Best World War II Films

I think you bring up a good point. I personally think A Thin Red Line was awful. Ugh...just a dreadful war movie. However, if you are looking at it from a psychoanalytic lens, it has some value. Of course, lol, it will never be on my shelf.

 

For those who watched Band of Brothers, do you all remember Albert Blithe, the character from the third Episode "Carentan?" Remember how at the end of the episode they said he would die of his wounds in 1948? Well I was looking at some trivia, and I discovered that he did not die of his wounds in 1948. He lived till about 1967 I believe and even served in Korea. I also think that he got married and had children as well. Kind of blew my mind a little.

Two of my favorite WWII movies were Downfall, and Enemy at the Gates.

 

Was George Clooney in A Thin Red Line? Trying to think if I am thinking of the same movie everyone is bringing up.

Edit: Whoops I am thinking of a totally different movie :wacko:

 

I believe Ted Dansen was in TTRL, very bad choice.

Sorry, just looked it up, thinking of John Travolta, even worse choice for a period film.

 

Lol

 

Yeah. The was a major gaffe IMO opinion. Very lazy of Ambrose during his research and interviews. He could have easily contacted the family or looked at his service records. Another reason Ambrose left much to be desired.

 

Personally I think Talvisota ("The Winter War") is the best Finnish war movie, although already 30 years old, which shows a bit. Nevertheless the story is good, acting too and the movie is historically accurate.

The biggest problem is, that while in reality during that war there was a lot of snow and also lots of very cold temperatures, during the filming it was unusually warm with little snow. That somewhat disturbs. Also with Hollywood type of money the battle scenes could have been more spectacular.

There's also a 5 h tv mini series with 5 episodes. Am not sure if that version is available with the English/other subtitles.

 

I dont know who Dansen is, however the small role Travolta played was ok. I mean he was "quite" ok in Pulp Fiction too. Which both facts are surprising for me, as I thought before he was a Schmalz kind of guy (kinda like Cruise or Bloom). Clooney was in TTRL but only at the end for a few minutes lol

BTW: I found Enemy At The Gates, quite ok. I was quite impressed with the scenery (the borken ruins etc.). But there was too much Schmalz in it - also I read a crushing review from a Russian guy who apparently thought that his soldiers and army was trashed in their. He concluded all western productions involving Soviets are Propaganda against them.

Also this was more kind of a duel of 2 guys and not so much was shown of the overall battle.

 

Is Talvisota this old already ? I would have thought 15 yrs. or so. My first time watch of it was Finnish with undertitles and it was ok. Finnish at times sounds like Japanese and Turkish lol . seems not a Germanic language ? Cause different to Scandinavien, Dutch or German.

I thought the battle scenes were ok, maybe they would be worse with Hollywood budget.

Also found another series at youtube from continuation war (name?), but found it not so compelling for some reason. The same goes for most (if not all) Russian stuff I tried...

 

1. It's premier was in 1989, so 25 years old to be exact.

2. I suppose it's always with subtitles. What I meant was that there's also a (much) longer version in addition to the movie version.

3. FInnish is not an Indo-European language at all, so no wonder it sounds strange. Estonian is it's closest relative (after Karelian), Hungarian a distant one.

4. Maybe so.

5. A series? I wonder what that one is!

 

2. Cool, I need to hunt this down. Das Boot long version also premier stuff, as well the longer Apocalypse Now.

3. Interesting, I confess I need to learn mopre Finnish history. But guess I know more about it, then 99% of the worlds people already

5. You probably named it somewhere in your recommandations already ? But I will try to find it. I mostly remember the one veteran who joins the rooky company and teaches them how real war is fought. He was in winter war. Also remember some battle vs. KV... not so much more I fear

 

2. Both very good films!

3.

5. This is what I wrote some time ago:

"Actually the film "Winter War" is about the Winter War, as the title suggests. Personally this is my number one Finnish war movie.

There are several films about the Continuation War. The most iconic one is the old "the Unknown Soldier" filmed in the 50's, based on a famous Finnish novel. At least in Finnish it is very good on characters from different parts of Finland. The actors are a bit too old for their roles and the acted battle scenes are outdated - although some of the original war time footage is used.

There is a more modern version of the same film from the 80's which has more realistic feel. Since the author of the original novel had a deep socialist agenda on his books it unfortunately shows in the films as well, especially in the modern one. The picture of the war in these films is only from one angle - not the hole "truth".

More modern "Tali-Ihantala" about the decisive battles of the summer 1944 is excellent in historical accuracy, but it is more like an acted document than a movie. Another one is "Beyond the Front Fine", which is based on real characters and events. Unfortunately it overstates the importance of the Swedish speaking Finns and the small number of the Swedish volunteers in the Continuation War. "

Perhaps you mean the old version of "the Unknown Soldier"? However that one is from the 50's, so no same actors with "the WInter War". They used there a PzIV as a Klim. But that film is not a series.

 

One of the flaws of The Thin Red Line was its use of a extensive 'big name' cast who as in the case of Travolta (thankfully) and Clooney were reduced to cameo's rather than major roles though they were heavily billed. The film came in so bloated that a few well known actors in the film had all their scenes edited out to try and make it coherent.

None the less it was nominated for 7 Academy awards, and won a number of other film awards from other sources. I suspect that part of the reason in gets such polar opposite reviews as it had the feel of a anti-war statement film much like Apocalypse Now from the previous year, leaving a bad taste for some.

Personally I found it disjointed and not very coherent.

 

Ted Danson was in Saving Private Ryan, he was the Pathfinder Captain. George Clooney was in one of the closing scenes of TTRL as a replacement company commander meeting his men for the first time.

I don't go see movies for inspiration, or to be moved, or taught something. War movies and shoot'em ups should have plenty of both in them, combat and things blowing up. No background stories, no bleeding politics, no philosophy, no sill sh1t like that. As far as I'm concerned anyway. If I want to be awed, I'm going to sit in a few sets at a titty bar.

 

A-58 has it...Sam Malone was in Saving Private Ryan...Woody Boyd was in Thin Red Line.

And don't forget that Cliff Clavin was in A Bridge Too Far.

 

Yeah forgot about ole Clifford. He got it in the face crossing the river. I'm surprised that he didn't mention it in one of his bar stories at Cheers, "no sh1t there we were"....

 

Haha, funny you sound like Al Bundy a bit regarding titty bars and movie likes (Al was fan of John Wayne I believe)....


@ belasar: I found it quite funny taht some of big stars in TTRL did only appear a few minutes. But I not a big Clooney fan anyway. Nor Travolte. Nolte, Penn & the one or other of the lower soldiers casts did a good enough job already....imo. I dont know why I constantly defend this movie, maybe it impressed me that much.

I concur with the first 2 or 3 reviews here btw:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

 

No need to defend. Movies strike people in different ways. I believe it was more of a view on the psychology of soldiers than a "war" movie.

 

The nudie bars, living art in it's rawest form....

You might want to check out this website to freshen up your memory a bit dood.

http://married-with-children.com/at-the-nudie-bar-quotes/

 

Lol. Jugs Magazine. Lol. Classic show. My father would use as a nice transition to have the "talk".