If you could remake a WWII movie, what would that film be?

Most movies could be done better, with improved technology and better actors etc.

For movies yet to be made - how about something on the Italian campaign 1943-45. I can't think of one (Anzio was so dire it doesn't count).

As for casting actors. How about using relatively unknowns as done so supremely well in Band of Brothers. That series was so effective because you could concentrate on the programme and not play 'spot the movie star.'

And for a movie in which the Germans won. What about 'A Bridge Too Far' about Operation Market Garden. The allies didn't come out of that too well and the war lasted another year in Europe. Even the film 'Dunkirk' although portraying a British success in getting 300,000 plus off the beaches and back home - let's face it, we were beaten, left most of our equipment behind and were wide open to invasion and total defeat.

Cheers.

 

Good point on movies where the Germans came out on top.

 

Hello DaveW53,

I wouldn't really look at OMG as a German victory. The allies took controll of all the bridges besides one - and the Germans were just lucky for the British to be a bit off on their respective planing in regards to Arnheim. until today I never understood why the Allies called it off - IMO the xxx Corps though a bit late could have overcome any existing German resistance at Arnheim with ease.

As for Dunkirk, I have never heard of that movie - when was it produced? propably it is on the German index due to having won a battle

Regards
Kruska

 

Kruska
Never heard of 'Dunkirk' the movie!? It is a Brit film that celebrates its 50th birthday this year. Perhaps it is ready to be remade with a less propaganda style approach. Keep a stiff upper lip chaps.
Dunkirk (1958)

If you don't see this as a German victory I would hate to see what you consider a heavy defeat for the allies. Operation Market Garden resulted in massive casualties, renewed optimism for the Germans and left the allies cover weak in areas such as the Ardennes. This was exploited by the Germans before the end of the year at the Battle of the Bulge.
Operation Market Garden Reconsidered » HistoryNet - From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher

Dave

 

How about a war film remake of anything made in hoollywoody that takes into account the war starting in 1939 and and the yanks dont win the war all by themselves

 

Kruska, Dunkirk is an excellent movie and I can't praise it enough. Also, one of it's main stars is my most favorite British actors-Sir John Mills. He plays Corp "Tubby" Binns-who is in charge of a small group of men who are trying to make their way to Dunkirk Beach-while going through German lines. I love many of his lines with this one my favorite: "STUKAS, take cover!!" They were in a field when a flight of Stukas started to attack a target. The movie also includes Lord Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee.

 

Hello Dave W53,

Dunkirk, nope this movie has never been shown in Germany, probably being on the index due to Nazis having won a battle.

As for German victory; I would say the last German victory against the Western Allies was the little Dieppe Raid and in Russia it would have been the drive into the Caucasus and Stalingrad in September 1942. After that it was defeat and retreat all the way.

As for OMG, well from German point of view around 10,000 casualties are nowhere near the term “massive casualties”. Anyway as I mentioned earlier I still do not understand why Monty didn’t carry on. Those German units in and around Arnheim could never have stopped the XXX Corps from taking and crossing Arnheim.
Also if you have been there, you will notice that the Rhine is very narrow at Arnheim, even a destruction of the two bridges could not have stopped the XXX Corps.

Battle of the Bulge and OMG have IMO nothing to do with each other. The vital Port of Antwerp was taken in September, however due to OMG the forces needed to clear the river Scheldt were not available and as such the port could not be put into operation.

Only after the 28th of November Antwerp was put into action and thus allowing vital supplies to be brought forward to the allies in a much shorter time then before. This is when Hitler decided to attack in the Ardennes, with the intension to retake Antwerp in order to cut off the Allied supply route and at the same time splitting up the Allied Forces.

Regards
Kruska

 

Hello Carl,

hope everything is well now in Corpus Christi.

Yes Sir John Mills and especially Sir Richard Attenbourough sound very interesting indeed. Lets see if I can get my hands on that movie somehow.

