So there I am in a somewhat quiet house on Memorial Day, Monday May 25th. I am lying on the couch, drinking a bottled water and changing stations quickly, as if I was preparing for an event in the Olympics. As I change the channels I noticed that there was a ton of war movies on. I pause for a minute. Of course there would be, since it was Memorial Day.
I must pause for a minute and take you back to my childhood when it seemed that every Saturday I would watch a war movie with my dad. Because of that when I watch one for a few minutes it brings back some great memories, and I still watch them to not only watch the movie but to see if I can pick out all of the stars that were in the movie.
So on this day here were some of the war movies that were on:
- Dirty Dozen
- Hamburger Hill
- Kelly’s Heroes
- Midway
- Patton
- The Fighting 69th
- The Longest Day
- Tora! Tora! Tora!
I am sure there were many more but those are just the ones I saw. The question is what is the best war movie?
For me I can’t get to a number one, but can get to a top three. They are: The Longest Day, Patton and the Battle of The Bulge.
Each of those movies was a classic, had a great story, had good battle scenes, was star studded and kept my interest from start to finish.
- Do you like war movies?
- Did you watch them as a kid?
- What is your favorite?
I look forward to reading your comments.
Joyce Rachelson says:
The Longest Day. When the film was first released in 1962, my dad asked me to go with him to see it.
He was one of the many that landed on Normandy on D Day. He never spoke of his experiences during the war but watching him while he watched that movie told me more than words ever could. I was honored that he allowed me to see into his past and share it with him.
We lost dad in 1967, he was only 47, but going to that movie with him will stay with me the rest of my life.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Joyce,
Very moving and meaningful comments. I really appreciate you sharing them with all of us.
Merrill
Ken says:
I can’t believe my two favorite war movies weren’t being shown; The Great Escape and Bridge Over the River Kwai. Madness…Madness! Sadly Hollywood has recently decided to portray the American soldier as villian or victim instead of hero, guess that’s why I like these old war movies the best.
Amy Shields says:
SO EASY for me….Braveheart. Not really even a Gibson fan, but wow do I love it when he yells “Freedom”…makes me tear up every time and I pretty much have the entire movie memorized. Anything patriotic makes me emotional and is much more likely to make me act like a girl (and cry) than any chick flick!
Ed Sugar says:
Amy, I have to vote for “Gallipoli” when it comes to “I hate the English, Mel Gibson” war films.
Seanjjordan says:
Does “The Great Escape” count? Because if it does, that’s mine!
I think the worst war movie I ever saw was John Woo’s “Windtalkers.” I had to turn it off halfway through, because it was so awful.
I’m wondering how Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds” will be. It got pretty good buzz from Sundance…
Merrill Dubrow says:
Sean,
Great Escape was one of the best – shocked I didn’t mention it. Steve McQueen was fantastic and I always liked James Garner.
Nice addition!
Merrill
Fee Sepahi says:
I agree with ken about the The Great Escape and Bridge Over the River Kwai. There were many others, but those two I’ll watch endlessly!
Ed Sugar says:
Gotta go with “The Great Escape” at #1. As I have told Bob Graham for many years, the greatest fear I have in my life is that Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay will come out with a modern remake; extending the motorcycle chase from 10 minutes to 33 minutes (more explosions) and making “politically correct” changes to the characters and storyline.
Also on my list would be Stanley Kubrick’s “Paths of Glory” “Dr. Strangelove” & “Full Metal Jacket”, Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now”, “Battle of Algiers” (a must if you want to get a handle on the current wars in the Middle East and Central Asia), Buster Keaton’s “The General” and the Marx Brothers “Duck Soup”.
I will let Mr. Graham fill in the rest that I am missing.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Ed,
Congrads. You came up with a number of films I have never seen and look forward to going to Best Buy and purchasing a number of them.
Appreciate the comments.
Merrill
Ed Sugar says:
Also add David O. Russell’s “Three Kings” – Best film to date on the Gulf War against Iraq
Ed Sugar says:
and “No Man’s Land” – great film about the Bosnia/Herzegovina conflict in the early 1990’s.
Merrill, this is becoming like a heroin addiction.
Bob, hurry up and fill in the rest of the gaps!
