The Best War Movies — Tanks for the Memories

Fox news=s via "entertainment Nutz) ^ | May 26, 2015 | 'michael' (not me)

[Michael.SF.]

This list is in no particular order, and comes in various categories. Going back to the Civil War:

GLORY
GETTYSBURG

For the World Wars:

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI.
DAS BOOT.
PATTON.
THE GREAT ESCAPE.
SCHINDLER’S LIST.
THE DIRTY DOZEN.

Vietnam War:

FULL METAL JACKET

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“The Mortal Storm” with Jimmy Stewart was one of the few directly anti-Nazi Hollywood films released before the American entry into World War II in December 1941. I bought the DVD recently as I couldn’t find it anywhere to stream or rent. Very good look at the rise of Naziism in 39 and how it tore families apart. There’s a little bit of war action on snow fields, but not much. Excellent movie.

[PROCON]

Epic movie, “Zulu”, a great Michael Caine vehicle.

[wally_bert]

Saw half of the Beast on some cable channel a long time back. Good from what I saw.

[wally_bert]

Oddball stole that movie. It’s implausibility is what makes it so good in my opinion.

Stealing the gold is one thing but how to handle the proceeds from the theft would be something else.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I tear up every time I see it.

[Vinnie]

The Bedford Incident

Glad you finally mentioned it. One of my favorite Cold War movies.
I was never a fan of Richard Widmark but this movies was made for him.
Exactly the actor for the part.
James MacArthur was perfect too.

I’ve watched it at least 1/2 dozen times.

[Vinnie]

My brother drove one of those landing craft at Omaha Beach.
He freely talked about the War, was a minister in later life.

He had to walk out of the theater during the opening scenes in Saving Private Ryan.
I’ve watched it once, no more.

[mad_as_he$$]

it is Freeper etiquette to ping Aloha Ronnie When the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in mentioned. He was Hal Moore's radio man.

Ronnie: Never forget....

[mad_as_he$$]

I had a neighbor a few years back that flew those mission. BTW they weren’t at Toko-Ri. Oh and the bridge wasn’t on the River Kwai.

[old school]

It’s not clear, whether he was 8 years old when “The Bridge Over The River Kwai” was made or just 8 years old when he saw it. However, he left out some notable films. “The Longest Day,” “Run silent-Run Deep,” “All Quiet On The Western Front” etc.

[Michael.SF.]

A bit of trivia: the men who played the natives were paid (in part) with wrist watches, in some scenes, if you look closely you can see the watches.

[Michael.SF.]

Wasn’t ‘ Band’ a TV mini series?

[xp38]

Saw it on TCM a while ago. An unusual movie to say the least and another gem in the amazing career of Jimmy Stewart.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Noticeably absent: Dr. Strangelove. ***

THE TRAIN
SAHARA with Humphrey Bogart
Almost any WWII film with Errol Flynn
ACTION IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC
And the almost forgotten film TRIPOLI with John Payne (”to the shores of Tripoli”) Not great, but an old action film of Marines fighting the Barbary Pirates.
MEN IN WAR
A WALK IN THE SUN
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
THE FIGHTING 69TH
SARGENT YORK
the made for TV movie THE ROUGH RIDERS
THE LONGEST DAY

Way too many more to list.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Saving Private Ryan is still the best politics aside. Battle of the Bulge for entertainment value if you don’t mind a gazillion technical errors.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Might as well mention Sergei Bondarchcuk’s version of WAR AND PEACE. Makes the Henry Fonda version look like Cliff’s Notes.
And WATERLOO with Christopher Plumber and Rod Steiger.

STALINGRAD (German version)
COME AND SEE
WESTFRONT 1918
STOSSTRUPP 1917 (Pro-German film released by the Nazis)
SINK THE BISMARK
PURSUIT OF THE GRAF SPEE
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***that the movie actually inspired Johnny Horton to write that song.***

I remember my dad singing a song with that tune (Sink the Bismark), but it was about John Paul Jones and his battles against the British.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

If we are gong way back in time, I like..
HELEN OF TROY(1956)
Gladiator
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
EL CID
ALEXANDER THE GREAT (Richard Burton version)
KINGS OF THE SUN (Yul Brynner and George Chakiris)
Buffalo Bill (Joel McRea)
For comedies:
And who can forget Buster Keaton’s THE GENERAL
Whistling in Dixie with Red Skelton.

For Civil war there is also the first half of BIRTH OF A NATION. The second half gives certain people the hee-bee jee-bees and makes them foam at the mouth.

[Clemenza]

“The Battle of Algiers.” If you don’t like rah rah war films, and prefer a film focused on the actual strategy of counterinsurgency, this film is for you. Seriously, anyone who hasn’t seen it should see it at least once.

[mcshot]

There was a "Forceman" who lived in our area. I got to know him and read his units book. Got to look at his pictures of training and life at Helena, Montana where they trained. Also purchased his ka-bar - his Case V-42 was stolen after being wounded in Italy. He died before writing his memoirs for the "survivors" book.

A Lt. from the Special Service Force live just north of hear. As luck may have it he had a copy of the book that was donated to Goodwill. I didn't know him or that he had passed but something made me go to Goodwill and I walked rights to the book and there were many book cases.