Greatest War Movies
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Printed Date: February 05 2025 at 13:46
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Topic: Greatest War Movies
Posted By: EatThatPhonebook
Subject: Greatest War Movies
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 02:27
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I excluded all the movies that were only about the war, without having actual war scenes, like "Schnidler's List". Also, I didn't include any satyrical ones. I won't vote, for now.
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Replies:
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 02:34
| Other - Kelly's Heroes |
Posted By: Adams Bolero
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 03:19
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Paths Of Glory; an absolute classic. ------------- ''Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.'' - Albert Camus |
Posted By: Synchestra
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 04:32
Apocalypse Now. No question, still one of my favourite longer movies to just sit and be mesmerised by. Full Metal Jacket is also great, mostly for the fact that the first half has been parodied or referanced like a million times  ------------- 'Yeah, thats.. Whatever you're talking about for ya' - Zapp brannigan |
Posted By: Any Colour You Like
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 04:45
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I've always had a soft spot for The Thin Red Line, I think it's hidden by some of the more triumphant, nationalistic crap that gets passed off as history. It is not my favourite, but it is still pretty good. I don't know if I can choose really, All Quiet on the Western Front is a classic, and so is Battleship Potemkin. I can't choose, but I know that the most 'popular' history will probably win. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 05:03
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their is only one Lawrence of Arabia but I have not seen them all so can not vote -------------  
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Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 05:38
| I would go with Lawrence, but I was shocked when watched Apolcalypse Now, so this one |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 05:49
Some great films in your list. Hard ton choose. But I can't stand Apocalypse Now. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: valravennz
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 05:54
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I voted Apocalypse Now - still haunts me after seeing it years ago on first release. All the films in this poll are fantastic - I also like Das Boot, Full Metal Jacket, Flags of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima and Black Hawk Down - gripping and unforgettable. ------------- 
"Music is the Wine that fills the cup of Silence" - Robert Fripp |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 06:22
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I'm going to be mainstream and pick Saving Private Ryan. BTW last year I went to Normandy and saw those beaches, the German defense lines, the little villages that got fried... That was quite an experience. Oh and the pair it makes with Thin Red Line is just perfect, like The Iliad with The Oddyssey. I still haven't seen Paths Of Glory and Das Boot, just like the last time this poll was done. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 08:59
I'm joining you on that. The D-Day scene was really intense. I think I've seen most of these at some point or the other. An honorable mention: Jacob's Ladder. Was it a war movie or wasn't it?  ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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harmonium.ro wrote:Posted By: manofmystery
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 08:59
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Other - Gettysburg
Really hope nobody votes for Braveheart -------------  Time always wins. |
Posted By: EatThatPhonebook
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 09:20
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I guess I decided to go with Apocalypse Now. Possibly the greatest war movie ever. -------------
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Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 09:35
| Full Metal Jacket for me. Followed by Black Hawk Down and Private Ryan. IMHO 3 of the most realistic war movies ever done. Truly brings the horror of war to the screen. |
Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 13:32
What about The Patriot?  |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 13:49
| Really tough choice between Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket. I went with FMJ, as it seems the more realistic depiction, but both are two of the greatest films of all time. I must admit that I am a die-hard Kubrick fan. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 14:04
The problem with FMJ is that it was filmed in London, and you can see that, so the illusion is spoiled somewhat. Otherwise a great film. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 14:22
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Difficult, but Das Boot by a nose over Private Ryan. Other favorites not mentioned. Downfall Defiance Valkyrie (most recent German production, not the Tom Cruise version, though not awful) My favorite war feature is the mini-series Band of Brothers. Not a movie per se. While not the primary story, the Spanish civil war sub-plot of Pan's Labyrinth deserves honorable mention. And thank you for not including Inglorious Basterds. While not completely unentertaining, it suffered the typical over-appreciation endemic of Tarantino films. Oh...almost forgot Joyeaux Noel. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 14:23
| Yeah, Inglorious Basterds was awesome but I really don't see it as much of a war movie |
Posted By: manofmystery
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 17:55
Ugh, Mel Gibson single handedly winning the Revolutionary war in one battle, yeah that's a classic  ------------- Time always wins. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 03 2010 at 18:57
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no votes for Patton? You gotta be kidding, it's better than 95% of the crap on this list, George C. Scott rocks (though the real Patton was a raving a****le)-- Dirty Dozen, Bridge on the River Kwai, Platoon ? P-U. I prefer the older movies from the 40s & 50s, What Price Glory, Run Silent Run Deep, stuff like that |
Posted By: TheClosing
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 02:43
| No contest. Apocalypse Now is pretty much the greatest movie of all time. |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 03:03
Good call - excellent movie  Proof positive you don't need visceral blood & guts to convey the real horror of a (civil) war. More American dead in 3 days than in the whole of the Vietnam War 100 years later...
