I thought The Thin Red Line was one of the most pretentious things I've ever seen in my life. I absolutely
Pretty looking aside, it took itself sooooo damn seriously, almost as if to say with each frame, "behold how important I am." The fact that every soldier was spouting beautiful poetry in favor of dialogue also got on my last nerve. Shit just went nowhere. For WAY too long. Perhaps that was the point? Super disappointment - especially after Malick's Badlands.
The New World looks to be even more full of itself.
The Pianist. More about the victims than the soldiers, but still...
eh. more passive Jewish victimhood (see Private Ryan, etc.).
can we get a Warsaw ghetto uprising flick please?
saying. I've posted on here about how Hollywood has never really paid much attention to the jew as a strong character and we've usually been pigeonholed as the comedy relief.
There is a documentary I head about several months back about how the Jewish Studio heads refused to make any stories acknoledging Jewish life during WWII, or any struggles really there after. I for get the name of it though.
There was a made for TV movie about the Warsaw uprising starring David Schwimmer...didn't even look worthwhile to see for free.
Guzzo, you might be too young to remember this, but in the late 70's there was a fantastic tv mini-series called "Holocaust" which starred Fritz Weaver, Meryl Streep & James Woods among others. One of the installments featured the uprisings in the Warsaw ghetto. I vividly remember watching this as a kid bugging. The few Jews that were caught alive once the uprising was quelled promptly did themselves in with cyanide pills.
I remember this was such an event and so critically acclaimed at the time & to this day I've never seen it released on any format or even rebroadcast.
There was a made for TV movie about the Warsaw uprising starring David Schwimmer...didn't even look worthwhile to see for free.
too bad. this would make for a very compelling story. the Zionists v. the Bundists; lots of cheezy clandestine romance potential; Polish underground v. Jewish underground tensions, etc.
the first mass armed uprising against German occupation anywhere on the continent; pretty significant if you ask me.
There was a made for TV movie about the Warsaw uprising starring David Schwimmer...didn't even look worthwhile to see for free.
too bad. this would make for a very compelling story. the Zionists v. the Bundists; lots of cheezy clandestine romance potential; Polish underground v. Jewish underground tensions, etc.
the first mass armed uprising against German occupation anywhere on the continent; pretty significant if you ask me.
very, and not very well known amongst the public. It's a shame that all Jewish images of european jews from WWII are those of emaciated peoples in concentration camps waiting for the Americans to come and rescue them.
(nowhere near my top 10, but a good flick nonetheless)
When I was reading this thread, I was thinking of war movies that were based on events that occured within the past 2 decades (more specifically Desert Storm and OIF/OEF). I was gonna say Jarhead (which I like, BTW) but that movie is new.
Then I see that you posted Three Kings. I like that movie. The first time that I watched it was when I was deployed in Iraq.
Black Hawk Down is good shit also.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
Looking at what everyone's added, all my favourites are in there - Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter, Das Boot, Cross Of Iron (Peckinpah is the man), The Big Red One (classic material), even Starship Troopers and Kelly's Heroes. A couple of good ones that weren't, though, were Tigerland - not the greatest movie ever made, but an underrated one, I feel. Better than I've come to expect from Joel Schumacher, particularly in its attempt to tell a soldier's story from a different angle. One of Colin Farrell's more memorable turns as well. Also, while Southern Comfort, like Tigerland, isn't strictly a war movie, that too takes a different approach to depicting the mentality of men under fire, with some great performances (Fred Ward, Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe) and a great soundtrack.
Also, I didn't see the several movies that were made about him, but the book The Good Soldier Schweik is killing it. Sharpest, funniest and meanest war satire ever!
Starship Troopers is a great movie! I don't mean great in the sense that it's a well-made slice of bubblegum crypto-fascist puffery; I think it's great because it has cool insects killing people, there are lots of totally superfluous booby scenes--in the future we all shower together!--and it's fun.
