What is your absolute favorite scene in a war movie?

For me, it's the final scene in "Paths of Glory," when the French soldiers are in the bar room humming the tune of "The Faithful Hussar" as the young girl sings it in German. The camera pans the room and you can see the looks on the horribly war-weary soldier's faces. You can feel their pain as they realize, well who really knows what someone in that position is feeling. The scene is very powerful to say the least, stops me dead in my tracks every time. There's a clip of it on youtube.

 

I gues the end scene of Flags Of Our Fathers and Saving Private Ryan are the best i have seen...

 

The ending scene of "Stalingrad" was very powerful.

 

Bump.

 

Very difficult to say but in the context of the whole film and its far greater implications one that really springs to mind is the scene in the Pianist where he is found hiding by the SS officer and goes on to play Chopin's 'Ballade 1'. Although totally devoid of 'action' which you'd expect as choices in threads like this, it is truly unforgettable for it's sheer but sombre emotiveness.

YouTube - The Pianist scene: Chopin Ballade 1

 

for me I wont say favorite but its powerful in a sense, the longest day when Red Buttons parachutes out of the plane and gets stuck in the bell tower, and he tries to cut himself down and then he sees below his fellow soldiers being mowed down by the germans

 

"Generation Kill" right after they make contact going through a town and "Brad" says to "Ray" : "Dude...we just just got f*cking lit up"

"Sands of Iwo Jima" : Sgt. Striker leaving money for the baby "In every life a little rain must fall"

"Battle Cry" : The 50 mile hike scene

"Apocalypse Now-Redux" : When Captain Willard steals the surfboard

"Kelly's Heroes" Any scene with Don Rickles in it

 

I always wondered what the name of that tune was? thanks ;-))

Not necessarily a War Movie but, I love the ending fight scenes in: The Wild Bunch. I always loved the scene where "Pike" (William Holden) stands up straight and looks at that arrogent German Officer, and decides to shoot him because the arrogance he spewed-ticked him off. Sam Peckanpah had a great talent-which is now being copied more and more by Directors. Sadly, I sure wish he had not had an addiction to drugs. Can you imagine how other movies could have turned out had Peckinpah had his hands involved with the project? I can only imagine The Big Red One being slightly better had he co-directed it with Sam Fuller-whom I always liked a lot as well-and though Sam Fuller did an excellent job with: TBRO.

Another thought on Peckinpah. Can you imagine at how differently movies like Windtalkers, Pearl Harbor and such-would have been had Peckinpah been the Director on them? I like somewhat-Windtalkers-but loathe P.H. I also wish that Peckinpah could have been involved with the combat scenes in The Wild Geese-even though I find no fault at all with that movie as it is-with the exception that it had to end.

 

I would have to say mine is in Breakthrough when Steiner? (been so long since I have seen it) blows the hell out of the toliet in the station. Capt? Lt? (was an officer) asks him what he is doing. replies "denying the enemy the use of the facilities sir!"

 

I barely remember Breakthrough and it sorely lacked James Coburn and Maximilian Schell. I don't remember the Lavatory scene though. All I remember is theat Curt Jurgens was a German General who I think wanted to defect to the Allies, and that Sgt. Steiner, Corporal Krueger and the Radioman (Anselm?) (from Cross of Iron) had for some reason? been transferred to the Western Front.

 

steve Mc queen,aka hilts in the great escape,the scene! escaping on the motorbike,he's confronted with having to jump the barbed wire barrier to escape the germans,gotta be!

 

Yes, Cpl. Krueger, he is the one that shot the heck out of the toilet!! I gotta find somebody to put this movie on DVD for me!! Steiner was Richard Burton.

 

WWII war movie?if its WWII its got to be the start of saving private ryan.

The big fight at the end of kellys heroes is great too.

 

Hey Carl, go over to Youtube and type in "Paths of Glory" and you will see several entries with that song. There are other movie scenes there as well, but I prefer the last scene with concerning the singing of "The Faithful Hussar." As always, it is quite a moving scene.

And I concur on your "The Wild Bunch" statement. The Long Walk scene is very powerful and builds the tension leading up to the big shoot out at the end perfectly. That scene is also viewable on Youtube. I think I will go check it out again....

 

I love the final scenes of 'Stalingrad' and 'Come and See'

 

Very end of A Bridge Too Far.

 

I don't know if I'd call it a 'war movie" but there was a scene in a quazi-documentrary on PBS I watched some years ago on the American revolution. In that show there was a scene of the British confronting American locals on Concord Square. The Americans line up in their best imitation of a firing line they can, resolute to show down the British troops.
The British troops approach marching in lockstep. Their muskets and various metal fittings on their uniforms glitter in the sun. A drummer or drummers beats out the pace and their foot falls pound along the pavement.
Upon the column entering the square the officers on horseback begin shouting orders for the unit to form up to face the Americans. There are bugle calls, whistles, shouted orders and such. The troops wheel in formation in perfect unison. Their uniforms, precision, and appearance is intimidating and you can see that reflected in the American's nervous looks.
The British formation now in a three rank deep line faces the Americans and the scene goes silent. The British commanding officer orders the Americans to lower their guns and submit to British authority. The Americans in nervous defiance refuse.
The officer goes through the loading sequence for his men. He then tells them to fix bayonets. They do this like a well oiled machine.
The British officer then shouts to "PRESENT!" The troops lower their weapons into a firing position and shout with a roar that is felt as well as heard "HUZZAH!!"
Many of the American defenders are slinking off scared to death of what is to come. The American line faulters and not a shot is fired. You can see the fear in their eyes and bodies.
A shot rings out from somewhere. A British soldier falls.
The British line fires on command. Smoke, confusion, the Americans scatter! The British officer orders a charge. The battle ends... for now.

It was immaculately reinacted. The moral feel of battle was captured perfectly. Someone on that set actually knew how and what to capture to make the battle scene really feel and look the way it should. By far the best single battle scene I have ever seen.

 

Private Ryan crying his guts out in "Saving Private Ryan."

There was no romanticizing about war in this movie and that is how it should be since there is absolutely nothing romantic about war!

Bob Guercio

 

My favorite has to be the snow battle in "Battleground". Abner dosen't have a pair of "goooulash'es" to fit him; he is hit coming up in his foxhole grabbing for his wet boots and his dying words are "ma ma". Holley starts to run for the rear, then the recruit follows him saying he is with him. This gives holley the courage he needs; they rush to the German flank. The firefight is just cool; M1 clips pinging out of the rifle's, along with all of that automatic fire from the BAR's and 30 cals. Ending with the German soldier dying and calling for his mother.

James Whitmore really made this movie for me also!

 

I get the stalingrad scene,i didnt mention it because i thought it might be too obscure.
Sharing the last smoke is good too.