"which war film gets you mad?" Topic

Yet again I find myself watching The Battle Of The Bulge. I know it was made in the days before CGI, I Know they used american tanks to act as german and honestly im okay with this so far but what really winds me up!!!! is where the director got the idea too use the wide, middle of summer, evreyones getting at tan open plains for the tank duel at the end of the film. At which point did he say " this is almost double to the ardennes, lets use it boys!" No attempt to at least sprinkle some talcum powder to give the illusion of snow.

Of course; I will watch it again.

I guess there is better ones to top this.

Well, not mad exactly and not really a war movie but …

Whilst I do love the new Robin Hood film, the landing barges are mock-ups from WWII – I mean, how did they get to the north of england without a sail in sight?

The Victorian application of mid-fifteenth century salets for the King's helm and the two from the Locklsey's purporting to be around the early thirteenth century chokes me every time.

Whilst bagging the production side of the house, Braveheart is another movie I love and love to hate for it's total disregard for just about everything technical.

I couldn't get through more than 15 minutes of "Wind Talkers". Something about a Japanese company position sitting in the open on top of a hill, waiting for the naval gunfire to eradicate it. Of course that's not how the movie played out, but given that situation, that's what I would have done as a Marine commander. My understanding is that the genius of the Japanese in defence was in making their positions nearly invisible, not standing out in the open. I'm surprised there wasn't a giant Japanese flag flying in the middle of it.

The end of The Enemy Below always annoys me as well. Any Buckly class DE taking a 21" torpedo amidships is going to break in half and sink, not miraculously turn and ram the submarine that fired the torpedo (and should have stayed submerged aftwards). Kurt Jurgens got shafted!

The Patriot.
Adding a layer of martyrdom to the myth of the revolution of the common mam by misappropriating the suffering of the victims of Nazi thugs is shameless.

You're upset about the lack of snow, but the "We can still ram 'em" line doesn't bother you? I hate that film. I also hate Saving Private Ryan. Why are ten men trying to hold a bridge against a battalion. Blow that thing and fall back.

Pearl Harbor. Worst movie ever, bar none.

Pearl Harbor and Gettysburg

Gallipoli – perpetuates the myth that that campaign was solely about heroic ANZACs ORs and blundering British Chinless Wonder type officers. The fact that the majority of casaulties were British and French just doesn't seem to get a mention, not even the Norfolk Bn that got wiped out to a man. Now I'm actually in Australia, my claim that British units actually participated in the Gallipoli campaign is met with incredulity by non-wargaming friends and relatives!

But the sad thing is that in Australia, conversely, the immense contribution ANZAC units made on the Western Front is, or was, relatively unknown, because Mel Gibson didn't make a film about it! The discoveries at Fromelles of the mass ANZAC grave is thankfully bringing their story back, though.

Most of the Viet Nam Movies.

mjc

Any flick wich portrays US troops as either psycotic killers or victims or both and all officers as idiots or evil.

Jake

'The Patriot' is a perversion of history.

'Gods & Generals' (AKA 'St Robert & St Thomas of Virginia')

'The Green Berets'

'633 Squadron' if only for the shame of pranking real Mossies.

I'll forgive The Battle of the Bulge because of the era in which it was made.

The Patriot was a fine movie in many respects, but the sad fact is that where those atrocities did occur, they were inflicted by the revolutionaries on the majority loyalist population. They were aimed at subduing dissent to the rebellion and giving the impression that the revolution had popular consent, and therefore legitimacy; as opposed to just that of the vocal minority who stood to gain political and economic power from severing the ties to the Crown.

"Castle Keep", a WWII movie from the 70s.

"Cross of Iron"

"Attack and Retreat" (Italian movie about the Eastern Front)

Zardoz.

This thread is just moments away from degenerating into an Express Elevator to the Dawghouse, as people will use it as a Culture Wars Cudgel, or a "My Blinkered Patriotism is Sacred; Your Blinkered Patriotism is Stupid!" rant.

If somebody doesn't stand up in the next ten minutes to rant about Hollywood (or call it "Hollyweird"), I'll buy Allen a beer. (If the rant involves imaginary Marxists and people who hate America, he buys me a beer.)

Best description of this movie ever:

The Patriot.
Adding a layer of martyrdom to the myth of the revolution of the common mam by misappropriating the suffering of the victims of Nazi thugs is shameless

"Any flick wich portrays US troops as either psycotic killers or victims or both and all officers as idiots or evil."

