Your Favourite War Movie

Von Rom · Post by **Von Rom** » Mon Jul 10, 2000 9:27 am

Toey:

With regard to the Battlefield series: I have only seen it play on PBS. I don't know whether Spielburg had anything to do with it; I think it may be a British production. It is by far the best documentary series I have ever seen; they have documentaries on just about every theatre of war in WWII.

Fortunately, I was able to tape several episodes of it - that was about a year ago. I have never seen it since. Perhaps a letter or email to PBS might get them to play that excellent series again.

I wonder if you can order them either from PBS or from your local video store?

And here's another movie I thought of:

Tobruk - with Rock Hudson and George Peppard. There were some excellent combat scenes.

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

Benji · Post by **Benji** » Mon Jul 10, 2000 11:04 am

hmmmm... nobody mentions the geratest napoleonic movie: "Waterloo" by Serghei Bondarciuk (half the red army was taking part in that one for the battle scenes)

Infanterie · Post by **Infanterie** » Mon Jul 10, 2000 2:06 pm

Hear me out:

1. Das Boot
2. The Cruel Sea
3. Stalingrad
4. The Beast
5. Lawrence of Arabia
6. Murphy's War (another Peter O'Toole classic)
7. A Bridge Too Far
8. Winter War
9. The Cross of Iron
10. Steel Panthers: World at War

Major_Johnson · Post by **Major_Johnson** » Mon Jul 10, 2000 7:34 pm

Original message posted by Spunkgibbon:
"Does anyone know the name of the film about the crew of a crashed US bomber in the middle of the desert who were all killed and they disappear when their bodies are found? At the end there's only one of them left and his body is under the wrecked plane with no chance of being found.
I can't remember who's in it (I seem to remember Steve McQueen but I could be wrong about that) and I've only seen it once when I was a kid but I remember it being really good."

Now you got my mind jossled! I remember that
movie, but can;t think of the name right now. But the star was Richard Basehart who played the one crew member who jumped out at the right time and survived. I'm gonna pokea around and come up with a title.

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Jeff
You serve others best when at the same time you serve yourself.

Von Rom · Post by **Von Rom** » Mon Jul 10, 2000 10:04 pm

With regard to the Battlefield series, here is a link to the latest episode called Battlefield: Vietnam

http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

Major_Johnson · Post by **Major_Johnson** » Tue Jul 11, 2000 12:30 am

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spunkgibbon:
Does anyone know the name of the film about the crew of a crashed US bomber in the middle of the desert who were all killed and they disappear when their bodies are found? At the end there's only one of them left and his body is under the wrecked plane with no chance of being found.

I can't remember who's in it (I seem to remember Steve McQueen but I could be wrong about that) and I've only seen it once when I was a kid but I remember it being really good.

Did some pokin' and found your mystery movie!

Major_Johnson · Post by **Major_Johnson** » Tue Jul 11, 2000 12:39 am

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spunkgibbon:
Does anyone know the name of the film about the crew of a crashed US bomber in the middle of the desert who were all killed and they disappear when their bodies are found? At the end there's only one of them left and his body is under the wrecked plane with no chance of being found.

I can't remember who's in it (I seem to remember Steve McQueen but I could be wrong about that) and I've only seen it once when I was a kid but I remember it being really good.

Whoops! Hit the wrong button. Anyway Spunky, I did some pokin' and found your movie! Sole Survivor, and Richard Basehart was the star. 1969 I believe. It was about a B-24 that got lost over Libya returning from a bombing mission and Basehart was the only one who bailed out at the right time to be over water. And yes it was a good movie.

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Jeff
You serve others best when at the same time you serve yourself.

asaura · Post by **asaura** » Thu Jul 13, 2000 8:23 pm

Originally posted by sami heimola:
..."Talvisota" (Winter War)and "Rukajärven tie" (Road of Rukajärvi Lake)

Sami

OK, now we have the list of Finnish WWII movies.

Some thoughts:

"Talvisota", or "Winter War" is the great Finnish war movie. See it. As the name implies, it covers the 'Winter War' of 1939-40, from an Ostrobothnian viewpoint

From the favorite lists others have posted, I assume that it is widely available on video.

"Tuntematon Sotilas", or "The Unknown Soldier" is The Finnish war movie, as opposed to the 'just¨' great "Talvisota". This one covers the Continuation War in 1941-44 and is based on the book by Väinö Linna which pretty much defined the war for the nation. The book came out some ten years after the war and had a huge impact. Anecdotes on the book's publication describe a veteran father getting the book as a Christmas present, sitting down to read it in a single session over the night, putting it down and saying "that's how it was" or something to the effect. I can't recommend the English translation, the parts I quickly skimmed through were pretty awful. Enough rambling, this one has been filmed twice: in 1955 and in the eighties. Both versions are very worth seeing, especially the old one featuring Åke Lindman as Cpl Lehto.

