Fav war movies

Sorry if it was already discussed here, anyway....

Here is my list:

my fav is Apocalypse Now (I recently watched the long version, AN redux.....it is one of my fav movies ever....a real masterpiece! I wonder why FFC doesn't make as good movies anymore )

then there are:

The Deer Hunter
Full Metal Jacket
Saving Private Ryan
The Thin Red Line
From Here to Eternity

Apocalypse Now
The Deer Hunter
Platoon
Saving Private Ryan

Apocalypse Now Redux

The 'The Dirty Dozen' is definately my favorite!

'The Great Escape'
'Pearl Harbor'
'Destination Tokyo'


Don Cardi

Not a massive War Film fan (except Star Wars of course ), but I love 'The Great Escape'.

Great Escape
Saving Private Ryan
Full Metal Jacket
Apocolypse Now (haven't seen the Redux yet; gotta get out and rent it)
The Pianist

For some reason, I'd be reluctant to refer The Pianist to this genre, even though war is undoubtely the connectival tissue of films like this and Schindler's list, which I'd better refer to the dramatic genre. Just my opinion, of course.

Actually I am not a big war movie fan. However, I have seen a few, mostly those about Viet Nam, since my ex was a Viet Nam vet, he took interest in these films, so they are mostly what I've seen.

That being said I guess my very favorite would be: Apocalypse Now; with Platoon, Coming Home also in the running. I also remember liking The Longest Day (from years back)

TIS

I still haven't watched Apocalypse Now and I believe this is the only reason why it's not on my list. my faves:

Platoon
Black Hawk Down
Saving Private Ryan

it's a gap you have to fill ASAP!!!!

I completely forgot about Black Hawk Down and Platoon. Fantastic movies.

Lavina - I consider the Pianist a war movie, as told from a different perspective. I guess it's also a drama/holocaust film, but I think it's applicable (whereas I don't think Shindler's List is) in that it's told about people living in an occupied country during war.

These are the ones that stand out the most

Saving private ryan
Platton
Hamburger Hill
Full Metal Jacket
Black Hawk Down

Cant remember any more

Are you going for Platoon or Patton? Both good films BTW.

Are you going for Platoon or Patton? Both good films BTW. [/b][/quote]No Platoon-My spelling

In order:
The Pianist
Full Metal Jacket
The Deer Hunter
I'd like to add, war movies are not my fav. genre and my idea of having fun watching them. I just thought they rendered war as disturbing as it is.

I'll add two movies that haven't been mentioned before:

"In Harm's Way" - John Wayne and Kirk Douglas as Navy officers in WWII. A few decent storylines within.

"Glory" - Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick in this wonderful film about an all black volunteer company in the Civil War.

In order

Shindlers List
The Deer Hunter
Platoon
Patton
Full Metal Jacket

Thats my top 5

Apocalypse Now
From Here to Eternity
The Guns of Navarone
Gallipoli
Patton

I know there are a few more I can't think of, but not too many... it's hard to find war movies that aren't just more of the same.

*If The Pianist counts, I'd definitely add that to my list.

I'm a very big fan of WWII movies made during WWII:
1. "The Purple Heart" (Dana Andrews, Richard Conti, Farley Granger). (The all-time champ!)
2. "Wake Island" (William Bendix).
3. "Gung Ho" (Randolph Scott).
After that:
4. "Sgt. York"
5. "From Here to Eternity"
6. "Apocalypse Now" (and "Redux").
7. "Paths of Glory"
8. "The Execution of Pvt. Slovik" (Martin Sheen's finest performance)
9. "The Caine Mutiny"
10. "Tora, Tora, Tora" (still the best Pearl Harbor film)

TB,

I remember Pvt. Slovik too. Excellent movie. I don't think I've seen it probably when it was first on and then a repeat. It's been years, but I agree Sheen was excellent as was the entire story.

I forgot about "The Great Escape". Is that considered a war movie? I loved that one too.


TIS

Saving Private Ryan
The Deer Hunter
Braveheart

The Deer Hunter, closely followed by Apocalypse Now. And if these count, Schindler's List and Judgement At Nurembug were also great pictures.

Here's my list no particular order.

Band of Brothers
We Were Soldiers
The Green Berets
Saving Private Ryan

The one glaring difference between my list and most others is that Black Down tops it. Other then that, its the usuals:

Deer Hunter
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket
Saving Private Ryan
Apocalypse Now

I'm surprised hardly anyone except Mignon hasn't chosen Band of Brothers as a favourite war movie. For me, Band of Brothers is an excellent description of the war as it covers not only the soldiers' life but also the officers' and the medics'. Instead of being a non-stop action movie, it also focuses on the lives and situations each of the soldiers had to face, not like the war movies nowadays with lousy actors pretending to be excited or scared stiff. Nothing can compare to Band of Brothers, in the end you love each and every one of the characters as your realize each and every one of them were heroes.

My favorite war movie ever is "From Here to Eternity." All of the actors were just...amazing, IMO. When it comes to war movies, I like the ones that have more of a story to them, that don't focus just mainly on the war. For example, I think "Saving Private Ryan" is a really great war film, but it isn't one of my favorites.

War movies themselves should be seperated by the wars themselves. I mean different times, different views, different terms of context:

Best American Vietnam War Movie - Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. Besides being the undisputed king of Vietnam Movies by many critics, its arguably the greatest war film ever.

Runner-Ups - Stanley Kubrick's criminally underrated Full Metal Jacket and Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, and Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter.

First Gulf War(1991) - David Russell's Three Kings. Only 3 films about that war that I'm aware of. Of those 3, this is the best(and its a decent movie in the vein of many WW2 "Men on a Mission" sub-genre films like Kelly's Heroes, Where Eagles Dare, and Guns of the Navarone).

Runner-Up - The Made-for-HBO movie LIVE FROM BAGHDAD with Michael Keaton. Fine small-scale film about the CNN crew who brought those stunning night vision-filled battle footage over in Baghdad, and their fights with the Iraqi propaganda machine.

I'll post more later today.

#1 -The Longest Day -has many stars in it

# 2 - Private Ryan

# 3 -Glory =

Gods & Generals even though it may not be a war film by definition, but there are still scenes of battle.

GODS & GENERALS?!?! Bah!

I rather take the earlier movie by the same(or majority) cast and crew that almost a decade ago had made the pretty darn and worty GETTYSBURG.

GODS & GENERALS' problem, among other things, was that it was a 5 hour film that got cut down to 3 hours and 30 minutes, and which caused for a big problem in terms of fluid narrative matter.

I go with Dirty Dozen as my favorite, followed by: (in no particular order)
Saving Private Ryan
The Battle of the Bulge
Patton
Enemy at the Gates
Tora, Tora, Tora
Kelly's Heros
Guns of Navarone
Where Eagles Dare

• full metal jacket
  black hawk down
  tears of the sun
  pearl harbor
  saving private ryan
  we were soldiers

New List
---------
Apocalypse Now - ****
The Deer Hunter - ****
Schindler's List - ****
Dr. Strangelove - ****
Platoon - ****
Saving Private Ryan - ***1/2

Lotta good ones already in this thread, but I don't believe anyone has mentioned The Tuskegee Airmen. A truly exceptional movie.

tony b.

The Pianist (2002) is much more of a war film than Apocalypse Now (1979) is.

My favourite would have to be The Deer Hunter (1978), but the best, from what I've seen, is All Quiet On the Western Front (1930). For sheer technicalities of a battle scene, Saving Private Ryan (1998) is phenomenal.

Mick

(in no order)
Schindlers List
We Were Soldiers
Braveheart