Favorite/Best War/Military Movies -- Final Round

Cafe Society
1

For background see:

Favorite/Best War/Military Movies – Semi Finals
07-18-2015, 08:55 AM

Favorite/Best War/Military Movies – Quarter Finals – Summaries and Discussion
06-29-2015, 02:52 PM

Best All-Time Military Movies – Discussion Thread
05-31-2015, 06:37 AM

Best All-Time Military Movies – Pre-Poll Data Gathering
05-25-2015, 07:38 PM through #271 06-19-2015, 04:10 AM

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View Poll Results: Favorite/Best War/Military Movies – Semi Finals – Vote for Up To Five
This poll will close on 08-08-2015 at 09:00 AM



Saving Private Ryan                              39 57.35% 
Das Boot                                         30 44.12% 
Patton                                           25 36.76% 

Casablanca                                       19 27.94% 
Full Metal Jacket                                19 27.94% 
The Bridge on the River Kwai                     16 23.53% 
Dr. Strangelove                                  16 23.53% 
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World  16 23.53% 
The Great Escape                                 15 22.06% 

MASH                                             13 19.12% 
Apocalypse Now                                   13 19.12% 
Black Hawk Down                                  13 19.12% 
Lawrence of Arabia                               12 17.65% 
Platoon                                          11 16.18% 
All Quiet on the Western Front                    9 13.24% 
Stalag 17                                         9 13.24% 
The Longest Day                                   9 13.24% 
Paths of Glory                                    9 13.24% 
Glory                                             9 13.24% 
Schindler's List                                  9 13.24% 
Twelve O'Clock High                               7 10.29% 
The Dirty Dozen                                   7 10.29% 

The Best Years of Our Lives                       5 7.35% 
The Deer Hunter                                   2 2.94% 
Enemy at the Gates                                2 2.94%

Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 68

2

A tossup for me between Patton and Private Ryan. I went with the latter simply because of the riveting and realistic opening D-Day scenes.

3

I hear you. That’s what did it for me, too.

4

Saving Private Ryan for me, too. Much as I love Casablanca, I just don’t consider it a “war movie,” deep down. It’s set during wartime, yes, but is much more about romance, politics and resistance to tyranny.

Dr. Strangelove would be a close second among the finalists.

5

Just for the fun of it, anybody want to make a guess as to how many Voters it will take for us to have at least one vote for all nine films?

We seem to be locked on just four at the moment.

6

Now we’re just waiting for somebody to vote for these:



The Bridge on the River Kwai                       0 0% 
Dr. Strangelove                                    0 0% 
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World    0 0%
7

Neither Casablanca nor Dr. Strangelove are war movies at all. One is a romance-crime-thriller, the other a black comedy (the greatest ever*!*)

8

And really, once you get past the first 20 minutes Saving Private Ryan is a pedestrian, boring, cliché-fest. I hate that movie.

9

Stalingrad deserves a mention. It has some of the most intense battle action ever.

10

Well, if you’re going to re-open the floor to nominations here, I insist that Breaker Morant be on the ballot! :wink:

11

Right!

Also, The Guns at Batasi

12

Wonder where the voters for


**The Bridge on the River Kwai                     16 23.53%**

are hiding…

13

Make me a cocktail of rainwater and grain alcohol, and help yourself to whatever you’d like. :cool:

14

Of course they’re war movies. What they aren’t are combat movies. People often conflate the two, but if War is your primary thematic element, just the fact that you don’t have soldiers shooting at each other doesn’t mean you aren’t a war film (though Strangelove even has that!).

Perhaps the greatest war movie (despite not making the cut here) is The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, which doesn’t have a single minute of combat footage but depicts the philosophical and psychological impact of war on soldiers, on a political and personal scale, like few movies ever made.

15

Also, I’ve never understood the love for Patton, which is IMHO a thoroughly mediocre and highly typical biopic. Cinematically, it’s big in scope without ever being particularly creative, and thematically, it doesn’t really offer a point-of-view that’s interesting or distinctive. Sure, it is buttressed by a single fantastic performance, but one great performance does not a great movie make.

16

IMO its when it was released (1970?) that is key. It was right in the middle of the Vietnam War and the counterculture. Itr appealed to the silent majoritys sense of patriotism. Of course it was kinda antiestablishment itself as Pattons biggest antagonist was the military establishment. It was rereleased as a double feature with MAS*H. It was a relationship that shouldnt have worked but it proved very popular.

17

I would probably pick two different movies if you are looking for best and favorite.

18

Hey, I’ve been busy!

19

Dr Strangelove wasn’t even set during a war unless you count the Cold War as a war. If so I deserve more VA benefits!

I agree about how actual combat is not needed for a war movie. 12 O’Clock High has very little combat and it is one of the best war movies ever made. Command Decision is also a very good movie dealing with much of the same issues with very little combat.

20

The count was either 40 or 41 before this event.