Winston Smith | 03 Oct 2018 9:49 p.m. PST |
Heck. Let's make that "that anyone likes"? I was rather mellow in my appreciation of The Crossing. TMP link Well. It appears that there was a Church with an onion dome, British troops with anachronistic uniforms, Washington swearing… Tough crowd…. I liked it, and thought it was evocative. Oh well. The OFM has told me he is rather proud of inventing the term "Wrong Tank Syndrome". This came about when the movie "Patton" was blasted here because … the tanks were wrong. Some TMPers claimed to have been physically ill on seeing the "Tiger" tanks! Snowflakes. What should have upset them was using Omar Bradley (who despised him) as a source. But no. It was the tanks. I'm not innocent here. I think Saving Private Ryan has a stupid plot for the last half of the movie. Am I being a nit picker? I'm going to ask a simple question. "Is there any war movie that everyone thinks is excellent?" I certainly expect any and all nominees to be shot down within two posts of being nominated. My usual caveat applies here. WE are not the audience. Curmudgeons like us rarely leave home to see a movie. Hollywood has better things to spend its money on than green uniforms for Tavington's Green Dragoons. "The least they can do is get the tanks right!" That's dumb. That costs money, better spent on making Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise look good. So. What movie gets it mostly right? It could also be a tv movie, miniseries, etc. Documentaries don't count. Not that they're any prize either. |
Yellow Admiral | 03 Oct 2018 10:25 p.m. PST |
Didn't everybody like Troy? <dives into bunker> |
Winston Smith | 03 Oct 2018 10:27 p.m. PST |
What's not to like about Achilles the Ninja? |
Yellow Admiral | 03 Oct 2018 10:32 p.m. PST |
Seriously, some of the old classics probably come the closest, like Waterloo (1970). Not necessarily because they're hyper-accurate, but because they were earnest attempts and had a deep impact on psyches of this age group in their formative years. I'll check back into this thread in a couple days, after it's reached page 4. - Ix |
Yellow Admiral | 03 Oct 2018 10:34 p.m. PST |
PS: I bet Band of Brothers gets high honors here. |
Winston Smith | 03 Oct 2018 10:43 p.m. PST |
I'd like to put in a good word for The Cruel Sea Master and Commander D-Day |
Vintage Wargaming | 03 Oct 2018 11:03 p.m. PST |
Escape to Victory. What's not to like? |
Toaster | 03 Oct 2018 11:29 p.m. PST |
Zulu should get a nod Robert |
Prince Rupert of the Rhine | 03 Oct 2018 11:46 p.m. PST |
The Longest Day epic war movie with so many fine actors, of the day, and iconic scenes. I don't even care that it's in black and white that just adds to the charm. I can't see how any gamer couldn't watch it and get the urge to start gaming D-day |
nevinsrip | 03 Oct 2018 11:56 p.m. PST |
Last of the Mohicans. What's not to like/ |
Dn Jackson | 04 Oct 2018 1:27 a.m. PST |
Band of Brothers Longest Day Zulu |
Thresher01 | 04 Oct 2018 1:39 a.m. PST |
Das Boot The Longest Day Band of Brothers Battle of Britain A Bridge Too Far |
Fish | 04 Oct 2018 2:20 a.m. PST |
Das Boot indeed! Also Winter War? |
Calico Bill | 04 Oct 2018 2:30 a.m. PST |
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ZULUPAUL | 04 Oct 2018 3:00 a.m. PST |
Zulu Das Boot Enemy Below Band of Brothers (technically a series not a movie) The Longest Day Heck I like most of them, yes even The Patriot & Braveheart. |
etotheipi | 04 Oct 2018 3:08 a.m. PST |
