Best Military Movie

[Ausm]

FMJ FTW


Ausm

 

[Kwaipie]

Your list:
Glory, FMJ, SPR

My list:
Band of Brothers
Gallipoli

 

[ThePresence]

Nothing (aside from SPR maybe) comes close to BHD as far as battle realism is concerned.

 

[zinfamous]

Glad to see you included Deer Hunter--as it is at the top of my overall film list. I Like the poll; convenient list to remind me of what to rent over the next few weeks
One glaring omission: "Paths of Glory." c'mon folks...it's Kubrick!

Also, a French/English/German language film released last year "Joyeux Noel"--about the Christmas armistace/party that occured within No-man's land during WWI doesn't get a lot of attention. Not the greatest; but definately worth a look.

For me, I put a lot of them together as it's hard single out just one: "Deer Hunter," "Thin Red Line," "Paths of Glory," "FMJ," "Apocalypse Now."
The opening landing scene in "SPR" is classic, and nearly unmatched. The rest of the film however, doesn't stand up to those above, IMO

And yes, Band of Brothers may be better than all of them. But it is a series. When alloted 10 hours to tell such a story...of course it will be quite diverse..

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Bumrush99
Saving Private Ryan. The story may have been cheesy but the battles left me shell shocked for a full day after watching it.

The story wasn't cheesy at all. In fact, the message the story gives was the most significant of any war movie ever made.

Yeah considering a similar event (4 brothers serving on a single ship that was destroyed), left parents with no kids, enacted one of the most important policies in WW2.

That's not the central message of the film.

It really surprises me that so many people miss it.

That sacrificing the lives of several potentially good soldiers is worth the life of one potentially bad soldier? I never liked that message...it reeks of Disney

IMO, Thin Red Line, released at the same time...was far more relevant

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Bumrush99

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Bumrush99
Saving Private Ryan. The story may have been cheesy but the battles left me shell shocked for a full day after watching it.

The story wasn't cheesy at all. In fact, the message the story gives was the most significant of any war movie ever made.

Yeah considering a similar event (4 brothers serving on a single ship that was destroyed), left parents with no kids, enacted one of the most important policies in WW2.

That's not the central message of the film.

It really surprises me that so many people miss it.

Never said it was the central message, I'm just saying thats what the movie was loosely based around..

But what is the central message oh wise one? :roll:

No need to roll your eyes. I'm not trying to act superior here.

The central message of SPR is that we are all Private Ryan. Ryan was just a euphemism for all of us. We all need to "earn this."

To me the central message was that war is hell. Unorganized chaos with a bunch of scared kids fighting for their lives. Upham represented the coward in all of us, a pacifist that horrors of war changed in to to a soldier. The brutality and blood in the movie which showed people getting mowed down like a Quake deathmatch battle was effective in showing the grotesque nature of war

No. Those are all peripheral messages. The story is bookended by it's central message... that of Private Ryan unsure if he has "earned this."

It's a common theme among WWII vets, my father included. They want to know what we are going to do with the freedom and security they fought and so many died for.

We are all Private Ryan. We all need to "Earn this."

I do, however, like and agree with this interpretation

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Flyback

Originally posted by: BornStar18

Originally posted by: Flyback
Thin Red Line gets my vote. Unfortunately it is often overlooked as just a name-dropping fest because it has so many damn famous actors in it.

Black Hawk Down has greatest replay value IMO. I can watch it over and over. Sunday afternoons or Friday beer nights.

I tried to like Saving Private Ryan but failed to do so. I've seen it about 5-6 times and can't find anything that truly gets me interested.

I've watched Thin Red Line once and nearly turned it off a number of times. Maybe I just didn't get it but it was one of the most boring movies I've ever seen.

I look for dialog and story as opposed to action. Probably why I didn't give much for Saving Private Ryan (has a good story, but didn't care for the large amounts of action to carry it).

I'll admit that Black Hawk Down is all that (just action) -- but it doesn't pretend to be anything else. Its an action movie meant for beer nights with good replay value so I can appreciate it.

agreed. Although it was put together pretty well...I just didn't liek Black Hawk Down. TRL is a real film. And yes...Terrence Malick isn't for everyone (I found The New World to be rather unwatchable), but everything, for me, came together with TRL.

