What is the best WW2 Movie ?

I didnt like the Big Red One. The Shermans really piss me off in that movie, not to mention the fact that everyone yells like a girl when they get stabbed.

 

I tend to dislike a lot of the old WWII movies. they tend not to be very realistic.

 

Some of the older ones are actually better. It all depends on what you prefer in the movie a good story, good combats scences, accurace or all of the above.

 

a great movie from the early 60s ...the victors ....george peppard . george hammilton , eli wallach , peter fonda ...if you havent seen this movie , do so ...the first ever hollywood movie that takes a rather dark and sober view of the us army in ww2 ... an anti war movie , long before viet nam made such movies oh so hip ... also ...THE YOUNG LIONS ...marlon brando , monty clift , ...THE TRAIN ..burt lancaster ...FROM HERE TO ETERNITY ... BEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES ...old black and white ...not for kids ..these are thinking mans movies...

 

I dont remember the name but are you reffering to the movie where George Peppard plays a German jew fighting against Germany in the desert and drive behind enemy lines?

 

Gunter:
I believe you are referring to Tobruk if memory serves...

Tim

 

I think I am...... but I am not 100% sure I am not very good with names, that includes movies and people.

 

g peppard was in tobruk with richard burton it was ok .....the victors is a better movie....peppard was best in blue max... imo

 

"Twelve O'Clock High" with Gregory Peck is an excellent flick, very realistic. So are "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Guns of Navarone" for those who are drawn more to espoinage type films. "Back To Bataan" is one of the best wartime-made war movies, IMHO. "A Bridge Too Far" is a nice account of Operation Market-Garden, with "The Longest Day" doing the same for Operation Overlord. These films do have the flaws and inaccuracies, but that is to be expected of anything Hollywood puts out.

 

The problem I have with A Bridge Too Far and The Longest Day is that ultimately, Cornelius Ryan's books can't be turned into movies, because of the very way they describe the battles they are about. From an almost anecdotal point of view, the story of the big battles is recounted by way of skipping from one eyewitness report to another; this makes for very interesting reading and shows every side of a conflict, but in a movie it only leads to an insane number of characters and sidetracks and the complete lack of a general plot.

In both movies they've tried to prevent confusion about the characters by casting extremely famous people in important roles. However none of them really get the screen time they deserve, simply because the books won't allow that for any single character.

Of course, Stephen Ambrose did the exact same thing with Band of Brothers: no main character, only a huge collection of eyewitness accounts from nearly every man in the company. However, the people who turned his book into a TV series were wise enough to take their time for it (12 hours instead of 3) and to focus on one character in every episode, doing their own research to complement what was in the book.

 

In appreciating some of those old WW2-era movies, one must remember that even Hollywood went to war, and their mission was to turn-out cinema that inspired the American public, and drove home the point that their cause was right, to support the war-effort--gas and auto-tire rationing--the US auto industry quit making civilian automobiles until wars' end, as they were geared-up for the effort as well.
My parents and grandparents told me about the aluminum drives, and the voluntary gathering of pots and pans for the war-effort. The home-front was actively supporting the effort for Total Victory... quite unlike the situation today.
Even the wonderful old Warner Brothers and 3 Stooges cartoons parodied Hitler, Tojo and the Axis forces. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck did their part too. Those old cartoons give a marvelous insight into the times...

Tim

 

Das Boot (the director's cut - don't watch while depressed)
Tora Tora Tora (Great stock footage)
Midway (haven't I seen this stock footage before?)
Soldier of Orange http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076734/
Battle Of Britian (Could really use a new release with CGI updates)
Patton
Kelly's Heroes
Dam Busters (B/W) Hey where is Luke Skywalker?
The Enemy Below

If you are going for TV
The World at War (the whole series)
Victory at Sea
Danger UXB (British)
Band of Brothers

(The Worst World War movie ever: U571)

 

Has anyone else here seen Taeguki (release under the name of Brotherhood in the US n Europe), Ok not exactly a World War 2 film, but Korean war, but it features some nice scenes which use alot of World War 2 gear from the Americans and Soviet forces, at points it is quite grizzly in detail and has a nice plot and depicts warfare in a When Trumpets Fade style.

 

First time to hear about "Taeguki"... But, the other thing is that many people here praise "When Trumpets Fade". Is it really that good?I haven't been able to find it yet.

Also, two days ago I saw "Men of Glory" or something like that-- I forgot it already! Has anyone seen something like it?
It says the story of a French colonial company from training to the battles at Alsace in 1945. It mainly focuses at the discrimination between French and Africans.
Personally, I found it mediocre; I followed exactly the concept of "Saving Pvt Ryan" with the baptism of fire at the start, a quiet interval and, finally, a battle in a remote French village in Alsace. This way, the film seems handicapped to me...

 

Ah..."The Guns of Navarone"! Very good acting, but if you've lived in Greece you would also find it funny! The film was shot in Rhodes island--south eastern Aegean--but there are scenes,for example when the team crosses the mountains--that brings more laugh than suspense. In that particular island has to snow like that--if ever does-- for centuries!
Furthermore, the name Navarone can be found in an area of the southern Greek mainland roughly 700km west.
However, i must say it was a very enjoying film.

PS; Sorry for the double post

 

I don't apprecitae how they left out the canadians :angry:

Anyone see the "Halls of Montizuma" ? Made in the early 50's, and I was kinda surprised as it would have been quite a dark movie for those days.

I tend to find Das Boot, When trumpetts Fade, Cross of Iron, and A Bridge to far to be the best

 

The film has caused quite a stir in certain quarters, as it was intended to highlight the huge part played in the Free French Forces by African troops (apparently the majority of the Free French troops were African) and the way that they were exploited and then ignored by history, to the extent of only allowing all-white units to 'liberate' Paris.

 

MOST FREE FRENCH TROOPS WERE ARABS? is this true?

 

:roll: Not all Africans are Arabs Woody, it doesn't surprise me however that this may be true. France had a large colonial empire including colonies in North Africa, when France capitulated a large number of her Metropolitan soldiers (Those in France and from France) marched into captivity, her Colonial (Which included the Africans) troops remained under the control of the Vichy government IIRC.

The Africans in North Africa enjoyed more opportunities to join the Free French than their Metropolitan counterparts directly under German occupation or even in German PoW camps.

 

oh thanks simon for clearing that up for me...in ww1 i know there were colonial troops from senegal (not arabs ) ..but i think the algerians (goums ? ) were more common in french armies of ww2 ..but arabs the majority of free french? ..dont we have a couple of french member experts to set this straight? er castleberry or castlelot of somthing like such...