Top Rated War Movies

MA-Caver

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Now I agree with many of the selections (except for Braveheart which -- to me -- wasn't really a "war movie" it was more of a biographical drama).
http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/collections/gallery/1344/yahoo-users-toprated-war-movies#photo0

What I don't agree with are the individual reviews of each. Almost every one of them gotten a "perfect" in the description somewhere. To me it says the selection were reviewed by folks that don't really understand movies.

But that's just me...

Are there any others that you think should've made the list?
I can think of a few ...

The Caine Mutiny, Hell is For Heroes, The Longest Day, Mr. Roberts, Tora Tora Tora, The General (Buster Keaton), The Battle Of Britian, Bridge Too Far, Sahara (Humphrey Bogart) ... are what comes to mind at the moment.
 

arnisador

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I'm surprised at how many I haven't seen! I agree that some aren't what I'd call "war" movies per se.
 

terryl965

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One of my Favorites was A Bridge to Far, it was back in the early seventies and also The Wind and the Lion. These are classic that I simply enjoy all the time.
 

Sukerkin

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I knew that there would be at least two films on that list that would make me grind my teeth and I wasn't wrong :D. Braveheart and The Patriot.

I was surprised at the very Hollywood bias tho'. I shouldn't be, I suppose, as a lot of the war films that I grew up with were made a long time ago, many whilst the Second World War was actually happening. Still sad to see that the younger voting audience have never heard of such classics as The Dambusters, Battle of the River Plate or 633 Squadron. Zulu not making the 'list' is a travesty too.
 

Cryozombie

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I know it wasn't actually a Movie Per Se, but should have been on that list instead of Braveheart...

"Band of Brothers"

And speaking of TV series based on War... I was always a fan of "Combat" and the "Rat Patrol" (Not to mention Hogans Heroes)
 
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MA-Caver

MA-Caver

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I knew that there would be at least two films on that list that would make me grind my teeth and I wasn't wrong :D. Braveheart and The Patriot.

I was surprised at the very Hollywood bias tho'. I shouldn't be, I suppose, as a lot of the war films that I grew up with were made a long time ago, many whilst the Second World War was actually happening. Still sad to see that the younger voting audience have never heard of such classics as The Dambusters, Battle of the River Plate or 633 Squadron. Zulu not making the 'list' is a travesty too.
Quite right that there were a goodish number of great war movies made on your side of the pond. But do note that at least five of the original listings were British made ... Lawrence, Kwai, Killing Fields, The Pianist, and surprisingly (to me anyway) Full Metal Jacket :tup:
But to add to that list would have to have: The 4 Feathers as well as Gallipoli.
Other foreign war movies I've seen include "No Man's Land" a Yugoslavian film based during the Bosnia Serbian war... very powerful film on moral choices.
 

grydth

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One of my Favorites was A Bridge to Far, it was back in the early seventies and also The Wind and the Lion. These are classic that I simply enjoy all the time.

A friend of mine and I were officers in 3 ID during the Cold War. We actually drove the route that "A Bridge Too Far" was fought on, to include a long stop at the museum for the battle. Neither of us could figure out how the Allied Command could ever have thought the plan would succeed!

Of everything I saw in Europe, the house Ann Frank sheltered in got to me... it must have been almost 90 degrees the Summer day I visited, but I felt like I was freezing when I came out. Nobody now would figure "The Diary of Ann Frank" as a war story...but we must never forget that once, not that long ago, a batch of Nazi killers did just that.
 

Tez3

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The Battle of Britain... the scene after the air raid when all the WAAFs ( Womens Auxilliary Air Force) bodies are covered and all you can see is their feet. It made me sad but proud that I had served in the RAF. By then though it was the Women's Royal Air Force, they were given the Royal title as a tribute to their bravery and hard work.
Still called us Waafs though lol!

A Matter of Life and Death with David Niven, a thought provoking war film.
Heroes of Telemark
Carry on Sergeant!! the first one!
 
