best war movie ever

[Amused]

The Lost Battalion was an excellent movie. Maybe people are neglecting it because it was made for cable?

I agree with most of the picks here, and would like to add Hamburger Hill. While I know it had some bad acting in it, the battle scenes were very good and extremely hard core.

During Infantry basic training we were taken to see Hamburger Hill in the base theater at Fort Benning, GA. It really struck a nerve with us. I guess this would probably make it more important to me than most, but I felt it should be added here.

And no one has included MASH?

 

[CanOWorms]

My friend considers The Sound of Music to be a good war movie :Q

 

[Spoooon]

Originally posted by: js1973
I kind of liked Glory. Does that count?

I thought Glory was pretty good. My vote for best would probably be The Deer Hunter. My vote for my favorite would probably be Blackhawk Down.

Did you know that Shaw, the commander of the 54th actually died in real life the way he died in the battle?

After a period of recruiting and training, the unit proceeded to the Department of the South, arriving at Hilton Head, South Carolina, on June 3, 1863. Soon after it saw its first action at James Island. The regiment earned its greatest fame on July 18, 1863, when it led the unsuccessful and controversial assault on the Confederate positions at Battery Wagner. In this desperate attack, the Fifty-fourth was placed in the vanguard and 281 men of the regiment became casualties (54 were killed or fatally wounded and another 48 were never accounted for). Shaw, the regiment's young colonel, died on the crest of the enemy parapet, shouting, "Forward, Fifty-fourth!"

from here

 

[Danman]

Originally posted by: fitz4521
im a fan of black hawk down

Ditto.

 

[sawdust]

Tora! Tora! Tora! :cool

 

[jaydee]

U-571, Black Hawk Down, Enemy at the Gates. Why are all the ones listed vastly American movies?

 

[Gaard]

Is the one with Lee Marvin narrating The Big Red One? That's a pretty good war flic.

 

[fatbaby]

bandofbrothers

 

[Spoooon]

Originally posted by: jaydee
U-571, Black Hawk Down, Enemy at the Gates. Why are all the ones listed vastly American movies?

The people posting are Americans perhaps? Besides, you picked U-571 and Black Hawk Down.

 

[js1973]

"Why are all the ones listed vastly American movies? "

Well, this is a simplistic answer, but I would guess because American movies are what the majority of forum members here have been exposed to?

Oh, and why hasn't anyone mentioned The thin red line?

 

[A5]

Dr. Strangelove and Hunt for Red October are my favorites.

 

[dvander64]

Enemy at the Gates.

 

[308nato]

Cross of Iron is my favorite war flick. Its rather a cult classic as it never is shown on the tube much (if ever). Why is it my favorite out of all the great ones ? I couldn't answer that. there is something about it that is just "real". Check it out if you ever get the chance to rent it.

 

[Random Variable]

All Quiet on the Western Front

 

[arod]

Originally posted by: fatbaby
bandofbrothers

Im really superised nobody else said that. BoB was soooooo much better than SPR was. especially in HDTV with Dolby Digital surround sound. The towns were just plain lifelike, and the winter eps if you turned down the AC you could seriously be there with the solders.

 

[js1973]

Yeah, but we're talking movies. I don't think a mini series can be considered the same thing. But if you were going to include mini series, anyone remember The blue and the grey?

 

[JHalpin]

I still get goosebumps when I hear some of the background music in Patton.

Everything else is trying for second place....

 

[snow patrol]

The Thin Red Line
Stalingrad
The Trench
Saving Private Ryan

All these were good films, and all showed the brutality, pointlessness and general desperation of war in different ways.

Btw, I agree that BoB probably beats all of these hands down, but that's a mini-series. Can't wait for the DVD boxset though. That's definitely at the top of my list to Santa!

 

[Scipionix]

Originally posted by: snow patrol
The Thin Red Line
Stalingrad
The Trench
Saving Private Ryan

All these were good films, and all showed the brutality, pointlessness and general desperation of war in different ways.

Btw, I agree that BoB probably beats all of these hands down, but that's a mini-series. Can't wait for the DVD boxset though. That's definitely at the top of my list to Santa!

Wow, someone else saw Stalingrad!

 

[snow patrol]

Originally posted by: Scipionix

Originally posted by: snow patrol
The Thin Red Line
Stalingrad
The Trench
Saving Private Ryan

All these were good films, and all showed the brutality, pointlessness and general desperation of war in different ways.

Btw, I agree that BoB probably beats all of these hands down, but that's a mini-series. Can't wait for the DVD boxset though. That's definitely at the top of my list to Santa!

Wow, someone else saw Stalingrad!

Yep, got the DVD. Have you read the book of the same name? It's not based on the film (or visa versa), but it's an excellent, if sometimes harrowing read.

 

[Scipionix]

Originally posted by: snow patrol

Yep, got the DVD. Have you read the book of the same name? It's not based on the film (or visa versa), but it's an excellent, if sometimes harrowing read.

There have to be 50 books called Stalingrad. Are you talking about a novel?

 

[Spoooon]

Did anyone see TNT's Gettysburg? Basically a move (can't remember if it was a miniseries) adaptation of Shaara's The Killer Angels. I thought it was pretty damn good.

 

[snow patrol]

Originally posted by: Scipionix

Originally posted by: snow patrol

Yep, got the DVD. Have you read the book of the same name? It's not based on the film (or visa versa), but it's an excellent, if sometimes harrowing read.

There have to be 50 books called Stalingrad. Are you talking about a novel?

It's this one.

 

[Scipionix]

Yes, I did. Not a strict military history, but a good read. Kinda refreshing actually after reading John Erickson's The Road to Stalingrad.

 

[tokamak]

i vote for Das Boot with Patton coming in second. I have never seen Bridge on the River Kwai, but i've heard its very good, too.