"The Greatest War movie never told?" Topic

Okay, we've had several very good polls concerning Best War films, Sci-Fi films, Game themed films, etc…so hows about this.

What is the one great battle in history or short war/conflict (short enough to be covered in a 3 hour film like the Balkan War 1912-13, The Franco-Prussian War, Russo-Japan War, etc..) that you feel has GOT to be made before you die?

Now this could be a battle or war thats never been covered in (Western) films before or it could be one that has not been done in so long or was done so poorly that it deserves re-telling.

Well even for me this is a tough one to chose just one(!) so I will extend your choices to a "top 5" if you can limit it to that many please. If you would prefer that the movie be about a historical character (Robert the Bruce, etc…) rather than 1 battle or war I will allow historical bio picks as well.

Heres mine:

1) The Sekigahara Campaign (1600) told from the time Hideyoshi dies to the capture of Ishida after the battle.

2) The Franco-Prussian War, covering the beginning of the war up to the debacle at Sedan.

3) The Life of Robert the Bruce, starting with the battle of Falkirk to the Declaration of Arbroath.

4) The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-1598 told from Admiral Yi Sunsin's perspective.

5) The Pictish victory over the Saxons (Northumbrians) at the Battle of Dunnichen or Nechtansmere 685.

Have at it and thanks for playing!

Well, HASTINGS no duh….

Lol…and your other 4? Or would that cover it? (Hastings would be about #6 on my list, btw Doug!)

4) The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-1598 told from Admiral Yi Sunsin's perspective.

I think that has been done but in Korean. I might be able to find a subtitled version as most series and movies licenced to be copied on DVD and rented here in the local community (Korean) are that way for the second generation Korean kids and folks who are trying to learn English.
VR
James Mattes

I second Hastings. Its amazing there's never been a film made of it. The whole campaign makes up an interesting story, but not one that is too complicated for film.

How about Hannibal staring Vin Diesel? imdb.com/title/tt0382731

VR
James Mattes

The siege and fall of Constantinople in 1453.

Trafalgar?

I want to see Operation Sealion dramatized like A Bridge Too Far and Longest Day.

Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign, romanticised, could be as magnificent and tragic as Lawrence of Arabia.

1) Jutland
2) Blenheim
3) Buena Vista
4) Marston Moor
5) Lissa, 1866

You all realize that after they have the script written, the love interests hired and the non-historical parts blocked in, there will not be a historical war movie, right?

I can see the pre-views for "Hastings: 1066" now: flaming and exploding catapult rounds, Angelina Jodie as the Saxon love interest with tattoos, William as a Nazi-type invader speaking strictly upper class UK English, all the common foot soldiers speaking with Welsh, Scottish or Irish accents, plate armor, at least one evil churchman, etc. Harold would have to be played by Mr. Darcy at least.

It would be filmed in Canada and all beach scenes in the West Indies.

Dan

An actually half-decent film about the Normandy campaign would be nice

"at least one evil churchman"

Bishop Odo? I think he was William's brother and is depicted in the Bayeaux tapestry.

"I want to see Operation Sealion dramatized like A Bridge Too Far and Longest Day"

I can imagine the scene at the end, as the German commanders look out over their burning invasion fleet and, in the distance, their invasion force being destroyed on the beaches of Kent.

"I always thought we were going one channel too many…"

Mserafin, for today's film public, Otto would at least have to throw babies into a fire, oversee a torture scene or two and die some really ugly death (that he'd deserve).

Did I mention that there would be at least one minority total unrelated to any historical fact in the film?

Dan

Seige of Malta
Constantinople 1453
Brian Boru (don't know much about diCapria's version yet)
A really good fantasy movie about Cú Chulainn
The Albigensian Crusade from the Cathars point of view.

hmm, do I detect a note of lost causes there?

I can see the pre-views for "Hastings: 1066" now: flaming and exploding catapult rounds, Angelina Jodie as the Saxon love interest with tattoos, William as a Nazi-type invader speaking strictly upper class UK English, all the common foot soldiers speaking with Welsh, Scottish or Irish accents, plate armor, at least one evil churchman, etc. Harold would have to be played by Mr. Darcy at least.

