101st Airborne

1] Saving Private Ryan.
2]Black Hawk Down
3]Zulu
4]Band of Brothers
5]Pearl Harbour
6]Memphis Belle
7]The Great Escape
8]All Quiet on the Western Front
9]The Boat
10] Other

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Jan

Das Boat without a doubt. I found "Pearl Harbor" very cheesy. The Great Escape-liked it when I was a kid.

What do you make of gallipoli? as an aussie?

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Jan

My favorite:Guns of Navarone.

T_igger_cs_30

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xerxes

Saving Private Ryan, followed closely by Band of Brothers, are the best.

I despise and hate Pearl Harbor and the Enemy at the Gates with a passion.

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101st Airborne

Ah yes. Enemy at the Gates. I forgot it. In fact I shouldn't have. I liked it very much and I guess you might have some reason of your own Xerxes to say that. It was in fact a marvelous movie and showed it like it was.
Yes Cross of Iron with James Cohburn. Great movie for it's day.
Gallipoli? Marvelous movie. But I didn't list it with the greats because it holds a special meaning for Australians and is above mere polls.
Pearl Harbor. I loved it. Planes and dames with nylons and plenty of shootin' and bulldust. Who cares if it is bulldust. It was entertaining.
I am surprised that Black Hawk Down didnt rate.
I liked it a lot.

SnowLeopard

Gallipoli I saw as a teen and seen from an American standpoint with a great knowledge of history, the wasting of Australians by the Brits wasn't lost in meaning.

As far as the 'best'? Well, what is the intended message? To entertain, to convince that it is really like this and avoid as much as possible, that it is really like this and join up to kill the bas**rd, or what?

And from what point of view? From the 'English' side, from the English yet Soviet side (where they will lose in the end, anyhow), from a Third World side? Or what?

Also, a lot depends on how background the viewer has to a movie. While I saw Zeppelin as a child, long, long before I was an adult and in the Navy, it's angle, presentation on the various points of Intelligence stays with me to this day ............................ but would others see it that way?

I'll tell you one thing; I don't think I could present anywhere near a convincing performance for the sheer terror of a constructed "Man Overboard!" from a zeppelin.

If I thought about it for a while, I could come up with a great list, .... but I should be studying, so ......

Entertaining: Zeppelin (sure, weak at points, but insightful at others)

Counter English: The Beast (but it has been years since I've seen it, so memory may be faulty)

Counter Third World: The Terrorist (Dir: Santosh Sivan)

Now, to the original list: unfortunally, I've only seen Zulu (great), The Great Escape (over and over on tv, so okay), and The Boat (great).
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("For six crucial minutes, Major Von Richter, the mission will be dependent on you and your expert knowledge of the local country side. We have gone to a great deal of trouble to acquire you; I know we won't be disappointed."--Major Tauntler, (wtte), "Zeppelin")

InfiniteDreams

Although not a fan of his political views Oliver Stone's Platoon is without a doubt one of the best war movies I've ever seen.

Dafoe and Berenger were excellent, especially Berenger imo. There are two scenes with Sgt Bob Barnes going off that are both serious and at the same time funny as hell. The dialogue of Barnes was brilliant. Also the transformation of Chris Taylor from beginning to end left an impression on me.

One for Platoon.

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101st Airborne

I guess Snowleopard, that if a Frenchman was a member of this forum he would answer as a Frenchman and would have chosen "other' and filled in a film made in France.
If a gardener had answered, I guess he might have chosen a movie that had lots of flowers in it.
For whatever reason anyone deems a particular war movie is the best they have seen, it is up to them only what criteria they use.
The question was what do YOU think was the best war movie.
It didn't extend to why.
It is just a fun poll Snowleopard, not a university thesis for you Phd.

101st Airborne

Another movie that I missed out of the poll that should have been in there was 'A BRIDGE TOO FAR'.
A fantastic effort for it's day. A war movie for the buffs.

THL

I vote for The Majestic. (C'Mon - it's kind've a war movie! He got killed in a war.)

I saw it again last week after not having seen it for a long time and it was pretty good.

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101st Airborne

I haven't seen it THL.
Is this it?

Welcome to The Majestic

SnowLeopard

WELL, FIRST OF ALL ........................... no insult taken and none intended.

Secondly, you'll learn that of me, I like to explain, ie, talk a lot.

Next, that's what I put down, what I thought was the best war movie but understand, they are taken from certain points of view. So despite that I'm American and was in service during the Cold War, I was not so anxious to see movies that had "Kill a Commie for Ronnie".

Following that, when I do my PhD, it may be in oceanography, it could be in Criminal Justice, it might even be in Psychology or Education .... but it probably won't be in film analysis .......... (though I have done media research from time to time from various angles).

For example, ever notice how Xena and Gabrielle resemble ........... Wicked Wanda and Candyfloss despite there being a 20 year difference? There's food for thought!

Back to the subject at hand, movies are made to sell to a particular audience. If they fail at that, odds are they will be forgotten. It's the memory of the audience that receives them that makes them great, IMHO.
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101st Airborne

No problems SnowLeopard. I'm sure we will talk again.

execrable

Great thread!

My favourites are

• Apocalypse Now
• Full Metal jacket
• 633 Squadron
• Ice Cold in Alex
• The Pianist
• Bridge Over the River Kwai
• A Bridge Too Far
• The Longest Day
• The Eagle Has Landed
• Kelly’s Heroes

But that's just me.