Posted on 11/03/2005 1:55:10 PM PST by wallcrawlr
In a pivotal scene in the new Gulf War film "Jarhead," an audience of young Marines watches the famous "Ride of the Valkyries" scene from "Apocalypse Now" before they leave for the combat zone. Cheering Robert Duvall and his helicopter gunships, they revel in the movie's visceral depiction of destructive power.
• The fact that the film was meant to be antiwar doesn't deter them. "Actually, Vietnam War films are all prowar no matter what the supposed message," Anthony Swofford writes in the grimly candid memoir on which "Jarhead" is based. Marines love them because "the magic brutality of the films celebrates the terrible and despicable beauty of their fighting skills."
• A great war film is one that carries a variety of meanings for different viewers. It must show the gung-ho thrill of battle heroism and the absurdity of squandered lives, the psychological costs of combat and the camaraderie between soldiers, idealism and disillusion, the dignity of the cause and the futility of war.
• Here is a collection of classics worthy of repeated viewing, and often-overlooked treasures.
• "Full Metal Jacket"
• "Saving Private Ryan"
• "Black Hawk Down"
• "Three Kings"
• "They Were Expendable"
• "Das Boot"
• "Apocalypse Now"
• "Zulu"
• "The Battle of Algiers"
• "Starship Troopers"
Why these 10?
"FULL METAL JACKET"
Stanley Kubrick presents his extraordinarily unformulaic war movie in two parts. The prologue shows the boot camp where a leather-lunged drill instructor (Marine Corps vet R. Lee Ermey) turns young American civilians into killing machines. The climax brings them to Vietnam, where their training is all but useless in the chaos of actual combat. A sardonic portrait of militarism from the director of "Paths of Glory,"Dr. Strangelove" and "Barry Lyndon." (1987)
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
"Apocalypse Now" – 100% comedy.
"Starship Troopers" – 100% comedy.
"Full Metal Jacket" – not too bad
"Saving Private Ryan" – great!
"Zulu" – also great.
What happened to “We were Soldiers”? It should have been on the top of any list. It was one of the finest war movies ever made.
I like the WWII movies too...but I especially like finding war movies that deal with WWI and earlier.
Two that I would add to the list are the realistic Vietnam War film "Go Tell the Spartans," and the surrealistic WW II film "Castle Keep." One thing they have in common is the magnificent Burt Lancaster.
Lost Battalion was good. I liked it too.
12 O'Clock High. Suspense, tension, realistic and very little combat--best movie I've seen on the responsibilities and pressures of commanding men in combat.
I agree.I'm in full agreement with Brokaw when he speaks of "the greatest generation".
Band of Brothers.
Black Hawk Down was crap, I thought the documentary on that event was way better than the movie.
I have to agree, Band of Brothers is one of the miniseries I've ever seen.
Starship Troopers?? A movie about killing giant bugs? And it appeals to the brain?
I was doing fine with the list until this one upon which I said, "Huh?".
I think Band of Brothers is the best miniseries ever made, and might well be the best war film ever made. I don't know what would beat it.
Did you see "The Great Raid"? Though it was pretty much overlooked, I really liked it. It had a strong Catholic component to it (which was inescapable, since it took place in the Phillipines). It had a personal connection to me, since I never met my paternal grandmother because of that war (lack of proper medical attention), as well as my great uncle John, the first member of my maternal grandmother's family to be born in the United States (his family was from Poland, and he died in the Bataan Death March).
Other than two movies made back during WW2 (Bataan and Back to Bataan), I don't know of any.
Starship Troopers, a top 10 war movie that appeals to the brain? I don't think so. However, Denise Richards is very appealing for other, less cerebral, reasons.
I am glad I'm not the only one to have thought of 12 O'Clock High.
I am going to add another one in here:
Master and Commander (which was great for those of us who hadn't read the books first!)
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