Is there any war movie that everyone thinks is excellent? No. For reasons that parallel why some of "us curmudgeons" don't like to game wars that they've been in, my mother (curmudgeonly in her own right, but not one of us wargamers, per the caveat) does not like any war movie. Period. I would assume that there are some among the "wargaming glorifies war" crowd that also believe that "war movies glorify war". |
Gunfreak | 04 Oct 2018 3:26 a.m. PST |
Everyone? Maybe not but some movies are close to universally lauded. Longest day is very hard to find very negative reviews or opinions on. A bridge too far while highly thought of by ww2 buffs was not as highly reviewed by the general public. If you add series then yes band of brothers is probably as close as you get. |
robert piepenbrink | 04 Oct 2018 4:02 a.m. PST |
Longest Day Bridge too Far Zulu Gettysburg Waterloo Major Dundee Zulu Dawn Midway None perfect. No perfect books either. But none changed the historical outcome, all were acceptable interpretations of historical events, and none were glaringly far out in costume and equipment. |
Texas Jack | 04 Oct 2018 4:06 a.m. PST |
Itīs funny how Zulu is on a lot of lists here (and it was my first thought as well), yet it is riddled with inaccuracies. I guess wrong character syndrome isnīt as noticeable as the wrong tanks. |
79thPA | 04 Oct 2018 4:15 a.m. PST |
The Bridge Over the River Kwai Anything with Jimmy Stewart The Green Berets |
skippy0001 | 04 Oct 2018 4:18 a.m. PST |
Castle Keep-technically, all the characters were shell-shocked and burnt out. |
mildbill | 04 Oct 2018 4:46 a.m. PST |
A Walk in the Sun. Red Badge of Courage, with Bill Mauldin and Audie -ing Murphy. The usual suspects listed above.
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athun25 | 04 Oct 2018 4:47 a.m. PST |
12 O'clock High In Harms Way Kelly's Heroes (hell yeah!) The Great Escape Stalag 17 |
Martin Rapier | 04 Oct 2018 5:13 a.m. PST |
The Cruel Sea The Way Ahead Das Boot A Bridge Too Far The Longest Day The Bridge at Remagen Band of Brothers Breaker Morant Zulu Lawrence of Arabia The Duellists Full Metal Jacket Blackhawk Down Apocalypse Now The Battle of Britain Dunkirk (the proper one) Battleground A Walk in the Sun There are a few to choose from anyway… |
Dynaman8789 | 04 Oct 2018 5:31 a.m. PST |
I like what I like and don't care what others like, except when they like something I don't like… |
dBerczerk | 04 Oct 2018 5:43 a.m. PST |
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21eRegt | 04 Oct 2018 5:56 a.m. PST |
Shocked that I haven't seen Tora, Tora, Tora yet. It immediately came to mind when I saw the thread. |
jtkimmel | 04 Oct 2018 6:06 a.m. PST |
Cross of Iron, they even used the right tanks! |
JimSelzer | 04 Oct 2018 6:13 a.m. PST |
Zulu Tora Tora Tora Midway Band of Brothers Blue Max |
mad monkey 1 | 04 Oct 2018 6:47 a.m. PST |
Dark of the Sun. Wild Geese. Gunga Din. Kelly's Heroes. Cross of Iron. Winter's War. Platoon. Charlie Mopic. Barry Lyndon. The Duelists. Zulu. And many more named above. Some not the most accurate, but all movies wargamers will enjoy. |
Kevin C | 04 Oct 2018 7:00 a.m. PST |
I would think that most people (or at least wargamers) would like Waterloo and Wild Geese. |
Garand | 04 Oct 2018 7:03 a.m. PST |
Downfall. One of my favorite WWII movies of all time! BoB is good too, but a series rather than a movie. Das Boot is one of my favorites too… The further in the past you go the more whacky the movies become IMHO. I can't think of any pre-modern historical (war or otherwise) movie I unreservedly like… Damon. |
Red Jacket | 04 Oct 2018 7:12 a.m. PST |
Tora, Tora, Tora Patton (wrong tanks and all) The Longest Day Zulu The Deluge (Polish language) |