Tammie says:
Ed – thanks for the heads up on No Man’s Land! My book club just read “People of the Book” (fascinating – excellent read) and the modern day setting of the book was after the H-B conflict. We all felt badly at how little we knew of that conflict – and what a peaceful place Sarajevo was before that occurred (3 faiths side by side). I’ll look it up! Tammie
Harry Heller says:
Except for the “Bridge” “Paths of Glory” and “Full Metal Jacket” most of the movies mentioned make war into fun buddy movies. I think war should be treated just as it really is, a choice of last resort where sons, daughters, husbands and wives really get killed.
The movie that I think was the best at depicting war as it really is was “Saving Private Ryan” and no other movie made war, its reasons and consequence more realistically portrayed.
Ken says:
A recent HBO movie called Taking Chance was a very well made modern war story. No fighting, so maybe technically not a war movie but an interesting look at what happens to a fallen soldier that pays the ultimate price. It’s out on DVD and I highly recommend it.
janet says:
We saw Blackhawk Down together Merrill. Do you remember that? I am not a big war movie fan but that one was pretty good. It was a war and an event I remember reading about when it happened so it was meaningful.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Janet,
Sure do. In Rochester NY many years ago. I am pretty sure the next day I stood in line for an hour to get the team Krispy Kreme Donuts.
Great times!
Merrill
Bob Graham says:
While “The Great Escape” is one of my favorite movies, I don’t really consider it a war movie because there are no battle scenes in it. (And remember Ed, the Jerry Bruckhammer remake will also include the song “Broken Chains: The Love Theme from the Great Escape” performed by LeeAnne Rymes.)
Here is my top 10:
1. ATTACK! 10 years before he made THE DIRTY DOZEN, Robert Aldrich made this great war noir that takes place at the Battle of the Bulge. The final face-off between Jack Palance and Eddie Albert is unforgettable.
2. CROSS OF IRON Shares some common themes with ATTACK!. Sam Peckinpah’s only war film. Spielberg really ripped off Sam’s Technique in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN.
3. DAS BOOT (THE BOAT). Absolutely harrowing tale of a German U-Boat crew who are fighting to stay alive.
4. BREAKER MORANT most of it takes place in a court room (there are a few battle scenes), but it examines the pressures that men are put under when they go to war.
5. THE BIG RED ONE A account of WWII by someone who was actually there. Sam Fuller’s masterpiece.
6. CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE. There’s nothing more rousing than when Errol Flynn leads the charge!
7. THE HORSE SOLDIERS–Hey, it took me seven films to get with one starring John Wayne. Criminally underrated John Ford tale about the Civil War. A particular favorite of my brother and me when we were kids.
8. THE BUCCANEER. Another favorite from my childhood. The Battle of New Orleans scenes are really well done.
9. JOYEAUX NOEL (MERRY CHRISTMAS). Excellent account of the Christmas Eve truce during WWI when German, French and English soldiers put down their weapons, walked out on the battlefield shook hands, shared food and played soccer. Amazingly, they all faced disciplinary consequences later on.
10. THE LAST COMMAND. My favorite Alamo movie. John Wayne was under contract to Republic and wanted to make a movie about the Alamo. He left to make it somewhere else, so Herbert Yates, president of Republic, make this cheap version with a cast of character actors out of spite. While Wayne’s film is often long and preachy, this is tight and moves. It also has the best version of Travis drawing a line in the sand.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Bob,
I am very impressed. I have only seen a few of those movies and really looking forward to going to the store and buying The last Command and Attack.
Appreciate your comments.
Merrill
Bob Graham says:
Unfortunately, THE LAST COMMAND is not available on DVD (neither is THE BUCCANEER), but it turns up regularly on Turner Classic Movies.
ATTACK! is available on a low priced DVD. You should be able to pick it up for less than $10. In addition to Palance and Albert you get to see Lee Marvin, the king of all tough guys, playing a sniveling alcholic wimp, and Buddy Ebsen playing the voice of reason.
Jim Follett says:
Merrill:
First time reply —-
Your note about watching war movies with your dad when you were growing up moved my.
My dad barely missed WWII — he joined the Marines at 17 to get into the war….but, it ended before he could see any action. My grandfather (Annapolis grad) re-enlisted right after Pearl Harbor and served in the Pacific theatre — he won a bronze star as a beach commander landing the 1st Marine Division on Okinawa.
