Best War Films?

[Doclector]

Starship Troopers.
Nobody said it had to be a real war...

TBH, it does copy "proper" war films in many ways. Over-optimistic recruits heading patrioticly into slaughter, demonisation of the enemy (though, it would be hard to humanise them...), friends dying heroic, but ultimately pointless deaths, as well as commenting on war in general, especially the propaganda of war.

Personally, my favourite war movie is full metal jacket. It's the only one I can think of which blames the training just as much as combat itself for the troops' mental states.

It also removes any sort of myths regarding soldiers in movies. A soldier is neither an unstoppable hero, or a broken shell. More often than not, especially considering the draft, he's just another man caught in the madness of a conflict he struggles to understand, just trying to survive.

 

[The Afrodactyl]

My favourites are Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, Apocalypse Now and We Were Soldiers.

Napalm is fucking scary.

 

[commandersqwigly]

the hurt locker was a really good take on the iraq war. I really wish there were more movies about the iraq war, i think its a really interesting war.

 

[Nueemann]

Full Metal Jacket (Stanley Kubrick is a GENIUS!)
Downfall (Better known as Der Untergang. Source of the "Hitler Freaking out over Something on YouTube" videos.
Green Zone (Some people may not like it, but I did.)
Valkyrie

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Star Wars, *snicker*.

But seriously, I don't really watch to many war films.

 

[Tartarga]

There was a WW2 movie which I don't remember the name of, it had John Wayne in it which should narrow it down. John Wayne was the captain of a battleship that was in pursuit of a German submarine. Its a really good movie, I assure you.

Edit: Forget to mention Flags of Our Fathers. You should watch it if you haven't seen it, it focuses on the soldiers who put up the flag on Iwo Jima.

 

[capin Rob]

Saving Private Ryan and Glory were both very sad, moving and amazing to watch.

Loved Saving ng Pvt. Ryan... But what is Glory? I don't think I've seen it

 

[Jamash]

Does Bullet in the Head count?

It's set during the Vietnam war, but it's not really a war movie. Other than a POW camp and some raids and things the war doesn't come into play much, it's just a country in turmoil.

That said, it's an amazing movie. Really moving, even though the subtitles were a little fuzzy, although that could have been the TV I was watching it on.

I'd say so, because even if you take "war" out of the equation, you're still left with Bullet in the Head being one of the best films.

 

[HK_01]

Enemy At The Gates isn't that great. It's too drama-y.

I think the best war films I've ever seen have been Assembly, a Chinese war film, with possibly the best battle scenes ever, Tae-Guki: The Brotherhood of War, A Korean film about the Korean war, Days of Glory, a French/Morrocan film about Arab recruits during the second world war, Cross of Iron, a 70's West German film starring James Coburn about the Russian front in WW2, directed by Sam Peckinpah, and The Wind That Shakes The Barley, an Irish film about the Irish War of Independence.

All of those are great.

Spoiler: Here's the trailers

The Wind That Shakes The Barley reminded me of Lord of the Rings for some reason.

What about Enemy at the gates?

.... Hollywoodized crap...

As for me, 9th Pota

Don't get me wrong, that movie is good, but not one of the best war movies ever.

 

[Caligulove]

Apocalypse Now.

Also in the category for Best Film of All Time in general.

 

[fjelding]

I like war movies.

Ive found that the ones that i like the best is actually German made.

Stalingrad and Der Untergang are my favorites.

Stalingrad follows a group of germen soldiers trying to survive when it all goes to hell at the battla of Stalingrad. And Der Untergang follows Hitler in the final few months of the war.

Both are excellent and seems realistic (i would'nt know for sure as, obviously, I wasnt there )

There is one catch tho, both movies are in German

 

[agentironman]

American Revolution
The Patriot
1776
Johnny Tremaine
The Crossing


For WWI
Aces High
In Love and War
A Farewell to Arms
Company K
Gallipoli
The Great War
The African Queen


For WWII

The Longest Day
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Das Boot
Flying Tigers
Hawai Mare oki kaisen
Flying Leathernecks
Stalag 17
The Enemy Below
Bridge on the River Kwai
Sink the Bismark
The Great Escape
The Dirty Dozen
Where Eagles Dare
Patton
Baa Baa Black Sheep
MacArthur
Force 10 From Navarrone
1941
Escape to Victory
Tuskegee Airmen
Thin Red Line
Enigma
Hart's War

