Greatest WWII Movie--EVER!

[fcooke]

Fury? really? maybe I didn't like it because of a certain lead actor.

Bataan, 12 o'clock high, Saving private Ryan, D-day, the Stalingrad sniper movie (forget the name).

And in the chips and beer category I must admit I loved the Baa Baa Black Sheep series....

[fcooke]

and Band of Brothers and the Pacific are top notch. I agree that the Pacific is slightly better - but that might because I have studied the Pacific war 'more' and therefore it resonates more.

Another like - Devil's Brigade.

[ny59giants]

Tora, Tora, Tora - despite having subtitles, still my favorite

Longest Day (colorized version) - the cast is great

There are plenty of others, but I picked one from each theater of war.

[PaxMondo]

Yeah, but Telly is in it … Who loves you baby!

[Chickenboy]

Nobody's mentioned A Bridge too Far or Midway? For what they were, and for when they were made they were well done.

[btd64]

How about "Patton" with George C. Scott....GP

[Yaab]

How about Come and See by Elem Klimov? The movie looks like something Tecumseh Sherman and Salvador Dali would have made with adequate time-travel technology.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Yaab

How about Come and See by Elem Klimov? The movie looks like something Tecumseh Sherman and Salvador Dali would have made with adequate time-travel technology.

Nah. It was an interesting piece with brutal cinematography. But non-mud-drenched character development was lacking. And the forced agape-mouth and forced wide-eyed stares of the protagonist wore thin too. The village scene in the end was very well done however. It was "OK" as a reaction piece, but not what I think of as a war movie, any more than 'Coming Home' or 'Born on the Fourth of July' were 'real' war movies.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: LeeChard

+1 for Kelly's Heroes. I was a high school senior in 1970 and I loved that movie(I was probably in the proper state of mind
when I saw it) [8D][:D]

That movie was a tongue-in-cheek parody of bank heists and war movies that never intended to be serious about anything. Memorable characters and lines bring to mind "The Princess Bride" formula - it doesn't have to make sense as long as it is entertaining.

As for best actual war movies:
1. Letters from Iwo Jima - finally, a movie that humanizes the Japanese, especially the young soldiers who were terrified and poorly led by their junior officers.

2. Das Boot - downright claustrophobic, and it gave the crew real personalities and reactions to combat stress.

3. Stalingrad - the German version that showed not only the chaotic fighting but the breakdown of discipline and morale when the Russians succeeded in surrounding the 6th Army.

4. Stalingrad - the Russian version, focusing on a small unit holding one critical building and their German opponents trying to assault it. It shows civilians trapped in the cauldron trying to survive being caught between two forces that both want them to be loyal their side.

[MakeeLearn]

"The film is based upon a true incident. The caper was covered in a book called “Nazi Gold: The Sensational Story of the World’s Greatest Robbery – and the Greatest Criminal Cover-Up” by Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting. The heist was perpetrated by a combination of renegade Nazi and American officers. It was also listed as the “biggest” robbery ever in the Guinness Book of Records, in the 1960’s."

32 things you didn’t know about Kelly’s Heroes –

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2015/12/31/43655/

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn



"The film is based upon a true incident. The caper was covered in a book called “Nazi Gold: The Sensational Story of the World’s Greatest Robbery – and the Greatest Criminal Cover-Up” by Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting. The heist was perpetrated by a combination of renegade Nazi and American officers. It was also listed as the “biggest” robbery ever in the Guinness Book of Records, in the 1960’s."

32 things you didn’t know about Kelly’s Heroes –

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2015/12/31/43655/

They got at least one "fact" wrong - the Deuce and a Half truck was rated for 2½ tons cross-country, but could carry 5 tons on good roads.

[Canoerebel]

A movie can be beautifully done in all respects except fidelity to historical setting/feel and many viewers will enjoy it. They'll do so either because they aren't familiar with the historical setting or it doesn't matter to them. Thus an educated viewer like Obvert appreciates Thine Red Line or many of you enjoy Kellys Heroes.

