Posted on 11/26/2008 4:39:25 AM PST by mattstat
Here’s my list.
1. Twelve O’Clock High : Inarguably the best. No show, no false notes, no forced emotion like you see so much nowadays. No political correctness in the sense that there are no directorial heavy-handed “war is evil” sub-tones. No actors posing or posturing. Utterly realistic. This takes place during a time when the outcome of the war was by no means assured. The actors believe it: there is no foreshadowing of ultimate victory here as in so many other movies. A son of a general learns his lesson that even the privileged must do what is expected of them. Gregory Peck is the perfect leader, trying to get “Maximum effort” from his men, giving more of himself than he asks from anybody. 2. Tora! Tora! Tora! : Stays exceptionally close to what is known historically. Brilliant idea to have a Japanese director direct Japanese actors reading lines written by Japanese writers. Increases the sense of realism to a remarkable degree. The “special effects” are astonishing, especially since no computers were involved (Thank God). Gordon Prange (who wrote many Pearl Harbor books) contributed to the script—which is why we never see the emperor Hirohito’s involvement (Prange could never let himself believe that the Showa emperor was what he was). People who know me won’t watch this with me anymore because I like to point out just what did and did not happen at each moment in the movie. 3. The Train ...
(Excerpt) Read more at wmbriggs.com ...
Breaker Morant
Great scene. IIRC, they found a dead mosquito, at which point Jack Webb asks the recruit if he killed a male or female mosquito.
Why? I just happen to like them...
Here it is in two parts:
Patton is in his list after the list, of movies that should have been in the top ten but, hey- there are only ten in the top 10.
An uncle of mine was in the Army in the 1920’s and 30s (a few years in Hawaii); listening to his stories, “From Here to Eternity” was more of an indictment and criticism of prewar Army than it was about duty and honor, and he thought every officer was a Captain Holmes.
Nitpicking spelling is a lame debate tool, and besides, i agree with you. What other movie so closely connected with history, and involved the actual men who were directly involved while making the movie, AND released the video of their interviews as part of the movie/series? Frickin spectacular.
Some say it’s hard to watch. Well, yeah, because it’s war, and war IS hell. It’s not supposed to be pretty. It’s not like we won every battle, and none of the good guys ever got hurt.
The Great Escape (Bronson, McQueen, Coburn) is also one of my favorites. Am also a fan of submarine movies and I don’t think any top Das Boot, I kept forgetting they were the other side (and the ending, didn’t see that coming).
That’s it. And some guy keeps reassembling his rifle and leaving out one little crucial part, a spring I think it was.
He did mention Patton. He said Patton should be in the top 10 but there can only be 10 and he felt the others warranted their position.
Clearly a bunch of old foggies are on FR today. Let’s get some youth involved:
Full Medal Jacket
Platoon
Top Gun
A Few Good Men
The General’s Daughter
Blackhawk Down
Many more that I can’t think of right now but that is a realistic start.
Thanks, it never occurred to me to look for it there!
"Breaker Morant" is the best military movie of all time, in my humble opinion.
Not much military action per se, but the underlying theme is perfectly tuned to my libertarian streak and absolute distrust of big government.
Wow, there are some good ones mentioned.
I’ll add the first Academy Award movie “Wings”(1927) and “Das Boot”.
Isn't that why we're in the pickle we're in today... :)
You beat me to it. LOL.
10. “Gunga Din”
9. “They Died With Their Boots On” (Garryowen!)
8. “Zulu” and “Zulu Dawn” (Same war different battles.)
7. “Breaker Morant” (Rule Number 303, sir!)
6. “Twelve O’clock High”
5. “Strategic Air Command”
4. “Flight of the Intruder” (Downtown!)
3. “We Were Soldiers” (Custer was a pu$$y, you ain’t)
2. “Heartbreak Ridge” (You’re an anachronism, Highway.)
1. “Band of Brothers” (Currahee!)
Who could forget Rules of Engagement. A phenominal movie!
I totally agree...Band of Brothers is very well done...and the interviews were spellbinding...
My father was with the Third Army under Patton and chewed a lot of the same ground as did these guys..I wish he’d lived to see this film...(He passed in 1989)
As stated before, I’m a Vietnam vet and 84 Charlie Mopic is the only movie that captured Vietnam for me...We Were Soldiers was very close 2nd....
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