Favorite Military Movies

The Washington Times ^ | Oct. 10, 2003 | John McCaslin, Inside the Beltway

[EdJay]

 Our item on retired and active military members being asked by USAA Magazine to rank their all-time favorite military movies (the most popular, in order, were "Twelve O'Clock High," The Bridge on the River Kwai," "The Longest Day," "Patton," "The Deer Hunter," "Saving Private Ryan" and "We Were Soldiers") generated considerable response from within the ranks.

 "I saw that article ... and wondered how they came up with those movies. Then I saw the writer was a retired Air Force officer. Well, no wonder," writes retired Army officer Bob Thomas of Guthrie, Okla.

 "Soldiers would choose a different set of favorite war movies, as would sailors and Marines. I can't believe no one mentioned 'Black Hawk Down,' 'Flight of the Intruder,' 'Gettysburg,' 'Memphis Belle,' or 'Full Metal Jacket.' "

[jocon307]

"The Duelists"

Ohmigoodnes, everytime someone mentions this, I have to tell my story. Being out at my mom-in-law's summer house, and convincing "the guys" to watch this movie at about 11 pm one night, because I had heard it got such good reviews. I, myself, fell asleep about 10 minutes into it, and the next day I figured they'd changed the channel soon after to watch Saturday Night Live, or somesuch.

So, I asked, did you watch the rest of the movie? And they had, and they all LOVED it. Raved. That was great, thank you for suggesting it, etc. (very flattering!). So, having missed the whole thing myself, I asked "What was it about, anyway?" And, hubby said, to group agreement, "What was it about? It was about Honor!"

It showed me something about men, that reaction. Someday I'll have to watch that movie myself. But, culturally, I felt I did some good that day, even if I snoozed through most of it!

[wolficatZ]

The Heroes of Desert Storm (1992) - Hard to find made for TV movie shot in a news docudrama style- starring Angela Bassett and Daniel Baldwin

 

I don't have a copy but am looking for one; this movie was rushed out after Desert Storm and is kind of hokey in parts, but overall quite good; the scud attack on the barracks at the end is quite memoriable. Every freeper should see this film.

 

My favorites are the actual documentaries shot by combat cameramen.

Tthis film is public domain and covers the Battle for Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands January-February1944 (warning, graphic scenes of US and Japanese dead )

"What Makes a Battle (1944)"

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http://www.archive.org/movies/prelinger.php

I'm waiting for this to be released in the US w/subtitles; if anyone has info let me know..

EL ALAMEIN - LA LINEA DI FUOCO (2002)

EL ALAMEIN - THE LINE OF FIRE

Winner of 3 David Di Donatello Awards for Best Photography, Best Sound Design, Best Editing In El Alamein (23 October - 1st November 1942) the Italian-German army was forced to retreat before the enemy line signalling the first huge and humiliating defeat for the Germans. Together with the Stalingrad battle and the landing in Normandy, this became one of the turning points in the history of World War II. Bound together with the Germans were the Italian soldiers - heroes in the midst of a more powerful enemy. The armoured divisions: Aries, Trieste, Pavia, and Brescia, the Folgore paratroops and the 31st battalion of the Engineer Corps did their duty in a terrible battle over eleven days of fighting resulting in 25 000 victims and 30 000 POWs. This film is a harrowing depiction of the atrocities of war, focusing on the Italian men who left their families and homes in order to defend their country. Directed by Enzo Monteleone Starring Paolo Briguglia, Pierfrancesco Favino, Silvio Orlando 117 minutes / War / 2002

[bat1816]

All Quiet on the Western Front
Hamburger Hill
Seige on Firebase Gloria

[wolficatZ]

Some other faves worthy of mention

Beach Red (1967) produced, directed and starring Cornel Wilde

Very unique movie; the first to go inside the minds of both the Americans and Japanese, look for it on TNT, and maybe TCM.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0061389/usercomments

 

Air Force (1943) Starring John Garfield and Harry Carey

 

Gritty wartime propaganda film reflects the feeling of desperation in the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor; the special effects alternate between outstanding and laughable, just like the plot and the script, but a good film nonetheless, look for it on TCM listings.

