I know this is an old thread, but No-one has mentioned Troy, Braveheart or the Last Samurai. Three absolutley brilliant films. I think someone mentioned The Pianist, thats a good film too.
Perhaps producer or director didn´t read Iliad.
One of the best war films I´ve seen lately: The falldown; an excellent film.
Welcome, LFC and Priamus, to A2K and the film forum.
I gather from Priamus' comment that "Troy" didn't impress. I thought the title misleading, it should have been "Brad Pitt's Achyllis."
I agree, LW. I liked a lot about the movie, but I thought Brad was hopelessly miscast.
I've been referring to the muscle film as "Brad's Pitts." <LOL>
I didn't find Pitt especially miscast nor
"unhunky," but the expanded role of the character to the expense of most of what was mesmerizing and exciting about "The Iliad" was unforgivable. It's another highly disposable entertainment. Won't sit through it again.
Not to disparage his bodybuilding efforts, but I've always thought Brad is at his best when he plays charming. He hasn't done enough of that lately. (Must read the Mr. and Mrs. Smith thread...)
Quote:Welcome, LFC and Priamus, to A2K and the film forum.
I gather from Priamus' comment that "Troy" didn't impress. I thought the title misleading, it should have been "Brad Pitt's Achyllis."
Thank you Lightwizard.
"Brad Pitt´s Achyllis", exactly...
Regards.
I second Lightwizard's choice "Paths of Glory"
My second choice is the German film "Das Boot".
It's interesting to note that the best war movies seem to be movies that portray war, not only as horrrible, but unheroic, cynical, and fruitless as well. Sort of like the old couplet "Our's is not to reason why, ours is but to do or die"
I don't think many John Wayne war movies will make the role call.
You mean "The Green Berets" is out of the running.
(Searching for airsick bag).
The one movie with John Wayne that I remember at all was 'Stagecoach'.
It was a great movie and he played a good part in it.
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It was based on the Maupassant story : Boule de suif.
http://www.filmsite.org/stagec.html
What a relief to have some experts agree with me. Movies are like music: a matter of taste.
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TWO of America's most influential film critics have delivered a stinging snub to Hollywood in their verdict on the world's best films of the last nine decades.
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American films count for barely half those singled out for praise by Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel.
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http://news.scotsman.com/movies.cfm?id=570262005
Hmmmm, war films....
Best British war film? In Which We Serve. 4 stars in Halliwells 1942 (Noel Coward)
The story and Cowards character were based on the experiences of Louis Mountbatten, whose ship, HMS Kelly was sunk under him.
Worst British war film? The Battle of Britain. (Garbage)
Some of my favourite US war movies?
Platoon (made on a low budget - Stone couldn't even afford to light the jungle scenes at night and had to rely on military flares)
Menphis Bell (the documentary footage and speak over- very moving)
Glory (Fine acting all around)
I also think Stalingrad and All Quiet on the Western Front deserve mention.
Apparently the ending to Gallipoli has been voted the most powerfully directed ending of any film - by other directors.
Personally, I think Stalingrad's ending is as great.
I'm going to watch Re-Generation this weekend (It's a British made film about WWI and the experiences of Sassoon (the poet) who was an infantry
Officer who suffered during the the terrible Great War.
At last - a modern made war film about the Brits! Hope it's not crap!
Peace,
E
If we are going really vintage, Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky" is actually a war film. With the full orchestral scoring by Prokofiev, the famous battle on the ice is awe inspiring. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducted the L. A. Philharmonic many years back with the film screened behind the orchestra.
Without a doubt Lawrence of Arabia in my opinion, and it is a must see for all.
Alexander Nevsky has the best battle scenes in the history of film making... and I am sure cinema fans already noticed the ressemblance between Darth Vader and the Teutonic Knights.
There has never been such a great mixture of music and cinema, either.
Someone put Saving Private Ryan on the list. Even if Spielberg's film, as a whole, is too melodramatic for my taste -war following personal, sentimental reasons-, it also has some great battle scenes. The soldier shot in the moment of disembarkment, the nonchalance when throwing a granade into a tank, those were memorable, because they tell us about war as an everyday job, which happens to involve the enemies' death.
It is hard to say "best", but one film that represents very well the war experience for a large majority of Europeans, including half my family, is De Aanslag (The Assault, 1986), a Dutch film about the effect of traumatic war time experiences on people later in life. It won an Academy Award.
If you want bloody action, I would suggest, as an outsider, Bang Rajan (2000). It was the first big budget film in Thailand and although I would not rate it as "best" in any way, this historic struggle of villagers against a numerically superior professional army does have its moments.
Das Boot, would be a good choice as well.
I believe "Das Boot" may have been mentioned more than once and there are two threads on the subject!
Lightwizard wrote:I believe "Das Boot" may have been mentioned more than once and there are two threads on the subject!
I didn't read the entire thread, I am guessing this has happened numerous times before, but no need to get irritated, its only one error by sommeone who hasn't been on the forum for long.