I'm shocked no one has mentioned the Italian-made Vietnam classic "Cobra Mission":
It's a really bizarre 1985 film where in one scene disgruntled vets are attending one of their daughter's weddings and in the next scene, after having decided to rescue US soldiers they figure are still imprisoned in the 'nam, they're on a chopper somewhere in southeast asia. Just like that.
But get this: the US soldiers still in the nam are there because the US ARMY wants to keep them there. We never really learn why, but it seems to have something do with globabl stability. Also, half way through, John Wayne's son Ethan gets blown away by a bitter napalm victim. Take that, Joe.
I'm shocked no one has mentioned the Italian-made Vietnam classic "Cobra Mission":
It's a really bizarre 1985 film where in one scene disgruntled vets are attending one of their daughter's weddings and in the next scene, after having decided to rescue US soldiers they figure are still imprisoned in the 'nam, they're on a chopper somewhere in southeast asia. Just like that.
But get this: the US soldiers still in the nam are there because the US ARMY wants to keep them there. We never really learn why, but it seems to have something do with globabl stability. Also, half way through, John Wayne's son Ethan gets blown away by a bitter napalm victim. Take that, Joe.
Classic.
Oh my god. You should watch the Italian movie "Afganistan - The last war bus" (L'ultimo bus di guerra) which is the sequel to this one (Italo Vietnam flick):
It's almost a remake of Rambo III but without any budget and with less brains (go figure). I watched Rambo III again and besides the lurid qualities it's amazing how public opinion about a country (Afghanistan) can change this quick.
Starship Troopers = crypto-fascism. Ha ha, comedy!
1. Full Metal Jacket 2. The Deerhunter 3. Dr. Strangelove 4. Platoon 5. Underground 6. Bullet in the head 7. Cross of Iron 8. Beautiful People 9. Coming home in a bodybag 10. Welcome to Sarajevo
paul/mack, could you guys speak on this movie just a lil bit? i've always thought sinise is a brilliant actor, but the frank whaley, kevin dillon, ethan hawke, and peter berg combination would prevent me from ever giving that film the time of day. does the director say "keith gordon"? who's that?
Like Mack said, great flick. A deceptively "quiet" war film. A US squadron holes up in an abandon chateau during the dead of winter (WW2). Don't worry. Good acting. But most of all GREAT directing. A very assured pace is kept throughout the film, keeping you on pins and needles waiting for an attack to come from the Germans at any moment.
Keith Gordon also directed the overlooked WW2 spy drama "Mother Night" with Nick Nolte. Check for both films.
nice mother night such a good piece of filmmaking i'll check for MC.
(nowhere near my top 10, but a good flick nonetheless)
i'd put this in my top 10. david o russell is one of the best directors currently working, and this is my favorite type of movie - a little sad, a little funny, very smart and still highly entertaining.
(nowhere near my top 10, but a good flick nonetheless)
i'd put this in my top 10. david o russell is one of the best directors currently working, and this is my favorite type of movie - a little sad, a little funny, very smart and still highly entertaining.
Comments
I thought The Thin Red Line was one of the most pretentious things I've ever seen in my life.
I absolutely
Pretty looking aside, it took itself sooooo damn seriously, almost as if to say with each frame, "behold how important I am."
The fact that every soldier was spouting beautiful poetry in favor of dialogue also got on my last nerve.
Shit just went nowhere. For WAY too long. Perhaps that was the point?
Super disappointment - especially after Malick's Badlands.
The New World looks to be even more full of itself.
saying. I've posted on here about how Hollywood has never really paid much attention to the jew as a strong character and we've usually been pigeonholed as the comedy relief.
There is a documentary I head about several months back about how the Jewish Studio heads refused to make any stories acknoledging Jewish life during WWII, or any struggles really there after. I for get the name of it though.
There was a made for TV movie about the Warsaw uprising starring David Schwimmer...didn't even look worthwhile to see for free.
Guzzo, you might be too young to remember this, but in the late 70's there was a fantastic tv mini-series called "Holocaust" which starred Fritz Weaver, Meryl Streep & James Woods among others.
