War Films?

[slowmotion]

^^^^^^^^ Breaker Morant is really, really good.

 

[asterix]

The Line of Fire is one of my favourites.

It is an Italian film about war in the western desert. Under Mussolini, who'd have been an Italian soldier?

The battle scenes give the best impressions of being under fire from artillery or overrun by tanks I know of. The front line conditions suffered by the Italians are dire and being captured by the British must have been a welcome release for the survivors. The Germans are appropriately vile towards their so-called 'allies' whom they obviously despise, as indeed they did. Hardly surprising the unfortunate Italians have a reputation for surrendering rather easily.

I also like Enigma. Knowing a bit about the topic, I find it an excellent story. Shame they couldn't use the real Bletchley Park instead of the rather more imposing pile they show. A much under-rated film.

 

[Dayvo]

Maybe not a true 'war film' per se, but I enjoyed 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin'.

 

[AndyRM]

I think the problem I had is I went into it believing it was a film that would "hit" me hard but for me it didn't bring anything new, but I think I was more disappointed with the whole film , to many inconsistences and moments of why....
the Vietnam movies of the same period were probably better for me due to not knowing too much about that war, at the time ...
I find documentaries more hard hitting, when showing real footage....

another good film is El Alamein .....(2002 Italy)

All fair points. My first viewing was under the influence of a crippling Buckfast related hangover, the ferocity of which would have made Care Bears a tough watch.

I'll have to look out for El Alamein.

I suppose this isn't technically a war film, but Persepolis is very good.

 

[AndyRM]

Maybe not a true 'war film' per se, but I enjoyed 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin'.

I think you may be in limited company with that one.

 

[stephec]

You can't beat a good old rousing WW2 film.

Von Ryan's Express
The Eagle Has Landed
Battle of the Bulge
Dambusters
The Battle of Britain
Where Eagles Dare

 

[Tcr4x4]

Brotherhood (taegukgi) 2004. About the story of two brothers during the Korean War. Epic scenes and very moving.

9th company. Soviet Russian era film, documenting a band of troops from boot camp to a bloody battle which made them heroes.

Assembly-2008. True story following one mans journey during the Chinese civil war in 1948. Some amazing cinematography.

Hamburger hill-Vietnam, 1969. 101st airborne try to take hil 937. 10 days later, they finally take the hill, with hundreds of lives lost. Pretty gruesome in places, but one of my favourites.

Tigerland- 2005. Vietnam, pretty standard but worth a watch.

 

[Fab Foodie]

BoB
The Dambusters
633 Squadron
Battle of the Bulge
Dunkirk (B&W + modern TV version)
Sink the Bismark
I was Monty's double
A Bridge too far
The Cruel Sea - fab!
Heroes of Telemark
Cockleshell Heroes
In which we serve
Ice Cold in Alex
Reach for the Sky
Enemy at the Gate
Das Boot
Platoon
First Light - Docu drama
Battle of the River Plate (HMS Exeter's finest hour - hurrah!)
Apocalypse Now
Galipoli
Hope and Glory
Memphis Belle
Schindlers list
The Wooden Horse
Escape from Colditz
Lawrence of Arabia
The Yangtzee Incident
Band of Brothers

Mark Kermode's not under any threat is he ....

 

[gbb]

Idi I Smotri (Come and See)

Easily the toughest war film I've ever sat through.

Certainly one of the most realistic, grittiest, grimmest films ive seen.

 

[stephec]

Like him or not, Al Murray made a good point in his Pub Landlord book.

As the Landlord was listing his top ten war films (Where Eagles Dare at no. 1) he said, " with all the amazing true stories in the war, why do we still feel the need to make some up?"

 

[Silver Fox]

We Were Soldiers.

 

[EltonFrog]

Kelly's Heroes.

Proper war film that and true.

 

[Boris Bajic]

We Were Soldiers.

I wasn't.

 

[Bollo]

Starship Troopers

 

[LarryDuff]

The Cruel Sea gets my vote.