The Great Escape & Other War Films

Niven and Ustinov in The Way Ahead is one that probably fits in with Adam's WW2 selection, with echoes of Dad's Army at the end (both with the seemingly omnipresent John Laurie)

Forgot this

Catch 22 and M*A*S*H for a more modern war film?

The Hill almost made my recommendation. I saw it years ago on TV and it really impressed. Only trouble is I've had for a few years now on my Lovefilm wish list and it's "not currently released".

I don't know whether some would term Empire of the Sun a war film; but it does contain one of my favourite scenes.

P51..... Cadillac of the skies.

Which is the title of one the pieces of the ST.

Great movie!

Lacombe, Lucien 1974. Louis Malle.

"One of the first French films to address the issue of collaboration during the German occupation, Louis Malle’s brave and controversial Lacombe, Lucien traces a young peasant’s journey from potential Resistance member to Gestapo recruit. At once the story of a nation and one troubled boy, the film is a disquieting portrait of lost innocence and guilt."

And powered by a Merlin engine, I think.

Little did that boy know he was going to be Batman when he grew up!

This sounds my thing. Thanks.

I lived in Italy for a short period and sat at the same large kitchen table in Bardi where the Nazi's ate breakfast with the locals. 

Internicine 'wars' between rural villages often cast the Germans as perpetrators to ensure brutal retalliation.

Lots of great movies so far, thanks!

G

I am surprised nobody has mentioned ' Band of brothers', which is all encompassing from start to finish. If you decide to watch ' Das boot' make sure to get the German version with English subtitles ! ATB Peter

Also the Pacific (follow up to Band of Brothers) was equally as good IMHO. Also surprised no one has mentioned Schindlers List, absolute stunning and incredibly moving film. 

And powered by a Merlin engine, I think.

Packard built RR engines under license. Merlin engine completed the P51 (Mustang in the UK) as the original Allison V-12 wasn't good enough at high altitudes,  turbo versions used in the P-39 fork tailed devil, Lightning.

"All quiet on the western front".(1930)

This thread lead me to getting out a lot of old war movies. This one, despite its age, is incredibly moving. The special effects and battle scenes are also exceptional given this was the dawn of the "talkies".

Although it is histrionic in places, the horror of war comes through very well. In these jaded times with far more gruesome and realistic war movies than this old movie, the naïveté and freshness of the young recruits means there is a lot of emotion invested by the viewer and their deaths are far more harrowing. One is left with the feeling these are real people dying, not just more cannon fodder. And that is its strength.

'Closely Watched Trains' (1966) - also know (to me) as 'Closely Observed Trains'.

"Why so great?
Menzel's coming of age drama is quiet, charming and wry in a way that 99.9% of American films have never managed to muster. Set during the German Occupation of Poland, Menzel delicately charts the attempts of trainee railway guard Milos (Neckar), one of cinema's first slackers, to lose his virginity and join the Czech underground with a touching vulnerability and a slight sense of the absurd. Gentle, politically aware and, yes, closely observed, this is a beautiful paean to timidity, innocence and plain old growing up."

Hollywood remake?
Nope, but it was influential on the rash of '70s US Young Men Try To Get Laid flicks."

Despite this rash - somewhat worthier than its followers.

Henry V (1944) - if only for the speech.

'The Manchurian Candidate' ( 1962 )

Picked up on this but have yet to see it:

'Come and See' (1985)

"A rare look at World War II from the Soviet side, Come and See is based on the real-life experiences of Ales Adamovich, who fought with Russian partisans in Belarus in 1943, when the Nazis systematically torched over 600 villages and slaughtered their inhabitants. Adamovich and director Elem Klimov co-authored the screenplay, which shows the horrors through the eyes of a 13-year-old peasant boy named Florya (Alexei Kravchenko). Over his single mother's protests, he joins the partisans, but they leave him behind in their camp when they set off to fight the Germans. Glascha (Olga Mironova), a lovely young girl, befriends him, but the two are caught in the midst of an air raid which leaves Florya nearly deaf.

