Best War "Film"

[Challenger1978]

The first twenty or so minutes of Saving Private Ryan is the most gripping piece of film I have ever seen, The contrast thereafter from fact to fantasy frustrates me.

Why would a squad of half a dozen men storm a machine gun nest when they have in their number a competent sniper where, instead of utilising him they employ him as an infantry man whilst the non com at the back takes his sight of his rifle and uses it to watch the botched assault take place?

Why would the British and Canadian forces be criticised for lack of progress in the first few days after D day when they achieved all their objectives whilst, the U.S forces struggled to maintain a beachhead against very heavy opposition? Spielberg made sure he got that unfair slur into the script.

Go to Normandy and realise that after the intitial Omaha beach assault what a pile of utter fantastical Hollywood crap this film really was.

Too right. That part of the film pisses me off too. If they had to divert from their primary mission and take out the machine gun nest, why choose a frontal assault with 6 men. Just shows that english teacher Hanks had been overpromoted, although he kind of redeems himself with his tactics in the final, climactic battle which is a pretty awesome piece of film making too. And as for Ted "Cheers" Danson slagging off Monty ...

Tbf, the British did get pretty bogged down around Caen and Monty was not the most imaginative of generals. Would recommend "6 armies in Normandy" by John Keegan, best book on the Normandy invasion that I've read by far.

As to war films, check out the following if not seen:-

Play Dirty - a Brit version of the Dirty Dozen in N Africa with Michael Caine
Too Late the Hero - Caine again
Pork Chop Hill - Korean War
Attack

Surprised no one has mentioned Three Kings.

My personal fave is Thin Red Line.

I like Three kings and it is a good film but its basically a remake of kelly's Heroes, and i much preffer that myself to Three kings, i do have both on dvd though.

 

[drsqueggy]

The first twenty or so minutes of Saving Private Ryan is the most gripping piece of film I have ever seen, The contrast thereafter from fact to fantasy frustrates me.

Why would a squad of half a dozen men storm a machine gun nest when they have in their number a competent sniper where, instead of utilising him they employ him as an infantry man whilst the non com at the back takes his sight of his rifle and uses it to watch the botched assault take place?

Why would the British and Canadian forces be criticised for lack of progress in the first few days after D day when they achieved all their objectives whilst, the U.S forces struggled to maintain a beachhead against very heavy opposition? Spielberg made sure he got that unfair slur into the script.

Go to Normandy and realise that after the intitial Omaha beach assault what a pile of utter fantastical Hollywood crap this film really was.

Too right. That part of the film pisses me off too. If they had to divert from their primary mission and take out the machine gun nest, why choose a frontal assault with 6 men. Just shows that english teacher Hanks had been overpromoted, although he kind of redeems himself with his tactics in the final, climactic battle which is a pretty awesome piece of film making too. And as for Ted "Cheers" Danson slagging off Monty ...

Tbf, the British did get pretty bogged down around Caen and Monty was not the most imaginative of generals. Would recommend "6 armies in Normandy" by John Keegan, best book on the Normandy invasion that I've read by far.

As to war films, check out the following if not seen:-

Play Dirty - a Brit version of the Dirty Dozen in N Africa with Michael Caine
Too Late the Hero - Caine again
Pork Chop Hill - Korean War
Attack

Surprised no one has mentioned Three Kings.

My personal fave is Thin Red Line.

I like Three kings and it is a good film but its basically a remake of kelly's Heroes, and i much preffer that myself to Three kings, i do have both on dvd though.

Easynet ;)

 

[Challenger1978]

Easynet ;)

lol Bulldog ;P

 

[Bill Walker]

for me its Kingdom Of Heaven

followed by Platoon

 

[bluemanc]

Sink the Bismark.
The Longest Day.
Any of " The Crusades " films,we were fookin awesome back in those days.

 

[shadygiz]

The first twenty or so minutes of Saving Private Ryan is the most gripping piece of film I have ever seen, The contrast thereafter from fact to fantasy frustrates me.

Why would a squad of half a dozen men storm a machine gun nest when they have in their number a competent sniper where, instead of utilising him they employ him as an infantry man whilst the non com at the back takes his sight of his rifle and uses it to watch the botched assault take place?

it wasnt just a story about the saving of some private in a far off battle.....it was a journey through the eyes of the platoon leader....it was also about hank's characters ineptitude and rawness, i think this was perfectly summed up in that scene....it was their first piece of real planned assault action (after the cannon fodder of the beach landings) and they were all raw, right upto the platoon leader.
you could see his character and leadership grow as he went further into battle with his platoon

 

[mjwbgm]

how sleep the brave.is another good one

 

[Newlunar]

The first twenty or so minutes of Saving Private Ryan is the most gripping piece of film I have ever seen, The contrast thereafter from fact to fantasy frustrates me.

Why would a squad of half a dozen men storm a machine gun nest when they have in their number a competent sniper where, instead of utilising him they employ him as an infantry man whilst the non com at the back takes his sight of his rifle and uses it to watch the botched assault take place?

it wasnt just a story about the saving of some private in a far off battle.....it was a journey through the eyes of the platoon leader....it was also about hank's characters ineptitude and rawness, i think this was perfectly summed up in that scene....it was their first piece of real planned assault action (after the cannon fodder of the beach landings) and they were all raw, right upto the platoon leader.
you could see his character and leadership grow as he went further into battle with his platoon

Shady, I see what you mean I probably missed the point the film was trying to make but as someone with no Army experience it still gets on my wick everytime I see it. I mean he's sat that with a bleeding Springfield in his lap FFS! It needed the double take brothers to be there to say 'If only we had a sniper in the the squad........GUUUUURRRRR!' Clumsy scriptwriting.
Mind you it won't be the first time someone has failed to see the obvious benefits of a competent rifleman.

Back to the topic- Tora! Tora! Tora! Top film.

 

[bennyboy]

Go Tell The Spartans another good Vietnam film.Burt Lancaster in it as well.Another added bonus.

Gettysburg.

The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Ulzana's Raid.Another Burt classic.

The Train.Burt again.

 

[nelsons willie]

Shot through the heart..true story of 2 former members of the yugoslavia olympic shooting team on opposite sides during the civil war

We were soldiers..another true story of first major battle in vietnam war.the role call of the dead at the end of the film is quite emotional.

The longest day..coz my daddy was there..

A rumor of war by phil caputto one of the best books ive read on vietnam and quite possibly the worst film ever made about that conflict.