Frederick | 04 Oct 2018 7:18 a.m. PST |
Glory The Duelists Das Boot Cross of Iron Tora Tora Tora Dunkirk |
Legion 4 | 04 Oct 2018 7:24 a.m. PST |
Some good choices there … Just as sidebar. When we were at the Ft. Benning, GA at the Adv Inf Ofc Course, in '83. The JAG used Breaker Morant during our class on war crimes, etc. The JAG edited and stopped the film at times and commented, etc. Using the film as a very good training aid. And yes, btw, based on military law, etc. Breaker and his men did commit war crimes, etc., … Which is hard to dispute from a legal standpoint, even if they did get "railroaded" so to speak/per se … But bottom line as we all know … short answer … You can not execute prisoners …
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Winston Smith | 04 Oct 2018 8:02 a.m. PST |
Gallipoli The Light Horsemen |
Winston Smith | 04 Oct 2018 8:03 a.m. PST |
And nobody is shooting anything down! |
WarWizard | 04 Oct 2018 8:08 a.m. PST |
Here are mine – don't really care if anyone disagrees, I know what I like. Alamo – J. Wayne version. Das Boot A Bridge Too Far Gettysburg Glory The Longest Day The Bridge at Remagen Band of Brothers Zulu Lawrence of Arabia Full Metal Jacket Blackhawk Down Revolution Last of Mohicans – D.D.Lewis version The Crossing Gunga Din Fort Apache She Wore A Yellow Ribbon The Horse Soldiers I'm sure I forgot a few…. |
robert piepenbrink | 04 Oct 2018 8:10 a.m. PST |
Many good choices. Movies and schools. Some Marines have told me that they've seen the "taking of the Sultan's palace" bit from The Wind and the Lion used in class as an example of what it looks like when you get everything right. And I'd note that several I wouldn't list in this context, either for being bothersomely off on the history or for persistent visual annoyance, are really very good as movies. |
Roderick Robertson | 04 Oct 2018 8:16 a.m. PST |
You could shorten the question to: "Is there a movie that everyone likes" and the answer would still be a resounding "NO". I bet there are fools that don't like Casablanca or Singin' in the Rain. |
rmaker | 04 Oct 2018 8:23 a.m. PST |
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Winston Smith | 04 Oct 2018 8:37 a.m. PST |
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Bellbottom | 04 Oct 2018 8:37 a.m. PST |
Nobody mentioned The Dam Busters yet. The Cruel Sea is brilliant. Reach for the Sky, and First of the Few. |
Hlaven | 04 Oct 2018 9:54 a.m. PST |
So many; but I will say Waterloo, Zulu, and The Wild Geese. |
robert piepenbrink | 04 Oct 2018 10:03 a.m. PST |
Hmm. Might want to add Run Silent, Run Deep, though the book was better. (Cute minor point. In the hardcover, there's a submarine silhouette at the start of each chapter--which changes as the Navy makes changes to the sub fleet.) |
KSmyth | 04 Oct 2018 10:30 a.m. PST |
Lots of great choices. Some I like more than others. But I'l chime in with a few--nothing new Zulu Patton--with all of its bad tanks, but George C. Scott too Breaker Morant Gallipoli Band of Brothers Henry V (Branagh) Battle of Britain Casablanca Agree with lots of the others too, but these are my favorites. I've watched them many times. I think I own all of them. |
mildbill | 04 Oct 2018 10:44 a.m. PST |
The movie with Procnow as sub commander and Mitchem as Destroyer captain. |
raylev3 | 04 Oct 2018 11:10 a.m. PST |
This is turning into a list of "must watch" movies!!! |
20thmaine | 04 Oct 2018 11:33 a.m. PST |
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Flashman14 | 04 Oct 2018 11:38 a.m. PST |
Alamo? Glory Duellists Master & Commander I LOVE Zulu but it gets tons wrong. |