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MA-Caver

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I would agree that Empire of the Sun was a great movie... but I'm kinda iffy on it being a "war movie"... true it takes place during WWII but the primary focus was on a civilian going through it. While civilians are a part of war, they're mainly viewed as casualties, non-combatants, people in the wrong place at the wrong time. If pressed I would classify this as a war-drama... same with Schindler's List & The Diary Of Anne Frank, Shenandoah.
To me War Movies focus on the combatants. Even Stalag 17 is considered a war film although there are no scenes of combat... same with The Great Escape and Bridge Over the River Kwai (blowing up the bridge wasn't combat... it was sabotage :lol: ) these movies (and several others) involved combatants... being held prisoner is just as much a facet of war as pulling the trigger.
Speaking of Shenandoah, I'm surprised that there are very few Civil War movies on the list ... There was Glory, yes but Gettysburg (while not a theater type film), Gods and Generals, Red Badge Of Courage, Gone With The Wind (although it too should be classified as a "war-drama"). There was one film that I searched for and couldn't find it... about 7 brothers who came from Texas to fight in the war and only one remained to go home... they used the song "Yellow Rose of Texas" as the theme (with different lyrics of course).
 

arnisador

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"Band of Brothers"

Great choice!

Guns of Navarone was a favorite of mine and wasn't on there. Midway also comes to mind! Wasn't The 300 technically a war movie?

Downfall was excellent. I wouldn't have characterized it as primarily a war movie, though; same for Schindler's List.
 

Sukerkin

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The Battle of Britain... the scene after the air raid when all the WAAFs ( Womens Auxilliary Air Force) bodies are covered and all you can see is their feet.

Some scenes in films really get hold of your emotions and that was one of them. Such a simple shot and yet it had such depth and multiplicity of meaning.

I mean no insult to the big 'blockbuster' epics that Hollywood pumps out now, with their huge set-piece effects scenes but I think we lost something ineffable along the road when it comes to period war movies.

As an example of what I mean, there is a scene in the 'recent' film Pearl Harbour where Japanese planes are strafing fleeing nurses. It's a powerful sequence that fills me with rage every time I see it, just as it is supposed to do. But for all the realism of the effects and the faming of the shots, 'rage' is all it emotes. It's one dimensional.

It's an afflicition that a lot of modern cinema suffers from, particularly Hollywood (sorry to bang on about that but it's the perception that strikes me). The medium is overwhelming the subtleties of message.

Anyhow, drifting off topic there; sorry. Half past three in the morning for me :O.
 
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MA-Caver

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Some scenes in films really get hold of your emotions and that was one of them. Such a simple shot and yet it had such depth and multiplicity of meaning.

I mean no insult to the big 'blockbuster' epics that Hollywood pumps out now, with their huge set-piece effects scenes but I think we lost something ineffable along the road when it comes to period war movies.

As an example of what I mean, there is a scene in the 'recent' film Pearl Harbor where Japanese planes are strafing fleeing nurses. It's a powerful sequence that fills me with rage every time I see it, just as it is supposed to do. But for all the realism of the effects and the framing of the shots, 'rage' is all it emotes. It's one dimensional.

It's an affliction that a lot of modern cinema suffers from, particularly Hollywood (sorry to bang on about that but it's the perception that strikes me). The medium is overwhelming the subtleties of message.

Anyhow, drifting off topic there; sorry. Half past three in the morning for me :O.
Yes, I know that scene... so effectively not shown in Tora, Tora, Tora or even passingly mentioned. The horror of it was too great even then when it was made in 1970. But times have changed and such scenes can be shot/shown and not be censored. Am wondering when (if ever) any cinematic treatment of the horrors at Nanking and elsewhere in China during WWII will ever be made. Even the death march at Baatan needs proper treatment. Japan is our ally that is (ironically) true but they DO need to still own up to what they've done.
Yeah, drifting way off topic here... heh.

Other wars haven't been given due cinematic treatment like Vietnam, WWII, WWI... Korea as far as I know has only one: M*A*S*H and that really was a commentary of the Vietnam war. The War of 1812, Spanish/American War, Revolutionary War (The Patriot really honestly doesn't count, sorry Mr Gibson), Napoleonic Wars, French-Indian War, Crusades (again from the combatant's view point), Egypt-Israel, and countless of others.

But those weren't "popular/unpopular" wars ... were they?
 
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MA-Caver

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I just finished watching "All's Quiet On The Western Front". A truly remarkable film and winner of Best Picture 1930. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020629/
This is an anti-war film to be sure and caused the leading actor, Lew Ayres to protest the next war, though he served as a combat medic.
If you haven't seen it then by all means rent it (or buy it) and watch this war film. The battle sequences are superbly done for the time that it was made. Gritty, terrifying and no holds barred. The rest of the film goes on to tell nearly all aspects of the war with the exception of capture and imprisonment.
Check this one out if you haven't already.
 

matt.m

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"Flying Leathernecks" and "Sands of Iwo Jima". Oh, Braveheart is as much a war movie as "Saving Private Ryan" to me they are stories about people set in a period whose story is told during war.
 

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