Top 10 of the genre: War Movies

[E.H. Ruddock]

I can't put them in numerical order, but here are my ten favorite:

The Sun
Bridge on the River Kwai
All Quiet on the Western Front
Apocalypse Now
Das Boot
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
Midway
The Guns of Navarone
The Green Zone
Blackhawk Down (these last two movies are ok, but some personal connections for me)

Honorable mentions: Pretty much all WW II movies made in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, We Were Soldiers, Hamburger Hill, The Thin Red Line, Saving Private Ryan, Lone Survivor, The Hurt Locker, many more.

[McParadigm]

I like Gettysburg and Catch-22.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Tried to keep any spy movies out of it, even if during wartime. Spy movies would be another good thread.

[@SkitchP]

I like Gettysburg and Catch-22.

Glory #BecauseBraugher

[E.H. Ruddock]

Catch-22.

Great one.

[tommymtcom]

I did not care for the movie version of Catch-22. I felt it got the tone wrong (although my interpretation of the tone of the book might be the issue). I think it would have been funnier without the campy performances.

[Alex]

you start with Act of Valor and then you work your way down the rest of the list

[Whitey McTeeth]

Can we also discuss the card game "War" in here?

[E.H. Ruddock]

you start with Act of Valor and then you work your way down the rest of the list

Not even close.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Can we also discuss the card game "War" in here?

No

[Whitey McTeeth]

Oh.
Have a happy thread then.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Oh.
Have a happy thread then.

Just post a war movie you like, Whitey.

[Whitey McTeeth]

Did they make a movie adaptation of War the card game?

[E.H. Ruddock]

Did they make a movie adaptation of War the card game?

Why are you being difficult today?!

[Whitey McTeeth]

Fine
The one with Tom Hanks in it.

[Whitey McTeeth]

Wait.
I mean Independence Day.

[McParadigm]

I like Gettysburg and Catch-22.

Glory #BecauseBraugher

Of the two, I think Gettysburg impacted me more because it was gripping without deviating from accuracy. Aside from the core problem every Civil War movie has ("we don't want it to be a gorefest, so we'll have people just fall down when they die and thus thoroughly understate the human significance and personal impact of every single moment"), the detail to which Gettysburg captured what actually happened is astounding...and it did so without losing the powerful emotional core that a historical drama movie needs to have. It was pretty much one shot of Lee having diarrhea away from perfect historical accuracy, and yet it has an almost Shakespearean tragic core to it.

Glory was a good movie, admittedly with a few aspects that haven't aged well, but it bent and adjusted too much of what was already an engaging story that had no reason to be adjusted.

Both have great soundtracks. Both have hilarious fake facial hair. One has purple and green explosions, though.

[LoathedVermin72]

This was insanely difficult to narrow down to ten. Not in order, and not counting espionage-y stuff, pre-gun wars, or sci-fi:

49th Parallel
Band of Brothers
Castle Keep
The Deer Hunter
Gone with the Wind
Hell in the Pacific
The Heroes of Telemark
Paths of Glory
The Thin Red Line
Where Eagles Dare

Long list of honorable mentions:
Apocalypse Now
Ashes and Diamonds
Battle of the Bulge
Battleground
Beach Red
Between Heaven and Hell
The Big Red One
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Force 10 from Navarone
Full Metal Jacket
Fury
A Generation
Grand Illusion
The Great Escape
The Green Berets
Hope and Glory
Lawrence of Arabia
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Lions for Lambs
Men Behind the Sun
Men in War
Patton
The Pianist
Raintree County
Rambo
Tora! Tora! Tora!

[tommymtcom]

1. Zulu

[BurtReynolds]

I remember Memphis Belle being pretty good.