I'd like to put down some of my favourite movies about WW2. And see what you guys can come up with.

Saving Private Ryan
Band of Brothers
Stalingrad
Das Boot
The Eagle has Landed
Windtalkers
The Longest Day
A Bridge to Far
The Bridge at Remagen.

Scott

I would have to say my favirates are.

Windtalkers
Saving Private Ryan
Black Hawk Down
We Were Soldiers
Band of Brothers
And i have seen a bridge at ramegan a few times and i like it mostly because my Grandpa was in the mortar company that shelled the real last bridge on the rhine

Tim

The semi annual best film list.

In no particular order, just how they pop into my senile mind and sticking with just WW2:
Sahara--- with Bogie
Casablanca----- with Bogie
The Caine Mutiny---- with Bogie
A Walk in the Sun---- with Dana Andrews (and a heck of a lot of other good charater actors)
Go For Broke---- with Van Johnson
The Fighing SeaBees---- with The Duke--- I still like the scene with the bulldozer taking down the fuel tank and saving the entire island.
12 o'clock High------ with Gregory Peck
Battlegorund---- with Jame Whitmore
Corvette 225---- with Randolf Scott
The Silent Enemy---- Laurence Harvey
Flat Top---- with Sterling Hayden
Operation Burma--- Errol Flynn
The Enemy Below---- with Robert Mitchum
They Were Expendable--- with Robert Montgomery
You're In The Navy Now---- with Gary Cooper
A Bridge Too Far---- with too many to name.
Battle Of Britain---- with Susannah York---
and of course:
Mr Roberts --- with Henry Fonda who wore his real officers hat not only in the play, but also the movie.

corrected Sahara spelling....

And Back Door to Hell --- with Jack Nicholson

David

Well what about 633 Squadron, Tora,Tora, Tora. The Great Escape, Dambusters, Bridge on the River Kwai, The African Queen, Guns of Navaronne, The Scarlet and the Black.
Scott

And Back Door to Hell --- with Jack Nicholson and the "Classy Peg" look alike...

I always thought tora tora tora was boring

12 O'clock High
Mr. Roberts
Band of Brothers
Das Boot
They Were Expendible
All Quiet on the Western Front
Sands of Iwo Jima
Letters from Iwo Jima


I would put those at the top of my list. I also have a bunch of others I like to watch from time to time, but I would consider them in the best catagory.

Some fo those are:

In Harm's Way
The Great Escape
Patton
Battle of Britian

And of course I just love John Wayne, but there are alot of people who do not like his WWII movies. But I do!

not ww11 but ww1 ANZACS, THE WAR DOWN UNDER.

The Big Red One
Mr. Roberts
Band of Brothers
Das Boot
Windtalkers
Saving Private Ryan
Black Hawk Down
The Longest Day
A Bridge to Far
The Bridge at Remagen
Sands of Iwo Jima (god bless john wayne )

Cross Of iron

The Keep...........hey it was set during W.W.2

OK a few more:
Hell is for Heroes
Castle Keep.
BLOOD BEACH

Hi
I would like to give my list..............................................
Patton
Flags of are Fathers & Letters from Iwo Jima
Saving private Ryan
Battle of the Bulge
when the trumpet fades
Battleground
windtalkers
band of brothers
Bridge too far
too late the hero
torbruk
DesertFox
menphis belle
Devils bridgade
ememy below
Thanks Panzerboy

I'm gonna skip the obvious choices and go for some that dont get much in the way of airtime.

When Trumpets Fade
Probably my all time favorite because my Uncle was 28th. It never got the recognition it deserved, as it came out a few weeks before "SPR" did, and it was only released on TV.

"The Beast" , also known as "The Beasts of war", outside the U.S. Outstanding movie about the Soviet Afghan war.