Honorable mentions - Saving Private Ryan is superb, as is Apocalypse now; Flags Of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima, both beautifully & sensitively done, Thin Red Line had excellent cinematography. Another which was not mentioned - Enemy At The Gates: reviled by many, but one of my personal favorites, but if I had to pick one, it would have to be Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down... not a single wasted minute in the whole movie, brilliantly done, a real  movie.------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 03:05
Braveheart?? 
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Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 04:18
Avatar  A vietnam war movie in outer space-------------
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 04:20
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300, Gladiator, Attila, Arn - the temple knight, Alexander the Great, Kingdom of Heaven, -------------
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 07:10
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Alexander The Great?
+++splutter+++ -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 07:16
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I like Braveheart, never really saw it as a war film though. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 07:17
Is it that bad? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 07:53
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ah more like a 3/6 film not a masterpiece but nether a total faleour, but middle of the road movie. -------------
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 08:46
When the release date is put back again & again; when the final print is withdrawn and re-edited/cut; when even the director (Oliver Stone, of all people) apologises for the final version... ...despite the above I watched it.
Yes, Ian, it is that bad; in fact, it's worse than that - it's risibly appalling (yet curiously compulsive viewing... a bit like a slow motion car crash) -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 09:46
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Platoon,without question.I have never seen a movie more accurately portray what war is really like.
Honorable mentions go to Saving Private Ryan,Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima,Full Metal Jacket,The Thin Red Line,Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker.
Never could understand all the praise for Apocalypse Now.It's tedious to watch and is almost a cartoon-like portrayal of war. -------------  |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 10:07
Hooray...I have some support on my Apocalypse Now view. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 10:28
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Apocalypse Now (although I do love it) hasn't aged well in my opinion & it does seem to be one of those movies which polarises opinion; it's a love it or hate it film.
Here's another not mentioned above, but an absolute classic of the genre: A Bridge Too Far -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 10:49
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I voted "other". I'm suprised that Where Eagles Dare hasn't been mentioned even if it's a bit dated. I mean you get to see Clint Eastwood kill half the Wermacht. OK the helicopter is an anachronism but the whole movie is so far fetched with tons of plot oversights and technical errors that it's almost hilarious. especially when they push the Nazi staff car over the ravine and it blows up for no reason. Alistar Mclean wrote the book in just under three weeks and he also wrote the screenplay At the time when it was released it was critisized by war veterans for glorifying war. Apocalypse Now is ot really a war movie in my opinion but an excellent film adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1902 novel Heart Of Darkness which is set in the Belgian Congo in the late 1800s. If you have read the book yoyu will see that Francis Ford Coppalla did a good job updating and setting it during the Vietnam war. We read the book in CEGEP and our English teacher even recommended for us to go and see it. ------------- |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 11:04
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^ I prefer the film "Heart Of Darkness" ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 11:40
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Other: "Die Brücke" ("The Bridge") by Bernhard Wicki (1959). It shows the madness of war best. During the last days of WW2 seven boys of the Hitler youth are being called in to defend a meaningless bridge. At first they are enthusiastic, but as one after the other dies their enthusiasm starts waning. Here a link to the IMDB-entry. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052654/ - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052654/ Here is the final scene: -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: GY!BE
Date Posted: October 04 2010 at 18:29
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Full Metal Jacket Black Hawk Down ------------- It is all a dream, a dream in death... |
Posted By: dude
Date Posted: October 10 2010 at 07:52
| although not quite a war movie, i vote for "Stalag 17" with William Holden |
Posted By: Zebedee
Date Posted: October 10 2010 at 08:11
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I voted 'other', Grave of the Fireflies to be more specific. It may be animated, but it's one of the greatest and most realistic war films ever made.