Particularly: The scene where Cusack leads the patrol to take out the fox holes on the hill. Incredible editing. It drives home what a well-trained, perfectly orchestrated group of soldiers can accomplish at any given moment. Also, adding the narrative string of the dead was beyond brilliant. I thought that the moments of action where perfectly balanced with the plot-driven scenes.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: bearxor

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
I see now that no one on this baord watched any movies older than 2000 with all the votes for Saving Private Ryan, while good, the ones below are much better nad would implore people to expand their viewing to some older classics.

Apocalypse Now is a masterpiece.

Patton is also ridiculously good.

Apocalyspe Now got my vote.

I agree - think its sad that most of these people think SPR is the best movie ever. I love Patton, and it got my vote.

I wouldn't be as disgusted if things like AN, FMJ and Platoon were up there as they are also excellent movies but the old saying is true here, they just don't make 'em like they used to.

Patton is a great movie, but it just does not have the message, character development and incredibly real battle scenes of SPR.

Just because people are voting SPR the best does NOT diminish many of the other greats.

Apocalypse Now is a horrid drugged out parody of a war film that does everything it can to make the common soldier look bad. Just like Jarhead, it's not just anti-war, it's anti-soldier. Written, acted and directed by anti-war activists, none who ever served. It's portrayal is pure fantasy and has very little to do with reality.

yeah...Band of Brothers, and the Episodes involving Bastogne and the accounts of the veterans in the 506 caused me to rethink Patton--the film and the man. ...what a deuche

About Apocalypse....I would never consider it realistic in terms of war. It's meant to be a fable, as is it's source, "Heart of Darkness."
And to me...the argument that anti-war activists are also anti-soldier is tired and wrong. The WW2 vets in my family and others that I've talked to are anti-war. I certainly wouldn't call them anti-soldier....

I agree that the presentation of soldiers in AN isn't very favorable, but it reflects the opinions of the majority of that war's critics: Many of these soldiers were kids that were sent off to fight, unwilling, and undertrained. The same people that agree with that sentiment also would agree, I think, with the sentiment that there were truly capable soldiers involved. It may present the predominantly negative side of that war...but have you ever seen a positive presentation of Vietnam, much less heard of one from a vet?

I'm not a military person by any stretch fo the imagination; but I've yet to meet a soldier with combat experience that is pro-war.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: maddogchen
Goddamnit, now I feel like going out and buying some of these war movie dvds i've never seen before and watching it on my dvd-rom at work.

Screw you guys, I'm going home.

I say SPR over We were soldiers because of that 20 min Omaha beach landing. that was intense and well done. I also liked Black Hawk Down but that movie was too sad. If we had the full force of the military there, M1 tanks, apache gunships, better air support, we woulda pwned them

True but it wasn't it designed to be a grab-n-go using a smallish team on a stealthish mission?

Band of Brother is IMO the best thing ever put on DVD so that's #1 for me as well. My 2nd vote went to Black Hawk Down because it was so friggin' intense. Saving Private Ryan was amazing too. Full Metal Jacket, Das Boot, and Platoon round out my top 5.

 

[bluestrobe]

SPR had way too many technical inconsistencies between reality for the time period.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: bluestrobe
SPR had way too many technical inconsistencies between reality for the time period.

Examples?

 

[3NF]

12 O'clock High

 

[lupi]

Also, a French/English/German language film released last year "Joyeux Noel"--about the Christmas armistace/party that occured within No-man's land during WWI doesn't get a lot of attention. Not the greatest; but definately worth a look.

At one of our last gaming sessions one of the guys was talking about this. Supposed to be a good film.

Patton is a great movie, but it just does not have the message, character development and incredibly real battle scenes of SPR.

Patton did an incredible job of character developement...of Patton. For the rest, the abilities of the film industry between now and then would account for it just a weeee bit.

yeah...Band of Brothers, and the Episodes involving Bastogne and the accounts of the veterans in the 506 caused me to rethink Patton--the film and the man. ...what a deuche

?

I'm not a military person by any stretch fo the imagination; but I've yet to meet a soldier with combat experience that is pro-war.

Depends on what you mean pro-war or who you've asked.

 

[JayMassive]

I'm a fan of The Enemy Below. Curt Jurgens is pretty awesome. I voted here for Saving Private Ryan, as it's the only movie that can absolutely keep my eyes from blinking while watching the ENTIRE film. Great piece of cinema...

For the same topic but different genre, i'd suggest Casablanca as well...

 

[maddogchen]

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: maddogchen
Goddamnit, now I feel like going out and buying some of these war movie dvds i've never seen before and watching it on my dvd-rom at work.