One of the installments featured the uprisings in the Warsaw ghetto.
I vividly remember watching this as a kid bugging.
The few Jews that were caught alive once the uprising was quelled promptly did themselves in with cyanide pills.
I remember this was such an event and so critically acclaimed at the time & to this day I've never seen it released on any format or even rebroadcast.
Conspiracy!
too bad. this would make for a very compelling story. the Zionists v. the Bundists; lots of cheezy clandestine romance potential; Polish underground v. Jewish underground tensions, etc.
the first mass armed uprising against German occupation anywhere on the continent; pretty significant if you ask me.
very, and not very well known amongst the public. It's a shame that all Jewish images of european jews from WWII are those of emaciated peoples in concentration camps waiting for the Americans to come and rescue them.
The Eagle Has Landed....
Cross of Iron....
ADD ON...
(nowhere near my top 10, but a good flick nonetheless)
Agreed. Thought the movie was rather boring and slooooowwwwwww because of the sylization as well.
Of the newer movies these are some of my favs that I can think of off the top of my head.
Then I see that you posted Three Kings. I like that movie. The first time that I watched it was when I was deployed in Iraq.
Black Hawk Down is good shit also.
I laughed when I saw someone had mentioned Starship Troopers, but for real, that's not a bad pick.
These two Russian films are incredible:
The Cranes Are Flying
Ballad of a Soldier
They break your heart!
Also, I didn't see the several movies that were made about him, but the book The Good Soldier Schweik is killing it. Sharpest, funniest and meanest war satire ever!
Starship Troopers is a great movie! I don't mean great in the sense that it's a well-made slice of bubblegum crypto-fascist puffery; I think it's great because it has cool insects killing people, there are lots of totally superfluous booby scenes--in the future we all shower together!--and it's fun.
I'm shocked no one has mentioned the Italian-made Vietnam classic "Cobra Mission":
It's a really bizarre 1985 film where in one scene disgruntled vets are attending one of their daughter's weddings and in the next scene, after having decided to rescue US soldiers they figure are still imprisoned in the 'nam, they're on a chopper somewhere in southeast asia. Just like that.
But get this: the US soldiers still in the nam are there because the US ARMY wants to keep them there. We never really learn why, but it seems to have something do with globabl stability. Also, half way through, John Wayne's son Ethan gets blown away by a bitter napalm victim. Take that, Joe.
Classic.
Oh my god. You should watch the Italian movie "Afganistan - The last war bus" (L'ultimo bus di guerra) which is the sequel to this one (Italo Vietnam flick):
It's almost a remake of Rambo III but without any budget and with less brains (go figure). I watched Rambo III again and besides the lurid qualities it's amazing how public opinion about a country (Afghanistan) can change this quick.
Starship Troopers = crypto-fascism. Ha ha, comedy!
More like "Toronto/Vancouver War"
That movie was pure shit.
2. The Deerhunter
3. Dr. Strangelove
4. Platoon
5. Underground
6. Bullet in the head
7. Cross of Iron
8. Beautiful People
9. Coming home in a bodybag
10. Welcome to Sarajevo
Not quite, but...
I dunno. I liked it. It was 'heavily influenced' by this
Just as "A Midnight Clear" was sorta indebted to:
which deals with the same topic as:
There are a lot of 'good' war films (considering the topic, I'm not sure that's an appropriate adjective.)
Hands down, the most shattering, hypnotic, and heart-rending war movie I've ever seen is Come and See , by Elem Klimov .
It's not a shoot-em-up, it's about the effects of war on those who suffer the most during it:civilian populations caught in the crossfire. It's truly
Good call.
"There's something you should know about me: I hate cops!"
nice
mother night such a good piece of filmmaking
i'll check for MC.
i'd put this in my top 10. david o russell is one of the best directors currently working, and this is my favorite type of movie - a little sad, a little funny, very smart and still highly entertaining.
"What about Michael Jackson!?!??!!!"
Another very good recent war film, well...event around the war more than the war itself;