Some of us cannot enjoy a movie if the topic or acting isn't appropriate to the setting - no matter the quality of the acting or the cinetography or the musical score. Fidelity to history is critical to our enjoyment - a sense that we have a duty to the past to tell history faithfully. In that context, Kellys Heroes is an abomination.

You gents have nominated many good movies, such as Tora! Tora! Tora!, A Bridge to Far, Bridge on the River Kwai. Those are good movies. There are others, too.

But I suppose my favorite WWII movie - not really a war movie, but it is - would be Casablanca. That has everything we like - actors, cinematography, musical score, fidelity to the time and setting. Above all, it has Ingrid Berman. There is a moment in Rick's, while Lazlo leads Les Marsellais, that Ingrid looks at Lazlo with the kind of admiration that any man would desire.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Some of us cannot enjoy a movie if the topic or acting isn't appropriate to the setting - no matter the quality of the acting or the cinetography or the musical score. Fidelity to history is critical to our enjoyment - a sense that we have a duty to the past to tell history faithfully.

warspite1

+1000

Sometimes - but all too rarely - Hollywood gets the whole package right; acting, script, historical accuracy, cinematography, the whole package.

Greatest WWII Movie - EVER? I thought nothing could top Schindler's List for cinematic, story-telling and acting brilliance...and then I watched Pearl Harbor [&o][&o]

God bless ya Rafe

[Canoerebel]

Warpsite, yes! Schindler's List is magnificent. I should've put it first, ahead of Casablanca.

[Anachro]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Greatest WWII Movie - EVER? I thought nothing could top Schindler's List for cinematic, story-telling and acting brilliance...and then I watched Pearl Harbor [&o][&o]

I do enjoy a good Kate Beckinsale flick every now and then. [8D]

[Dixie]

Not sure if they're the "best" films but I like them.

Das Boot
The Battle of Britain
Ice Cold in Alex
Letters from Iwo Jima

[pmelheck1]

I always enjoyed Kelly's Heros not because it's a war movie but because it's fun movie with a war setting. Gone with the wind comes to mind. Movies are normally not historical documentaries. Some of us are pleasantly surprised when they come close. Another fun few for me are Air Force https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GV5BxPR0sU, Run Silent Run Deep, Sink the Bismarck, Battle of Britain. To me these are fun movies to watch and i'm not concerned that the stamp on the back of some ones belt buckle isn't correct for the production line that produced it. Even a lot of documentaries can't get things right and these are supposed to be correct. I get unhappy when the phrase "inspired by" is used and then they call the movie accurate to details of the battle/mission. Final Countdown can be fun to watch without being unhappy because the USS Nimitz wasn't in WW2 although we all know it was because a movie said it was... [:)]

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: pmelheck1

I always enjoyed Kelly's Heros not because it's a war movie but because it's fun movie with a war setting. Gone with the wind comes to mind. Movies are normally not historical documentaries. Some of us are pleasantly surprised when they come close. Another fun few for me are Air Force https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GV5BxPR0sU, Run Silent Run Deep, Sink the Bismarck, Battle of Britain. To me these are fun movies to watch and i'm not concerned that the stamp on the back of some ones belt buckle isn't correct for the production line that produced it. Even a lot of documentaries can't get things right and these are supposed to be correct. I get unhappy when the phrase "inspired by" is used and then they call the movie accurate to details of the battle/mission. Final Countdown can be fun to watch without being unhappy because the USS Nimitz wasn't in WW2 although we all know it was because a movie said it was... [:)]

Where Eagles Dare, for the music alone. And Clint Eastwood is playing second fiddle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XKGhG0W0LQ

[John 3rd]

It 'appears' I started something with this thread.

Must say 'so, sorry!'



NOT!

[Canoerebel]

John III <~~~~~~Troll