whats the best war film ever?

[mandy]

I would like some info on the best war films to watch
I love Saving Private Ryan,  it has you on the edge of your seat and in tears it really got to me because it was so real. And  to think that really happened is horrific
when i first saw the film I was totaly shocked and upset,  I cant even begin to imagine what they went through.

let me know thanks
Mandy.

[odinn7]

Vietnam..."Platoon"

[Grumpy Guy]

odinn7 wrote:

> Vietnam..."Platoon"
>

I can't even begin to tell you how very much I hate that movie.  Words cannot describe my level of contempt.  Mars Attacks is a better war movie than Platoon.

Full Metal Jacket was a much better Vietnam War movie.

Another good "war" flick is Three Kings, although, to be fair, it's more of a caper movie with a wartime setting.  MASH is another good film, but , once again, it's not so much about the war (in this case, the Korean War), and much more about the people trying to live through it.

In the end, though, I think Saving Private Ryan is the best war movie out there.

[mandy]

yes i loved it, that had the same impact if not better than Saving Private Ryan

[mandy]

yes i totaly agree with you Saving Private Ryan is brilliant, but I did like platoon
It was very real and thats what I like about war films.
thanks guys

[ulthar]

Platoon was not realistic; it was made by Oliver Stone fcol.

Uh. Let me qualify that.  Platoon was like the entire Vietnam war, all the bad atrocious stuff, rapped into one person's experience.  The formal conflict lasted ten years, and was a very different war in 1965 than it was in, say, 1973.  The village burning scene was supposed to be My Lai, and that was NOT typical of the US involvement.  Fragging officers, though it DID occur, was not so common either.  This movie made both of these things common to one person (or a small group).

SPR was a success partly because it focused on one historical event and tried to deal with that realistically.  "Hamburger Hill" is a Viet Nam movie that is, in my opinion, much better at that type of thing than Platoon.  The battle depicted in Hamburger Hill really occured.

Apocalypse Now is also another good Viet Nam movie.  Wierd.  Great Soundtrack, too.

From World War II, The Great Escape is a pretty good.  And Patton.  These oldies are good movies even they lack the special effects realism and shear terror of the SPR.

And don't forget "Master and Commander," about the War of 1812.   ;)  The opening cannonade is about as intense as the landing scene in SPR, and is based on a naval battle that really happened.

[odinn7]

Platoon was not made as a documentary but... I know many vets who will tell you that the movie had alot of truth to it and I also know many vets that will say the movie was all BS. Guess it all depends on where you were and how bad it was. I was answering the question that Mandy put forth, that is all. I happen to think the movie, as a movie, is excellent. Another war movie that I love, though realism is out the window in this one, the star vehicle called "Kelly's Heroes". Lots of ridiculous fun, that one is.

[Vermin Boy]

Hands down, Fantasy Mission Force. From Abraham Lincoln getting kidnapped in Canada, to the Nazis surfing on top of 70s muscle cars, no motion picture has better portrayed World War II. Plus, it's the only war film (to my knowledge) to include the bitter truth about vampires, amazons, and Jackie Chan!

[Eirik]

ANCIENT: Probably the first 20 minutes of Gladiator was the best on-film depiction, though it wasn't really a war movie.  Maybe Spartacus?

MEDIEVAL:  The only good ten minutes of Braveheart (Falkirk) notwithstanding, Brannagh's Henry V is probably the best.

COLONIAL: A tie between Breaker Morant and Zulu.

US REVOLUTION: Drums Along the Mohawk

WORLD WAR I: All's Quiet on the Western Front

WORLD WAR II: Many different kinds of WWII movies, so I'll split the category -
WWII ACTION: Saving Private Ryan
WWII HISTORICAL: Patton
WWII SUSPENSE: Stalag 17
WWII CHARACTER STUDY: The Cain Mutiny
WWII COMEDY: Kelly's Heroes
WWII FOREIGN: Stalingrad (Germany)

VIETNAM: The Deer Hunter

POST-VIETNAM: Three Kings

And in my opinion the best war movie ever...

CIVIL WAR: Glory

[Flangepart]

Eirik : Good list. Stalingrad is on my list too. Not as many foreign films to conciter, truth be known. Not as many available here.
Battleground is on of my favorites, for earlier WW2 flicks. Down Periscope as well.
Best air war film : Battle of Brittin. True its a "Picture box" film, but the air sequances are great. Too bad they only had ME-109s and Heinkle 111s. But, we'd pretty well turned most of them to scrap by then....had to borrow the Spanish Air Force by then...

[Jayson]

Dont forget to add Kurosawa's "Ran" as one of the best medevil war flicks!

[ulthar]

Eirik wrote:


> WWII COMEDY: Kelly's Heroes

:)  I was going to mention Kelly's Heroes.  Great flick. Also, if you are going to consider comedies, Operation Petticoat is one of my favorites.

On the more serious side, with some humor, The Caine Mutiny is a good film.  Very little in the way of action, and really the best parts are more of courtroom drama.

>
> VIETNAM: The Deer Hunter
>

***SPOILER ALERT****

Seen this once.  Cannot watch it again.  The scene where Christopher Walken dies
freaks me out too much.  It sure is a memorable, and powerful, film.

[Bgrade]

Others I think deserve mentioned.
Gillipoli
Bridge over the River Kwai.
Papillion
and
jonny got his gun.




Note: I also think Platoon wasn't  that good.  And love Kelly's Heroes

[Deej]

Bgrade wrote:

> Others I think deserve mentioned.
> Gillipoli
> Bridge over the River Kwai.
> Papillion
> and
> jonny got his gun.

I'd go with this list, add Private Ryan/Band Of Brothers. One thing, Papillion is a prison movie, were you thinking of The Sand Pebbles? If so, I'd agree with that one too.

[Bgrade]

Papillon is a prison movie.  But it has a war movie flavor.  I maybe mistaken, but I think was a French Foriegn Legion/military type Prison which makes it war realted enough for me.  Can I call it the non-war part of a war movie?