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Friendship is like wetting your pants: everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth. |
Posted By: Deleuze
Date Posted: October 10 2010 at 08:52
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voted for braveheart, good movie (a bit too long though...)
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Posted By: Jörgemeister
Date Posted: October 10 2010 at 16:33
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FMJ first half is superb, second is very good. ------------- |
Posted By: Philip
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 14:52
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Difficult choice, but "Paths of Glory" is brilliant.
------------- http://www.musical--box.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow - My Blog (in Portuguese) |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 15:32
I am astonished to be the only person who has voted for The Deer Hunter!  Easily the best film here on any level. |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 17:43
Great movie I just don't see it as a "war" movie more so than a movie about human nature and, well.. what happens when u go nuts, apperantly due to war.
Saving Private Ryan is a better "war" movie of late.
I would have picked Midway....great movie about air battles with Japan to fight for control of Midway Island in the south Pacific, factual movie. When it came out I remember it was with "Sensurround" sound...all the bombs, explosions were amplified to create rumble effect.
I vote other. -------------   
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Posted By: Atkingani
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 18:57
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Others: A Bridge Too Far and...
Come And See.
 ------------- Guigo ~~~~~~ |
Posted By: JJLehto
Date Posted: October 17 2010 at 03:42
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Havn't seen a good amount of these (though I really want to see Platoon, All Quiet on the Western Front and Apocalypse Now) Seen a good bunch though and I really loved Saving Private Ryan Also maybe it was due to the fact I watched it on youtube in 10 minute segments...but I did not really enjoy Full Metal Jacket. |
Posted By: JLocke
Date Posted: October 17 2010 at 04:01
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Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima are two different films. Listing them together as one option is dumb, I don't care if they are intertwined or not. Folks will still prefer one over the other in a lot of cases. I haven't seen enough of these to vote accurately, although I nearly chose Saving Private Ryan, for obvious reasons.
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Posted By: caretaker
Date Posted: October 17 2010 at 11:25
| From the list I voted Saving Private Ryan. It's hard to beat but I like everything on the list except Braveheart. I can't even make it through the whole thing.I also liked The Patriot, The Dirty Dozen, Behind Enemy Lines, The Longest Day and Tora Tora Tora. |
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: October 22 2010 at 09:43
------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: October 22 2010 at 10:00
I don't know...I don't know why....I just don't like it! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: October 22 2010 at 10:52
Of course "You know, half of these gook whores are sworn members of the Vietcong. The other half got tuberculosis. Make sure you only f*ck the ones who cough" Master Kubrick rules. Iván
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: October 22 2010 at 11:07
It's strange but I don't see The Deer Hunter as a war movie; I know a section of it is set in Vietnam, after which it concentrates on how the experiences shape the lives of the characters, but I don't see it as a war film per se, hence my non vote... now, if I had to vote (subjectively) for the best film on that list... -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: October 22 2010 at 13:15
Add me to this as well. Brilliant movie. Very good acting with Tom Beringer, Richard Jordan, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen, Kevin Conway, and Sam Elliot. The fact they actually received permission from the Gettysburg Historical Society to do principle filming on the battlefield made this more special. The screen play was adapted from Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize winning historical novel The Killer Angels (Which is a very good read as well). I watch this move every year on the 4th of the July. Off Topic: Stacy took me back there a few years ago and I finally saw all the landmarks I had so dreamed about. Here is a picture I took of Little Round Top as a Confederate soldier would see it before he made a charge up it to meet the Union soldiers holding the ridge. Now they hold a prog festival there in town called Rosfest.  ------------- 