Or maybe Colin Ferrel as William, played like John Wayne trying to bring civilization to the land for settlers. The Saxons would all be painted savages with German accents (except for the obligatory Tony Curtis misfit type).

We saw how the Saxons were presented in that wretched King Arthur film so they could keep them the same way for Hastings and then this lets them re-imagine Robin Hood with Robin Hood being the german fighting against the Norman Good guys, where the sheriff of Nottingham is like a Dodge City sheriff fighting savage apaches.

Tarawa
Blenheim
Antietam
Mars La Tour Gravelotte St Privat

The Mexica Flower Wars.

The French attack on the Chickasaw at Ackia in the 1730s.

The Creek War of 1812-14. You can have the points of views from the Red Sticks Creeks, Lower-White Stick (actually a white feather)Creeek and Tennesseee and georgia militia.

Anything other than Waterloo for Napoleonics.

In no particular order my top five are:

The Last Battle, Cornelius Ryan's best book, Gen Heinrici takes the long way home.

Nomonhan or Khalkin Gol, Russian blitzkreig, kinda, sorts out the border, Stalin purges at 11.

Kadesh, Ramses the Great gets saved, Muwatalli gets an Egyptian princess.

Tannenburg, Ludendorff takes the credit, signaling the end of two empires.

1776, "Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose!" It's never been done to my satisfaction.

Donald~

In no particular order:

1.) Battle of Jutland. I recently finished reading Jutland, 1916: Death in the Grey Wastes and I think the book could be the basis for a screenplay. Excellent storytelling from many points-of-view.

2.)The life of Nelson. Lots of action and a love story/scandal to spice things up a bit. With all of the computer wizardry available nowadays, large sea battles from the age of sail are more possible than ever.

3.) the life of Frederick the Great. I believe it's been done before (1930s or 40s in Germany?), but lots of interesting facets to his life.

4.) Hastings for all of the reasons others have mentioned. Vikings, Saxons, and Normans…what's not to like?

5.) The battle of Monmouth from the AWI.

Simba revolt in the Congo.

The Albigensian Crusade from the Cathars point of view.

Well, the bad guys best line is already written. "Kill them all, God will know his own."

Siege of Malta gets my (one) vote.

C E

I think the legendary TMP War on Excessive Cross-posting (usually abbreviated as TMPWXXP) would definitely deserve to be filmed.

I guess I could try volunteering for some of the mass scenes, once I found out where I put my pitchfork.

Operation Crusader.

Oh, Oh,

The great TMP-Frothers fight of unhhhh………..

oh look a chicken!

Donald~
sitting at home in the dark waiting for the assassins to come-

Well lets see, how about for starters "Gates of Fire", unless we are all totally satified with the cartoon version (300) which I did enjoy for what it was!

Maybe an updated version of 12 O'clock High, good double feature with Memphis Belle ( very underrated as a classic)

How about another, a third time around for "Red badge of Courage" just keep the quality period acting of the 1st jem of a movie with Audie Murphy and every other good character actor in Hollywood getting a few lines!! With color and re enactors by the gazillion and GOOD computer graphics and
no big name stars. Why hasn't this been done??

Was a very good film sometime back about Cromwell and Fairfax (forget the title) (help) but did not have any battles, mostly was after the Roundhead victory and about killing the King and Cromwells rise to dictatorship, so maybe a theatrical version of the PBS miniseries "By the Sword Divided" Likely need two long films to do it justice with a couple of good big battles thrown in for epics sake!

And now for the fifth and best . How about a new miniseries or moviehouse Trilogy for I CLAUDIUS, could you resist that if they make it?? ROME did OK I hear!! HBO I Claudius, you listening? Big budget too OK??

"Otto would at least have to throw babies into a fire, oversee a torture scene or two and die some really ugly death (that he'd deserve)."

Do you have a problem with that? He's shown in the tapestry wailing on people with what looks like a baseball bat (no edged weapons for clerics)!

