War Movies

[One-Off]

Just saw 1917. Saw on another thread some liked it, others not so much. I liked it. The Cinematography and set design were Oscar worthy.

I'm curious what folks favorite war movies are. I'd be especially curious to hear what a combat veteran thinks ( I know there a a few on the erBB).

My favorite hands down is "Apocalypse Now." I never get tired of watching that one.

I thought "Thin Red Line" was good, but I only saw it once, and memory is getting hazy.

I watched "Lone Survivor" many times because it was on one of the cable channels for months. Every time I got to that one part, I was like "No! Don't let them go. Tie them up and send a letter to their family."

 

[rice]

Thin Red Line was my favorite. I thought Dunkirk was killer.

 

[$kully]

Thin Red Line was my favorite. I thought Dunkirk was killer.

I did not like Dunkirk. I think Nolan's star is fading.

Agree re: Thin Red Line.

 

[Kento]

Full Metal Jacket will always be my favorite. Source book, The Short-Timers was absolutely outstanding. Similarly, I'd be curious about veteran perspective there too.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Thin Red Line was excellent.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Saving Private Ryan - how awful was that one?

I got through about 20 minutes of that phony low IQ crap before turning it off. So cringey. Literally was laughing out loud.

 

[manbearpig]

Full metal jacket is definitely number one for me.

I liked Dunkirk a lot.

Glory was good, not sure how it’s held up though.

 

[john4surf]

Not a ‘war movie’ but the combat scenes in the jungle were as spot on as my regressive memory allows comparison. Apocalypse was close but too much Hollywood ‘combat’ for my taste; Apocalypse also outed the 1950s/1960s highly classified terminology that dealt with “authorized“ killing outside of a combat or self-defense scenario.

 

[mundus]

Not a vet, but I liked platoon and the first scene of saving private ryan struck me as quite realistic.

 

[_____]

Also loved Full Metal Jacket.
The Pianist is in my top 10 films list ever
Deer Hunter
Hurt Locker was neat, sort of like a creative documentary

Did not like: American Sniper, Casualties of War

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Hurt Locker was neat, sort of like a creative documentary

This was a good one too.

 

[casa_mugrienta]

Not a vet, but I liked platoon and the first scene of saving private ryan struck me as quite realistic.

The drama with the old guy was too much. Horrible acting, horrible writing. horrible cinematography,

It was below Hallmark quality. Had to turn it off.

What a waste of an opportunity.

 

[mundus]

The drama with the old guy was too much. Horrible acting, horrible writing. horrible cinematography,

It was below Hallmark quality. Had to turn it off.

What a waste of an opportunity.

I am just talking about the beach landing scene.

 

[crustBrother]

Not at all realistic, but Kelly's Heroes is fun one. Corny for sure. But fun.

Full Metal Jacket is sooooooo good, but I thought it should have ended when Pyle killed himself.

 

[crustBrother]

I am just talking about the beach landing scene.

I've never watched anything past that. The landing scene is gnarly.

 

[Kento]

I've never watched anything past that. The landing scene is gnarly.

The landing scene is by far the best part of the movie. Seeing that in the theaters was intense. I do see where casa is coming from, especially upon repeated viewings. Lot of cliched lines that are pretty cringeworthy in retrospect.

I've never seen The Thin Red Line but always wanted to. Thanks for reminder everyone. Adding that to the list.

I remember Hamburger Hill also being good but I haven't seen it in probably 30 years. Perspective on life has changed quite a bit since then so it's worth a revisit one of these days. Funny thing about that too. Movies (or books) that you experience in one stage of your life can become wholly different many years later.

 

[laidback]

I've watched band of brothers several times, war sucks

 

[Lance Mannion]

The one thing about the military that Hollywood generally gets right is boot camp. It really is the over the top shitshow that you see in the movies.
Try filling a pi$$ cup with three dudes screaming expletives in your ears. I did, and it was my great achievement of day 2.

FMJ is my vote.

 

[MANdingo]

"We were soldiers" and "Hacksaw ridge"

 

[manbearpig]

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the movie but I had a teacher for an America in Vietnam course (he himself is a whole other incredible, crazy interesting topic) who said “We Were Soldiers” was the closest depiction to the actual war that Hollywood made.