# Military movie, made in America, America the bad guys???? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245 "2014-11-01T11:27:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/1 "2014-11-01T11:27:09Z")
Has there ever been a mainstream american made movie about WW2, Vietnam, Korea, etc, where it was filmed from the POV of the country america was fighting against? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/2 "2014-11-01T11:33:17Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > Has there ever been a mainstream american made movie about WW2, Vietnam, Korea, etc, where it was filmed from the POV of the country america was fighting against? There was that Clint Eastwood one a few years ago, one of a pair, in Japanese and of the Japanese perspective in WW2. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/3 "2014-11-01T11:35:06Z")
Found it – [Letters from Iwo Jima](http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0498380/). ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/4 "2014-11-01T11:38:42Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Found it – [Letters from Iwo Jima](http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0498380/). thx yeah, i thought of that one, but haven’t seen it does it make the Americans look wicked and the Japanese look noble? ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/5 "2014-11-01T12:17:24Z")
Soldier Blue. Not exactly what you asked for. …it’s about the Indian Wars. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/6 "2014-11-01T12:23:30Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Soldier Blue. Not exactly what you asked for. …it’s about the Indian Wars. not exactly but close, thanks ---
**Author:** ![Marlonius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Marlonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlonius)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/7 "2014-11-01T13:52:09Z")
“Casualties of War” is a Vietnam film dealing with the rape and murder of a local girl by American G.I.s. It’s directed by Brian De Palma and stars Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox. Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” also shows some American atrocities. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/8 "2014-11-01T13:58:30Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Soldier Blue. Not exactly what you asked for. …it’s about the Indian Wars. _Dances with Wolves_, too. Sort of, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/9 "2014-11-01T14:05:16Z")
> [@Marlonius](#): > > “Casualties of War” is a Vietnam film dealing with the rape and murder of a local girl by American G.I.s. It’s directed by Brian De Palma and stars Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox. > > Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” also shows some American atrocities. I don’t mean anti-vietnam moives, i mean where, the other side are actually the hero’s and the ameicans are nameless faceless evil robot soldiers… which is kind of a step beyond platton and casualties of war, isn’t it? > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > _Dances with Wolves_, too. Sort of, anyway. yes, this is a close example but i meant like in a modern war ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/10 "2014-11-01T16:37:50Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > I don’t mean anti-vietnam moives, i mean where, the other side are actually the hero’s and the ameicans are nameless faceless evil robot soldiers… which is kind of a step beyond platton and casualties of war, isn’t it? > > yes, this is a close example but i meant like in a modern war And what would be the point to it? Portraying your own side, in a relatively contemporary within-living-memory context so that _many in your audience actually knew the people and their mores_, as “faceless generic evil robots” does not really work. And having your own side turn into the “bad guy” is too useful as a means to portray issues of the banality of evil, or of how the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, of corruption of values, of conspiracy, or of the oppression inherent in the system, to just use it as a throwaway source of well-armed bad-guy mooks or as an unexplained supervillain. In an allegorical sense I suppose you could count \*Avatar \*as sort of having a similar theme to DwW and the like. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/11 "2014-11-01T16:42:34Z")
_ **Tora, Tora, Tora** _ did a fair job of presenting the Japanese side of Pearl Harbor. (It was a joint US–Japan production.) Peckinpah’s _ **Cross of Iron** _ with James Coburn showed Germans fighting on the Eastern Front. _ **The Blue Max** _ was filmed from the Germans’ point of view just prior to American troops arriving in Europe in WWI. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/12 "2014-11-01T16:56:37Z")
The problem with such movies, of course, is that no studio on earth has the budget for full-scale military hardware… so they are happy to partner with the appropriate branch of the services to get carriers, Harriers, choppers, jets, big-ass guns and a few thousand troops in uniform. At the cost of review by the military and at most showing a rogue soldier or officer doing bad things, and never judging the military or US position badly. Most films that fit the OP are small, character-driven and use only mockup or salvage equipment. The big-CGI era might change that, somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/13 "2014-11-01T17:14:34Z")
Battle Of Midway was from both sides (neither side completely nameless faceless enemies) Battle of the Bulge had some from both sides. Both sides were presented pretty two dimensionally though with most of the Germans just emphasizing their evil. They had some named, faced, baddies with one “good” German who was just tired of the war. …and after an early post I have Cross of Iron lines going through my head. I need to watch it again soon. Not a single American though. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/14 "2014-11-01T17:58:12Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > Battle Of Midway was from both sides… > > Battle of the Bulge had some from both sides… Can you remind me who won those two battles? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/15 "2014-11-01T17:59:53Z")
**[All Quiet on the Western Front](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front_(1930_film))**. World War I, but made in 1930, when people still had memories of fighting the Hun ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/16 "2014-11-01T18:02:02Z")
_The Young Lions_ with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, tries to depict both sides. It is ultimately pro-Allies, but it does show some of America’s flaws, and it does try to explain why a German kid growing up in the Depression might vote for Hitler. _The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel_, starring James Mason, shows the war from General Rommel’s point of view. _Captain Corelli’s Mandolin_, in which Nicholas Cage plays an Italian army officer. Both versions of _All Quiet on the Western Front_ were American productions. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/17 "2014-11-01T18:04:53Z")
thanks everyone to all of your responses ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/18 "2014-11-01T18:52:00Z")
Here’s a list of anti-war movies. Look through it and find the ones that are American-made. Some of them might fit your description: > **[List of anti-war films](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_anti-war_films)** > > Anti-war films are films which may criticize armed conflicts in a general sense to illustrate that war is futile and a loss for all sides involved, while others focus on acts within a specific war, such as poison gas use or genocidal killing of civilians. There also are anti-war movies that use parody and black comedy to satirize wars and conflicts that do not necessarily take place on the battlefield. Additionally, non-fictional anti-war films aim to document the realities of war or historical... ---
**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:** [November 1, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/19 "2014-11-01T19:09:16Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > _The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel_, starring James Mason, shows the war from General Rommel’s point of view. Like _ **The Desert Rats** _, in which Mason also played Rommel, his main opponent is the British. I think even the plane that strafes his staff car in Normandy is an RAF Typhoon. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245/20 "2014-11-01T20:26:18Z")
The Rock has a Scottish protagonist go against a unit of American Navy Seals. They were rogue, but their cause was fairly noble. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-movie-made-in-america-america-the-bad-guys/703245.md?page=2)