# What is the best “war movie”?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** movies
**Created:** [May 1, 2021, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184 "2021-05-01T23:21:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2021, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/1 "2021-05-01T23:21:02Z")
Some of the greatest movies of all time involve soldiers. _All Quiet on the Western Front_, _Bridge on the River Kwai_, _MASH_… more recently _Dunkirk_ and _1917_.
Yet, I find some highly regarded movies much better than others. Tonight, I’m watching _Paths of Glory_. **What is your favourite war or anti-war film?**
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### Author:  [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/2 "2021-05-01T23:23:45Z")
_The Big Red One_ and _A Bridge Too Far_.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2021, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/3 "2021-05-01T23:24:23Z")
_The Americanization Of Emily_.
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/4 "2021-05-01T23:42:05Z")
Patton. I was like 10 when it came out. My dad told my mom that it was required that his three sons watch the movie to see how real men act. Maybe not the best role model but a damn good war movie.
Saving Private Ryan is right up there with it.
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### Author:  [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2021, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/5 "2021-05-01T23:57:24Z")
A lot of the interstellar warfare in _Star Crash_ blew my mind. Not the most ‘militaristic’ movie, perhaps…
Yeah and also _POG_ - in my top three SK’s
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/6 "2021-05-02T00:07:38Z")
**Kelly’s Heroes**. If it’s on, clear the sofa and don’t count on me for dinner.
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### Author:  [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/7 "2021-05-02T00:12:53Z")
My all time favourite war movie would be The Cruel Sea based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Monsarrat, it’s about a corvette on convoy escort duty in WWII
That would be closely followed by 12 O’clock High and The Dambusters
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/8 "2021-05-02T00:20:57Z")
_Inglourious Basterds_.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/9 "2021-05-02T00:23:09Z")
I might think of a better answer later, but for now I’ll go with **Dr. Strangelove**.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/10 "2021-05-02T00:34:52Z")
Bridge on the River Kwai and MASH are certainly great movies. However, I’ll nominate Full Metal Jacket. It’s one of my favorite (war or otherwise) movies.
Apocalypse Now is certainly up there as well.
Also a few honorable mentions, at least on my list: Stalag 17, The Great Escape, Life is Beautiful
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### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/11 "2021-05-02T00:36:31Z")
The Great Escape. The Dirty Dozen.
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### Author:  [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/12 "2021-05-02T00:46:12Z")
The Dirty Dozen, but I prefer the original spanish name “Los doce del patíbulo”
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### Author:  [@opiewan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opiewan)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/13 "2021-05-02T01:02:37Z")
I’m an eighties kid, so my favorite war movie is Full Metal Jacket, followed closely by Saving Private Ryan.
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#):
>
> Tonight, I’m watching _Paths of Glory_ .
Not that long ago, I decided to knock out the Kubrick movies I hadn’t seen, which included Paths of Glory. I wasn’t expecting much as it isn’t as lauded as some of his later movies were, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was, how un-Kubrickish it was if that makes sense. Another great war flick.
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### Author:  [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/14 "2021-05-02T01:05:54Z")
‘Stalingrad’. 1993 German film.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/15 "2021-05-02T01:11:55Z")
Stalag 17, All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) and Bridge On The River Kwai.
Honorable mention to Das Boot.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/16 "2021-05-02T01:12:44Z")
I’d still go with Saving Private Ryan, for the realism mainly. Few other movies take the detail as seriously as that one (except for, in fact, Spielberg dumping _too_ much blood in the water during the opening scene.)
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/17 "2021-05-02T01:16:42Z")
Lot of good ones mentioned.
Patton is an incredible movie, fantastic performance by George C. Scott created a character that matched the legend.
Bridge Over the River Kwai was magnificent but the combined efforts of so many overacting hams overshadowed the message.
A couple of other POW pictures deserve mention, Stalag 17 and King Rat. Both of them more serious examinations of human nature softened with a touch of humor.
For pure humor Kelly’s Heroes is the best, no redeeming social value here.
Zulu was a very gritty movie deal with survival against great odds, and closer to reality than so many other war movies.
The movie that always comes to mind first in this category is Patton. So well made, it lets us see an incredible story unfold, based on reality while enhanced by legend, and conveyed with masterful acting performances.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/18 "2021-05-02T01:20:07Z")
Some of my favorites have been mentioned already. so I’ll add
_ **The Train** _
_ **Objective: Burma** _
_ **Decision before Dawn** _
_ **13 Rue Madeleine** _
_ **Orders to Kill** _
_ **Heaven Knows, Mr Allison** _
_ **Mr Roberts** _
_ **The Desert Rats** _
_ **The Desert Fox** _
_ **Sahara** _
_ **Twelve Graves to Cairo** _
_ **49th Parallel** _
_ **One of Our Aircraft Is Missing** _
_ **The African Queen** _
_ **The Blue Max** _
_ **Operation Crossbow** _
_ **633 Squadron** _
and of course
_ **Casablanca** _
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### Author:  [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/19 "2021-05-02T01:27:43Z")
I’ll add _Shout at the Devil_, _The Wild Geese_, and _The Guns of Navarone_.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2021, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/20 "2021-05-02T01:31:54Z")
Three more that should be watched in this order:
_ **Destination: Tokyo** _
_ **Thirty Seconds over Tokyo** _
_ **The Purple Heart** _
and three more set in the post-WWII period:
_ **The Best Years of Our Lives** _
_ **The Big Lift** _
_ **The Search** _
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