The Lost Battalion If you havent seen this one, you absolutely have got to see it!! Oustanding movie!! heres what the IMDb website had to say about it:
" Fact-based war drama about an American battalion of over 500 men which gets trapped behind enemy lines in the Argonne Forest in October 1918 France during the closing weeks of World War I. In 1918 in World War I, in the Meuse-Argonne Sector in France, the former New York lawyer and Major Charles White Whittlesey is assigned by Gen. Robert Alexander to a massive suicidal attack against the German forces in the Argonne Forest with his five hundred men battalion. However, the forces supposed to be giving support through the flanks retreat and the communications with the headquarter of the 77th American Division are cut. Major Wittlesey holds his position with his men, mostly Irish, Polish, Italian and Jew gangsters from New York, surrounded by the German army. Without food, water, ammunition and medical supplies, only two hundred men survive after five days of siege" Rick Schroeder - yes, little Ricky Scroeder from "Silver spoons" - is really quite good in this.

Saints and Soldiers
I like this one. I know some folk who disagree, but I think the fact that this movie was made for less than what the usual blockbuster movie is made is impressive by itself. I think they made the entire thing for less than a million? I want to say they did it on 30k, but Im not sure. OK, so it's got a Mormon message imbedded in it, but it's not overly obvious, and the sappy aspect is kept in check. If you've got kids that you dont want exposed to the mind numbing -albeit true to history- violence of SPR, this might be a movie they could watch with you. Not a great deal of gore, and I think the strongest language in the whole thing is "damnit". I like the fact that all the extras were reenactors and did the entire thing for free. thats kinda cool.

OK, and my final pick? This is a good one guys, because it not only will satisfy your need for a good war movie, it will also satisfy your girlfriend or Wifes desire to see a romantic movie.. you have to rent this, one, I swear! A Very Long engagement
OK, if you've never seen it, heres the thing about this movie; It's a chick flick.....ABOUT THE SOMME!!! No, really! heres the synopsis from IMDb: "A Very Long Engagement" tells the story of a young woman's relentless search for her fiancée, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One. Five desperate French soldiers during The Battle of the Somme shoot themselves, either by accident or with purpose, in order to be invalidated back home. Having been "caught" a court-martial convenes and determines punishment to be banishment to No Man's Land with the objective of having the Germans finish them off. In the process of telling this tale each man's life is briefly explored along with their next of kin as Methilde, fiancée to one of the men, tries to determine the circumstances of her lover's death. This task is not made any easier for her due to a bout with polio as a child. Along the way she discovers the heights and depths of the human soul. From the commander who wantonly and secretly destroys the men's pardon, to the amazing lengths one condemned man's friend goes to in an effort to save at least some of them. This movie operates at many levels. A love story. A mystery. A testament to brutality of "The War to End All Wars" and most particularly the men, women, and children affected by this dark and disturbing time in world history. Technically the cinematography (by Bruno Delbonnel) is amazing. Many scenes will have you asking how that was shot. The use of color, the score, the authenticity of the costume, the portrayal by the actors, the effects, and the story itself all combined to make a delightful feast of sound and vision. Look for a long cameo of Jody Foster. Amazing! Jean-Peirre Jeunet is a master!!"


Rent it, you get to watch a great movie, and the love of your life will be just a little bit better off to boot!!!

Steve,

I do agree that the Lost Batallion is a very good movie. Rick Schroder plays a very believable part and overall teh whole movie is rather well done.

I added A Very Long Engagement to my Netflix que, thanks for shairng that one. Most of the time I will pass up on a foreign film.

My partial list: 1) The Sand Pebbles ("you did well at the boom" "Ho'man come down!)
2) In Harm's Way (A Gut bustin', mother luvin' NAVY war)
3) The Alamo (Billy Bob Thornton---"I thought he'd be taller")
4) Saving Private Ryan
5) The Rough Riders
6) Operation Pacific (All I was tryin' ta do was say hi ta Butch)

Here’s my list

Band of brothers
Windtalkers
Saving Private Ryan
Tora tora tora
The thin red line
Saints and Soldiers

Everyone forgot Enemy at the Gates, I was glad to see a shout out for Cross of Iron. Great lists. I've seen them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lot of good films, but theres more small screen films and foreign films that deserve a shout out, heres some that are worth watching!!!