Screw you guys, I'm going home.

I say SPR over We were soldiers because of that 20 min Omaha beach landing. that was intense and well done. I also liked Black Hawk Down but that movie was too sad. If we had the full force of the military there, M1 tanks, apache gunships, better air support, we woulda pwned them

True but it wasn't it designed to be a grab-n-go using a smallish team on a stealthish mission?

yeah, but the military wanted the heavy backup in case things went wrong in Somalia, which it did, but was denied by the Sec of Defense. If they had it, things woulda been different.

 

[npoe1]

Originally posted by: RyanSengara
I'm not sure if you should include this but..

The Hunt for Red October?

It's a toss up between..

Saving Private Ryan
Full Metal Jacket
Enemy at the Gates
We Were Soldiers

I chose saving private Ryan.

I think that is the best movie, but it needs more action.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: GDaddy
Patton, Battle of the Buldge, Bridge To Far, We Were Soldiers, were all very good i thought.

But the best i would have to say is Gettysburg, the whole feeling to the movie, the realism, the whole epic scale of the battles, very good all the way around, did very good justice to the book.

Read the Book the Killer Angels...that "feeling" that we love is even better in that.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: crownjules
A couple of classics not on the list:

The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Guns of Navarone
Das Boot
Midway

While not a classic and not a direct portrayal of the war, except for a few scenes here and there, Downfall is a great movie too.

They all are in the poll

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
Nothing (aside from SPR maybe) comes close to BHD as far as battle realism is concerned.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: maddogchen

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: maddogchen
Goddamnit, now I feel like going out and buying some of these war movie dvds i've never seen before and watching it on my dvd-rom at work.

Screw you guys, I'm going home.

I say SPR over We were soldiers because of that 20 min Omaha beach landing. that was intense and well done. I also liked Black Hawk Down but that movie was too sad. If we had the full force of the military there, M1 tanks, apache gunships, better air support, we woulda pwned them

True but it wasn't it designed to be a grab-n-go using a smallish team on a stealthish mission?

yeah, but the military wanted the heavy backup in case things went wrong in Somalia, which it did, but was denied by the Sec of Defense. If they had it, things woulda been different.

They decided it would create to heavy a presence.

Things are bad when the fing main stream media and public are considered over giving the troops full support.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: lupi

yeah...Band of Brothers, and the Episodes involving Bastogne and the accounts of the veterans in the 506 caused me to rethink Patton--the film and the man. ...what a deuche

?

I'm not a military person by any stretch fo the imagination; but I've yet to meet a soldier with combat experience that is pro-war.

Depends on what you mean pro-war or who you've asked.

Band of Brothers: The official record is that the 101st held the line in the Bulge until Patton came to their rescue. The contention among those soldiers on the line, is that they never needed resuing. Apparently, this maneuver by Patton went a long way towards creating his image

As for Pro-war: If you enjoy sleeping in fox holes for weeks at a time in sub-zero temps, getting shelled constantly, watching your friends get blown to pieces...well, that would be pro war, I suppose. Not to mention the nightmares you will likely endure for the rest of your life, the guilt most veterans seem to harbor over taking life--even though it is their job.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Perhaps the OP needs to redo the poll (or start a new one) into three categories:

1. "True" historical war movies - telling a true story with minimal embellishments
2. "Historical fiction" - fake story based on a true event (like SPR)
3. Fictional movies - Totally made up stories (Top Gun)

 

[Hammer]

i always liked the move "Patton". When I see that opening seeing, I always think to myself that is what a general is supposed to look like. You don't see that nowaways.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

As to Patton (the movie), it was filmed with the technical advice of Omar Bradley, who actually didn't really like Patton (the person). Of course, George Patton was dead, so we do get a biased presentation of his WWII story.

Patton the person was a great general, and one of the few the Germans actually feared. And as to the defense of Bastogne, I think CCB of the 10th armored says they also were the ones that saved Bastogne, not just the 101st.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: GarfieldtheCat
Perhaps the OP needs to redo the poll (or start a new one) into three categories:

1. "True" historical war movies - telling a true story with minimal embellishments
2. "Historical fiction" - fake story based on a true event (like SPR)
3. Fictional movies - Totally made up stories (Top Gun)

Perhaps not...which did you find the most entertaining...to many people have to overanalize everything.

If you like one movie better because it was based on real events..then that is your favorite.