Hornsports' Favorite War Movie

[Lukus Alderman]

Alright guys, it's time to give us your one favorite war movie of all-time.

No ranking movies.

No "1a" and "1b".

Just your one and only favorite war movie and why you like it so much.

I'll start. My favorite:



Saving Private Ryan

I love Saving Private Ryan I guess because I felt like it did a very good job of showing the physical and mental sacrifice of soldiers who defended our freedom. That opening scene on the beach will be hard-pressed to ever be matched in any other film.

 

[SFlonghorngirl]

 

[Duke C #11]

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1788712960/tt0034583?ref_=tt_ov_i

 

[73Horn]

Band of Brothers is a mini-series and that is my favorite "movie", but for an actual in theater movie, it's Private Ryan.

 

[Juan]

When I was a little kid I was willing to fight to the death arguing that "The Dirty Dozen" was the greatest movie evah.

Then I saw it as an adult and I realized it really wasn't so great.

Heh.

Of that era film, I now prefer "Kelly's Heroes" and will still watch it if I stumble on it on cable.

I would agree with Casablanca above if it were a "war movie" but its not.  It is a love triangle (Hollywood has always been obsessed with the love triangle) with a war setting.

For the modern film, I will go with "Black Hawk Down."  

 

[texasdobbs]

The great escape. ...

 

[streettopeschel]

Hard to argue with Pvt Ryan. And even as an adult i STILL like Dirty Dozen. Good call on Great Escape. Bridge over River Kwai and Stalag 17 are a couple of good oldies as well.

 

[Juan]

Saving Private Ryan was filmed in southern Ireland - at least the beach landing scene was.

I was coincidentally at a wedding near there at that time.

from IMDb

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Filming Locations
Showing all 8 filming locations

County Wexford, Ireland (Omaha Beach) 

Curracloe Beach, Ballinesker, County Wexford, Ireland (Omaha Beach) 

Ireland  

I was at New Ross while the filming was around Curracloe

This is the wedding site (the Church there the wedding was in was built before there was a United States)

 

[Lukus Alderman]

Beautiful!

 

[killrjoe]

Patton.

 

[Shevis Irons]

OK, Lukas, I'll opine.

For me there are several conditions that must be met to make a Great War movie.

First and foremost it must be a compelling story within that war's context. But it still needs to be a "War" movie. Simply documenting what happened in the particular war does not cut it. That's recreating a documentary. That knocks out movies like Tora Tora Tora, Midway and many others. It also eliminates my number one movie CasaBlanca, which is not a true "War" movie.

Secondly it has to be about a real war (sorry Lukas, Starship Troopers is eliminated. It also eliminates the great movie, Dr Strangelove! )

It has to have a career defining performance by a great actor or great performances by an ensemble cast (sorry again, Lukas, this knocks out movies like Kelly's Heroes, Donald Sutherland, a WWII hippie, really?) I think the story line has to draw us in and make us really care about the struggle and the outcome even though we already know what it is. For most, this eliminates movies like Platoon. Do you really care about the characters in that movie? No, and that was Stones point, but it doesn't make a rear "War" movie. Maybe a great political statement, but not a Great War movie.

The dialogue should be authentic, Unfortunantly that eliminates a lot of older movies for me and some newer ones as well. The dialogue in "Enemy at the Gates" was atrocious! Besides listening to British Dialects spoken by Russian soldiers just made my skin crawl.

I think the cinematography needs to be memorable. That is to say I think the filming needs to truely transport you to place, the battlefield, the outpost, whatever. This eliminates such movies as John Wayne's The Alamo.

Often overlooked and imperative, I believe, is great scoring and an iconic Movie Theme. There is a lot of great scoring but when a movie rises above the fray, it elevates the music. A clear indicator of a great movie.

So which movies meet all my prerequisites?..... Patton, Saving Private Ryan, Apocolypse Now, the Good the Bad and the Ugly, Bridge on the River Kwai, All Quiet on the Western Front, Gallipolie (my sleeper war movie) and many others.

But the one that stands out to me as just a head above the others is...... "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA"!!!!!

 

[killrjoe]

Let me offer a couple more for consideration. The Longest Day, In Harm's Way. And yes, I know I'm old.

 

[Etex Horn]

Patton.

Concur with killrjoe.  BTW, George C. Scott won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Patton, but declined to accept it because he didn't believe in, or subscribe to, the acceptance of such awards.  

 

[Lukus Alderman]

First of all, Shevis, I feel bad for you that Casablanca is your favorite movie. That one, along with Patton, just about lulled me to sleep. Booorrrriiiiinnnngggg!!!!

Second of all, The GoodBadUgly is a spaghetti western, not a War movie. Sure, it had a scene or three involving war, but the main point of the movie was an outlaw, a crooked Mexican, and a fast drawing bad guy. That's a western.

Finally, I've never seen Lawrence of Arabia. I'll have to look it up at the public library and see if they have it on VHS.

 

[Shevis Irons]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never seen Lawrence of Arabia?!?!?!

Do yourself a favor and watch Gallipoli as well. Incredible movie. Very moving acting. Compelling story. It will get you discussing it and t.he story 's merits for a long time.

Alas, you think Dumb and Dumber is high art so........never mind.

 

[Juan]

Concur with killrjoe.  BTW, George C. Scott won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Patton, but declined to accept it because he didn't believe in, or subscribe to, the acceptance of such awards.  

I plucked Patton on Blu Ray recently out of the discount bin at Best Buy.

You guys are inspiring me to fire it up.

I remember going to see that one and The Battle of Britain with my dad when I was little.  

Patton ended up being correct about the poor bastards in Eastern Europe that were going to fall under Russian control.

 

[Juan]

 this knocks out movies like Kelly's Heroes, Donald Sutherland, a WWII hippie, really?

Only his greatest role ever.

 

[Lord Vader]

Heartbreak Ridge

 

[echeese]

First of all, Shevis, I feel bad for you that Casablanca is your favorite movie. That one, along with Patton, just about lulled me to sleep. Booorrrriiiiinnnngggg!!!!

Now you see why Lucas is considered the WORST movie critic of all time. . . .of course anything beyond sponge bob square pants and he's lost. . . .

When you say "war movie" . ..the implication is fictional accounts. . . .and many good choices here. . .

having said that.....I have an offering that will forever change you view of "War Movies" .. .

Not a documentary. . .a transcendental narrative .. .

The Hornet's Nest