War movies

xxo

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,993
Any one into these? I like the ones that are basically historically accurate, why make things up when there are so many great true stories which have largely gone untold? With Memorial day coming up, it it's a good time to remember the fallen and honor those who served.


Some of my favorites:

We Were Soldiers - The Story of America's first battle in Vietnam, starring Mel Gibson as LTC Hal Moore. Hal Moore once said that the movie was about 80% reality and 20% Hollywood, which is probably about as good as it's going to get in a feature film.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Were_Soldiers


Lost Battalion - Rick Shroder gives a great performance as Maj.Whittlesey, whose battalion held out for 5 days after being cut off by the Germans in the Argonne forest in 1918.






The Light Horsemen - True story of the Australian Light Horseman's role in the capture of Beersheba in 1917.





Black Hawk Down – Accurate portrayal of a tragic U.S. Army Delta Force/Ranger raid in Somalia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_Down_(film)




Bat 21 – Gene Hackman stars as Iceal Hambleton a 53 Year old LTC shot down in enemy territory and Danny Glover as Capt. Clark who shepherded him to safety. The end of this movie was pure Hollywood, because at the time the amazing details of Hambleton's rescue by U.S. Navy SEAL LT. JG Thomas Norris and South Vietnamese SEAL petty officer Nguyễn Văn Kiệtwere still classified.

https://archive.org/details/Bat21

The Great Escape – I watched this a bunch of times as a kid and never realized that it was a true story (basically, there is a lot of Hollywood in this one and Steve McQueen's character is fiction), though many of the actors where vets themselves. Unfortunately, it is true that Hitler had 50 of the escapees executed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Escape_(film)

 

StarHalo

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
10,927
Location
California Republic
Really enjoyed Dunkirk, that one's up there with Saving Private Ryan and Das Boot for me..
HfHxiDk.jpg
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11,212
Location
Tulsa,OK
There are a lot of good war movies, most of my favorites are from WWII. One that comes to mind is Midway, and Battle for Britain is interesting also movies like Sink the Bismarck and The Desert Fox. One that used to be on TV a lot is Von Ryans Express.
 

xxo

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,993
Really enjoyed Dunkirk, that one's up there with Saving Private Ryan and Das Boot for me..
HfHxiDk.jpg

I'm probably the only one who didn't like Private Ryan, past the first 20 min., I just couldn't get past the fact that there are so many amazing D day stories that have not been told on screen, and they had to make up a whole BS story, that most people who watched probably think is true. I thought the Longest Day was better.
 

xxo

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,993
There are a lot of good war movies, most of my favorites are from WWII. One that comes to mind is Midway, and Battle for Britain is interesting also movies like Sink the Bismarck and The Desert Fox. One that used to be on TV a lot is Von Ryans Express.

I would also throw in a Bridge too Far and Tora Tora Tora in to the mix of great WWII movies.
 

SCEMan

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2005
Messages
1,872
Location
Treasure Valley, Idaho
"Go Tell the Spartans" starring Burt Lancaster is a little known gem that retells the story of an actual event in the early days of Vietnam circa 1964.
 
Last edited:

bykfixer

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 9, 2015
Messages
20,347
Location
Dust in the Wind
Thanks for this thread xxo.

We Were Soldiers is one of my favorites. I loved the ending... Hal Moore knocks on his own door scaring his wife who thinks he is dead, then the would-be reporter turned battle hardened veteran telling his story.... yup, great movie start to finish.

Too many "war movies" are used to make political statements these days, or just showcase pure violence and gore. War is Hell, men will die. But in my library are the stories. Stories from the history perpective. And We Were Soldiers did a great job at telling what happened from a perspective that also draws you into the lives of a few while telling a story about life in America during the Vietnam era (wives discussing laundry and the lady from California thinks the laundromat won't let you wash "colored clothes"). I particularly liked the perspective from the 'other side' as well.
The ignorance of the military sending a taxi cab driver to notify the family of the loss, the brotherhood of strangers who learn to depend on each other regardless of race, religion or creed etc was a topic at my dinner table back then while we watched "Vietnam live" on the 6:30 news when I was a kid. It was refreshing to see what really happened instead of Walter Cronkites version.

Not being a big Tom Hanks fan, I liked Charlie Wilsons War. Mainly because it showed why 911 occured later. But it also pointed out Dan Rather acting like he was actually in combat when in reality he was well behind the front line being fed chesseburgers while pretending to be telling the truth.

Ever since the Revolution War in America the press has put a spin on things meant to sway public opinion so see-ing well written movies without an adgenda beyond heroism is my favorite war movie regardless of which war it was.

God's and Generals tried to paint a picture of why those graybacks fought the union. Back then States were deemed independent countries. So when the union invaded it was like Santa Ana invading America to many at the time. The Alamo was a pretty good version of life back then.
We look at things today like "man that sure was stupid".... but I'll quote a Steve McQueen line from the Magnificent Seven where the bad guy asks why they chose to fight he and his gang.
Bad guy: Why? Why you fight us?"
Steve: Well once upon a time a man ran naked into a briar patch"
Bad guy: "Why?"
Steve: "he later said it seemed like a good idea at the time".

When folks tell me war is stupid I respond "once upon a time we thought leeches on sick people was a good idea and some day we'll say gasoline powered cars seemed like a good idea"....
Or flashlights with disposable batteries.
 
Last edited:

SCEMan

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 6, 2005
Messages
1,872
Location
Treasure Valley, Idaho
We Were Soldiers is a favorite of mine. A very accurate depiction of the actual battle until the unfortunate phony BS assault on the NVA headquarters. I've read several books on the event and would love to see a film based on the subsequent battle at LZ Albany. A tragic ambush that might never have occured with Col. Moore in charge.

