"Most Historically Accurate War Movie?" Topic

"Midway" was pretty good and fairly accurate.

I love "Zulu", however it gets some important things wrong. Pvt. Hook was assigned to the hospital as an orderly, Bromhead was left behind becouse he was nearly deaf, and if you look carefully you will see some right hands working bolts on rifles. That said still one of the best.

As for "Saving Private Ryan" I will defer to my former brother in law, may God rest his soul. As a former Ranger and Special Forces vet who was at the sharp end more than once he said, "Any politician that wants to send our boys to war should be made to watch the opening 20 minutes several times."

"I would say Band of Brothers was pretty spot on."

Except for the Fallschirmjäger running like idiots from Carentan through the swamp with no rear guard and big bulleseyes on their backs, saying "shoot me! shoot me!"

Interesting that there aren't really any ancients/medieval movies listed by anyone. Kind of a shame that these genres always fall prey to Hollywood myth-making.

What about any of the Japanese Samurai films? Kurosawa?

The Patriot.

Is this a trick question?

> What about any of the Japanese Samurai films? Kurosawa?

Although great movies I would doubt they are historically accurate to a large degree, the Japanese love a healthy dose of overindulgence in their movies.

Except for the Fallschirmjäger running like idiots from Carentan through the swamp with no rear guard and big bulleseyes on their backs, saying "shoot me! shoot me!"

I'm trying to remember exactly how Ambrose' book described that event, but it didn't seem so implausible to me. At any rate, no more implausible than a company of SS sitting packed in a ditch in Holland and being shot down like cattle by a single paratrooper with little or no return fire. Stuff happens. Nobody's perfect. They had a bad day.

Interesting that there aren't really any ancients/medieval movies listed by anyone. Kind of a shame that these genres always fall prey to Hollywood myth-making.

I did think Stone did a great job with Alexander, and the Battle of Gaugemela scene was spectacular. Yes, I know that this actually depicted several battles all crammed together, and I know someone will soon come along and point out that they had the wrong helmets or something. But still, I felt it gave a pretty good representation of what an ancient battle would have looked like.

Still trying to identify Angelina Jolie's accent, though.

Interesting that there aren't really any ancients/medieval movies listed by anyone. Kind of a shame that these genres always fall prey to Hollywood myth-making.

I suspect people are reluctant to suggest such movies because it is more difficult to verify the accuracy. Documentation, especially photography, is better for more recent conflicts. Hence more recent conflicts can be more impartially judged for accuracy.

If 'The Duellists' is a war movie, I'll suggest two fictional movies that I have always thought were carefully presented with regard to the cultures, conflict, language and history…'Black Robe' and 'Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.' Obviously, the scale of conflict among pre-contact Native Americans is on a smaller scale than traditional war movies, but both are great flicks true to the history as I understand it.

Dr. Strangelove

"Gentlemen. You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!"

I'm with Enfant Perdus on The Anderson Platoon. The scene of the grunts slogging through the paddies while Nancy Sinatra sings "These Boots Are Made For Walking" is by itself worth the price of admission.

I don't expect war movies to be accurate because they're entertainment and accuracy will always take a back seat to the story. Since I don't expect, I don't get particularly when it isn't there.

FWIW the most accurate war movie I've ever seen was Spencer Tracy in Bad Day At Black Rock.

LT

I'd go with Das Boot & Master and Commander for accuracy.

I like Go Tell the Spartans for the way it captured the absurdity of the early war in Viet Nam. My Aikido Sensei was there at the time and his stories border on the surreal.

Cross of Iron, The Longest Day, The Dam Busters, Twelve O'Clock High, Das Boot, The Thin Red Line, Tora Tora Tora, Waterloo, Master and Commander, God's and Generals, The Last of the Mohicans, Kingdom of Heaven, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.

The few I can remember as being accurate are: Tora, Tora, Tora; Zulu; A Bridge Too Far. Wanta say Blue Max, but been too long, and a Cagny WW1 pic, but can't even remember the title.

What price Glory, Cagny was the Marine Capt. very good movie.

Theirs be the Glory about the British at Arnhem. It was made using the Airborne Division in 46. Some of the actors actually having been there the first time.

Along the same lines: They Were Not Divided. More actors & fewer veterans, but lots of excellent equipment.

The opening scene depicting D-Day in 'Saving Private Ryan.' The rest of the movie was predictable Hollywood hokey, but the D-Day part was stunning.

From my limited knowledge of the period, both Zulu movies were well done.