Taegukgi ''Brotherhood'' - A Korean film set during the Korean war, showing the human side of the war and the relationship between two brothers both fighting for the south. This is a simply stunning movie with battle scenes that rival Saving Private Ryan, the story is incredible and very touching. One of the best films ive ever seen!

Come and see- A Russian film from the early 80's, a very graphic and depressing image of the war on the Russian front and in the villages, a very sobering film but one that cant be missed.

To end all wars- British movie set in a British POW camp on a japanese island in ww2( the brits are the POW's) Very anti war and with a powerful message.

Zvezda''The Star''-Made by the same people as Come and See, ive not seen it but heard its very good.

Over there-US TV series set during OIF, definately not up there with band of brothers but worth watching to give an insight into the war.

Downfall-German film about the final days of Hitler. Epic film, another one of my favorite films of all time.

No mans land- I think its a Bosnian film, but im not sure. Ive never seen it buts its anotehr films thats had very good reviews. Set during the 1993 Bosnia-Herzagovina conflict. 2 soldiers from opposing sides end up in an abandoned trench together, whilst a third man ends up falling on a land mine in the trench, if he moves the mine will go off. From what ive seen it looks very good.

My wife actually picked me up a copy of "Downfall" in Harris Teeter (A grocery store in the south east U.S,) for $9.00 last Sunday! I couldnt believe it! Really a great story about the last 10 days of the Reich, not the last 10 days of Hitlers life. fantastic movie.

A couple more for the list (forgive me if others have already listed them):

We Were Soldiers (OK, well all know Mel changed the story)

Full Metal Jacket (I can't believe no one's mentioned this ... unless they did and I missed it)

Hamburger Hill (Much better than Platoon in my book)

The Boys in Company C (R. Lee Ermey's big break into show biz)

84 Charlie MoPic (low-budget and shot with a single camera, ala Blair Witch, but it is pretty cool)

Go Tell The Spartans (Burt Lancaster and a low budget)

Hitler's SS: Portrait of Evil (I found this in the Wal-Mart bargain bin in a set with Go For Broke and six other flicks -- it's pretty good!)

To Hell and Back (Audie Murphy in a movie about ... Audie Murphy!)

1941 (gotta love Wild Bill Kelso!)

Tank Girl (who can resist Lori Petty in a tank?)

my bad, its been a while since ive seen this film, you're right its the last days of the Reich.

"The Sand Pebbles" the movie that convinced me to run off and not only join the Navy, but to be a snipe.
"Black Gang don't stand deck watches"- Holman
"On my ship they do" the Captain
"Black Gang don't stand deck watches"-Holman


Murphy's War
The Sea Wolves.

I liked that one as well. It showed how different people react to the NAZI party.


Also try "The Train" Burt Lancaster saves French Art from the German's.

Well, the topic title says war movies, but then the post says World War 2. But I see ton's of movies from Viet Nam (We were Soldiers) and later (Black Hawk Down) and much earlier (The Alamo) so I 've decided just to throw in whatever i feel like.

I love almost every World War 2 picture made...even the ones that are panned have some good or great historical bits to them. (Like Pearl Harbor). I think only Battle of the Bulge is the only one I would completely throw out. I didn't See Von Ryan's Express mentioned which is of course pure fiction but definitely riveting.How could ya'll forget Sink the Bismarck And the epic TV series Winds of war and War and Rememberance?

Great war FLicks in general...well Gettysburg comes to mind.....toss out all the socio-politically correct crap and just concentrate on watching the reinactors do their thing...magnificent (of course I aws a reinactor and I knew several guys that went up there and did that) the original 300 Spartans, I also loved the Last Samurai and the Mel Gison war flics Patriot and Braveheart. I do like the beginning of Gladiator and Sparticus is a world class classic in my book.

I would love to see a really great Roman era war movie come out. Troy would have been great if they hadn't concentrated so much on Brad Pitt. A Egyptian (ancient) would be wonderful to see and an era that is greatly neglected...Napoleon.