"Rukajärven tie" (the road around/to Rukajärvi) is called "Ambush" for a reason I can't understand, probably misguided marketing. This covers a bicycle wilderness recon trip to a division's flank at the start of the Continuation War in 1941. This is a pretty small film, OK but not great. It is not and will not be one of the great war movies made.

Greg McCarty · Post by **Greg McCarty** » Fri Jul 14, 2000 10:24 am

I'm old enough to remember the newspaper story upon which this film was based. In 1958 a B25 was found more or less intact bellied in on the Lybian desert. When they went over the area they found bodies of crewmen at various distances from the aircraft. The thing that baffled the investigators was that the crewman had the remains of rubber life-rafts with them in the middle of the desert. The plane had been reported missing from a bombing mission over Italy. The plane had ran low on fuel or
something and the crew evidently prepared to ditch over the Mediterranian. However; they were off course considerably, and had no idea they were already over the African coast. So those who had parachuted with life rafts came down in the middle of the desert some distance from the plane. They all perished there. Can't remember if they found anyone in the plane.

Originally posted by Major_Johnson:

Originally posted by Spunkgibbon:
Does anyone know the name of the film about the crew of a crashed US bomber in the middle of the desert who were all killed and they disappear when their bodies are found? At the end there's only one of them left and his body is under the wrecked plane with no chance of being found.

I can't remember who's in it (I seem to remember Steve McQueen but I could be wrong about that) and I've only seen it once when I was a kid but I remember it being really good.

Whoops! Hit the wrong button. Anyway Spunky, I did some pokin' and found your movie! Sole Survivor, and Richard Basehart was the star. 1969 I believe. It was about a B-24 that got lost over Libya returning from a bombing mission and Basehart was the only one who bailed out at the right time to be over water. And yes it was a good movie.

Greg McCarty · Post by **Greg McCarty** » Fri Jul 14, 2000 10:31 am

I have a question:

The film Stalingrad, the more recent one, was based on an earlier film, same subject and title, also German, from 1958 according to the film catalog. Anyone seen that one and is it worth obtaining? It too, is available from some outfit in New Jersey.

Von Rom · Post by **Von Rom** » Fri Jul 21, 2000 1:40 am

With regard to Stalingrad:

I've seen it play on the History Channel a couple of times dubbed in English. Either catch it on TV or try the video store.

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

Toey · Post by **Toey** » Fri Jul 21, 2000 3:01 am

What's this battlefield seriers? Is it the one produced by Speilburg?

john g · Post by **john g** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 3:06 am

Originally posted by cward:
Probably the first anti-war movie "Steel Helmet" quite interesting..

Oh yea of little knowledge, you totally ignore the granddaddy of them all:

All quiet on the Western Front (1930 version)

Perhaps the most depressing war movie ever made, it was banned in several countries to keep it from affecting recruitment.
thanks, John.

john g · Post by **john g** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 3:15 am

Originally posted by FrankyVas:
The devil's brigade ,
Das Boot,
Memphis Belle ,
All quiet in the western front,
The Seven Samurai (Small war, but war none the less)

ok, back to work.

Frank V.

The reason I searched thru the back posts.

TBS is showing The Devil's Brigade later this month if you are in North America and get cable.

I just hope they plan to show Zulu (my favorite war movie) in Oct, during their movies for men who like movies series. It was after all, picked by Playboy magazine as the #1 men's movie.

Seven Samurai has the distiction that it was remade 3 times, once as Japanese scifi as Message from Space, twice by Hollywood, as a western The Magnificent Seven, and lastly as scifi as Battle beyond the Stars.
thanks, John.

SAMWolf · Post by **SAMWolf** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:07 am

Kanal by Andrzej Wajda - About the Warsaw Uprising in 1944.

The Bridge by Bernhard Wicki - About some Hitler Youth defending a Bridge at the end of the war.

The Alamo - John Waynes Classic

All the Fine Young Men - About 8th Air Force Crews, daylight bombing and the B-17. All real footage.

Plus most of the other "top 10's" mentioned.

Tomanbeg · Post by **Tomanbeg** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:29 am

'A walk in the Sun'
And can someone help me with the name of the Bogart film about the crew of a Grant that has to defend the only well around for miles and miles. It is set in the Desert and is a first rate movie but the title escapes me.
"To hell and back". Had to be the most realistic, since the guys that fought there are the ones that made the movie.
T.

