The Great Escape & Other War Films

Posted by: GraemeH on 20 December 2014

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...I find myself watching 'The Great Escape' (and enjoying it) for the umpteenth time.

 

However, my favourite (anti) war film is 'Paths of Glory' directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1957 and starring a youthful Kirk Douglas. Who needs 3D, CGI, special effects...or even colour when the story, script, acting, cinematography and direction are as good as they are in that movie?

 

Any other classy suggestions of that ilk?

 

G

 

 

 

 

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by JamieWednesday

Hell is for Heroes (with Bob Newhart...)

 

Letters from Iwo Jima

 

Zulu

 

Charge of the Light Brigade

 

Lawrence of Arabia

 

Apocalypse Now

 

Cross of Iron

 

Eagle has Landed

 

And my favourite from when I was a kid...Kelly's Heroes

 

Sounds like that's all I do but when I thought of one, others popped into my mind!

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by MDS

I'd add The Cruel Sea and In Which We Serve.  

 

Oh, and a modern classic has to be Saving Private Ryan. Opening and closing scenes are the most emotional I think I've seen in a war movie.   

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by winkyincanada

Terence Malick's "Thin Red Line". Take some patience, but the rewards are there. A beautiful movie.

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by MDS
Originally Posted by winkyincanada:

Terence Malick's "Thin Red Line". Take some patience, but the rewards are there. A beautiful movie.

Yep. That's a good one too, Winky

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by naim_nymph

ZULU

 

"Don't you realise, you're all going to die!"

 

Perfect for Christmas : )

 

Debs

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by Gianluigi Mazzorana

Stalingrad

 

Enemy at the gates

 

 

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by fatcat

 

Battle of the river plate.

 

Das Boot

 

Devils on the doorstep

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by MDS
Originally Posted by Gianluigi Mazzorana:

 

 

Enemy at the gates

 

 

Watched this again last night but got bored and switched off before the end.  A story rather spoiled for me by the unconvincing depictions of Rachel Weisz and Jude Law as Russians (Weisz is particularly pathetic, but then she seems to play the same character in every every film I've seen her in), and the love interest.  Ed Harris and Bob Hoskins, on the otherhand, are good.  Shame really, as I think there's a good movie to be made about this topic.  

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by Huwge

Battle of the Bulge and Kelly's Heroes always remind me of Christmas and I seem to associate Zulu with new year. 

 

For an alternative perspective, If.

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by Marcopolovitch

Downfall. It's stunning!

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by pcstockton

Guns of Navarone!!  Peck is great.

Posted on: 20 December 2014 by TomK

Saving Private Ryan. My favourite movie of all time.No other film ever affected me like it did.

 

The Longest Day and the Big Red One are also favourites. And a forgotten classic, Beach Red, a shocking memory of my early teens when I managed to sneak in under age and see stuff never seen before that.

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by Sniper

Battle of Britain 

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by Richard Dane

Three of the very best war films ever made;

 

Ice Cold in Alex

 

The Cruel Sea

 

Tunes of Glory

 

Admittedly, the last one is set just after the war has ended, but the after-effects are all too apparent.  Tunes of Glory would make my top 5 best films of all time.

 

And a guilty pleasure; Where Eagles Dare.  

 

Go on, you know you can't resist.  "And I thought the Cathedral was on the other side of the square..."

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by GraemeH

Thanks for all the recommendations folks. Most are familiar but have piqued my interest for another viewing (I've only seen 'Private Ryan' once years ago).

 

Some are new to me. After 'Paths of Glory' 'Tunes' seems a good starting point so I'll track that down.

 

"Broadsword calling Danny Boy...."  Keep them coming...

 

 

 

G

 

 

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by Richard Dane

Graeme, Tunes of Glory is not your traditional war film.  It is entirely set in Barracks (Stirling Castle IIRC).  It is quite riveting though...

