Through the Broken Window: Best War Movies

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Best War Movies

Can we get a vote together for the best war movies of all time?

I want everybody's top vote getter and their top five picks.

If you need a little refresher, here's a list of some of them.

Full Metal Jacket, Patton, Plattoon, Tora Tora Tora, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Das Boot, U-571, The Longest Day, The Devil's Brigade, The Dear Hunter, Sergeant York, Black Hawk Down...

Others that are not so much War Movies, but take place during war are:

Schindler's List, A Bewautiful Life (Vita è bella), and The Dirty Dozen

The movie that tops my list is Patton. My top five include: Full Metal Jacket, Sergeant York, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Apocalypse Now.

# posted by Chris @ 10:13 AM

Comments:

What about non-20th Century wars? Do movies about those count? For example, does Braveheart count? Because really, nothing compares.

# posted by

Jenna : 11:37 AM

Yah, Patton would have to be way up there. I had a friend in high school that was OBSESSED with that movie. He could quote the entire introductory speech and constantly played the soundtrack in his car. Great guy though.

My list would be...
1) All's Quiet On The Western Front
2) Apocalypse Now
3) Patton
4) Dead Presidents (arguably a war movie, if not The Deer Hunter)
5) Starship Troopers

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:37 AM

Wow. I didn't even consider Braveheart. Yah, that would probably be #2 or #3 for me.

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:39 AM

I also really like Gallipoli, which is about Australian soldiers in the WWI campaign in Turkey.

# posted by

Jenna : 12:10 PM

You could probably also include the Patriot, The Man who would be King, and maybe even The Seven Samurai and the 13th Warrior.

# posted by

Chris : 1:50 PM

Johny Got His Gun was good, if disturbing. Platoon was good too.

# posted by

James : 8:45 PM

I'll stick to older movies:
#1 Kelly's Heros. Donald Sutherland plays the best gypsey ever fully clad in armor, and Clint ands up with the gold, of course.
#2 Bridge On The River Kwai. Whistle, all together now.
#3 Tora! Tora! Tora, Midway, etc. All the same, all propaganda, all fun to watch.
#4 Glory. More propaganda, but Bueler finally does something worthwhile with his life.
#5 Apocalypse Now, but only after reading Heart of Darkness.

Honorable Mention: Heartbreak Ridge. For dad, who taught me to idolize all things Clint Eastwood.
Nathan

# posted by

Nathanael D Snow : 1:52 AM

Travis,

haha zing!

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:10 PM

In keeping with my tendency towards older conflicts, another good war flick is Troy. Andy's favorite war film is more recent: Zulu, which follows Welsh infantry in one battle of the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879.

Just to be a contrarian, I'll add that Tora! Tora! Tora! was the most boring movie I've ever seen and that Apocalypse Now was SO disappointing after having read Heart of Darkness.

# posted by

Jenna : 1:20 PM

I agree actually. I found Tora Tora Tora very boring.

I read Heart of Darkness afterwards and they really don't share all that much in common -- except they journey down the river and the people of other color. I am not really all that much a fan of Conrad though.

Heartbreak Ridge was okay.

Two other good ones that nobody has mentioned are The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin) and Paths of Glory (Kirk Douglas)

# posted by

Chris : 2:24 PM

I confess. How may I be absolved?
Nathan

# posted by

Nathanael D Snow : 2:54 PM

Hey, Travis, do you want that book?
Nathan

# posted by

Nathanael D Snow : 2:54 PM