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WWII Movie Recommendations? (1 Viewer)

Peter_A

Second Unit
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Oct 11, 1999
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Having just spent the weekend making my way through the superb Band Of Brothers DVD box set, I'm looking for some recommendations of other WWII films. What I'm looking for is meaningful, authentic movies, not your John Wayne, Hollywood propoganda type films. I already have some of my favorites Saving Private Ryan, Thin Red Line, Bridge On The River Kwai and Patton.
So what do you folks recommend?
 

Chris Harvey

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Dec 30, 2001
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267
Guns of Navarone
The Great Escape
Where Eagles Dare
Stalag 17
A Bridge Too Far
A Midnight Clear
The Longest Day
Das Boot
The Best Years of Our Lives

(some of my personal favs, anyways)
 

SteveGon

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Off the top of my pointy little head:
The Big Red One
Cross of Iron
Hell is for Heroes
Twelve O'Clock High
A Walk in the Sun
 

Paul Jenkins

Supporting Actor
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how did you get the BoB box set, it isn't supposed to be released until Nov 5th... (Great mini-series, btw!)
 

Lew Crippen

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Stalag 17—a very fine POW film by Billy Wilder, even if it is a bit derivative of Grand Illusion

The Thin Red Line—brilliant, luscious cinematography. Quiet contemplation interspaced with explosive moments of horror and terror.

Das Boot—a film so realistic that the audience members who were allies are hoping the Germans come out unscathed. My pick for the best submarine movie ever.

The Big Red One—although allegedly, Fuller’s biggest budget movie is somewhat weakened by studio mandated editing, it remains one of the grittiest of WWII movies. Lee Marvin is tough, even by his standards in this one.
 

Brook K

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They Were Expendable - Yes it has John Wayne, but this is different than most of his other WWII movies, definitely not rah-rah, but rather dark and sad.
 

Lew Crippen

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Mr. Roberts an absolute gem of a film with outstanding performances by Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell and Jack Lemmon. Lemmon won an Oscar, but I always thought that Cagney was better as the Capitan. This may be a comedy on the surface, but there is nothing funny about Heggan’s view on war in his novel nor in the play that followed nor in this movie.

I just threw your stinkin’ palm tree overboard. Now what’s this about no movie tonight?


They Were Expendable - Yes it has John Wayne, but this is different than most of his other WWII movies, definitely not rah-rah, but rather dark and sad.
Very good call, Brook. This movie was made at the end of WWII and did not have enough of a patriotic bent to do well. This is the only reasonably realistic look at war from the immediate WWII era that springs to mind. All of the other views that were this bitter, came later.
 

Bill J

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A Midnight Clear
Das Boot
When Trumpets Fade
The Longest Day - even though John Wayne is in it
A Bridge Too Far
 

Dennis Nicholls

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Another one is The Enemy Below, which should be coming out on DVD soon. This film is a continuous cat and mouse game between a destroyer and a U boat. Highly recommended!
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Brian E

Screenwriter
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Aug 12, 2000
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In addition to those mentioned. Not sure if all of these are on DVD. Warning some of these aren't your traditional war flick.
The Story of GI Joe
Stalingrad
From Here To Eternity
Talvisota (is this on DVD?)
The Battle of Britain (not on DVD :angry:)
Battle of the Bulge
Action In The North Atlantic
Battleground
The Caine Mutiny
Idi i Smotri (Come and See)
Five Graves to Cairo
The Way Ahead
Air Force
In Which We Serve
Mother Night
Sahara
A Time to Love and a Time to Die
The Train
Hell is for Heroes
Bataan
Fires on the Plain
Run Silent Run Deep
Hope and Glory
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Wake Island
One Against The Wind (made for TV)
Since You Went Away
Empire of the Sun
The Great Escape
King Rat
Casablanca
To Be Or Not To Be
and others
 

John_Berger

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I personally enjoy Memphis Belle. It certainly doesn't rank of there with some of the other movies that are listed, but it's still an enjoyable movie nonetheless.
 

Brian E

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I agree John. I like that one quite a bit. There are tons of war movies I enjoy that one might not call 5 star cinema. O.S.S. with Alan Ladd is another one I found enjoyable.
 

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