I re-watched Saving Private Ryan yesterday morning (great movie). While watching, I mentioned to Mrs. Batty that if I were a big time movie star, I would actively lobby for a meaty role in a good war movie.
Her response, “It seems all the really big movie stars do.”
Which got me to thinking - are there any huge, stupendous movie stars who haven’t made a good war flick? Not to sound sexist, but I think we’re dealing with male stars here, as there just aren’t that many good roles for women in war films.
The only one I could think of off the top of my head is Edward Norton.
Close enough. Were there any scenes in In Country of the war? I can’t remember. Actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen that whole movie from start to finish.
Here’s some more actors I think haven’t done any war films (one of the plusses of working Sundays - no work to actually do and I’m getting paid to surf right now. Thanks for the thread, Jack, this is keeping me busy and helping pass the time :)):
Jack Nicholson (I may be wrong about this, since I haven’t seen all of Jack’s films, and some of the movies in the list don’t have descriptions)
filmography at http://us.imdb.com/Name?Nicholson,+Jack
Let me clarify - not neccesarily War Movie roles, but roles in movies where combat is depicted.
Under my interpretation of my own rules, you can scratch Kevin Costner. He had a very lengthy combat scene in Dances With Wolves. It was the Civil War and he was hell bent on killing himself, only to become a hero of the battle.
As for Jack Nicholson, I’m not sure either. I know he has played military men (A Few Good Men - The Last Detail), but I don’t think he’s had the requisite combat scene. Of course I could be wrong.
I forgot about that scene in Dances With Wolves. Been a while since I’ve seen it.
I’m not sure about Nicholson either, a good portion of his early films did not have complete descriptions of the plot, so I don’t even know what genre they were in. I keep thinking someone else will read this and add something, but I guess for now, you and I are the only two interested.
Huge stars that haven’t made a good war flick, you say?
How about Al Pacino in Revolution? Came out in the mid 80s. Donald Sutherland was in it too. Don’s in practically every movie that comes out, but I don’t know if anyone considers him huge yet. I don’t.
And I don’t know if he’d be considered a huge star either, but there was Dylan McDermott in Hamburger Hill. The movie sucked, and he’s a quasi huge star. Would it qualify? (Don Cheadle was in it too, but again, the huge scale must be questioned here.)
Then, there was Robert De Niro in The Mission. This was sort of a fictional war involving Spain selling Brazil to Portugal, then the Portugese fight the remaining Brazilians. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen it, so I could be wrong on that plot (which I probably am), but I remember several combat sequences with uniformed soldiers.
Number 1 - I don’t consider Ensign Pulver as counting, because it is a comedy, and I haven’t seen it (hey, my game, my rules). But generally I’m looking for actors who have portrayed (or attempted to portray) the horror/heroics of war/combat. Or more to the point, those who haven’t.
Number 2 - Even though vandal lists movies that he/she thinks sucks, they still count. Besides, Robert De Niro was in The Deer Hunter so that negates any crappy movie he’s ever done {cough} … {Rocky and Bullwinkel}.
So the list we’ve generated so far is:
Edward Norton
Bruce Willis
Jack Nicholson
Kevin Spacey
I just did a little research on Keanu. He appeared in a movie called A Walk in the Clouds. I haven’t seen this movie, but the plot summary on IMDB says he portrays a man just back from WWII. Were there war scenes in this movie? Has anyone seen this?
My ex made me watch that piece of crap movie. I remember very little about it, but I do not think there were any war scenes. IIRC, it starts with his arrival after the war and then there’s the whole stupid mushy love-story shite.