Posted on 01/09/2018 6:18:46 AM PST by Rummyfan
I was attending a Christmas party over the holidays and, in the course of conversation, made the following statement:
“I can’t watch very many war movies anymore.”
My sister in-law, thinking I was talking about some kind of emotional issue said, “Of course…” I immediately interrupted her.
“No, it’s not some kind of PTSD thing or anything like that. It’s just that I think I’m hyper-critical and I end up taking myself out of the movie.”
This caused me to think about all the war films I watched over the years and which ones based on my experience actually bring something to the table. As a caveat, I fully admit that most of my criticisms are purely superficial. The layman would never notice or appreciate the difference if it was changed to be more accurate.
Additionally, I was a helicopter pilot for 24 years, so if I don’t notice that the guys in a stack getting ready to kick down a door weren’t oriented correctly that’s not my fault, it wasn’t my job in the Army.
(Excerpt) Read more at hollywoodintoto.com ...
Anyone who puts “Apocalypse Now” as a best war film knows nothing.
But Crimson Tide really got it all so terribly wrong, it appears as if they didn’t bother having a military advisor onset....
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They got the actors right, that’s for sure. I watch movies to be entertained and don’t always look for technical accuracy. You could make a movie with Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington brushing their teeth side by side and I think it would be pretty entertaining.
I think you are literally correct. That crimson movie was refused any USN support.
Dang you. You led me down a path that has consumed more than an hour and a half reading Medal of Honor Recipient Citations and watching interviews from the Youtube book Medal of Honor Book.
Every one of them explains in their own way that they and their soldiers did what they did out of Love for one another. They also recognize that not everyone will do what has to be done but they just won’t say a single bad thing about anyone. They exhibit pit for those who are not part of their society but never in a haughty way.
The steadfast humility and rock solid reliability exhibited by each of these recipients justifies the designation Medal of Honor. They knew what they were doing when the did it and took the actions without reservation or regard for personal safety.
Oh my.
I'm glad to hear that your husband, as a submariner, enjoys these two. I spent six years in the Navy as a sonar technician, but I did all my work on the surface. Many would argue that we don't do nearly as much serious ASW work as they do on subs, and they would be correct.
Still, Hunt for Red October--as a novel--came out about the time I was attending my first Sonar "A" school. I read the book, and was intrigued by the whole "cat and mouse" game that the US and Soviets used to play under the ocean. I was thrilled when they made that book into a movie. It's still uncanny how much info Tom Clancy had when he wrote that book. While he didn't get down to the "tree" level, he sure described the "forest" very well.
As for U-571, I know there was controversy about who was credited for finding Enigma and that proper credit wasn't given to the English. Still, from a "life on a submarine during wartime," some of those scenes gave me chills. If being bombarded with depth charges is anything like that in real life, I would never want to be on a sub! It's a great movie to watch in surround sound, too!
Did he ever see Das Boot. Surviving U-Boat sailors say the only thing missing as far as accuracy is the smell.
I agree. What a great series. A great look at the fighting in Europe, from D-Day to VE Day.
Ever see “The Light Horsemen” An Australian made movie about the 4th & 12th Light Horse Regiments cavalry charge against the Turks at Beersheba during WWI. Like Gallipoli and Breaker Morant, shows the Australian’s view of the Brits disregard for the lives of Australian soldiers.
Not Brits, the three were Australians.
To Hell and Back with Audie Murphy
You are correct, they were Aussies. Brain fade on my part.
They did not run home. The spent the rest of the war as guests of Him Imperial Japanese Majesty in places like Changi and Celeran. Thousands of them died in these camps and working on the Burma railroad.
Even more impressive when you consider how quickly it came together. William Tennant, the Royal Navy officer who organized and supervised the evacuation from Dunkirk, didn’t arrive there until 26 May. And the removal of troops from the breakwaters (”moles”)—in addition to beach evacuations—didn’t begin until the 30th. Quite remarkable, when you consider the entire operation was done largely on the fly; there was nothing in pre-war BEF planning that remotely envisioned the type of evacuation carried out at Dunkirk.
Still haven’t seen the film, but I understand Kenneth Branagh plays a character based on Capt Tennant. BTW, his “reward” for the successful evacuation of Dunkirk was command of the HMS Repulse; 18 months later, he was on the bridge when the battlecruiser was sunk of the Malaysian coast, along with the battleship Prince of Wales.
Under Tennant’s leadership, Repulse dodged more than a dozen bombs and torpedoes before the Japanese finally found their mark. Tennant survived, was rescued by a British destroyer and made his way back to England. As an Admiral, we was in charge of the successful construction of the “Mulberry” harbors that were instrumental for Allied resupply after the Normandy landings.
Quite a fellow.
All good flicks. Three that haven’t been mentioned but are among my favorites are:
Glory
Tora, Tora, Tora
Cross of Iron
I think you are literally correct. That crimson movie was refused any USN support.
Brits back then were disdainful of any non -Brit. But i wonder if it was worse for Aussies because get saw Aussies as descended from criminals?
Pershing saved our men from serving under British officers in WWI.
Also French Officers
Is it about a mother and her son during WWII....that try to hide out in a family cabin...before Christmas?
Apocalypse Now was nothing but “Heart of Darkness”, just in Vietnam instead of the Congo.
Except for the American troops of the 92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions. The served under French officers.
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