Ravenwood - 11/09/02 06:00 AM
Since we may be going to war, I wanted to throw together a list of my favorite war movies. To be considered, war and fighting must have been a major theme in the movie, not just part of the setting. For this reason, excellent movies like Casablanca and Empire of the Sun are not included.
1. (tie) Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb - Cold War hysteria. Best Dark Comedy.Honorable Mentions:
1. (tie) Patton - When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do.
3. Full Metal Jacket - Is that you John Wayne? Is this me?
4. Apocalypse Now - I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
5. We Were Soldiers - Lots of action.
6. Tora! Tora! Tora! - The REAL Pearl Harbor movie.
7. Glory - Best Civil War film.
8. Mister Roberts - Best War film without showing the war.
9. MASH - Second Best War film without showing the war.
10. Green Berets - Fighting soldiers from the skies.
11. Platoon - Charlie Sheen's only good film.
12. The Longest Day - WWII, D-Day, all star cast, what more could you want?
13. Saving Private Ryan - Overrated, but still near the top.
14. Great Escape - Best POW film.
15. Pork Chop Hill - Best 'Pointless Mission' film.
Band of Brothers - Best War Miniseries.Funny how George C. Scott starred in my top two films, and John Wayne barely cracks the Top 10. Surprisingly, there are no good movies featuring the Revolutionary War. I'm sure I missed some good films. Feel free to flame me in the comments.
Midway - Best War in the Pacific film
In Harms Way - Second Best War in the Pacific film
1941 - Best War Comedy
Red Dawn - Best WWIII.
BAT*21 - Best 'trapped behind enemy lines' film. (yes, better than Blackhawk Down)
Blackhawk Down - Best 'we screwed up royally' film
Kelly's Heroes - Best TBS flick, who loves ya baby?
Category: Essays
Comments (19) top link me
Red Dawn? Puh-leeze.
That's the movie where the Russians conquer the western United States by invading all the high schools. Ridiculous. I love John Milius (Jeremiah Johnson) but he really screwed up with this one.
I recommend the 1993 German movie Stalingrad, the coldest, emptiest ending to a movie ever. Also the 1930 version of All Quiet On the Western Front, melodramatic to a fault but the battle scenes still hold up and you really connect with the lead character, Paul Baumer. It won the 1930 Best Movie Oscar.
The Green Berets is pretty good, but the sun setting in the EAST at the end of the movie is a bummer.
I'd also upgrade your Apocalypse Now to Apocalypse Now Redux, a much more complete telling of the story.
Dare I suggest Johnny Tremain? It's a kids movie but I was a kid when I first say it.
Posted by: todd at November 9, 2002 12:23 AMAnd where's The Deer Hunter?
Posted by: todd at November 9, 2002 12:26 AMI knew someone would say something about Red Dawn. It is a guilty pleasure, which is why it got an honorable mention. At least I didn't put any Rambo movies on there.
I saw the Apocalypse Now Redux on FMC, and have the original on DVD, yet I can't really remember the difference between the two.
Irregardless, I think that even with the redux out there, they remain the same movie. I'd hate to have the Redux ranked at #4 and the original ranked at #6 or something. It just seems silly to have both of them on the list.
Posted by: Ravenwood at November 9, 2002 7:54 AMI was tempted to put the Incredible Mr. Limpet at #3, just to see what reaction I'd get.
Posted by: Ravenwood at November 9, 2002 7:57 AMHave you seen the The Siege of Firebase Gloria? I highly recommend it...R. Lee Ermey rocks!
Posted by: iamcatman at November 9, 2002 1:47 PMI think Black Hawk Down should've made it into the top ten myself, and I would ranked Pork Chop Hill in the top five on the basis of Gregory Peck's performance alone. And I wouldn't have given 1941 so much as an honorable mention.
Posted by: Owen Courrèges at November 9, 2002 2:31 PMHamburger Hill wasn't a bad movie either.....just not a big one.
Posted by: Da Goddess at November 9, 2002 4:30 PMNo "Dirty Dozen"???What are you,a commie or somethin'?
Posted by: M at November 9, 2002 6:49 PMAnother movie I had forgotten about, but is nonetheless very good, is 84 Charlie MoPic.
Check it out here:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0096744
Posted by: todd at November 10, 2002 3:14 PMWhat about DAS BOOT
Posted by: ludwigemil at November 11, 2002 7:28 AMSiege of Firebase Gloria - Never seen it.
Hamburger Hill - I saw it once, and really didn't care for it.
Dirty Dozen - HAHAHAHAHA
84 Charlie MoPic - Perhaps I'll rent it some day
Das Boot - Completely forgot about it. Otherwise it'd be up there.
Hey you forgot "The Patriot"....or are you only considering 20th century wars?:)
Posted by: Steve at November 11, 2002 10:19 AM>Hey you forgot "The Patriot"
Actually, I didn't.
While it was a good action film, I thought the historical aspects were horrible, and the British were displayed as ghoulish fiends. It just isn't good enough to make the Top 15. Perhaps I should have given it an honorable mention for Best 'Throw History out the Window' Film.
Posted by: Ravenwood at November 11, 2002 11:01 AMHow about:
Zulu
Braveheart (even if not historically acurate)
The Three Hundred
Beau Geste (either version)
The British WERE ghoulish fiends.
Backup:
Breaker Morant
7. Glory - Best Civil War film.
For Shame, Steve! You really think Glory was better than Gods & Generals???
Posted by: Mays at January 2, 2004 2:46 PMThe list was made before Gods and Generals even came out.
Posted by: Ravenwood at January 2, 2004 3:06 PMi would suggest stalingrad , das boot and bravehearth
these were really good!
so...i take it ravenwood is not the true gore guy.. cuase those movies you but on there other than maybe black hawk down are like fairy tells man! if an arm gets blown off its not gonna be a drop of blood. its gonna be a river! i can tell you dont agree becuase you dissed on the Patriot.
oh and how about behind enemy lines or the one about the Russian sniper. (im thinking its called enemy at the gates but im not sure) Now thats the real deal #1 right there
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