Thread: Best War Movie
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Old 03-20-2008, 04:17 AM   #115 (permalink)
Bigfella
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Originally Posted by malory View Post
Hey folks, lots of good titles here. But as war movies (particularly WW2) are a great passion of mine, I'd like to make a few suggestions.

If you like films about WW2 aviation, the two best -- hands down -- are Thunderbolt and Target for Tonight. Both are without paid actors and 100% of the footage is real.

Thunderbolt is particularly breathtaking because it not only covers an obscure AO but is shot in original color. I really can't recommend this film enough. It's the best WW2 gun-camera footage I have ever seen. T for T speaks for itself.

Battle of Britain is a classic, despite its campy cast. But for something more modern, try the similarly themed Dark Blue World, a Czech movie with excellent air combat scenes.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Finnish movie Talvisota (you can rent it in the USA under its English title The Winter War.) It's a grueling and bloody movie about a conflict Hollywood will probably never touch.

Burnt by the Sun isn't a war movie strictly speaking, but it's an interesting glimpse into the Russian revolution.

There's also Europa Europa, Empire of the Sun, Sink the Bismarck, A Midnight Clear

If you're interested in Rwanda, the best one I've seen is Shooting Dogs, although it's tough to find it at most movie stores.


But Come and See might get my vote as the best war movie of all time. Saving Private Ryan is an afternoon popcorn-muncher compared to this one (IMO).

Anyway, enough from me for now ... Cheers fellas.

Edit: No one mentioned STALINGRAD !!! This flick easily dethrones the holy Saving Private Ryan/Apocalypse Now/Black Hawk Down trinity.

Malory,

Great list. Especially pleased to see an Elem Klimov film at the top of the list. Though I haven't seen it, Agonia is one of the great films of its era. I just wish he had made more movies. I'll have to track down that Finnish film. Have some friends from there. A woefully under-reported war.

Also pleased to see Burnt by the Sun on your list. A great example of how a small, personal drama can sometimes illustrate history in a way that big, sweeping dramas sometimes cannot. I openly wept at the end when I realised that the story was not only true, but what the fate of the mother & little girl would be.

Along similar lines, have you seen this one from your native land ?--Derek de Lint filmography--THE ASSAULT--DE AANSLAG--
Great storytelling and a brilliant examination of the terrible decisions people are forced to make in time of war.
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