Regards
Andy

 

Hi Kruska, good stuff here. Not correcting you on anything but just reminding you of a couple of after 42 battles that the Germans won against the Allies-which are: Cisterna and Anzio. Or maybe Anzio can really be called a tie? ;-))

Best regards-Carl.

 

Hi Andy, if your in Europe, it's been released on VHS but not yet on DvD. However, I was lucky and found an unopened copy of the VHS tape (Region 2) on Amazon.com. I got it for about $30 bucks, and it was shipped to a friend of mine who made an excellent copy of it (2 copies actually) on DvD and then sent all to me. The DvD was made as either a region 0 or region 1 DvD. I'd be happy to have been able to give you my copy of the DvD but several months ago, I gave it to another good member of this site.

But if you want it, try looking on Amazon-I thought $30 bucks was a steal for this movie-and the guy who had the tape-lives in Washington and didn't charge me for shipping. Anyway, i've found several big steals on Amazon-such as a few very rare and long OOP book titles.

Take care Andy, and best regards--Carl.

 

Andy/Carl

Dunkirk is available on DVD but is rare and can be expensive.
Amazon.co.uk: Dunkirk [1958]: John Mills, Richard Attenborough, Robert Urquhart, Bernard Lee, Flanagan And Allan, Leslie Norman: DVD

A quick look on ebay pulled up a result.
DUNKIRK (REGION 2) JOHN MILLS / RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH on eBay, also, DVDs, DVD, Film TV (end time 28-Sep-08 11:43:36 BST)

Hope you get a chance to see it some day soon.

Cheers. Dave.

 

Hi Dave, many thanks for this good news. The only bad thing is, if the DvD release is only in Region 2? If it's a region 0, i'd love to have a copy of it ;-))

Welcome to these forums, and take care--Sincerely--Carl.

PS, any luck on there being a DvD release of The Password Is Courage? I'd love to have that movie as well.

 

This will probably sound strange coming from a 20 yr AF vet, but I have always felt that a movie based on what Taffy 3 did at Samar Bay as well as all the other units and battles of Leyte Gulf could be another epic WWII blockbuster.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors would be a great place to start. All those men where from all across the US had such varied backgrounds and skills that there could be great subplots based on just how they wound up on Taffy 3. And the action scenes with multimillion dollars CGI would be breath taking!

Do we have any screen writers? I want to go see it NOW!

 

Actually, I am a somewhat known writer. Lately, I've been talking to the owner of an independent studio in Hollywood. He's interested in two of my stories, but the biggest hang up is control. I want the script done as it is written on paper. He wants freedom to make changes (his excuse-finances). Thank God, my stories are copyrighted, so if he proceeds without me, he's screwed.

Look at the revisionist history in Pearl Harbor. No story deserves that. A risk averese Hollywood would rather a big name actor get the script and make the changes that he wants, but I prefer to go with unknowns and do the story right.

 

Not to mention the terrible role casting that was done. I really loathed that movie!

I certainly agree that you as the creative person should have absolute control of the script and have veto power over cost cutting efforts. It's like tell Monet that "It's a great painting, but we'll have to make prints in B&W only to save money!"

 

I wonder with the day of our incredible present graphics if Monte Cassino could do justice in a 6 hour movie ? or a re-do of Waterloo with 10,000 horsemen ?

maybe cover one of the major air battles over the Reich in 43 or 44 ?

 

Hello DaveW53,

thanks a lot for the info. I will keep an eye on it.

Regards
Kruska

 

Has anyone read the posts in the "Bataan and prisoner of the Japanese" thread over in the "Honor, Service and Valor" forum? It's a good read and I think it would provide excellent subject matter for a move. I can't do it justice by explaining what I read there, so y'all will have to go and take a looksee for yourselves and see what I am talking about. Let me know what y'all think....

 

I'd remake "Band of Brothers" as a British regt in North Africa and Italy.

 

Battle of the Bulge by far!