Twenty-three years with the Army, and I'm *still* waiting for someone to push those memes to reflect reality! I must have met the worst head cases…

Ones that I don't turn on, or turn off if encountered accidentally: "The Green Berets", "Patton", "Pearl Harbor"; and it goes without saying, "300".

Allen

"Thin Red Line". Hollyweirdo navel-gazing drivel with lots of emo poetry and waving grass (I'm thinking Terrance Mallet smoked a lot of that before cranking out this three hour crapfest). Thirty minutes of decent war movie in the middle of it couldn't resuscitate this one.

"Bulge"'s all-sing, all-dancing silliness gets off on good ol' camp factor. Overwhelming pretentiousness voids that particular "get out of jail free" card.

HA! Four Minutes!

Sorry, Allen. Buy your own beer.

This thread is just moments away from degenerating into an Express Elevator to the Dawghouse, as people will use it as a Culture Wars Cudgel, or a "My Blinkered Patriotism is Sacred; Your Blinkered Patriotism is Stupid!" rant.

Too late.

I thought the end battle of the Mel Gibson Vietnam movie was pretty lame. The Vietnamese come out of their bunkers and wait in line to be mowed down by Hueys. Lame!

Another vote for the Thin Red Line. What a waste. A guy that I knew was at the same theatre. I walked out I got so lost. The next time I saw the guy, all he could say was that" Well, I think it was a war movie. Or a nature film.I still don't wanna remember."

"I thought the end battle of the Mel Gibson Vietnam movie was pretty lame. The Vietnamese come out of their bunkers and wait in line to be mowed down by Hueys. Lame!"

They thought they was Orks. Whaaagh time. Valid tactic in 40K

Saving Private Ryan. Speilberg thought the audience was stoopid and tried to get away a with a plywood covered T-34 for a Tiger

1) "Flyboys" how can anyone screw up a WWI film about aviation? Well they managed. Low point all German planes were red triplanes.

2) "Gods and Generals" Oh I feel so sorry for those poor ole slaveholders fighting for their "rights". Low point General Lee attends the "Confederate USO show"

3)"The Patriot" points already discussed

there you go with those negative waves. Can't anyone say
something righteous and hopeful for a change.

I actually haven't watched most of the recent ones, mainly for the reasons previously stated. However, the ones I watched growing up (before I became more technically aware of inaccuracies) still hold sentimental value to me. Also, the acting wasn't bad for what it was supposed to do. Case in point, the Panzerlied scene in BotB

I must admit that I cannot watch the majority of the films about the Trojan War. From the old 50's Helen of Troy to the more recent Troy. The latter have Menelaus and Ajax dying off in the first few scenes. I mean okay, Ajax did die in the war, but Menelaus made it out and lived for sometime afterwards. Yeah, hard to swallow after that.

By the way, can't stand Lawrence of Arabia. Makes me
want to shoot the tv. If you want to call it a war movie.

Thin Red Line is one of the few movies I've ever turned off 30 minutes in.

"The Green Zone". They should have named it "The Bourne Identity in camouflage."

"300" is a close second. Utter dreck.

The Red Baron.

The most recent Four Feathers. Okay, it's amazing a colonial era film even got made recently, but it's full of revisionist history and seems to take place in some non specific, Victorian 18?? time. Thank God for the original version.

I came in late to the party, so I will just say that I hate any that have bellowing, or sword twirling.

I am PERFECTLY HAPPY with the wrong tanks.

Speilberg thought the audience was stoopid and tried to get away a with a plywood covered T-34 for a Tiger

No. He simply assumed that no one but a wargamer gave a rat's ass about somewthing so trivial. The people who actually give a damn amount to 0.01% of the people who go to movies, and I am probaly over-estimating by many orders of magnitude.

The Rising The Bollywood film about the Indian Mutiny, where the British officer, seeing the error of his countrymen's ways joins the rebels.

Speilberg thought the audience was stoopid and tried to get away a with a plywood covered T-34 for a Tiger

No. He simply assumed that no one but a wargamer gave a rat's ass about somewthing so trivial. The people who actually give a damn amount to 0.01% of the people who go to movies, and I am probaly over-estimating by many orders of magnitude.

You're both wrong. Likely, he figured getting an ACTUAL WORKING TIGER TANK would be either a) prohibitively expensive, or b) have so many restrictions that it wouldn't be worth filming. If the number of running Tigers can be counted on one hand, what chances do you think the owners would allow Spielberg to use pyrotechnics and the like on them?

Damon.

"plywood covered T-34 for a Tiger"
at least they tried to make the tank look like a tiger, instead of using an M1 Abrams.

Lawrence of Arabia is one of the all time great war movies! All time great movies period!

