Favorite War Movies

[bhryun]

Hello Again Everyone,

My husband is a huge war movie fan. Especially ones with a World War II story line. A large part of our movie library is taken up by the War movie genre. When we were first married, I don't believe, I really liked war films but I have come to change my opinion over the years and now there are a few classics that I would call my favorites. Also this topic seems appropriate with Memorial Day comming up soon.

Among some of our favorite titles are :

Kelly's Heroes- I adore Donald Southerland (Oddball)I love the humor in this film,The Fighting 69th- because it shows a guy who is all gung ho to go fight when he's home...he talks big but then when it comes right down to it he gets scared. Even though in the end he redeems himself and finds out what courage is all about, Mister Roberts- again because I love the characters and its funny in spots with a kick in the face ending. I love Jack Lemmon in this film and the smaller roles like Ward Bond's part, Hell Is For Heroes -Much more serious movie ,I love the growth of Steve MCQueens character,The Great Escape- Good mix of humor, tragedy and its exciting and I love Steve McQueen! , Sahara- Again its about standing up against overwhelming odds, The Longest Day-Just the scope ..a huge movie and Father Goose- I love Cary Grant's character. He has the ability to make me laugh just by him looking into the camera.

Most recently, I enjoyed Saving Private Ryan- Just a good story and it gave a real feeling of what war must be like. When the soldiers are comming on shore on D- Day and the bullets are hitting everywhere I got the feeling I just wanted to run. I think this was also the most graphic war movie I have seen to date.

War movies in general can be so different. They vary so much to the point where they almost don't have anything in common. Some are funny, some are serious, some are tragic and some were made for pure propeganda. What are your favorite war movies and why?

[kenwal34]

Im a former Marine and sometimes cast a jaundice eye at war movies mainly because not being realistic. These are exceptions and among my favorites.

PATTON because of George C.Scotts brillant performance.

Guadalalcanal Diary.

Tora,Tora,Tora.

Platoon.

 

Take The High Ground.

We Were Soldiers.

Saving Private Ryan.

Full Metal Jacket.

All of the above because of realistic battle scenes and language.

.

[brackenhe]

I have always love Battleground because it's one of the first movies I remember seeing as a child. I will usually watch it if it's on.

[bansi4]

Of the few war films that I like I was always impressed with "The Victors" (1963).

It's a sprawling WWII drama of Allied soldiers on the march through Europe with an all-star cast.

There are some powerful and touching scenes in the movie including a soldier going to the firing squad while the soundtrack is playing Sinatra's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", which I won't soon forget.

Another film is "The Deer Hunter" which is a powerful, sensitive, painful, evocative work that packs an emotional wallop.

I will pass on "Platoon" since it is much too close to the real thing.

 

Mongo

[shainablue1]

I know it is not a GREAT war film, but I never miss The Fighting Sullivans if it is on. It is so touching watching them as children, and then knowing their tragic end. I geuss in reality they suffered a little more at their demise, I think it was on a documentary in A&E. I never miss that when it comes on either.

[ayresorchids]

Sahara. And I don't mean the adventure comedy that just came out, but the 1942 film with Humphrey Bogart. My dad and I call it one of our favorite "Where do I enlist?" movies!

[classicsfan1119]

Well, here's where I'd start: (not in any order)

 

1. The Big Red One

2. We Were Soldiers

3. Full Metal Jacket

4. The Fighting Sullivans

5. Saving Private Ryan

6. Battleground

7. The Dirty Dozen

8. Hell in the Pacific

9. Three Came Home

10. So Proudly We Hail

[classicsfan1119]

Well, here's where I'd start: (not in any order)

 

1. The Big Red One

2. We Were Soldiers

3. Full Metal Jacket

4. The Fighting Sullivans

5. Saving Private Ryan

6. Battleground

7. The Dirty Dozen

8. Hell in the Pacific

9. Three Came Home

10. So Proudly We Hail

[classicsfan1119]

Well, here's where I'd start: (not in any order)

 

1. The Big Red One

2. We Were Soldiers

3. Full Metal Jacket

4. The Fighting Sullivans

5. Saving Private Ryan

6. Battleground

7. The Dirty Dozen

8. Hell in the Pacific

9. Three Came Home

10. So Proudly We Hail

[kenwal34]

classicsfan1119..

Ten excellent choices. I want to add a Civil War epic Gettysberg, Pork Chop Hill[Korean confict],and Wake Island[ WW2].

[garsonfan]

classicsfan1119,

 

I'm so glad you mentioned "Three Came Home." I just recently saw that for the first time and I think it's incredible and one that I don't usually hear mentioned very much. I believe it features one of Claudette Colbert's best performances and a stellar one by Sessue Hayakawa. Great pick!!

[bhryun]

I have but one favorite war movie and it's "Where Eagles Dare". I really don't like war flicks, but I just love this one. Burton and Eastwood, what a combo!

 

 

 

Broad Sword calling Danny Boy!

