This thread has turned into a bit of a trainwreck about the best war movie of all times. Apparently it is far hotter of a topic than I would have ever guessed.
The best war movie, of course, is Elem Klimov’s Come and See. After I watched it, I left the room shaking, and I didn’t stop shaking for a long, long time. I highly suggest that you look for it if you havn’t seen it, because it makes Saving Private Ryan look like Titanic meets the Care Bears and it really should be recognized as one of the best movies ever to address the concept of war.
Titanic meets the Care Bears is my favorite war film! that scene, when the Care Bears storm Decaprio Beach…
I’m gonna vote for Longest Day
(too bad Band of Brothers is a tv series)
I haven’t seen too many war films so my opinion is far from authoritative.
However I will second Longest Day. What I really like about the film is the way it looks at all sides,including the Germans, and gives us a sense of the uncertainty and confusion of military planning. By contrast Saving Private Ryan is less cerebral and far more US-centric.
My other choice is Grave of the Fireflies. It doesn't deal with the war per se but it's a stark account of the pain inflicted on Japanese civilians by American bombing. It's truly impressive how the film refuses to vilify the Americans or glorify the Japanese. I doubt a similar American film would be so restrained.
Other war-films I liked include Lawrence of Arabia and Guns of Navarone though the latter is perhaps more action-adventure than a serious war-film.
My favourite war movie, although its’ not a typical war movie per se, is the terribly titled Hell in the Pacific starring Lee Marvin as a downed pilot on a deserted island on which the only other person is a Japanese pilot. They fight back and forth (the only weapon they have is a knife) and it’s an interesting battle of wits.
As I understand it, it’s just one of those really good B movies.
The Thin Red Line… a truly masterful peice of cinema.
Ill second Three Kings… both of these films give a different perspective on classic depictions of war.
I saw Glory last night on television. I thought it was complete crap, sorry.
To End All Wars–It’s an independent film that came out last year, starring Keifer Sutherland. Amazing and disturbing. It’s about Scottish prisoners of war during WW2. Has anyone else seen this movie?
I have to totally disagree about the Thin Red Line. It was visually stunning, yes, and the performances were good, but the picture was incredibly unrealistic. It wasn’t honest as much as it was false and I honestly found much of the movie very boring.
A third or whatever for THE LONGEST DAY. My favorite line (which to me sums up the brilliance of the movie) is when the Nazi Field Marshal says “I sometimes wonder just who’s side God is on.”
No one’s mentioned A Bridge Too Far yet, which I’m fond of. Wouldn’t call it the best ( I might go with some of the earlier like Lawrence of Arabia or The Bridge on the River Kwai ), but I might squeeze it into the top 10.
Despite its artistry and power in the first half-hour, I don’t think Saving Private Ryan would make that list for me ( maybe top 20 ).
Come and See is definitely among the very best. For some reason, there’s always a specious belief that “war movie” = “combat movie”, as if to say horror movies must have monsters or romantic comedies only count when they’re heterosexual. Casablanca is romantic and adventurous, but it is also undoubtedly a war movie.
So, with that understanding, I’d say the 12 best (in chronological order) are:
The General
Casablanca
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Henry V
Paisan
Men in War
Paths of Glory
Ashes and Diamonds
The Battle of Algiers
Come and See
Hope and Glory
Underground**