What's not to like?

I think they came very close to getting T.E. Lawrence spot on. He was the kind of guy that would be very embarrassed if formally introduced at a ball but if he wasn't introduced, he would soon capture the attention of all by doing hand stands on the table. A very complex personality.

Besides, if you ever need to paint up some camels, it makes an outstanding painting guide.

Every Mel Gibson war movie is a massive wreck.

The ending of "We Were Soldiers.." is monumentally lame. The movie was actually fairly good up until that point. And then the heroic charge across open ground, etc. Pathetic. I guess standing your ground and holding off 3 Battalions with just 1 wasn't heroic enough for Hollywood.

I'm also with Allen about "300", which to be fair is based on a comic book, but still is so slickly attractive yet sickeningly xenophobic and totalitarian in message as to be extremely repellent.

Don't know, I just don't like it. I'll try and watch it again
and see if I'm just deranged. Last time I saw Lawrence of Arabia was probably 15 years ago. So I'll keep an open mind
and see if I'm wrong.:)

Have to agree with "300" garbage. Thin Red Line also.
Pearl Harbor and Gods and Generals.

Braveheart. When I saw the woad and realised the Princess was only 6 years old at the time Wallace did his thing, Gibson became something less than honest historically.

Gallipoli.Well written and factual comments Sparker.

The Patriot. Symbiotic Relationship said it all.

The Rising The Bollywood film about the Indian Mutiny. Did Mel Gibson play the British officer or Pandy?

I think that "300" is one of the best movies I have seen. Absolutely bang-on with regard to the Spartan's psyche as well as that of the Persians.

As to the technical bits, who cares? It's a MOVIE. It's made by the ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, who frankly could care less what a bunch of folks who play with toy soldiers have to say about it, unless you happen to be one of the financiers of the venture.

I read books and research papers to learn history. I watch movies to be entertained.

V/R

"Absolutely bang-on with regard to the Spartan's psyche as well as that of the Persians."

Don't know what they teach up there now; but I had a couple of outstanding Classics professors at Bowdoin who would have probably choked on their pipes at seeing Xerxes giving Leonidas a little stress relief:

picture

Allen

I can remember as a boy watching some WWII movie (title escapes me) with my Dad. He was a combat army veteran seeing action on Guadalcanal (132nd, Americal Div). Anyway, this particular segment showed a grenade being chucked into a Jap MG nest and the Japs being blown out of it doing somersaults/flips as they were flying through the air. I was thrilled by all the action until my Dad ruined it with a "what a load of s___t".

300 is a transposition from a comic book, not from an history treatise.
To criticize its historicity is a bit like saying that Hulk doesn't respect gravity laws.
It's not a movie for history geeks, just to entertain people using graphics similar to the novel. It was fun.

It's Hollywood. Whats to get mad at? Losing $8? Big deal!

I don't know, Green Berets wasn't all bad as an entertainment vehicle. It had some quality death scenes such as Jim Hutton's demise in the booby trap. I also liked it when Sulu blew up the command tower, having previously wired it as a precaution.

If you take out the one scene of Mel going bananas against a full company of red coats (perhaps a foreshadowing of his behavior in real life – if you've heard the audio of him ranting over the phone with his ex-wife) then Patriot is watchable. How many AWI films do we get.

Battle of the Bulge: I thought that it was a good story and a decent film considering when it was made. I don't know Tiger from a Sherman so using mock up tanks doesn't bother me at all. Robert Shaw's death scene was pretty well done, as was Dano gunning down the fake Military Police near the end.

Gods and Generals and Pearl Harbor had no redeeming value to them.

Just remember. You guys are NOT the audience for these movies. Not by a long shot.
Whine all you want. No one in Hollywood cares, nor should they.
The main job of Hollywood is to make money for their investors, and sometimes … It is NOT, and has never been "to get things right".

Gee! It's been months since I made that statement!

Rent "Sweet Liberty" if you want a 100% accurate depiction of what Hollywood REALLY thinks about all you "Wrong Tank" nutjobs and you "they got the uniform wrong!" wingnuts.

Give it a rest.

I loved 300 and thought that Thin Red Line was really good.

The one that got my blood boiling was Troy. I could have put up with most of it except Paris living in the end. What the hell is up with that? They can't kill him because he is played by Legolas and all the girls would end up with their panties in a giant nationwide twist?

Lame. Lame to the extreme of lameness. Even flyboys, as awful of a film as it was, was better than that in a punchbowl.

I even liked Brad Pitt as Achilles, but the ending was just awful.