War Films?

[Mattonsea]

I couldn't believe Alan Arkin as Yossarian. I so wanted to enjoy the film, but I didn't quite.

A part of me thinks that all war films should either have a young Richard Attenborough in them (The Gift Horse, In Which We serve etc) or be a little bit foreign (Stalingrad, Downfall, No Man's Land, Perfect Circle, Das Boot).

I forgot to put Sergeant York on my original list (Gary Cooper). Much of it is dull and the final shoot-em-up is not well done, but the scene where they teach him to shoot is a peach:

"Folks say I could shoot before I was weaned, but I figure they was exaggerating some..."

I know what you mean his performance has a bit of Woody Allen to me . I insist every one should watch Sophie Scholl. It makes the Anne Frank story a bit tame .
Yes you are right , all war films from Europe are good. my interest in books and film is the resistance in Europe .

 

[andrewpreston]

Most of mine have already been mentioned but I also rate "Is Paris burning?" Black & white, about the liberation of Paris.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

Generation Kill (granted it's a a miniseries, but I watched them in one sitting )

I thought Generation Kill was awesome, my favouite HBO war series. Much more realistic than the excellent Band Of Brothers, and much funnier. The Pacific was a dissapointment to me.

 

[asterix]

Anyone see Dirk Bogarde in 'Appointment in London'? Excellent performance and some good contemporary footage. Being so close to the events portrayed (1951) they had to get it right and it certainly looks as if they did.

 

[compo]

Dad's Army. To be taken as seriously as most American films about how they won the war. (the Americans that is not Capt. Mainwaring and Co).

 

[Deleted member 23692]

Seeing as it's the 20th anniversary today.....

Black Hawk Down

 

[Profpointy]

some good (and some very bad) choices above.....

but no one yet metioned Tora Tora Tora - a fairly balanced narrative of Pearl Harbour. I believe they had different directors for the US & Japanese sides - with the later being Kurosawa no less - arguably a man who's directed more masterpieces than any other director.

I rate like Battle of the River Plate as well, and have a soft spot for I was Monty's Double, and the Man who never was.

Ice Cold in Alex, already cited several times is one of the truly Great Movies by any standards, and in a sense isn't a War Film, but simply a drama set in wartime.

And Hell in the Pacific, a two-hander with Lee Marvin, and Toshiro Mifune (coincedentaly Kurosawa's regular leading man)

 

[andrewpreston]

Talvisota, The Winter War. A Finnish film available on YouTube.
Oh,just remembered Carve her name with pride ,about Violette Szabo the SOE agent in occupied France.

 

[Berties]

The Longest Day - classic. On now on TCM.

spent a week and a few rides in the area of st mere eglise,and the beaches and pont de hoc,this summer,so watching the film had a realism to me,this time

 

[Leodis]

I take it this thread is for pre-Vietnam?

Not one of my best but a decent film better book is As far as my feet will carry me (So weit die Füße tragen) about a German soldier caught by the Russians and sent to a lead mine for 25 years at the furthest point in Russia. He escapes and it takes him 3 years to get back to Germany, true story as well.

 

[izza]

I'm biased having worked on the film but enjoy the light hearted but true story of 'Two Men Went To War'.

In terms of my contribution, I'm gutted that no one has mentioned it in this thread but 1) most of my work is only seen in the Deleted Scenes section of the DVD and 2) it was released into cinemas on the same week as a small home made movie called Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone. Some nerdy geek called Daniel Radcliffe nabbed my royalties.

 

[ayceejay]

I guess nobody watched 'Oh what lovely war' ? I can't believe why killing people is so enthralling.

 

[izza]

I've seen it not to long ago, OKish film...

I'm the soldier who you think shoots the young hero half way through the film.

It took a whole night to get that scene right.

 

[Leaway2]

South Pacific. All together now.............. ♫ There Is Nothing Like a Dame ♫

 

[izza]

is that just before he escapes on the motorbike.... cool....

Yes. I'm the German with the machine gun firing into the room.

If you go to deleted scenes, as they head out on the bike, I drive the second German car down the grassy field and for the car chase.