Best war film

[meenaghman]

Surprised Braveheart didn't get a mention.. especially for the great scences involving the FCA (irish army reserve or Fools Carrying Arms as we tend to call them) Story goes that halfway through one of the battle scenes some guy stripped off into his Celtic jersey causing quite a bit of editing and retakes. The battle scenes are all very well done.. superceded by the "computer bots" in Lord of the Rings.
Saving P Ryan first 1/2 hr or so in the Cinema with the sounds of the bullets etc was an incredible piece of film..The story itself though was a bit hollywood.
Enjoyed the wind that shakes the barley .. quite a good depiction of how after 1922 families were divided over which course of action to take in Ireland.
A Bridge too Far is an excellent account of the failure of operation Market Garden.
For the ladies I suspect cold mountain or Captain Corelli's Mandolin will come out tops.

 

[Cab]

Surprised Braveheart didn't get a mention..

I'm not. Its monumentally bad.

 

[papercorn2000]

But not QUITE as bad as Alexander

" Well, Bergorrah! Oi'm an Ancient Greek don't ye know!"

 

[Cab]

But not QUITE as bad as Alexander

" Well, Bergorrah! Oi'm an Ancient Greek don't ye know!"

No, not quite

Although I think Troy might have a claim on being even worse. Anyone else spot the Llamas in ancient Troy?

 

[bof]

Dr Strangelove - not often thought of as a war film, but it was.

Someone else may have said this, but was I alone in thinking the first part of Private Ryan (the landings) was fantastic and the second half with the stars and the silly plot a big letdown.

 

[domtyler]

Am I really the only person who rates Cascablanca as one of the greatest war films?

No, it is a great film, and it is set during a war so it counts. However if you are going to nominate Brokeback Mountain I may have to put my foot down!

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Alexander was another one which didn't last an hour for me. Was it that film that had the worst editing I've ever seen? i.e. one second a battle scene and the next a bird flying about? Can't remember.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Saving P Ryan first 1/2 hr or so in the Cinema with the sounds of the bullets etc was an incredible piece of film..The story itself though was a bit hollywood.

Clearly Spielberg used artistic license for much of the film. However the story is based around the Niland brothers. Here are some pics I took of their graves in the Cemetery at Collville sur mere (Omaha)

 

[Cab]

No, it is a great film, and it is set during a war so it counts. However if you are going to nominate Brokeback Mountain I may have to put my foot down!

No danger of nominating Brokeback Mountain, as I haven't seen it yet

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I you can stick with the subtitles then taegukgi - Brotherhood is really worth watching, then watch again for the visual experience of some amazing battle scenes, but another underated film is The Train for a different kind of war film.

 

[Speicher]

The Train, or as I remember it, Der Zug, Brilliant. Also Das Boot. I am not keen on war films in general - much too realistic, injuries, blood etc. Das Boot, I think, conveyed the fear and bravery and strategy involved. I also liked "Crimson Tide" and "The Hunt for Red October", also with submarines.
Perhaps as a female, I have a different view point, and that may explain why so few posts on this thread are from females (which someone commented on earlier).

 

[Trembler49]

Apocalypse now obviosuly, and Das Boot, but how about

The Life and death of Colonel Blimp (1943), great film. Has me in tears every time.