# Best All-Time Military Movies -- Pre-Poll Data Gathering

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 26, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835 "2015-05-26T00:38:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 10

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/181 "2015-05-29T05:36:01Z")

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_ **The Beast** _ Afghans vs Sovs.

_ **Prisoners of the Sun** _ Takei on trial for war crimes.

_ **The Great Raid** _ Saw this not long ago. Really good!

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/182 "2015-05-29T08:53:14Z")

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What the hell: let’s throw in _ **Raid on Rommel** _, where the Germans are so stupid you expect to see at any minute a sign saying “ACHTUNG! This way to the ammo dump!”

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/183 "2015-05-29T09:00:39Z")

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Spanish Civil War.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/184 "2015-05-29T12:44:00Z")

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I’ve added a Part 2 thread/poll at

> **[Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 -- Part 2](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=758055)**
>
> Because I started Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 too soon, and since another batch of suggested titles have come in at Best All-Time Military Movies – Pre-Poll Data Gathering, I feel it’s only fair to give those interested another...

Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 – Part 2

which covers the overflow of

The Birth of a Nation [The Birth of a Nation (1915) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004972/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4) (1915)  
The Fall of Babylon [The Fall of Babylon (1919) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010108/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1919)  
Tell It To the Marines [Tell It to the Marines (1926) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018471/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1926)  
The Dawn Patrol [The Dawn Patrol (1930) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020815/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (1930)  
Bonnie Scotland [Bonnie Scotland (1935) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026126/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1935)  
The Charge of the Light Brigade [The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027438/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1936)  
Blockheads [Block-Heads (1938) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029923/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (1938)  
The Dawn Patrol [The Dawn Patrol (1938) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030044/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1938)  
Drums along the Mohawk [Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031252/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1939)  
Gone with the Wind [Gone with the Wind (1939) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1939)

Please vote there even if you posted other suggestions here.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/185 "2015-05-29T12:44:24Z")

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> [@terentii](#):
>
> _ **Taras Bulba** _ with Yul Brynner, Tony Curtis, and Christine Kaufman. 16th-century Cossacks vs Turks and Poles.

Which immediately reminded me of The Conqueror, with John Wayne as Genghis Khan.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/186 "2015-05-29T12:57:47Z")

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I wanted to take this chance to thank everybody for contributing to this thread!

Especially

```auto

User Name Posts 

terentii 46 
Boyo Jim 11 
Peter Morris 9 
kopek 6 
Elendil's Heir 4 
JKilez 4 
Precambrianmollusc 4 
Colibri 4 
Algernon 3 
DinoR 3 
El_Kabong 3 

Add all others
Total Posts: 185

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/187 "2015-05-29T12:59:29Z")

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> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> I wanted to take this chance to thank everybody for contributing to this thread!
> 
> Especially
> 
> ```auto
> 
> User Name Posts 
> 
> terentii 46 
> Boyo Jim 11 
> Peter Morris 9 
> kopek 6 
> Elendil's Heir 4 
> JKilez 4 
> Precambrianmollusc 4 
> Colibri 4 
> Algernon 3 
> DinoR 3 
> El_Kabong 3 
> 
> Add all others
> Total Posts: 185
> 
> ```

I think you may have some kind of OCD-like disorder related to statistics. 😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/188 "2015-05-29T13:07:38Z")

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> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> I think you may have some kind of OCD-like disorder related to statistics. 😃

There’s ample evidence to support that theory! 😃

It keeps me out of the road traffic!

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/189 "2015-05-29T16:04:02Z")

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I did an actual count of unique movies on our list and, assuming I didn’t miscount, the breakdown at this time is

