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tunaplanet

Greatest War Movie

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The problem with this is that "war movies" isn't a single genre.

There are movies that are pure fantasy (Where Eagles Dare, U571, Bridge on River Kwai, Blue Max, and many others) that tell a "ripping yarn" with great cinematography and acting (in some cases), but are pure fiction.

Ther are movies that tell a true story but with considerable dramatic license (Longest Day, 12 O'Clock High, Schindler's list)

And there are movies that make a real attempt to portray events as they actually were (Tora Tora Tora, Dam Busters, Gettysburg).

How does one compare them? Sitting through 5 hours of Gettysburg isn't as enjoyable as watching Clint Eastwood take out the Schloss Adler in "Where Eagles Dare", but it's way more informative.

In the pure fiction war movie category, why not include Star Wars and Starship Troopers?
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In the pure fiction war movie category, why not include Star Wars and Starship Troopers?



Heh :D

Trouble is, it's an entertaiment medium, not an education medium.

And I totally forgot about Gettysburg. Was it in the poll?

Now that's a phenomenal film.B|

Nothing matches "Stalingrad" for the portrayal of war, IMHO. That's a must-see.

The History Channel runs some of these pictures and has historians on hand to give commentary.

mh
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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Band Of Brothers. more of an Epic than a movie.

Full Metal Jacket takes the cake and shits on it by far.(not Bjand Of Brothers which is unparalled but Hollywood war filmz in general)

Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky

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In the pure fiction war movie category, why not include Star Wars and Starship Troopers?



Heh :D

Trouble is, it's an entertaiment medium, not an education medium.

And I totally forgot about Gettysburg. Was it in the poll?

Now that's a phenomenal film.B|

Nothing matches "Stalingrad" for the portrayal of war, IMHO. That's a must-see.

The History Channel runs some of these pictures and has historians on hand to give commentary.

mh



I watched "Zulu" on AMC the other night. That's a good war movie, too, from a totally forgotten war.
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And there are movies that make a real attempt to portray events as they actually were (Tora Tora Tora, Dam Busters, Gettysburg).

How does one compare them? Sitting through 5 hours of Gettysburg isn't as enjoyable as watching Clint Eastwood take out the Schloss Adler in "Where Eagles Dare", but it's way more informative.

In the pure fiction war movie category, why not include Star Wars and Starship Troopers?



Watch the final attack in "Dam Busters" and then watch the final attack in "Star Wars".

It's pretty fun to watch 'em back to back.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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And there are movies that make a real attempt to portray events as they actually were (Tora Tora Tora, Dam Busters, Gettysburg).

How does one compare them? Sitting through 5 hours of Gettysburg isn't as enjoyable as watching Clint Eastwood take out the Schloss Adler in "Where Eagles Dare", but it's way more informative.

In the pure fiction war movie category, why not include Star Wars and Starship Troopers?



Watch the final attack in "Dam Busters" and then watch the final attack in "Star Wars".

It's pretty fun to watch 'em back to back.



George Lucas freely admits borrowing ideas from all over the place for the original Star Wars.
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I watched "Zulu" on AMC the other night. That's a good war movie, too, from a totally forgotten war.



Ah! Harju like "Zulu" very, very much.B|:D

It plays with history quite a bit, but it's still fun.

The facts: In 1879, Lts. Chard and Bromhead were career marginal officers, and were basically left behind in the British second column (the main one got wiped out almost to a man at Isandlwana - please see "Zulu Dawn" for a dramatization of the events just prior to Rorke's Drift). Chard was an Engineer, and had been in the Army for over ten years but was still a Lieutenant. Bromhead was at Rorke's Drift because he was almost totally deaf. Please see the wonderful account of the battle in Max Hastings' "Oxford Book of Military Anectdotes".

It was a well-made picture, and made an effort to keep things balanced. The score was fantastic, especially the surviving Drift defenders singing the Welsh anthem "Men of Harlech" at the climax of the film. Blood-stirring, truly. They don't make 'em like that anymore. If they did, they'd be very, very politically correct (BAD whities! BAD, BAD, BAD!!!).:D

mh
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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Climb Mount Nitaka!

Tora Tora Tora is, by far, the best war movie ever made.



Very much a documentary-style picture; "Midway" was like it in that it was trying to be more of a docu-drama too. They succeed for their factual dramatization, but not for drama itself.

Movies are about entertainment, not facts. If I want facts and documentaries, I watch the History Channel, but as I have mentioned before, the History Channel runs a lot of silly crap like "Black Sheep Squadron"; of which it is said that the only connection between that program and reality was that the characters flew Corsairs.:D

That being said, Boyington's autobiography "Baa Baa, Black Sheep" is an interesting read, and worth the time. Drunken, crazy Indian from the Oklahoma rez finds his moment when he becomes a Marine Corps aviator, and gets very, very good at killing Nips, until he's shot down and captured by those very same Nips he's been whacking so efficiently. It's one heck of a read, and his postwar life is really awful.

mh
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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Yea, makes me feel kinda queezy as well:D

The award for the worst casting has to go to whatever clown employed that lump Forrest Witiker to play a British Squadie! :S
When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
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SHIT!!!!



For probably the best comedic war movie I ever saw "Operation Petticoat" with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis.

.



I just rented "All the Queen's Men", a WWII comedy made in Austria about the British. It's OK.
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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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Tuna, you're probably sick of all of the "you forgot x movie" replies, but if you've never seen it before, check out Bridge Over The River Kwai sometime. One of the best war movies I've ever seen.

-Kramer

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

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