Best World War II Films

I'd have to agree with you on "the longest day'Thats got to be my all time favorite WW2 movie

 

My favourite WWII films would hardly certainly doesn't represent the definitive list of great WWII films, partly because there are many that I haven't seen and also the fact that reasons for liking films vary. For instance, some I enjoy mainly for their entertainment value while others for their historical detail. So here goes (In no particular order):

The Dam Busters

Battle of Britain

Saving Private Ryan

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Enigma

Dark Blue World

The Longest Day

Tora! Tora! Tora!

Patton

Schindler's List

Reach For The Sky

Memphis Belle

The Great Escape

 

There have been serious questions raised about the authenticity of EE. For example, the Hitler Youth (of which the hero is a member), usually did their exercises in the nude (like the ancient Greeks). Can't really hide circumcision then.

Probably best looked upon as fiction.

 

"Come and See" was great!
There's also supposed to be an older German film, Die Brucke (the bridge), concerning a few German kids left to defend a bridge in 1945.

What about "Midnight Clear"? And the classics -" Slaughterhouse 5" and "Catch 22"?
Those shouldn't be missed.

There is a fictional Japanese film, made in the 1960s, that begins by interviewing "veterans" and then flashbacks to the actual combat. Can't remember the name off hand.

 

Eastern Front:
Cross of Iron
Come and See

Western Front:
A Bridge Too Far
The Longest Day

Far East:
Empire of the Sun
Battle of Midway

Air Warfare:
The Dambusters
The Battle of Britain

Naval Warfare:
Das Boot
Sink The Bismarck

Home Front:
Went the Day Well
Dads Army

SOE:
Carve Her Name with Pride
Black Book

Holocaust:
Schindlers List
The Pianist

POW's:
The Colditz Story
The Great Escape

War in Africa:
Ice Cold in Alex
The Desert Rats

I reserve the right to change my mind

 

I loved Saving Private Ryan, that is by far the best World War II movie made, in my opinion of course
I got the D-Day 60th anniversary edition, pretty case if I do say so myself

 

Drew5233, thank you for listing "A Bridge Too Far". I loved that movie when it first came out and finally got a chance to see it again just recently. Wow!! I think it is better than "The Longest Day" in that "A Bridge" much better portrays the gritty bloody reality of war. The characters in "A Bridge" are better drawn, too, and the vignettes seem more detailed. Overall, a great, great movie.
Regarding "Saving Private Ryan", I thought the D-day scenes and the combat scenes at the end were outstanding but in between it was so much hooey. Why is a German machine gun position out in the middle of nowhere all by themselves? Why is one half-track coming through the meadow by itself? Why were the paratroopers out in the meadow to get that one half-track but not out there otherwise? And so on and so forth. It very much reminded me of the 70s' comics where Sgt. Rock and Easy Company would go on some impossible mission behind enemy lines and run into all these single or small groups of Germans yet never run into a big unit or a cohesive defensive position.
Another sentimental favorite of mine has been "Battle of the Bulge". I know, I know - talk about hooey and historical inaccuracy but what great performances by Charles Bronson, Robert Shaw and "Dano" (James MacArthur). This was the first (and probably only) war movie I ever watched with my Dad and it sparked my interest in WWII.

 

I can't believe you did not like big red one..........


Top three

Saving private ryan
enemy at the gate
big red one



Those are all good ww2 movies.

 

My favorite WWII movie probably is Der Untergang - The Downfall.
After seeing it again yesterday i just can't deny it anymore.
Also Big Red One (for sentimental reasons)

 

My favourite is

The boy in the striped pyamas

 

One thing is for sure, Hollywood makes the pretties movies.

 

I see many comments about favorite movies, yet the thread title is best WW II films.

Judging a film by its merits means putting personal sentiment aside and
considering all the elements that make a movie great, i.e., the directing, cinematography, the writing, the story telling, the acting and so forth.

Taking these into account, as we should, I would suggest the very best movies of the
war are Stalag 17, Das Boot, Twelve O'Clock High, Letters from Iwo Jima and Patton.
Next tier would includes Schindler’s List, Bridge on the River Kwai, Downfall, The Burmese Harp (1956) and the first twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan.


Dave

 

A "Bridge too Far" is by far my favorite, since a lot of the portrayed action happened all around me. Have lots of family in the City of Nijmegen and even went to school in the briefly shown town of "Grave" -known by the Allies as "Gravy", for obvious reasons. The bridge there across the river Maas (Meuse) was one of the first conquered in the operation. It was accomplished by Lt. Thompson's platoon of the 504th PIR. The bridge has since been named the Lt. Thompson bridge! Did you know that the Arnhem bridge (too far) portrayed in the movie wasn't in Arnhem at all. It was actually in the City of Deventer +/- 50kms north! Read the book and watch the movie (again). They don't come much better than that.

 

Gentelmen:

I am dlighted that A Bridge too Far is mentioned by some. I like it because I comande the Parachute Infantry Compnay that secued the St. Odenroode Brige over the Drommel River on 17 September 1944. I like most of all the jumping scenes and General Horrocks Briefing. He summed up Market - Garden in a little over three minutes. All of the spedcial effects were live. The Britsh Jump people were fro the Parachute Regiment and the American Jump from th 509th Parachute Bn.

No computerized simulations. They even had a number of Horsa Glider buit for the film. I admire their hold on accuracy. Just one Old Guys Opinion,

As Ever,

Walter L. Marlowe

( Airborne all the Way)

 

Letters from iwo jima was a very enjoyable movie, moreso then flags of our fathers but i still enjoyed the movie.

 

Without a doubt,
THE CRUEL SEA,.....'snorkers good oh'

 

well I like, the halls of muntazuma, the flying tigers, the sands of iwo jima, to hell and back, 12o'clock high, stalag 17, the longest day, saving private ryan, the fighting seabee's, in harm's way, tora tora tora, midway, the great raid, windtalkers, mister roberts, flight of the phoenix and the desert fox.

 

I am with you on this! I to love when the germans speak german,it gives you a real feel that the both sides are emenies and not friends in a movie,and also,if germans speak Engilsh,i perferr if they had German accents and not American accents.

Yes,i agree,that British have British accents and Americans have American accents.

I do love the movie and think it;s one of the best movie- A midnight clear!
Saints and soilders.
All quit on the western front (ww1 though) also,it would be more realistic with the germans spoke German or with a german accent.

 

has anyone seen the russian film "they fought for the motherland"? and what did you make of it ,also "the winter war" was quite good too

 

I may be a little late in contributing but what a great topic guaranteed to generate discussion. To me "Saving Pvt Ryan" is the best, so many great scenes. "A Bridge Too Far" is my number 2 pick. Did you ever think about the fact that Cornelius Ryan wrote three WWII books, 1) The Longest Day: A Bidge Too Far: and The Last Battle. It's interesting that they never made the last into a movie, possibly an issue of showing the brutality of the the Russians in Berlin. I think that "12 o' Clock High" was better than "Memphis Belle". Someone suggested "Gallipoli" and "All Quiet On The Western Front", great movies but wrong war, WWI.
I didn't see "Midway" mentioned, gotta love it like "The Longest Day".

But no one but no one will ever deliver a speech like George C. Scott in the opening scene of "Patton". and now as "the man" said, "Okay you Sons of a b******, you know how I feel".