```auto

Pre 1940 = 23
1940s = 43
1950s = 49
1960s = 60
1970s = 22 
1980s = 33
1990s = 22
2000s = 40
Total = 292

```

I’m going to gamble that a poll on the 1990s would be the next place to start, but I’ll give it another day to see if there are additions to that era – or any others.

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/190 "2015-05-29T16:15:24Z")

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> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> I’m going to gamble that a poll on the 1990s would be the next place to start, but I’ll give it another day to see if there are additions to that era – or any others.

[Richard III (1995)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_%281995_film%29)

Shakespeare’s play presented with early 20th Century costume and weapons.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/191 "2015-05-29T16:36:12Z")

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> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> [Richard III (1995)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_%281995_film%29)
> 
> Shakespeare’s play presented with early 20th Century costume and weapons.

You da man! Keep ‘em comin’.

I must have invoked the “Unspeakable Law” or something like that. 🙂

I just had to check [http://zira.home.xs4all.nl/murphy.html](http://zira.home.xs4all.nl/murphy.html) to see if I was being too arcane with that term…

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**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/192 "2015-05-29T16:37:33Z")

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Since the definition of war movie is pretty loose here and the most of what I’d add have already been mentioned I’ll offer [Guns at Batasi](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058166/)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/193 "2015-05-29T16:48:59Z")

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> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> [Richard III (1995)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_%281995_film%29)
> 
> Shakespeare’s play presented with early 20th Century costume and weapons.

Richard III [Richard III (1995) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114279/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1995)

ETA: Thanks, **Sitnam**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/194 "2015-05-29T19:59:23Z")

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> [@terentii](#):
>
> …Are there no films out there about the _English_ Civil War? :dubious:

I’ve seen neither, but there are these two:

_Cromwell_: [Cromwell (1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065593/?ref_=nv_sr_2)  
_A Field in England_: [A Field in England (2013) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2375574/?ref_=nv_sr_1)

> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> [Richard III (1995)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_%281995_film%29)
> 
> Shakespeare’s play presented with early 20th Century costume and weapons.

Great movie, and Ian McKellen is magnificent in the title role, but it’s much more a political drama than a “military movie,” as such.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/195 "2015-05-29T20:54:34Z")

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I was about to post an update of the alphabetical listing but got this message:

> [@](#):
>
> The text that you have entered is too long (28008 characters). Please shorten it to 25000 characters long.

Oh, well. ☹

Once we get to 300 titles I’ll use two posts to get the list up. We’re at 296 now. 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/196 "2015-05-29T22:56:33Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> I’ve seen neither, but there are these two:
> 
> _Cromwell_: [Cromwell (1970) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065593/?ref_=nv_sr_2)  
> _A Field in England_: [A Field in England (2013) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2375574/?ref_=nv_sr_1)  
> Great movie, and Ian McKellen is magnificent in the title role, but it’s much more a political drama than a “military movie,” as such.

I think it’s more so than several on the list. The Third Man, for instance.

This version of the play makes him more a military dictator than monarch.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/197 "2015-05-29T23:32:20Z")

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The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

> **[The Man Who Would Be King (1975) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073341/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)**
>
> The Man Who Would Be King: Directed by John Huston. With Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Saeed Jaffrey. Two former British soldiers in 1880s India decide to set themselves up as Kings in Kafiristan, a land where no white man has set...

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/198 "2015-05-30T04:48:50Z")

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No love for[Command Decision](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040242/) or [El Cid](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054847/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_91)?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/199 "2015-05-30T08:50:04Z")

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> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
> 
> [The Man Who Would Be King (1975) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073341/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1)

> [@bump](#):
>
> No love for[Command Decision](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040242/) or [El Cid](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054847/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_91)?

How neat that this brings us to 299 titles at Post #199! 🙂

One more to go before a bodacious 2-post summary!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2015, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/200 "2015-05-30T09:33:32Z")

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> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> Let’s get this thing going with
> 
> [Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=757956)  
> Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940  
> 5/27/2015, 10:18 PM  
> Zeldar
> 
> Other polls to come later.

> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> I’ve added a Part 2 thread/poll at
> 
> [Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 -- Part 2 - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=758055)  
> Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 – Part 2
> 
> which covers the overflow of
> 
> The Birth of a Nation [The Birth of a Nation (1915) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004972/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4) (1915)  
> The Fall of Babylon [The Fall of Babylon (1919) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010108/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1919)  
> Tell It To the Marines [Tell It to the Marines (1926) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018471/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1926)  
> The Dawn Patrol [The Dawn Patrol (1930) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020815/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (1930)  
> Bonnie Scotland [Bonnie Scotland (1935) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026126/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1935)  
> The Charge of the Light Brigade [The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027438/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1936)  
> Blockheads [Block-Heads (1938) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029923/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (1938)  
> The Dawn Patrol [The Dawn Patrol (1938) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030044/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1938)  
> Drums along the Mohawk [Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031252/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1939)  
> Gone with the Wind [Gone with the Wind (1939) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (1939)
> 
> Please vote there even if you posted other suggestions here.
> 
> Thanks!

Now we have  
\*\*

> **[Your favorite/best War Movies From the 1990s](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=758138)**
>
> This period seems to have the next fewest titles after Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 as determined at Best All-Time Military Movies – Pre-Poll Data Gathering so vote for up to FIVE of your favorite (or best) from this list: ...

Your favorite/best War Movies From the 1990s  
\*\*  
5/30/2015, 04:17 AM  
Zeldar

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