That said – we also watched war movies growing up…some of the classics at that time were “God is My Co-Pilot”; “Destination Tokyo”; “Run Silent Run Deep”; “Guadalcanal Diary”…Mel Gibson did one out of the Vietnam War (based on a true story) called “We Were Soldiers” that was great. Anyway…the list goes on — I had to weigh in!
Rick Johnson says:
I like just about everyone that is mentioned above, but a couple of my favorites are Apocalypse Now and the Boys in Company C. I also like the Green Berets (John Wayne) and the Fighting Seabees (also John Wayne).
My Dad was a Seabee in WWII fighting in the Philippines and Guam…”The Greatest Generation!” Great topic Merrill.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Rick,
The Fighting Seabees was a great movie and one of my favorites. Interesting tidbit – John Wayne as you mentioned was in the movie and rarely died in any movie. The Fighting Seabees was one of only a handful that he died in. I still remember it clearly – Close to the last scene where he was on a bulldozer and drove it into a gas container and pretty much blew up the side of the mountain and all of the enemy to save the rest of his team.
Nice addition.
Merrill
Bill Dunn says:
The Duke also died in The Sands of Iwo Jima – one of my favorites along with the oft-mentioned Apocalypse Now.
Saving Private Ryan was also a good flick…in fact I had an uncle that was in the D-day invasion force and during the opening scene, he was overcome with emotion and had to leave due to the scene’s realism.
Also, having served in the military, I can tell you that R. Lee Ermey absolutely nailed the part of the drill instructor in Full Metal Jacket…
Steve Gentile says:
There’s “Apocalypse Now” which is terrific on so many levels.
“Duck Soup” and “The General” are certainly in my shuffle.
Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator” is extraordinary.
“The Civil War” docu series is a fav since I worked on it, and my HS senior film “52 Card Pickup” about the US hostage return from Iran did win me kudos, awards, and entry into NYU’s film program.
Steve Gentile says:
ps- could “Woodstock” also be about war? hmmm.
Patricia says:
Joyeux Noël is one of my favorites – mostly because it is in no way about the glorification of war but instead tells a tale of a group of people that stop fighting for one night and take the time to see they are all actually very similar. Very touching, makes me cry everytime I see it – based on the true story of The Christmas Truce of 1914.
I highly recommentd it!
Louis Ygartua says:
Great subject! Great Escape was first to mind, but I liked the others mentioned. Does anyone remember a fairly recent movie about WWII set at Christmas in the Ardennes (”Bulge”) maybe?
Ken says:
I just remembered another war movie…one that had a great impact on my life…Stripes, with Bill Murray and John Candy…of course I was 17 at the time I first saw it so maybe that’s why it has a warm place in my heart. I mean, who doesn’t love “Call me Frances, and I’ll kill ya’”. and what says US Army more than mud wrestling…nothing I tell ya’…nothing.
Matt Steinhaus says:
Great Escape and Tora Tora Tora are very likely my top 2. However, my personal favorite war depiction of all time, albiet not a movie, is Band of Brothers (if you give the latitude to throw in a mini-series).
Lynn says:
Apocolyse Now. Hands-down… Then, Bridge On The River Kwai.
Jeffrey Lorber says:
Deerhunter
Good Morning Vietnam
Outlaw Josie Wales
Tropic Thunder
Schindkler’s List
and M.A.S.H!!
Jeffrey Lorber says:
Schindler not Schindkler
Tammie says:
I have to agree with Full Metal Jacket. It froze me- horrified- in my seat, and I could never watch it a second time, but it makes the realities of those fighting very real. It feels like something everyone should experience (not the war – just the movie) before talking nonchalantly about any military action. Das Boot, Deerhunter and Good Morning Vietnam are right up there too.
Neat that you had the experience of watching those with your Dad’s, Merrill and Rachel! (I watched Star Trek with my dad!)
Tammie
Tammie says:
EEK – I meant Joyce – why did I say Rachel for Rachelson!?!?! Sorry Joyce!!
Joyce Rachelson says:
I’ve been called ‘Rachel’ for years because of my last name. I just respond. Not a problem.