Posted on 07/30/2012 7:53:45 PM PDT by TurboZamboni
Without question, more movies have been made about World War II than any other, but before World War II there was World War I, and some of the best — if not the best — war films ever made were inspired by that conflict. Most movies about the Great War incorporate strong anti-war messages, and to be fair, I can think of few other conflicts (except perhaps the Crimean War or the Thirty Years War) in which this attitude is more appropriate.
You’ll see this thread running through almost every one of my picks — it’s just the way it is. With the exception of movies made as propaganda during WWI and WWII, a good hunk of the First World War films were turned out in the 1920s and ’30s, when the nations of the world were licking their wounds and realizing what a grim, useless affair the whole mess really had been. World War I also proved to be an excellent analogy for Vietnam, so a number of First World War movies were also produced during that period. Anyway, without further ado, here are my particular favorites (and some runners-up) in chronological order.
(Excerpt) Read more at gunsandammo.com ...
Abel Gance’s J’Accuse is frightening.
I’ll never forget the scene where the thousands of soldiers rise from the dead...spooky.
In addition to being happily surprised to see an Albatross aircraft, they included some stuff that had been in a biography of the Red Baron that I had recently read. There is a scene when he is home on leave and someone is looking at a photo of his squadron; she asks him questions about different people in the photo and he replies, “Dead. Dead. They’re all dead.” That story was in the biography, and at the time I read it, I thought it was very revealing about the toll the war had taken on Richthofen personally.
ANZACS. If you can find it you’ll see exactly why it’s the best or among the best.
Pacshendale, Iron Maiden heh
Sounds like Emile Zola's Germinal.
Grand Illusions
Sergeant York
Lawrence of Arabia
All Quiet on the Western Front
Dr. Zhivago
Blue Max
Just a few of my Favorites, in no particular order
I second the Blue Max.
They forgot “The Lost Battalion”
Colonel Redl
Its always been beyond me how those soldiers on
both side stood up to life in the trenches,being
shelled,lving in mud and lice.Sorry food,lack of
water.Death all around the screams of the wounded
They were tough sob`s back then...there is no way
that people of today would endure what they endured
Zulu is also one of my all time favorites. I enjoyed the firing by ranks drill. I had never seen mass volley fire done by ranks before. Very impressive.
The Zulu shouting and banging their shields was also very impressive. BTW the Zulus phoney deaths were the result of showing old cowboy movies to them so they could get the hang of acting a death scene.
The song “Men of Harlech” was done specifically for the movie. A very nice touch having the Welsh sing it in response to the Zulu’s chanting.
Colour Sgt Bourne was a favorite of mine. His coolness under fire was impressive as well as his general demeanor. I always remember his answer to one of his troops getting the vapors and asking why it had to be them to stand against impossible odds and most likely be slaughtered. “Because we’re here lad, because we’re here. No one else, just us.”
Zulu was a movie about real men fighting impossible odds and surviving. One of three fights like that: Xenophon and the Retreat of the Ten Thousand, the battle of Roark’s Drift and the Rangers at Mogadishu.
If you have the chance, go see the World War I Museum in Kansas City at Liberty Memorial. This was re-built a decade ago (I had a small part in its renovation and addition) and it is the offical WWI musuem for the nation.
Its history can be read here
http://www.theworldwar.org/s/110/new/index.aspx?sid=110&gid=1&pgid=1114
The rest of that site is interesting as well. I would say it is a little hot to visit Kansas City this week — it might be more fun in the fall.
Why isn't The African Queen on the list? Not even an honorable mention?
Umm . . . what does that have to do with World War I?
so many realistic elements to the movie and all the actors fit in well, without one actor overshadowing the others or dominating the screen. You had the feeling you were there with them.
The ranked volley scene was one of the most dramatic battle scene filmed. still gives me chills to watch it.
Chaney's character was the prototype for all the "tough marine seargeants" that came after. I understand that he was made an honorary Marine for his performance.
“Zulu, depicting the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879.
Umm . . . what does that have to do with World War I?”
We know, but its such a great historic movie that I’m glad it (drifted) into the thread.
Ya gotta love those WWI German uniforms!
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