What stood out was "Patton" was not on the list. It may not be everyone's number one, but it has to be near the top.
I almost posted it, but ultimately did not.
This guy hits the nail on the head when it comes to 'War Movies' as he combines many factors and stays away from delivering a specific message. The above list is abbreviated and lacks his comments.
There is not a movie on the list I did not enjoy.
Noticeably absent: Dr. Strangelove.
Not a Tom Hanks fan, but I like the realism of Saving Private Ryan.
Band of Brothers was pretty good
Stalingrad.
Fortress Brest.
The platoon. Could be called Rota 9.
Winter War.
Fury.
84 Charlie Mopic.
Hamburger Hill.
Restrepa.
Tora Tora Tora,
In Harms Way,
MIdway
From the website:
Comedy in war:
STRANGLELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB. Another Kubrick film. This was the first satire I ever saw on film. Peter Sellers may have been a nut in real life, but was a comedic genius on the big screen.
"Hamburger Hill" had it's moments. "Full Metal Jacket" was fine for the boot camp part, the Hue segment was too Kubrick.
"Pvt Ryan" captured a lot of the confusion and individualism, but Hanks ruined it with his angst.
Hmmm...the first two I think of have something in common...
“Breaker Morant”
“Paths of Glory”
As for M.A.S.H.and Catch-22, I couldn’t understand a single word anybody said. And the same goes for every other movie that Robert Altman directed. I hate that guy.
We Were Soldiers -
the scenes of the wives delivering the telegrams were pretty much bringing on the water works.....I think in my case not only what they must have been going through but the way the Army was handling it.
At least the movie didn’t degrade the Troops by portraying them as a bunch of pot heads planning on how to kill the NCO’s and Officers and they gave the RVN’s credit for being soldiers not the normally ‘peace loving farmers caught up in a war without a bad thought in mind’ Except how to run raids etc - admittedly when the ‘bad guys’ were threatening your family, kind of easy to ‘go along’ with them.
For some people...
‘Taking Chance’ also has to be up there even though it was an HBO special.....
Hell is for Heroes
The Enemy Below
The Blue Max
El Cid
Blackhawk Down
Act of Valor
The Caine Mutiny
Lawrence of Arabia
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Damn the Defiant!
They Were Expendable
Fort Apache
Sink the Bismarck
Stalag 17
That Hamilton Woman
The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Four Feathers
Zulu
The Gathering Storm
The Hunt for Red October
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Troy
Twelve O'Clock High
I think that The Raid was one of the best war pics ever. Firebase Gloria was really good for a low budget job. Last of the Mohicans was a good one.
One thing I learned from war films is that the German Army were incompetent bunglers who couldn’t whip a paper sack.
I want to see Battle of the River Plate again.
I didn’t see The Longest Day or A Bridge Too Far. Blaspheme!
a few more noteworthy films that i don’t think have been mentioned yet...
Battleground (1949)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041163/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Cross of Iron (1977)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074695/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Zulu (1964)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058777/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
Stalag 17 (1953)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046359/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Young Lions (1958)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052415/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2
Murphy’s War (1971)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067458/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Night of the Generals (1967)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062038/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_87
Battle of Britain - Spitfires and hurricanes against Me 109s and He 111s (well, Spanish versions, anyway)
Cross of Iron - slow motion mayhem on the Russian front a la Sam Peckinpah
Gladiator - for the fight in forest at the start
Heartbreak Ridge
The Bedford Incident
Unbroken
Because I am a former Naval Aviator: The Bridges at Toko-Ri (best depiction of carrier aviation)
To Hell and Back, The Man Who Never Was, Guns of Navarone were some of my favorites not yet mentioned.