Drex · Post by **Drex** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:37 am

Was it the movie where they dug it up out of the sand? I want to say "The Iron Lady" but that might be another film. I now think the name had "Sahara" in it.

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 · Post by **Les_the_Sarge_9_1** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 4:40 am

Well I looked through the posts rather briefly. It appears all my favs made the list.

I own dang near every war movie ever made (obsession with collecting them).

I havent acquired many that have been made in the last 20 years though. To many recent films have been more action adventure and not enough substance, such that we would honour them with the term "war movie".

I must comment though on two submissions that were made near the beginning of the thread.
I own the Why We Fight Series. Amazing footage.
The film just reeks though of propaganda (not surprising though considering why the films were made). I find myself to some extent unable to listen to them. They have to the most excessive pro allied dialogue in existence (no I am not even remotely into the other side). But amazing footage if you are looking for visuals.
The other film well I guess its just my opinion perhaps. The Thin Red Line is to the novel of thre same name, what the film Dune was to that novel of that name. Both were good books that got thoroughly raped on the screen.

Its almost impossible for me to actually pick a favourite film I guess. I like my films credible. Not anally accurate, but they have to put out the effort to get the occalades from me. I say the Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far are number 1 and 2 for me. I was apalled by the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, so it earned position 3. By apalled, I mean I was stunned, horrified and given a good glimpse of the hell it must have been. The only thing missing was the smell (glad Speilberg hasnt figured that out yet).

Has anyone seen any material from "Band of Brothers" yet? I saw some material tonight on a movie television blurb. This could be the next major film success.
And after that abortion of a film called Pearl Harbour it will be a welcome breath of fresh air. Yes I feel Pearl Harbour was an outrageous piece of garbage and a betrayal of the memory. Heck I am not even american and the quality of the film made me angry.

With "Band of Brothers" or what I glimpsed, I saw an incredible amount of outstanding vehicle work (considering it is after all 2001 and WWII tanks are hard to arrive at). The tiger looked like altered Leopard chassis again but was great looking all the same, the panther I saw was impressive too. Any complaints would be just idiotic level pickiness. The munitions appear free of the usual hollywood obligatory petroleum additives added for the benefit of joe public types that wouldnt recognise a real explosion if it happened to them.

I have seen a lot of great war movies. But the truth is if you want something "accurate" to look at you need documentary footage. Of course the footage is just footage in a lot of cases. You have to know your material. I have watched Royal Tigers invading Poland in 39 before for instance. The footage doesnt always match the dialogue. But some series have such an enormous wealth of amazing material. I wont start listing series here. Suffice it to say, if you can name it odds are I own it. I have something like 200 tapes worth of the stuff. It actually exceeds in volume my war movies. Great stuff to play in the back ground during war games with my war gaming buddy.

Zevious Zoquis · Post by **Zevious Zoquis** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 5:08 am

OH wow. I can't believe how some of you guys seem to make a concerted effort to ignore Saving Private Ryan. SPR is without a shadow of a doubt the single finest representation of combat hell that has ever been put to film. Theres just no two ways about it. Granted, the story is a tad sappy (though not nearly as dreary and silly as Enemy at the Gates) but come on, why do you watch war films if not to gain some understanding of just what it's like to be in combat -- and no film I've seen has come anywhere close to filling me with the kind of sheer terror I felt the first time I saw the opening 25 minutes of SPR. OK, maybe (just maybe) it's not THE BEST war film ever but I just don't see how anyone could list ten war movies and not include it. But, theres no accounting for taste is there. Oh, and Tom Hanks is great in SPR. Can't figure out how anyone could say the movie is good "in spite" of him. He's the perfect "everyman" for the role. Just my $0.02. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Oh, and I too am really looking forward to Band of Bro's.

[ September 08, 2001: Message edited by: Zevious Zoquis ]</p>

smokstak2 · Post by **smokstak2** » Sun Sep 09, 2001 5:36 am

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Greg McCarty:
[QB]I'm old enough to remember the newspaper story upon which this film was based. In 1958 a B25 was found more or less intact bellied in on the Lybian desert. When they went over the area they found bodies of crewmen at various distances from the aircraft. The thing that baffled the investigators was that the crewman had the remains of rubber life-rafts with them in the middle of the desert. The plane had been reported missing from a bombing mission over Italy. The plane had ran low on fuel or
something and the crew evidently prepared to ditch over the Mediterranian. However; they were off course considerably, and had no idea they were already over the African coast. So those who had parachuted with life rafts came down in the middle of the desert some distance from the plane. They all perished there. Can't remember if they found anyone in the plane.

Would that be the "Lady Be Good"?

If so, at the USAAF Museum, they have several artifacts from the aircraft on display there.

-Tim