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: jampa17
Date Posted: October 22 2010 at 13:48
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"Saigon... sh*t... I'm still only in Saigon..." ------------- |
Posted By: EatThatPhonebook
Date Posted: October 24 2010 at 13:22
Well, definitely one of the main concepts of the movie is the human nature and also about madness, but the war scenes are present, and the main character is IN the war, so it's kind of hard to not define this a war movie. -------------
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Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: October 25 2010 at 13:59
| I'm not too sure if people would consider it a war movie but "Catch 22" is my favorite. It's not on the list so maybe it might be considered a dark comedy about military life in the 40's. I remember the dispute between Art Garfunkel and an old Italian fellow. Art was telling the old guy that the American solider was the best fed and so on, while the old guy persists in saying that all great countries have been destroyed. What makes you think your country could not be destroyed? I believe this film influenced the TV series MASH....but, don't quote me it's been years. |
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: October 25 2010 at 15:54
| ^Good movie and great book, but I think it's more about the choices people make and how they deal with them as opposed to a war movie. My favorite ongoing bit in the book is Orr trying to convince Yossarian to fly with him. Yossarian never considers that as a possible choice, in the end that was the wrong choice, as Orr gets himself out of the war! |
Posted By: Hawkwise
Date Posted: October 29 2010 at 15:46
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Bridge Over the river Kwai and The Great Escape ------------- 
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Posted By: Theriver
Date Posted: November 01 2010 at 22:27
| Where is that one in the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace_%281965_film - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace_(1965_film ) |
Posted By: Leo J.
Date Posted: November 02 2010 at 21:51
| Star Wars |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: November 02 2010 at 21:59
I'm sorry, that is disqualified as that is a wars movie. Most atrocious war movie, sci-fi category: Starship Troopers. A huge insult to the Yes song. Who's with me on this? ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Hawkwise
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 06:38
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Star Wars
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 13:27
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"Battleship Potemkin" a war movie? it is a movie about a mutiny which leads to the Russian revolution, but a war movie? Sergej Eisenstein would probably cringe if he read that
-------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: November 03 2010 at 14:36
I'm with you! I laugh at how bad that movie is. Though Dina Meyers is cute in it!
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Posted By: steppenfloyd
Date Posted: November 06 2010 at 18:45
| Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down are probably the most accurate war movies. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: November 09 2010 at 03:48
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All Quiet On The Western Front
The Dirty Dozen
Apocalypse Now
Platoon
Das Boot
Between those 5...... I'll go for the first one, because it's the least likely to get a vote.... But I find Platoon the only war movie I've had an urge to see a second time... ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: FordPrefect
Date Posted: November 28 2010 at 17:40
Best on the list definitely 'Das Boot' (What a superb theme by Klaus Doldinger BTW!  )But others are even better. I think the very best is 'The cross of iron' directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring James Coburn, Maximillian Schell and James Mason. Close second is original 'Die brücke'. I also enjoyed 'Gettysburg' very much. It's only true weakness is clumsy and poorly co-ordinated fighting scenes. (Especially portraying "Pickett's charge") ------------- Don't panic |
Posted By: fuyuakiworld
Date Posted: December 29 2011 at 01:56
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may not count but Downfall
------------- Would you like prog with that? Love without anger isn't love at all. |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: December 29 2011 at 13:09
Midway  |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: December 29 2011 at 14:14
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Not in the list or a conventional war movie, but Failsafe.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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