[bggalaxy]

not in order:

Kelly's Heroes

The Great Escape

Platoon

Glory

The Longest Day

Saving Private Ryan

Go For Broke

Seven Samurai

Hunt For Red October

Dances with Wolves

Star Wars

Sargent York

Hell is for Heroes

LOTR series

Where Eagles Dare

[loliteblue]

My list: Saving Private ryan

The Great Escape

The Dirty Dozen

They Were Expendable (which will be on TCM soon)

Tora, Tora, Tora

Bridge on the River Qwaui

Patton

Three came home

Stali 17

The Anne Frank Story

24 Hours

Pearl Harbor

Sand Pebbles

Schendler's List

The Pianist

 

[nooshsaz]

You have quite a list there- i'm not a fan of war movies and havent really seen any of the old ones. If you could recomend 1what wood it be?

 

Saz.

[kenwal34]

lolite,

Another great list!

Ken.

[leobertucelli]

My list is more ecclectic like, A Walk In The Sun, Flying Tigers, Gradacanal Diary, From Here To Eternity, G.I.Joe,

or a few more which by the way are so seldom shown like the one with Jeffrey Hunter & David Jensen but forgot the title...

[classicsfan1119]

Garsonfan,

 

If you liked "Three Came Home", you might also want to see a newer film called "Paradise Road" (1997) which is the fact based story of how a courageous group of women survived in a Japanese prison camp in Sumatra during WWII. ML

[garsonfan]

Thanks for the recommendation classicsfan1119...I'll have to check that one out.

[bansi4]

Leo, the war movie with Jeffrey Hunter and David Janssen is "Hell to Eternity".

 

Mongo

[bhryun]

This movie could quite possibly be my favorite war movie if I could ever find out the name of the movie and see it again. I saw it approximately 40 years ago as a kid and only remember that it was very suspenseful and dark. The only part of the B&W movie that I recall is a scene where an American SS spy is undercover as a German Officer & I think he is discovered because he eats his meal with his fork in his right hand - not his left. I have been tormented ever since but nobody can help me with the title (i have asked many people)- not even my parents who watched it with me. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[loliteblue]

Saz,

In the realm of old war movies i would suggest the following movies: The Human Comedy, The Best Years of

Our Lives, A man called Joe, They were Expendable,

for recent war movie it would have to be "Saving Private

Ryan" its shows the realism of what war really is....

The Pianist for the humanity of war and what it did to

humanity during war time.

Schendler's list About one brave man's attempt to save

as many lives as he could from death.

** another old war movie is: "Since You went Away" a

must see film Claudette colbert, Joseph Cotton.

I'm not a fan of war movies but i come from a military

family my father was an air force pilot in wwII

he was shot down over france & spent many months in a

pow camp he survived weighting only 75 pounds when

the allies came and rescued him he has the purple heart

and i am so proud of his courage to survive the cruelities of an terrible war.....

[teepad17]

It would be easier to list the smattering of war movies I didn't like. A couple that I liked that haven't appeared on anyone's lists so far were AIR FORCE and GUNG HO!. They were blatant propaganda films, but we had a war to win, so what's wrong with that? BATTLE OF BRITAIN and MIDWAY because of all the cool fighter planes. ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT with Humphrey Bogart is a fun one about fifth columnists. BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, BRIDGE AT REMAGEN, and pretty much any war movie with John Wayne, James Cagney, or Bogart is terrific.

[vallo13]

"run silent run deep" w/Gable & Lancaster,also "Attack" w/Jack Palance,Lee Marvin and Eddie Albert.

[path40a]

This is hard to do because it depends upon how one defines "war movie". For instance, are we talking about "any" war, including Roman Wars (e.g. Spartacus, Gladiator), and others like British Empire conflicts (e.g. Gunga Din, Lives of a Bengal Lancer), and even Braveheart? Should we include "homefront" wars which have no battle scenes or other war action? What about prisoner of war films? In my list below, I've decided to exclude all but the latter category, FWIW, and just include WW I & II based, non-homefront films (even though I love The Human Comedy, Since You Went Away) nor comedies (even though I also like Kelly's Heroes, To Be or Not to Be, etc.):

 

The Big Parade (1925)

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Hell's Angels (1930)

Grand Illusion (1937)

Dawn Patrol, The (1938)

Sergeant York (1941)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

So Proudly We Hail! (1943)

Command Decision (1948)

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Stalag 17 (1953)

Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)

Paths of Glory (1957)

Longest Day, The (1962)

Great Escape, The (1963)

Dirty Dozen, The (1967)

Patton (1970)

Deer Hunter, The (1978)

Schindler's List (1993)

Life is Beautiful (1997)

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

 

There are a lot of other great films, set during the time of war, which discuss fascism (Watch on the Rhine, The Mortal Storm), or are love stories (Casablanca), even The Americanization of Emily, which I've excluded (perhaps I shouldn't have).

 

Plus, there is a War Movie category in the genre forum area, for anyone who's interested in reading the posts there.