What is the best war film of all time?

1. 77

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   What is the best war film of all time?
   
   I'm not a huge fan of films, but I sometimes watch older films - not too old, just aged a few years.
   
   As for myself, I'm a fan of fantasy, really, but films based at least in part on true history are fun to watch too - but always study the REAL history behind them, lest you become a bit deluded as to the facts.
   
   Anyway, what is your favorite history based film concerning war?  War is a nasty subject, but the heroes often had a lot of things to say that ought to be heard again.
   
   

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2. 60

   fpherj48posted 12 years ago

   I am not a fan of WAR movies, that's for sure.  However, I must admit to having watched a few in my day.  One that I actually thought was fabulous and I have never forgotten, is "Full Metal Jacket."   1987, Stanley Kubrick movie, based on the 1979 novel, "The Short Timers," by Custov Hasford.
   Viet Nam war era.........excellent.  If you haven't seen it, make it a point.

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   1. 77

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I need to download that one!
      
      I should also download/watch "Apocalypse Now," as I've never seen the whole thing.
      
      I'm a bit weak in the stomach  (no really!) with these types of film sometimes....but I ought to get over it in some cases.

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3. 62

   Goody5posted 12 years ago

   Without a doubt it's "Kelly's Heros" for me.

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   1. 77

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Never heard of it - can you give some details?

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      Goody5posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You've got to be kidding, and if you're not it's a world war two movie from 1970 that starred Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, and Donald Sutherland to name just a few. You've got to see it!

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4. 87

   Greensleeves Hubsposted 12 years ago

   For pure action and adventure I would probably pick 'Zulu' or 'Master and Commander' or - if you want to go back a really long time (and to a place far far away) - 'Star Wars'. Can that count as a war film? The clue is in the title, but perhaps you won't accept it :-)
   
   On a more serious note, I recommend 'Downfall'. There's not a lot of action, and the dialogue is subtitled because this is a German film with German actors, but it's a brilliant psychological study of the people in Hitler's claustrophobic bunker at the end of the war, and in the war-torn streets of Berlin up above.

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5. 73

   BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 12 years ago

   "The Deer Hunter." Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, among others. 5 Academy Awards. Parts of it took place in Vietnam and other parts in a place in western PA I am very familiar with.

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6. 71

   Alastar Packerposted 12 years ago

   This ones from the 70s but still a very interesting film from director Sam Pekinpah- the guy who made the 'Wild Bunch' and so many other great movies. It's called 'Cross of Iron' and is about a German officer willing to sacrifice his men on the Russian front to gain the coveted Iron Cross medal for himself. It focus's on one squad of soldiers trying to survive and is quite good viewing.

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7. 81

   bethperryposted 12 years ago

   I don't care much for battle scenes in "war movies". But if I was to pick one that I think is the most all-around entertaining and meaningful it would be "Catch-22".

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8. 73

   multiculturalsoulposted 12 years ago

   I teach a course titled "World War II in Film" (since it was the first "filmed" war of note), and my students consistently rank the following movies highly: Bridge on the River Kwai, Saving Private Ryan, The Dirty Dozen, and Band of Brothers (the HBO series). My personal favorite is Saints and Soldiers. Made on a shoestring budget, it focuses on men surviving despite incredible odds.

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   GuitarGearposted 12 years ago

   I'll pick Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola.  It left a lasting impression on me having been a prospective draftee during the Vietnam war.  Thankfully I had a high draft number. I lost a lot of friends to that war and this movie really brought it home to me. It scared the hell out of me.

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   1. 77

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Why do I ALWAYS think "Apocalypse Now" is a Stanley Kubrick film?  I swear....Oh well, guess I can just be wrong on that one...I had to Google...
      That film is based on a book not even about Vietnam...I can't remember the name of it now...

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10. 73

    uzma shaheenposted 12 years ago

    "Braveheart" is my all time favorite. after that I loved watching "body of lies" satrring tom hanks and leonardo dicaprio, its worth watching.

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11. 70

    Angela Blairposted 12 years ago

    My first thought is of an old WWII movie called "God Is My Co-Pilot." I was a little kid and heaven only knows why I was taken to a war movie (but then that was the favorite theme of film makers during WWII). The most amazing thing about the war movies of this particular time period is that they reflected the heart and soul of this entire natiojn -- back then we were all on the same page and how one felt individually didn't matter -- we stood together and fought to the death -- and there were, as we all know, many, many lives lost. Would that such a mindset could return to this country and we could once more "present" as a cohesive, dedicated populace. Excellent question!

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12. 88

    Beata Stasakposted 12 years ago

    I loved one of the first war movies of Mel Gibson's: GALLIPOLI, and also Clint Eastwood's 'The Flag of our Fathers' and its Japanese version as well. Recently I watched 'The Red Cliff' about the Eastern wars and it was great.

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