World War II movies

If I could only keep one thing from my DVD collection, which is rather vast, it would be the Band of Brothers series. I watch it a couple of times a year.

 

You really fucking care about those characters as it goes on. That's what makes it transcendent.

Actors were made to learn sophisticated field tactics and parachute training, went through hours of tactical training, weapons handling, everything. Nothing else comes close to the series.

 

Stalag 17 -- great cast and acting.

 

I love 'Sands of Iwo Jima' and count me in the small group of 'Thin Red Line' fans.

 

At the rate of Hollywood recycling old ideas .... I'm holding out for the "Hogan's Heroes" movie. ;D

Actually, I'm fascinated by WWII films in color for some reason. B&W makes it look so ancient and far back in time. Color drives home the point that it is all too recent in historical terms.

I really enjoyed "U-571," about a U.S. plot to capture a German Enigma coding device off a German sub. It was almost 50-50 English and German (with subtitles.)

 

The same can be said for Where Eagles Dare. Not the greatest WWII movie made by any stretch, but I watch it everytime.

And WWII? Harrumph! I'm into WWI.  :

Anyway, here's a link to nearly every WWII movie ever made from 1940 to 2000 (no Downfall) ...

http://users.aol.com/sailgower/WWIImovies.html

Armed with that list, here's my nominations ...

1. Bridge On The River Kwai
2. Downfall (why wouldn't this count?)
3. Das Boot
4. Great Escape
5. Guns Of Navarone
6. Patton
7. Hell Is For Heroes (I'm a huge admirer of director Don Siegel)
8. Dirty Dozen (fun as hell)
9. Mister Roberts
10. Big Red One
11. MacArthur (HBO used to run this on a loop when I was a kid, so I have an affection for it as my first WWII movie. Even as a kid, I thought MacArthur was a douche.)

Edit: Saving Private Ryan should be somewhere in the middle on that list, probably after Hell Is For Heroes and before Dirty Dozen. Forgot about it.

AND FIVE THAT ARE FRAMED BY WWII, BUT AREN'T WAR PER SE:
1. The Third Man (Not about war at all, but the post-war occupation of Vienna and what hardships it set up frames the whole plot. Unbelievably great movie.)
2. Schindler's List
3. Judgment At Nuremburg
4. Best Years Of Our Lives
5. Hope And Glory

WWII MOVIES I HAVEN'T SEEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT I NEED TO GET OFF MY ASS AND WATCH
The Longest Day
Casablanca
Diary Of Anne Frank

I also love the end of Bataan, even though I know its jingoism at its finest. I think its Robert Taylor manning a machine gun as the Japanese are swarming to kill him. The shot zooms in on the barrel of the gun as he fights a fight that can't be won. Cool ending to a movie and no doubt extremely emotional for 1943 audiences.

 

I'm a little surprised "War and Remembrance," that god-awfully long miniseries tracing a Jewish American family's run from the Germans and graphic examination of the Holocaust, hasn't gotten a sniff.

Patton still ranks No. 1 in my book.  Saving Private Ryan, Midway and the above.

 

Winds of War and War and Rememberance had lots more than just one family's run from the Germans. Pug Henry's dealings with the Russians and Roosevelt were fascinating, as was Byron's time on the sub and his connection with Natalie.

And if it's so "god-awfully long," why are you at all concerned that it didn't get a sniff?

 

Well it was long. I realized that when I watched about seven of the damn tapes on a day off. I was captivated by it for all of the reasons above.

And the reviews of it agreed concerning the length. From that point on, all of the mini-series were shorter.

 

Anyone ever seen (I think it was made in the late-'80s) Escape from Sobibor with Alan Arkin?

 

The best have been mentioned. I will mention a few for other categories for special interest:

For Baseball and WWII
Sole Survivor
As noted on an earlier WWII thread, one of the strangest and fascinating WWII movies: Sole Survivor. Only saw a glimpse of it years and years ago on TV. Could not remember the title, but thanks to IJAG, I know it now. A lost bomber crashes in the desert. The crew dies in the crash, but their ghosts play baseball along side the crash site. Twenty years later a recovery team explores the site. The baseball playing ghosts disapear from the game as their bodies are found. Probably not to be found in any retail store.


For War, Law and Ethics
Breaker Morant
From the Boar War. Rent the DVD. Trust me. Thank me later.


For WWII and Art Lovers
Castle Keep
"Just keeping busy Sir." Patrcik O'Neal as Capt. Lionel Beckman.