1. Tsushima
2. Siege of Malta
3. Siege of Constantinople.
4. Siege of Port Arthur
5. O'Connor's initial campaign against the Italians.

Uesugi, I am with you on the Robert the Bruce story. I would also like to see something on the Albigensian Crusades, the Bouvines War, and 2nd Baron's War

I'm still waiting for GATES OF FIRE… Blenheim would be awesome, Austro-Prussian War of 1866 (7 weeks war so short enough)

St Patrick the movie (includes battles)

Not strictly historical but ..
Rifleman Dodd/ Death to the French… would make a cracking story, Holywood would have to jazz it up a bit I suppose.

King Penda, the last pagan king (of England) would make a class movie out of his life.

Id like to see a WW2 movie, big budget ect ect from a British point of view. Something Band of Bothers/ Saving Private Ryanesque only in Africa.

Something about Hengist and Horsa, as the heros. Strong men, brothers, out to forge a kingdom.

Edward III would make a heroic figure whose life would make a great trilogy.

.. general wars..
War of the Roses.. maybe Towton.
Napoleonic Wars, Spain/Portugal.
The Sikh Wars

1. Port-en-Bessin, 1944
2. The Valley of Tears, 1973
3. Comacchio, 1945
4. Escape of the Goeben, 1914
5. Operation Paraquat, 1982

In no particular order…
1. Little Big Horn done right…
2. Hastings for all the above reasons
3. Starship Troopers done more according to the books with armored suits
4. Battle against the demons in the Elfstones of Shannara
5. Battle of 5 Armies (Hobbit may get my wish on that one!)

The Sealion film would have to be called "A Beach too Far"

In no particular order:

Camerone
'40 Campaign from the French perspective
'09 Campaign from the Austrian perspective
Battle of Yarmuk
Battle of Manzikert

As an aside; would you gentlemen suggest how the redo Hastings with Mel Gibson cast as the lead?

oohh… Spike Milligan's war memoires!

Lots of good calls so far. Some are saying, "thats been done before!" so what, the original question stated if you want to see it done newer or better then list it.

Re: Admiral Yi
"I think that has been done but in Korean. "

Yeah, I have it. Costumes and ships are great. Sea battles are pretty good. Hand to hand combat, land battles, and acting are sadly laughable. Thats why I asked to see it done as a professional movie, not a 9pm saturday night Korean Soap opera!

From above: Manzikert, Towton, Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Tsushima, Siege of Port Arthur, Tannenburg, Gravelotte St Privat = WIN! Outstanding choices.

Keep 'em going gentlemen!

1.Manzikert
2.Nevsky
3.Qadesh
4.Setanta,a life story.
5.Agricola and the Picts

"5.Agricola and the Picts" = Win. I hope they will do "Eagle of the 9th" though not historically based, could be a great flick.

Battle of Franklin/ Nashville

David Raybin (Nashville)

1. Tsushima Naval Battle
2. Port Arthur
3 Chattanooga
4. Sherman's March to the Sea
5 Horus Heresy (any) with Arnold Schwarzennegger as Horus

Speaking of the Hobbit.

The Cavalry Charge pelinor field in the last lord of the rings movie was good.

Imagine that cavalry charge, but of polish winged hussars

link

Here's some IMBD links to chew on:

1087: imdb.com/title/tt1418622

Agincourt: imdb.com/title/tt1480287

1066: imdb.com/title/tt1365433

Caesar: imdb.com/title/tt1318514

Hannibal the Conquerer: imdb.com/title/tt0382731

Jutland 1916: imdb.com/title/tt1436576

William the Conquerer: imdb.com/title/tt0876088

Memoirs of Hadrian: imdb.com/title/tt0467470

Maybe not all are going to make it to the screen, maybe not all are actual feature films, but something to look forward to…

Damon.

Ooh, some more info on the Jutland movie: sbk-pictures.com/news.html

Damon.

Russian campaign against the Finns in the Russian invasion after the Hitler-Stalin Pact.

regards,
John

And more Agincourt info: link

It's like Christmas and my birthday all in one!

Damon.

And William the Conquerer! link

Damon.

Good stuff Garand.