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by GraemeH
Originally Posted by Richard Dane:

Graeme, Tunes of Glory is not your traditional war film.  It is entirely set in Barracks (Stirling Castle IIRC).  It is quite riveting though...

'Paths of Glory' isn't either so I think I should enjoy it - Will source it over the hols and thanks.

 

G

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by Gianluigi Mazzorana

Gallipoli

 

Bravo Two Zero

 

 

Passchendaele

 

The devil's brigade

 

A bridge too far

 

The Lighthorsemen

 

 

 

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by Gianluigi Mazzorana

Or something lighter......

 

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by Mike-B
Originally Posted by naim_nymph:

ZULU 

"Don't you realise, you're all going to die!"

Why is it us? Why us?

Because we're here lad, nobody else, just us.

 

----------

 

I've stopped by Rorke's Drift & Isandlwana a number of times

The scenery is a bit of a let down,  not as spectacular as the Drakensbergs famous Amphitheatre used in the film backdrop.  The film set is not far off the actual layout of the old station.  

Isandlwana is altogether a different place for me, the white painted burial cairns that litter the hillside are particularly poignant.  

  

Posted on: 21 December 2014 by Haim Ronen

I am not sure it qualifies as a war movie or perhaps it needs the word 'civil' in the front. Anyway, it is one of my all time favorites:

 

The Battle of Algiers 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-7j4WVTgWc

 

I am probably the only one here who hated 'Saving Private Ryan'.

 
 
 
Posted on: 21 December 2014 by dry_stone

Most of my favourites have been mentioned above, but I do like the original (1930) version of All Quiet on the Western Front.

Posted on: 22 December 2014 by Sniper

I'm a big fan of Tunes of Glory too - not a war movie as Richard points out but certainly full of conflict and certainly rivetting. 

 

Shaving Ryan's Privates has its moments. 

 

Battle for Algiers is certainly interesting. 

 

Tumbledown is jolly good too - realistic and thoughtful 

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned 'Platoon' which is required viewing in many a military academy or How Not to be a Platoon Commander. 

Posted on: 22 December 2014 by Adam Meredith

Sneaking in a bundle of Powell & Pressburger war-related films.

 

'49th Parallel' (1941) - Of interest.

'One of our Aircraft is Missing' (1942) - of interest.

'Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' (1943) - 'essential'.

'A Matter of Life and Death' (1946) - 'essential'

'The Small Back Room' (1949) - of great interest.

'The Battle of the River Plate' (1956)

 

'Sink the Bismark' (1960)

'I was Monty's Double' (1958)

'The Man Who Never Was' (1956)
'Ice Cold in Alex' (1958)

 

For me a 'war' film is probably about WW2, possibly B&W - and it doesn't do any harm if Leslie Howard is in it.

 

''Pimpernel' Smith' (1941)

'49th Parallel' (1941)

'In Which We Serve' (1942)

'The First of the Few' (1942)

 

I actively enjoy the propaganda elements in these films. The background is always one of decency - whether that was an aspiration, reality or invention I like that we thought it might be important and worthwhile.

 

That would depart in the subsequent revisionist looks at Britain at war.

 

'Dr Strangelove' (1964)

'The Hill' (1965)  Sidney Lumet - not often seen but certainly stuck in my mind.

 

US war films view war as an environment where selfishness, self-doubt and individuality can and should continue to be indulged. 'Full Metal Jacket', 'The Hurt Locker', etc

 

'Saving Private Ryan' (1998) holds my attention despite Spielberg's tendency to over sweeten.

 

'Master & Commander' (2003) AND you get a the watchable Russell Crowe film.

 

 

L'armée des ombres (1969) Jean-Pierre Melville's unglamorised stories from the Resistance.

 

I haven't seen this (yet) - 'Sergeant York' (1941)

 

Posted on: 22 December 2014 by Sniper

 Reach for the Sky to add to your First of the Few Adam. 

And The Dam Busters of course.