Best film of a war ever

WWI would also be one I posted on the other thread:

"Paths of Glory" Says more about the desperate lunacy of war than any other war film.

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Lightwizard wrote:

Could agree with all of those selections but I'd add:

WWI: "All Quiet on the Western Front"

A fantastic movie, but I tried to stick with the American side of each conflict (that's why I didn't choose "Grand Illusion" for World War I). In fact, this was one of the hardest categories to choose from. Maybe a better list would be to choose the best films by war and by combatant. For example, World War I might look like this:
American: "The Long Parade"
British: can't think of one off hand
German: "All Quiet on the Western Front"
French: "Grand Illusion" or "Paths of Glory"
Australian: "Gallipoli"
Russian: "Doctor Zhivago" (waiting for a movie version of Solzhenitsyn's "1914")
Italian: "A Farewell to Arms"

Lightwizard wrote:

WWII: "The Night of the Shooting Stars" Gets into the idiocy factor of the impact of a war rather than the glorification. If it wasn't for George C. Scott's juggernaut performance, "Patton" is rather routine.

Well, I guess that's kinda' like saying that, apart from the scoring, Wayne Gretzky was only a routine hockey player.

Lightwizard wrote:

Vietnam war: "Tigerland" Get into the roots of the futility of that war. "Apocalypse" unfortunately gets tangled up in some eerie satirical surrealism in the final reel that just leaves me cold. The documentary on making the film "Hearts of Darkness" is a better film.

I think "Apocalypse" gets into the psychological roots of the war. Plus it's a damn good film.

Lightwizard wrote:

The original "The Alamo" was so flamboyantly out-of-sync with real history it's almost laughable and the new one goes the opposite way and at times becomes boring didactic exposition despite some good acting. I'm never negative about some extrapolations on unknown factors involving history but when it's so distorted its almost unrecognizable I can't quite swallow it.

I love the original "Alamo" precisely because it is so flamboyantly out of sync with reality. Besides, are there any films dealing with the Mexican War?

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"Apocalypse" Jungian psychobabble irritates me more than anything else, especially the diversions into cutting room floor trivialities in "Redux." Like someone said about the Beethoven "Leonora Overature," if he had got it right the first time, he wouldn't have to do it over. Sorry, but "Apocalypose Sometime" just left me cold after "the smell of Napalm in the morning." All downhill from there.

I have to admit, the original "Alamo" despite one of John Wayne's most stilted performance gets my blood rushing and the new one did not. It was all mechanics and no thrill. Besides, "The Green Leaves of Summer" is on a par with "Shenandoah Valley" as an achingly romantic song.

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"Tigerland," gets into the essential roots of the failure of that adventure in Vietnam while "Apocalypse's" attempt to allegorize it via "Heart of Darkness" muddles it all up. We're going to have to agree to disagree and I know many film critics respect the film. I get more fullfilled thematic message from Copolla's version of "Dracula."

I'm sure there has to be some films about the Mexican War but likely B movie Westerns.

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was VIVA ZAPATA (1952) which starred Marlon Brando and Anthony Quinn about the Mexican war?
I saw it when I was a kid.

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The background of the Elia Kazan, John Steinbeck epic is the 1911 Mexican Revolution. It's a curious film considering the ending is right off-the-wall (never occured) and I believe Steinbeck was miffed because the ending was changed.

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For World War II, I would like to mention a film that otherwise would not make it to the top of any list: the 1981 suspense film, "Eye of the Needle".

It is amazing what the director did on a relatively small budget to recreate World War II England.

On the basis of this film, George Lucas chose Richard Marquand to direct "Return of the Jedi".

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Loved "Eye of the Needle" and had read the book when I saw the movie. One of the best adaptations from any spy novel which has just now been at least equaled with "The Bourne Supremacy." The WWII Britain had a real authentic look and ambience. I remember being in the theater and even remembering most of the plot still being on pins and needles until the end. And what a great climactic revelation. Too bad he made the lesser of the three "Star Wars" movies, albeit being vindicated by the even weaker Part 1 and 2. Understand 3 may be Lucas' critical redemption but I'm not waiting with baited breath.

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Something not covered here is fantasy and sci fi wars. Of course, "Star Wars," and the War of the Rings in LOTR. The Battle at Helm's Deep is and awesome spectacle and even though Tolkien was taken aback by comparison to real wars, one couldn't help feeling the battle of good against evil personified everything about what an ideal war should be about. Never happens in real life.

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Lightwizard wrote:

Loved "Eye of the Needle" ...Too bad he made the lesser of the three "Star Wars" movies,

I am glad you endorse "Eye of the Needle". Unfortunately, Marquand was forced to work with way too many Jim Henson creatures in "Return of the Jedi".

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Yes, I could have done without the cute little cuddly Ewoks that looked like they escaped from an old Star Trek episode (mature Weebles?) When Lucas gets cute, he loses it. Those finals scenes with the celebration of victory and Darth superimposed was so sticky with maudlin sentiment that flies began sticking to the screen.

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I think that's why Jackson decided to get away from the book description of Hobbits and give them a more small human appearance. The animated version including the TV "The Return of the King" failed because they were too Disneyesque. The movie actually was more like I had pictured them when I first read the books in the 50's.

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War Movie List
Ancient - Gladiator
Modern - Black Hawk Down
Futuristic - Starship Troopers

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One of my favourite war movies is "Gallipoli". I have not been able to find it in any video stores for ages though!

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"Gallipoli" is a great war movie and welcome to A2K, Ay! Still what I consider as Mel Gibson's best acting over any film he has made since.

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Best film of a war ever
Although Platoon and Apocalypse Now are great, What about:

Vietnam: Hambuger Hill and Full Metal Jacket

Scottish Independence War: Braveheart

The Battle for Middle Earth: Lord of The Rings, Ha Ha Ha

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Nothing wrong with adding LOTR, one hellava battle between good and evil! Was Mordor The Evil Empire and Sauron/Saruman The Axis of Evi, or whatl?

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Welcome to A2K, Jason.

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Hek yeah! LOTR rocks, yeah Mordor was the evil empire it would have been a little cooler if Sauron would have taken form and fought with Arogon that would have rocked!

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It didn't happen in the books and I think Jackson made enough judicious changes to make the novels more cinematic. I think Tolkien didn't want Aragorn to fight the entity of Sauron because he wanted the climax to be the Hobbit's triumph. The disposal of the ring into the lava was a central theme of the book -- that evil can get its powers from some seemingly insignificant object and that power of evil is ultimately an illusion. At least that's my understanding of the books. It's been debated since the 1950's whether or not Tolkien was exclusively focusing on the concept of good and evil. I don't believe he was as he let men take over the Earth and they didn't fare all that well throughout the books as being able to deal with the temptations of evil. It was Gandalf, the Elves and the Hobbits that triumphed with man inheriting the spoils of the War of the Rings.

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Best film of a war ever

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