# What is the best “war movie”? **URL:** \ **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:** 10
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/181 "2021-05-09T17:28:14Z")
That’s why I listed it way back in Post #22. 😛 ---
**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:** [May 9, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/182 "2021-05-09T17:36:43Z")
_ **Fail Safe** _. I read that book so many times 40+ years ago that I could recite whole passages of it without missing a beat. Oddly enough, I saw the movie by accident one afternoon in 1964 or '65. I didn’t even know it was on the bill that day. (It turned out to be a double feature with _ **No Man Is an Island** _ as the other movie.) It took me a few minutes to realize what I was watching. I didn’t know there was a remake. Missed that one! ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/183 "2021-05-09T18:25:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That’s why I listed it way back in Post #22. And I in post [79](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/79), _and_ I mentioned it was part of the _Aussie colonials annoyed at the British toffs_ trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/184 "2021-05-09T18:26:43Z")
The Mouse That Roared? 😳 Some not bad war vignettes: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uyORbG3I5Ys/hqdefault.jpg "Monty Python - The Battle of Pearl Harbor") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyORbG3I5Ys) > **[Monty Python - Ypres 1914, The Short Straw - video Dailymotion](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2o3z4t)** > > Monty Python - Ypres 1914, The Short Straw ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/185 "2021-05-10T11:10:14Z")
The recommendations understandably lean towards WWII. What about some others? **Gettysburg (1993)**, although it recreates the meme of “all the noble southern soldiers” to a tiresome degree. It is usually paired with _Gods and Generals (2003)_ from the same author. But it should really be considered a trilogy with **Andersonville (Made for TV - 1993)**. Andersonville is an antidote to the war boosterism of the other films - but does show how men overcome being put in in a situation of utter degradation. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/186 "2021-05-10T15:29:27Z")
Anyone who enjoys watching any of these movies should watch the documentary _Five Came Back._ It shows the WWII experiences of John Houston, John Ford, Frank Capra, William Wyler and George Stevens and how the war changed them and their films. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/187 "2021-05-11T17:19:21Z")
I am going to respectfully suggest a someone less conventional war movie: Battle: Los Angeles. I recommend this movie because it is a straight-up band of brothers type of movie. The aliens they are battling are mostly irrelevant. The thing I like about this movie is that there is no moral angst, no wrestling with the motivations of the enemy, no love story, no inter-personal drama. It’s just straight on good guys versus bad guys. The story follows a group of plucky Marines battling space aliens that we barely see. The Marines are led by SSgt. Aaron Eckhart. They sort of start a bit of a backstory on him, but it ends up not being all that important. Its main purpose is to set up a conflict between the SSgt and his LT. That story is largely abandoned. Supposedly, the aliens are on Earth to get our water. However, that isn’t really explored, which is good. There are plenty of places in our solar system that have water but don’t have naked apes with guns. So, you’re just left with good guys versus bad guys. It’s not a movie that will make you think about society’s problems or that maybe the bad guys had a point. There’s just lots of explody bits. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/188 "2021-05-11T22:21:48Z")
> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > **Gettysburg (1993)** , although it recreates the meme of “all the noble southern soldiers” to a tiresome degree. > > It is usually paired with _Gods and Generals (2003)_ from the same author. Heh. My cousin was an actor in _ **Gods and Generals.** _ He says he still get checks for 5 cents from that movie. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/189 "2021-05-11T22:38:00Z")
The best war movie IMHO is undoubtedly _Yellow Submarine_. Pepperland v the Meanies; John Lennon v the Glove. Best soundtrack, in any case. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/190 "2021-05-11T22:43:49Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Anyone who enjoys watching any of these movies should watch the documentary _Five Came Back._ It shows the WWII experiences of John Houston, John Ford, Frank Capra, William Wyler and George Stevens and how the war changed them and their films. I haven’t seen the documentary but I read the book, which is very good. Harris also wrote _Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood_, another book I recommend. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/191 "2021-05-12T02:02:07Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > And, despite their right-wing countrymen, Japanese war movies don’t uniformly gloss over the atrocities. _Fires on the Plain_ show them without excusing them. The original version of _Hara Kiri_ , while not a war movie, was an allegorical indictment of those who’d ginned up the war expecting to profit from it with no skin off their own asses. Do they gloss over murdering and eating POWs? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/192 "2021-05-12T12:49:11Z")
Technically, he’s always been an ape. > [@bibliophage](#): > > One I didn’t see mentioned yet is _Come and See_ (1985). It was a Soviet film about World War II with dialogue mostly in Russian and Belarusian. It’s hard to watch, because it depicts the horrors of war more accurately than any other film I’ve ever seen. This also would be my vote. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2021, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/193 "2021-05-13T05:32:01Z")
> **[The Victors (1963) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057652/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)** > > The Victors: Directed by Carl Foreman. With Vince Edwards, Albert Finney, George Hamilton, Melina Mercouri. Intelligent, sprawling saga of a squad of American soldiers, following them through Europe during World War II. The Victors…the most unflinching look at war I have seen despite the constraints of 1963. Eli Wallach in another awesome supporting role you ‘stupid idiots’!! ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2021, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/194 "2021-05-13T05:44:31Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GSHFvhHB2DI/hqdefault.jpg "The Victors (1963) Anti-War Film - George Peppard, George Hamilton") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSHFvhHB2DI) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/195 "2021-05-13T15:53:24Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > The best war movie IMHO is undoubtedly _Yellow Submarine_ . Pepperland v the Meanies; John Lennon v the Glove. Best soundtrack, in any case. Well, if Beatles tunes are what you’re looking for, try [_All This and World War II_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_This_and_World_War_II). They’re all covers, though. > The original intention of the filmmakers was to use actual Beatles music in the film. The decision to use other artists covering Beatles music was made by the film’s producers after they realised additional money could be made through a soundtrack album. The decision was a sound one, as the soundtrack actually generated more revenue than the film. The album was released on 25 October 1976 and the film was released on the 11th November 1976. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2021, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/196 "2021-05-13T18:17:28Z")
_War of The Roses_ was **NOT** the best war movie, despite the title. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2021, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/197 "2021-05-13T18:29:54Z")
Apocalypse Now: Directors Cut ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/198 "2021-05-15T01:57:24Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > > [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > > > **Gettysburg (1993)** , although it recreates the meme of “all the noble southern soldiers” to a tiresome degree. > > > > It is usually paired with _Gods and Generals (2003)_ from the same author. > > Heh. My cousin was an actor in _ **Gods and Generals.** _ He says he still get checks for 5 cents from that movie. A friend of mine was Buford’s (Sam Elliot) bugler. He’s not an actor but they couldn’t find anyone else who could bugle and ride at the same time. Apparently it’s a skill that isn’t needed much anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/199 "2021-05-16T04:24:29Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Apocalypse Now: Directors Cut I would vote for the version that originally came out. Did not care for the director’s cut. For example, the lengths Colonel Kilgore went to find his stolen surfboard made him too much of a clown. True, he was a caricature in the released version, but the overly clownish scenes had a jarringly different vibe from the rest of the movie. The interlude with the French plantation family did not fit at all. They were right to cut those out. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184/200 "2021-05-16T19:41:39Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _ **Fury** _ also had great success in blending live photography and CGI. The period Tiger they had could only be run for short periods of time, Ah, realism! > [@Moriarty](#): > > It’s a piece of junk! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-war-movie/941184.md?page=11)