 

Too Late the Hero (1970)  starring  Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson 

 

"Cliff Robertson stars as translator Lt. Sam Lawson. He signed up for the military in order to use his linguistic skills and stay safely in the background. That all changes in the Spring of 1942 when Captain Nolan (Henry Fonda) orders Lawson to join a British combat unit in the New Hebrides for a cooperative mission. On reaching the island where the British are holed up at one end, with the Japanese controlling most of the rest of the island, Lawson learns that he has been volunteered for a suicide mission to knock out a Japanese radio transmitter and then transmit false orders in Japanese. Leading the group is Captain Hornsby (Denholm Elliott). Among the soldiers is a young Michael Caine as Private Tosh Hearne. Despite his refusal to get involved, Lawson ends up with no other options than to be 'heroic.' The mission of course goes badly, and the Japanese commander taunts the survivors to give themselves up, working a psychological battle of wills against the allies as they turn on each other.

All the horrors of war are here, with violent, bloody and sudden death out of nowhere. Worse still, the deaths are often unnecessary, caused by incompetent commanders and friendly fire. Even the supposed heroes have feet of clay, robbing and mutilating corpses, betraying each other and killing prisoners as they go. Lest the Vietnam analogy escape the viewers, Hornsby at one point vilifies Lawson's cowardice as being comparable to that of a "long-haired conscientious objector."  (review by Mark Zimmer) http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=1432

[FreedomPoster]

The tankers on the Stryker threads all love Kelly's Heros, for the obvious reasons.

[Mears]

Yes,Mitchum and Kurt Jurgens. One of our favorite WWII flicks.

[blam]

"The Albacore?"

USS Jallao (SS-368)

[clintonh8r]

Your husband's description was accurate. You must see the movie, preferably on DVD if possible.

[wardaddy]

Thia is way hard.....too many things about different flicks..

Das Boot is in there for sure.

Some movies are about war but not war movies and some of those have been spectacular.

I like the Yugo movie with Dennis Quaid recently....at least it gave the Serbs a fair shake...Savior...not great but good.

The Duellist...a period flick in the Napoleanic Wars but not a war movie.

Henry V....not a war movie but the St Crispins Speech and Agincourt scenes are incredible.

I liked Tora Tora Tora better than Midway personally.

Speaking of which(Japs)...and Kurosawa war-epic is worth snagging if you don't mind sub-titles.

The Longest Day simply for the pagentry and cast.

Cross of Iron...Steiner bump!

Patriot/Braveheart....dramas in wars.

Blackhawk Down and We Were Soldiers/ gripping realism

The Wild Geese....what a cast...Roland The Thompson Gunner bump!

I loved Gods and Generals but it is a very long movie....the performance of the actor playing Stonewall Jackson is incredible.

I have never seen the old silent Napolean movie but I hear that it is a masterpiece of effort.

This is the impossible list...Zulu Dawn , Larry of Arabia....

I wish someone would do a proper film on Simon Bolivar...his back and forth treks across the Andes and GranColombia are epic enough for the big screen and have never been done.

I always liked Gregory Peck as Hornblower for old ship's war movies....the series last year was fun too.

There was an interesting movie a few years ago called Ride with the Devil about the Missouri guerrilla war....great horseback pistol scenes..

enough.

[Rubber_Duckie_27]

The Hunt for Red October
Das Boot
Tora, Tora, Tora (shoddy special effects and all)
Patton
Full Metal Jacket
Saving Private Ryan

On the less serious side:
Operation Petticoat
Father Goose
Stripes

[jocon307]

"You must see the movie, preferably on DVD if possible."

You've given me a good idea, Christmas gift-wise! Thank you!

[ErnBatavia]

A classic that I saw three or four times as a young chirren in the early fifties..A Walk in the Sun

[STFrancis]

That's it.. Cross of Iron...and there is also a sequel to it when Steiner get's transfered with his squad to the western front right after the D-Day invasion.

