# What is the war movie (historical) you'd like to see made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 15, 2021, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152 "2021-05-15T11:42:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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 15, 2021, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/1 "2021-05-15T11:42:56Z")
Rather than hijack the ongoing discussion “What is the best war movie”, I’ll start a new thread. What war movie would you like to see made and why? History preferred, but fiction if you must. In the spirit of “A Bridge Too Far”: Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing of the Ploiesti oil refineries. History showed how abandonment of doctrine, an enemy’s well-planned defense, and plain hard luck can combine to produce a disaster. And, it would shed light on the POL (Petroleum-Oil-Lubricant) strategic bombing campaign. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2021, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/2 "2021-05-15T11:48:10Z")
I’d love to see a movie about the battle of Verdun. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/3 "2021-05-15T11:55:45Z")
At the start of last year I read a book called **[The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Infiltrated Auschwitz](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36316835-the-volunteer)** The story is about a Polish man named Witold Pilecki. > **[Witold Pilecki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Pilecki)** > > Witold Pilecki (13 May 1901 – 25 May 1948; .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Polish: \[ˈvitɔlt piˈlɛt͡skʲi\] ⓘ; codenames Roman Jezierski, Tomasz Serafiński, Druh, Witold) was a Polish World War II cavalry officer, intelligence agent, and resistance leader. > As a youth, Pilecki joined Polish underground scouting; in the aftermath of ... > In 1940 Pilecki volunteered to allow himself to be captured by the occupying Germans in order to infiltrate the Auschwitz concentration camp. At Auschwitz he organized a resistance movement that eventually included hundreds of inmates, and he secretly drew up reports detailing German atrocities at the camp, which were smuggled out to Home Army headquarters and shared with the Western Allies I’m not going to spoil the story and advise you read the book which has incredibly sourced details about how it all happened. Once you do I think you’d agree that this man’s life deserves to be told on the big screen. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/4 "2021-05-15T12:00:57Z")
[The siege of Syracuse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Syracuse_(213%E2%80%93212_BC)). (Another one.) Make it rather generous in accepting the historicality of Archimedes’ toys. ---
**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 15, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/5 "2021-05-15T14:04:09Z")
The [Battle of Salt River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Salt_River), done entirely from a native perspective. Trained war cows, man. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/6 "2021-05-15T14:42:16Z")
[The Great Siege of Malta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Siege_of_Malta) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/7 "2021-05-15T15:04:20Z")
The East Africa campaign in World War I The China-Burma-India theater of World War II The New Mexico campaign of the Civil War. A pre-Columbus war between Aztec city-states, with Jaguar Warriors and Eagle Warriors in full regalia. The Battle of Kadesh. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/8 "2021-05-15T16:37:31Z")
I’d watch a movie about the life of Lord Horatio Nelson. +1 for the Great Siege of Malta. That would be amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/9 "2021-05-15T16:41:08Z")
The Battle off Samar (Oct. 25, 1944) - 'Taffy 3 vs. Kurita’s Center Force. ---
**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 15, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/10 "2021-05-15T16:41:58Z")
> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > In the spirit of “A Bridge Too Far”: Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing of the Ploiesti oil refineries. History showed how abandonment of doctrine, an enemy’s well-planned defense, and plain hard luck can combine to produce a disaster. And, it would shed light on the POL (Petroleum-Oil-Lubricant) strategic bombing campaign. [Wing and a Prayer](https://www.amazon.com/Wing-Prayer-Saga-Utah-Man/dp/B003AOH4BG) tells the story of Utah Man, the last plane to land from the raid. You are right - a well-told movie would be great for that pretty ignored part of history. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/11 "2021-05-15T17:58:38Z")
Tigers in the Mud Warts and all. Including his utter disdain for the US armed forces, the war crime of starving German ‘enemy combatants’ and his easy escape to just go home. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/12 "2021-05-15T17:59:03Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > The New Mexico campaign of the Civil War. I’d like to see this too. I’d also like to see a historically accurate portrayal of the [Battle of Trafalgar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar). Tripler Mine’s courtesy of recollections of _Master And Commander._ ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/13 "2021-05-15T18:36:33Z")
The abortive Nazi sabotage mission [“Operation Pastorius”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Pastorius#:~:text=Operation%20Pastorius%20was%20a%20failed,against%20strategic%20American%20economic%20targets.) might make for a black comedy. The ending wouldn’t be particularly funny, though. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/14 "2021-05-15T18:53:06Z")
Give [the invasion of Sark](http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/03/there-was-once-a-one-man-invasion-attempt-of-the-island-nation-of-sark/) the _[Falling Down](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falling_Down)_ treatment but make it a comedy. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/15 "2021-05-15T21:00:57Z")
Another vote for Ploesti. [Maynard Smith](https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/hero-helped-save-his-burning-b-17-by-urinating-on-the-fire-drove-off-waves-of-german-fighters.html). HMS _Mimi_, _Toutou_, and _Fifi_. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/16 "2021-05-15T21:14:51Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > The East Africa campaign in World War I Yep, that would be great. A film based on one of the german raiders of the Great War. I think they made one about Count Luckner, and a bad one about the WW2 raider Atlantis. Make some of the fictional exploits of Otto Prohaska: - The Emperor’s Coloured Coat: In Which Otto Prohaska, Hero of the Habsburg Empire, Has an Interesting Time While Not Quite Managing to Avert the First World War (The Otto Prohaska Novels)\* ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/17 "2021-05-15T21:15:32Z")
Camerone. ---
**Author:** ![steepone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/18 "2021-05-16T01:01:33Z")
I’d like to see a movie about the British attack on Taranto in WWII, when the Fleet Air Arm attacked the Italian fleet in Taranto harbour using Fairey Swordfish biplanes in 1940, this was the inspiration for the attack on Pearl Harbor and was an early demonstration of how important air power was going to become in naval warfare [https://ww2today.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Swordfish-from-Illustrious-Cripple-the-Italian-Fleet.jpg](https://ww2today.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Swordfish-from-Illustrious-Cripple-the-Italian-Fleet.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/19 "2021-05-16T01:12:22Z")
> **[Battle of Vienna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vienna)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Christian Coalition victory > Ottoman Empire > Holy League: >  Poland-Lithuania Siege/Battle of Vienna, 1689. They might even start the movie with the first Ottoman Siege in 1529 for historical background, then show 150 years of on-and-off fighting in an opening montage, then the story for real starts with the Ottoman preparation for war, then going over to the Holy League’s attempt to organize resistance, showing the months of siege as forces march to relieve it, and a climax when the Polish cavalry (Winged Hussars) arrives and routs the siegers. ---
**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 16, 2021, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152/20 "2021-05-16T01:37:43Z")
Second for Ploesti, Taranto, and Felix von Luckner. If we’re doing Ploesti, we have to do the Schweinfurt–Regensburg raid too. I’d like to see something about 1944’s Operation Bagration, and how the Germans were confined (on Hitler’s orders) to “strongholds” that were simply bypassed by the Red Army and liquidated later at its leisure. I think only the Russians could do the story justice, however. I was going to add the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but then I remembered _ **Little Big Man.** _ Could it be done better? Has there ever been a movie about the Mexican–American War? Or the War of 1812? (Other than _ **The Buccaneer** _, of course.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-war-movie-historical-youd-like-to-see-made/942152.md?page=2)