Another worthwhile choice is The Great Raid. A WWII film that retells the story of the attack and liberation of the POW camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippines. One of the most successful rescues in US history and thankfully done without any studio embellishments of the actual events depicted in the books. Film/photos of the actual POWs at the end is a nice touch.
 
Last edited:

xxo

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,993
Bykfixer,


The story of the military families back home and the sacrifices that they made to support the men fighting overseas, is what sets We Were Soldiers apart from just about any war movie I can think of. Really a great film, not just a great war film.


SCEMan,


Yes, what happened the day after Hal Moore stepped on to that helicopter, is the rest of the story that has yet to be told in a feature film. As I am sure you know, there was a good documentary about it:

 

bykfixer

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 9, 2015
Messages
20,347
Location
Dust in the Wind
For just great movies with a war theme I like ones like "Empire of the Sun" where a young Christian Bale portrayed life in Japanese prison camps during WW2. A great story from a spoiled rich kids perspective. It's a long movie, like Lawrence of Arabia, but time well spent.

I also like Ed Harris in "Enemy at the Gate" where he was a decorated Nazi sniper brought in to take out a young Russian kid who was deadly accurate with a rifle and enjoyed taking out German officers. There was a press advocate telling the story as an effort to prop morale amongst the Russian people as all seemed lost to Hitlers military.

Another epic feature where Russell Crowe stole the show was Master & Commander. Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey was tasked with finding and destroying a much larger, faster French ship built in America. Another story about war that also portrayed people as ordinary folks assembled to fight an enemy bent on taking over their homeland.... Nepoleon in this case. Between a young lad who came from a military family and the doctor who preffered botany to battle, this one makes me smile everytime I watch it.

"Emporer" was a good story telling General McAuthors attempt to find out the truth of why Japan was dumb enough to attack Pearl Harbor. Tommy Lee Jones did a good job at playing the role of flamboyant General Douglass McAurthor.
Tora, Tora, Tora on the other hand is an epic adventure that did tell a Hollywood version of what happened. I remember my pop and brother coming back from see-ing that one at the movie theater. My brother said "it was so realistic the seats were shaking"....

American Sniper makes me cry like a baby everytime. Holy crap!! When they show that guy on that Texas highway in a wheelchair holding a flag after the procession had passed.... the hook and ladder trucks with a flag draped as the procession approached... Clint Eastwood done pretty good on that one. Too bad he twisted what happened to Marc A Lee into a guy who'd given up instead of the hero who went down fighting... not some random one shot from nowhere that took him out. And also it would've been cool if it showed Chris Kyle punching Jesse Ventura in the face in a Texas bar after Marc's funeral instead of portraying Chris in his truck telling his wife Marc had quit. Jesse was dissing Iraqi veterans according to some and Chris walked up to him and POW!!! Jesse actually sued the estate of Chris Kyle (for a million dollars) for telling the story in his famous book (that led to the movie). He lost.

Lawrence of Arabia.... sheesh.... 45 minutes of two camels crossing a desert, but had so much profound information about why to this day the middle east is like it is (in many ways). After WW1 the middle east was carved up on paper. Yet what seemed like a good idea to politicians, the consequeces still plays out in 2018.

Another historic epic that showcases history in the making was Steve McQueens "Sand Pebbles" that depicts life in China during WW1. It shows an early story of how things in China have become like they are today. Another long, dry movie but for an understanding of how come things are like they are there it's an interesting story.

"Men of Honor" with Cooba Gooding Jr and (pre-insane) Robert Dinero was a pretty good flick about life as an African American Navyman way back when. It has a happy ending.

"Angel of the Skies" is a pretty cool adventure about some British dudes shot down behind enemy lines in WW2.

There's one that the name escapes me just now that is a fictional story based on true events in WW1 about Americans joining the French Air Force since the US refused to join the action. Things like "whiskey the pet lion", an African American pilot who joined the French air force becoming the first African American pilot for the USPS and stuff like that really happened.

I like Hunt for Red October although it's a fiction tale. Growing up during the end of the Cold War, that one reminds me of the relationship that formed between Reagan and Gorbochov that made things like fall out drills in school and underground bunkers a thing of the past.

Man, I love me some war movies. Even the old Hollywood versions featuring stars like Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Elvis, Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman, Erol Flynn, James Stewart and Don Rickles in "Run Silent, Run Deep". He wasn't named in the cast even though he had a speaking roll.
 

xxo

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
2,993
There's one that the name escapes me just now that is a fictional story based on true events in WW1 about Americans joining the French Air Force since the US refused to join the action. Things like "whiskey the pet lion", an African American pilot who joined the French air force becoming the first African American pilot for the USPS and stuff like that really happened.

You might be thinking of Flyboys:



very loosely based on or inspired by the real life Lafayette Escadrille, but mostly Hollywood fiction. The black pilot character was based on Gene Bullard, the world's first black combat pilot who flew for France (but not in the Lafayette Escadrille) after being badly wounded at Verdun, where he fought as an infantryman. They mention this in the movies extras, along with who the other characters were supposed to be based on.
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11,212
Location
Tulsa,OK
Battle of the Bulge, The Devil's Brigade, The Enemy Below, Force 10 from Navaronne, Halls of Montezuma, In Harm's Way, The Longest Day, Memphis Belle, Merrill's Marauders, Objective Burma, Operation Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Pork Chop Hill, Saints and Soldiers, The Sands of Iwo Jima, They Were Expendable, To Hell and Back, The Tuskegee Airmen, Twelve Oclock High, U-571, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, Wake Island, Where Eagles Dare, You're in the Navy Now.

These are some of the more favorites from my "war" collection of movies.
 
Top