Count me out for “Midway.” I thought that was a dreadful movie. It’s reasonably true to the events of one of the most interesting battles in naval history, but as a movie it sucks eggs.
Grave of the Fireflies?
Huh yourself. If you think either movie was a bubblegum action flick or a propoganda piece, you’re the one that’s a bubble or two off plum.
Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down are neither bubble gum action flicks or propogands pieces.
At the risk of turning this into a Great Debate, how would you describe Saving Private Ryan or Blackhawk Down in terms other than being action movies or propaganda pieces? Don’t get me wrong; both were good movies, but neither was “deep”.
King Rat was set in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, and the book it was based on was written by James Clavell, who was actually imprisoned in a Japanese camp during the Pacific War. He said that a lot of the story was real (the soldier’s arm, the deal-making corporal), but the plot was of course fictional. I think.
First off, a movie doesn’t have to be “deep” to be something other than bubblegum. But you’re still wrong. Technically, both movies classify as war movies, which is a different category than simply action. Neither was bubblegum and to ascribe the appelation to them is totally ludicrous. They were both very well made dramatic movies.
Operation Burma
They Were Expendable
Caught both on TCM recently.
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is an excellent account of Jimmy Doolittle’s raid.
Mister Roberts? It’s one of my favorite movies, but the only (onscreen) battles in it are ones of wits against the captain.
I second Grave of the Fireflies though it deals with the Japanese home-front rather than combat. One of the best films I have ever seen.
Zoe, you are most welcome. Please consider reading the book as well. Neville Shute’s writing style is quite good. No puffery or purple prose and pretty d@mn good character development. I’ll add that the movie embodies the book better than most attempts at that sort of thing.
I also think Shute did an extremely good job lending a human face to the Japanese occupiers. The soldier who must march the women to He|| and back turns out to be rather compassionate and is sincerely mourned when he takes the dirt nap.
In addition, my Chinese wife was impressed by the positive and accurate depiction of the Chinese in this film. Of course, Chinese were more favorably depicted prior to the Communist Revolution.
RikWriter, I guess we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this subject. To me, American Beauty was a drama; Saving Private Ryan and Windtalkers were action films. And to me, “bubblegum” implies a simple and non-threatening plot. You applied it to Windtalker; I felt it was even more applicable to Saving Private Ryan. In the end, it’s a matter of personal opinion and preference.