Korean War

All Young Men
Fixed Bayonets
Taeguki
The Hunters
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
Pork Chop Hill
Inchon
One Minute to Zero
The Steel Helmet

Vietnam
Apocalypse Now
Bat 21
Born on the 4th of July
Tigerland
Rambo
The Green Berets
Uncommon Valor
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket
Missing in Action
Hamburger Hill
Good Morning Vietnam
Quiet American
Air America
Friendly Fire
Flight of the Intruder

Gulf Wars

Bravo Two Zero
Three Kings
Jarhead
Courage Under Fire
Back to Babylon
Body of Lies
The Kingdom
Fair Game
Battle of Hiditha
Hurt Locker

 

[Gilhelmi]

Red Dawn (D** those soviets)
Band of Brothers (I do not care, I count it as a 10 hour movie)
Heartbreak Ridge (Classic Clint Eastwood)
Sahara (I think, it is the one where the platoon is guarding a water well from a company of Germans, at the end the platoon captures all the Germans and lets the Germans drink the water)

The ones I hated
Patton (Greatest strategist of all time, Crappiest General of all time. How he made it to the rank is beyond me.)

 

[agentironman]

Red Dawn (D** those soviets)
Band of Brothers (I do not care, I count it as a 10 hour movie)
Heartbreak Ridge (Classic Clint Eastwood)
Sahara (I think, it is the one where the platoon is guarding a water well from a company of Germans, at the end the platoon captures all the Germans and lets the Germans drink the water)

The ones I hated
Patton (Greatest strategist of all time, Crappiest General of all time. How he made it to the rank is beyond me.)

Damn I forgot those. I also count Band of Brothers as a 10 hour movie and you can also add it's 'sequel' The Pacific to the list.

I enjoyed Patton he was harsh but he got things done. You want results in a campaign. Read his book I think you will enjoy it. His son on the other hand was a weird general.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

Apocalypse Now is pretty good, as is Three Kings, which is a little more light-hearted.

 

[Gilhelmi]

Red Dawn (D** those soviets)
Band of Brothers (I do not care, I count it as a 10 hour movie)
Heartbreak Ridge (Classic Clint Eastwood)
Sahara (I think, it is the one where the platoon is guarding a water well from a company of Germans, at the end the platoon captures all the Germans and lets the Germans drink the water)

The ones I hated
Patton (Greatest strategist of all time, Crappiest General of all time. How he made it to the rank is beyond me.)

Damn I forgot those. I also count Band of Brothers as a 10 hour movie and you can also add it's 'sequel' The Pacific to the list.

I enjoyed Patton he was harsh but he got things done. You want results in a campaign. Read his book I think you will enjoy it. His son on the other hand was a weird general.

See I like his Grandson (Gen. Patton) the best. I believe he is a 1 or 2 star now. He is nothing like his Grandfather.
I did not know that Gen Patton (the first one) had a son that went into the service.

 

[SilkySkyKitten]

There was a WW2 movie which I don't remember the name of, it had John Wayne in it which should narrow it down. John Wayne was the captain of a battleship that was in pursuit of a German submarine. Its a really good movie, I assure you.

Sounds a lot like "The Enemy Below", but that one didn't have John Wayne so I'm not really sure (still a great movie, though).

As for my personal favorites: I haven't seen very many, but I have particularly enjoyed Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, and the previously mentioned The Enemy Below.

 

[Valkyrie101]

Zulu and Saving Private Ryan.

 

[Spoonius]

I recently watched Letters From Iwo Jima which was great. Is there any more great war/military films? I've seen Black Hawk down and Saving Private Ryan. What about Enemy at the gates?

If I had to pick my favourite three...

- "Downfall"
- "Saving Private Ryan"
- "The Thin Red Line"

"Band of Brothers" is an incredible series, easily better than "Saving Private Ryan" (both were directed by Steven Spielberg). It's one of the best TV shows ever produced (regardless of genre) and it covers some thought-provoking ground.

"Platoon" is a great movie too, despite the fact that its contextual messages are a little dated.

"Full Metal Jacket" is riveting throughout its first half, but drops the ball a little once Vietnam takes centre stage towards the end.

"Apocalypse Now" is a bit of a mess, and I didn't really like it that much (although there are plenty of memorable scenes and quotable characters). If you'd like to see a psychedelic, literally fantastic portrayal of Vietnam, then give it a go.

 

[Aiden_the-Joker1]

Saving Private Ryan definetly