[STFrancis]

Nice the way you snuck a picture of "Starship Troopers" in between the pictures of "Hamburger Hill"... Must suck being eaten by a giant BUG.

Also, Here is the link to Stalingrad the excellent German movie: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6305037280/qid=1065894469/sr=8-7/ref=sr_8_7/104-6062456-5255906?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846

[Squantos]

The wild geese was good "movie" but when I watch a movie I wan't to see some realism. Maybe it had enough but I didn't like Richard Harris then or now so I didn't watch it but once. One reason I never listed The Green Berets with Marion Morrison. When I couldn't find an M16 like old Johns that I never had to reload when I joined the service I was pissed.........:o)

Just like the recent Tears of the Sun flick. When old Bruce went off mission and didn't bag an gag that whining big itch and throw her ass on the helo I thought pop her with 10cc's in the butt and debate later or shoot Bruce and let NCO take over the mission. But mooooooovie was the reason we were watching.

Platoon had some of the fear factors in it at the end during the final battle scenes. Albeit not a war flick per se the old Gary Cooper movie where he went to get the 6 or 7 Medal of Honor troops and return them to the US. That had a lot of "realism" . As did the movie with Robert Taylors Battaan and They Were Expendable with John Wayne. The improvised hodge podge make do scenes reflect history as I have only read it and experienced it during my service career in more modern times.

One of my favorite reads was a book called "40 miles a day on beans and hay". And a turn of the century old officers manual I have in my possession. Thus Ft Apache and she wore a yellow ribbon portrayed a lot of tradition and actual procedures I found in that old officers manual.

Raid on Entebbe with Charles Bronson was very good IMO as I remember reading the press as the event happened. Course the IDF didn't tell all I pretty sure but it was very close as I remember it.

Thanks for the list of your favorites guys . Some I haven't seen and will look for based on your recommendations.

Stay Safe !

[TomServo]

Thanks bud! I'll look out for it. ;-)

[Qatar-6]

Two Obscure Brit movies that show real lessons in leadership

The Bofors Gun - Based on the play "events while guarding the bofors gun". An buck sergeants worst nightmare about dealing with eccentric characters on guard mount.

Guns At Battasi - Richard Attenborough gives the perdormance of his life as a British RSM in Africa in the early 1960s during the turn over of a colony to the locals. Great lessons in leadership there.

The best thing I've seen in a long time is Band of brothers especially 3 episodes

1. The drop into Normandy best special effects of tracers and planes being shot down I've ever seen.

2. The Battle of the Bulge episode that focuses on the company medic

3. The episode after that that shows how the company 1sg holds the unit together in spite of a useless commander

Private Ryan was technically impressive but the characters did things that normal Infantrymen would never do (like small-talk converse in normal tones on patrol)

Thems my contributions.

All the best

Qatar-6

[wardaddy]

bag an gag that whining big itch

Bag and gag Monica Belluci has some interesting Helmet Newton images doesn't it?

I liked Tears of the Sun mainly because the producers were not afraid to show black on black west African horror for what it is...and did not PC sanitize it.

You are right though, I assume a Spec Ops team would have simply snatched her ass and done exactly as you described. Neutralize now and debate society can come later.

[Squantos]

Agree on Band of Brothers .......I'm gonna have to add that CD series to my collection. I'll check the others out too.

Your suggestions reminded me of "Cromwell" and "Charge of the Light Brigade" also.

Wind and the Lion........# of Days in Peking .......when the UN like garrison from many counties were surrounded (Charlton Heston ?)

Sand Pebbles regarding the boxer rebellion I believe.

Thanks for the tips.....this is a valuable thread for movies to see .....:o)

Stay Safe !

[Squantos]

Helmet Newton........LMAO ! I think old Helmet Would have used wesson oil, jumper cables and a weed eater for her "style"........:o)

My onus is sometime not being able to see a movie for it's "entertainment" value versus historical correct content......thus I'm just a picky bastard for the most part !

Stay Safe !