Now utterly frightened, Florya and Glascha return to his village to find it in ruins, and, in one of the film's many harrowing scenes, they wade through a swamp to locate the survivors. Now committed to seek vengeance for the death of his mother and neighbors, Florya returns to the front, but finds himself in a village that's right in the path of the Nazi firestorm. A band of partisans arrive too late to save the village but in time to capture and mete out justice to several of the Nazi officers. Awarded the Grand Prix at the 1985 Moscow Film Festival, Come and See is notable as an honest and unflinching portrait of one of the darker chapters among many in the history of the World War II."

Some italian films i love

First one is Il Partigiano Johnny by Guido Chiesa.

Came out first time under Fandango label which lately put out a two dvds edition with english subs

Another one is La grande guerra by Mario Monicelli.

Could not find an english subs edition yet.

Another great one is I Due Colonnelli by Steno

Uomini Contro by Francesco Rosi

Paisà by Roberto Rossellini

Penne Nere by Oreste Biancoli

Italiani Brava Gente by Giuseppe De Santis

I Girasoli by Vittorio De Sica

Kapò by Gillo Montecorvo

Great contributions. What an interesting thread this has turned into.

Thanks!

G

"Jarhead" is a war movie I have enjoyed.

Gianluigi,

I love 'Sunflower' but I think De Sica's two women shows how the war brings the decay of human decency.  I was quite young when I saw this film and still to this day, has an impact. 

Here's another one by Rossellini.

Rome: Open City

Black Rain (1989) by Shohei Imamura is a strong anti war film depicting how people cope with Hiroshima aftermath. There are numerous Japanese anti-war films  made but too many to mention.

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930 ) made  the male lead Lew Ayres to became a conscientious objector rest of his life. 

Cold war anti war film 'Fail Safe' (1964) is pretty intense. Sort of similar feel as Manchurian Candidate.

Dolton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun (1970) is about young American soldier is blown up in pieces but wakes up in a hospital realising he's still alive. in addition to the anti war theme there is an overlay of ethics issue such as euthanasia.

I love all the old classics such as The Battle of Britain which is still my favourite war film ever - how can you argue with a film with lines like:

Sir David Kelly "If you think we're going to gamble on Herr Hitler's guarantees, you're making a grave mistake. All those years in England seems to have left you none the wiser. We're not easily frightened. Also we know how hard it is for an army to cross the Channel. The last little Corporal who tried came a cropper. So don't threaten or dictate to us until you're marching up Whitehall... and even then we won't listen."

Plus of course the sight of so many Spitfires and Hurricaines flying.

I normally find modern war films a bit disappointing however I stumbled across a gem in 'Lone Survivor' (2013) based on a true story and just a brilliantly executed and intelligent film:

For entertainment value and music content this  is still hard to better.

Thanks Gianluigi,

Need to find the one with subtitles. 

Now one more for a classic anti-war film from the 50s. 

Rene Clement's Forbidden Games (1952) was huge whilst I was growing up. With haunting Narciso Yepes' guitar soundtrack following a 5 year old war orphan wondering around a village with her dead pet dog forever cemented in my mind an absurdity of war. I must have been around 10 when I watched a rerun on a television. As any French film, there is no Hollywood happy ending on this one.

Here is more *entertaining* war film in the same vein as Great Escape. During the 50s, POW theme was big.

Surely everyone remembers David Lean's Bridge on the River Kwai with incomparable Sir. Alec Guinness.

And since it's Xmas, I throw this one in, too. There's this evil Japanese warden again.

Nagisa Oshima's 'Merry Xmas Mr. Lawrence' strarring David Bowie & Tim Conti. Film itself was embarrassingly weak, but love the soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto ( also plays a male lead in the film ). The last track features David Sylvian singing the title theme. I prefer Sakamoto's original orchestra version.

I know it's nearly past Xmas but as I was browsing my DVDs earlier I came across this and remembered it's a good war film. A bit unusual, being based in the Chinese Civil War but I liked it.

Korean true story about how 71 students held a North Korean Divison at bay.