching it I see war with different eyes.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:15 am
by Orville H. Larson
My favorite "war" movies both have an antiwar premise:

"All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930)

"Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)

"All Quiet on the Western Front" (made only 12 years after WW1) portrays war as exactly what it is--misery, filth, and degradation. Lew Ayres turns in a classic performance as the idealistic-turned-disillusioned German soldier Paul Baumer.

"Dr. Strangelove" is a black comedy on the idiocies and miscalculations that could result in nuclear war. General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) who commands a SAC base, is a paranoid nutcase. He gets it into his head that the Communists are trying to pollute Americans'
"precious bodily fluids." On his own authority, he orders an attack on Russia.

American bombers are now winging toward Russia, and U.S. President Muffley (Peter Sellers, who also plays the roles of Dr. Strangelove and Group Captain Mandrake, RAF) and JCS chairman General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) are trying to avert it.

"Dr. Strangelove" has a timeless quality. Watch it today, and it's just as fresh as it was in the Cold War era of 1964.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 12:04 pm
by marcelo_malara
Dr. Strangelove is a very great movie. You have to understand cold war facts and terminology to fully appreciate it. Terms like the Bland Corportion (for RAND), the mine-pit lag (in lieu of the missile lag, referering to the Russians avaliability of mine pits to use for protection), phrases like "You can´t fight in the war room!!!!", or the scene of the machine-gun firing in front of the "Peace is our profession" SAC motto are just wasteless.
By Kubrick too, Paths of Glory is very good. Not a war movie per se, but with a strong message.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 3:42 pm
by Terje Langoy
I'll throw my hat in the ring as well...

Sophie Scholl - Die lezten Tage would definitely have my vote. Knowing the true story of Sophie Scholl and The White Rose, (I have the book by Annette Dumbach) the movie is simply great. And although it ain't too related to the war, as in the fighting soldiers at the front line, its still a superb account from the war within the war. I would highly recommend it.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 5:48 pm
by Gary
The Dirty Dozen.

Enemy at the gates

The Battle of the River Plate was a good movie by 1950's film making standards

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 5:53 pm
by marcelo_malara
Gary, Enemy at the gates is good, but...The dirty dozen? That is not a war movie but a cowboy movie happening in WWII.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 6:24 pm
by Gerard Heimann
A Bridge Too Far for land, and In Harm's Way for the sea. For Classical times, Spartacus.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:32 pm
by Karl Heidenreich
OK:

Let´s see, per "genre"....

Ancient times: Gladiator (it´s not a war movie but has war in it).
Kingdom of heaven is very cool also, as 300

Civil War: Gettysburg (Marcelo, take my word, you´ll love it: Martin Sheen is an incredible Robert E. Lee and Tom Berenger is "Old Pete" Longstreet. Ted Turner himself potrays a cameo by playing George Patton´s grandfather who was killed during the Pickett´s Charge).

Age of sail: Of course: Master and Commander

WWI: Blue Max and original All Quiet at the Western Front

WWII land: A bridge too far (And by far, also)

WWII sea: Well... guess what? "Sink the Bismarck"

WWII air: Memphis Bell

Best WWII small unit combat ever seen: Band of Brothers, chapter 4, reinforcements. When Easy Company are defeated at a Dutch Town where some "Tigers" were hiding and expecting them.

Saving Private Ryan is overly "Spielbergian"... which is as bad a Titanic is "Cameronian" or Pearl Harbor is... well, PH is the worst war movie ever with U-571 or McHale´s Navy... Every time I saw a scene of PH I feel I want to puke over Ben Affleck´s character...

Doctor Strangelove is a great, very great fictional work but if you are looking for a WWIII drama then "The Day After" (circa 1982 or 1985????) is the one. Doctor Strangelove is great because Peter Seller multi role characterization and Kubrick´s incredible facture.

If you are looking for fantasy then the "Two Towers" or "The Return of the King" of LOTR are the ones.

Well, that´s it. But Gettysburg is the best.

Very kind regards...

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:21 pm
by tommy303
In regards to WW1 movies, I believe The Lost Battalion is as good as just about any.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:48 pm
by marcelo_malara
Karl:
Gettysburg (Marcelo, take my word, you´ll love it: Martin Sheen is an incredible Robert E. Lee and Tom Berenger is "Old Pete" Longstreet. Ted Turner himself potrays a cameo by playing George Patton´s grandfather who was killed during the Pickett´s Charge).
I didn´t know it existed, is the first time I hear of it, but don´t believe I can get it here.

A bridge too far is very good too, I have forgotten of it.

Regarding Private Ryan, I really hate Spielberger, but I must admit that he did it with this film. Historically or technically you will sure learn very little from a war movie, so I like just to see what an actual combat looks like from the soldier point of view, and here Private Ryan excels. Soldiers don´t just receive a bullet and fall dead to the ground unaware of what had happened, like in Combat TV series, but most times they are just wounded and follows a long agony. And the only movie I have seen to show this misery so real is this one.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 10:57 pm
by marcelo_malara
"The Day After"
I saw that in 1983 I thing. It was most promoted in those days, and appeared that it would make a strong effort in turning the US public in favor of disarmament. But soon it languished in oblivion. Overall I don´t remember it was much better than others Doom Day movies.

Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 11:12 pm
by Karl Heidenreich
Marcelo:

Hey, friend: Gettysburg is a "superproduction", something of the scale of 1971 "Waterloo". It was filmed on the real battlefield location with 13,000+ re-enactors. The film is 4 hours long and is in DVD and VHS format.

To have a look to the features of the movie see:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107007/

And for purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/s/105-0079014-068 ... %5Fcode=qs

:oops: Well, it´s an amazon´s address.

Take my word, is worth every cent...

About Spartacus the final battle is incredible but with some "political correctness" mistakes. If you study it you´ll find that after the colossal display potrayed by the Romans they are whipped by the "incredible tactics" of the slave army and saved only with the comming of Luculus and Pompeii. Which is an historical mistake because Crassus was the one that whipped Spartacus and, later, Pompeii got all the credit. It´s obvious that Kubrick would not let his heroes to go down on a one vs. one basis but in an incredible numerical inferiority. But the battle scene is awesome nonetheless...

Very best regards.

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 5:18 pm
by Gary
Hi Karl.

The blue Max?

Is that the movie starring George Peppard?
My generation know him better as Hannibal Smith (A-Team).
The Blue Max (if it is the movie I am thinking about) is very good. :clap:

"Zepplinn" is another good WW1 movie.

Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 5:52 pm
by Karl Heidenreich
Gary:

Blue Max with George Peppard, Ursulla Andress and Jeremy Kemp. Superb movie with the best aerial photography (with Memphis Bell) and music. It´s incredible and (boy, oh boy) from the German perspective.

Very good movie.

Kind regards...