Best war movies- for being realistic

[brookstexas]

There are some great heroic war movies with great idealism but they aren't
all that realistic as to how things happen in war time.
John Wayne movies aside I'll start this with one of my favorites-
"Bravo Two Zero"

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Blackhawk Down, Saving Private Ryan.

 

[FrankGrimeyGrimes]

"84 Charlie Mopic" (VHS) - Came out in '89. I'm still surprised that it is not offered on DVD. A film about a "lessons learned" documentary. Many have mistaken this film for the real thing.

"Das Boot" Director's Cut (DVD) - My only complaint with this movie is that it is a little bit off in terms of timing as to when serving on a U-boat in WWII became essentially a death sentence.

These two come immediately to mind when I think of realistic war films.

I'm still waiting for a realistic film about WWII the Pacific showing how this was a truely brutal battle to the death.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

While I have not been to war, I'm given to understand that "Talvisota", AKA "The Winter War" is extremely realistic for a movie. It was made in Finland.

 

[Amadeus]

I'm still waiting for a realistic film about WWII the Pacific showing how this was a truely brutal battle to the death.

What about "The Thin Red Line"? Poetic moments aside it's pretty effective at getting across some of that feeling and the connected emotions.

 

[Preacherman]

Battle Of Britain
Das Boot
Gettysburg

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

The German production of "Stalingrad" was very realistic--extremely grim.

"The Longest Day" may not have the most realistic (graphic) visuals, but given that it's all based on factual stories, it's hard to argue with.

 

[Sean Smith]

Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers both score pretty high on the realism scale IMO. Most Vietnam War films are dismal when it comes to being realistic; the are preoccupied with either their political agenda or being "arty."

 

[PATH]

I have to say that the films mentioned here are the ones that came to mind when I read the thread.

 

[Ant Mod]

It was a movie I saw about the ridiculous role the UN plays in war. It is a Serbian? foreign film about soldiers from opposite sides that fall into the same trench in no mans land during the Bosnian conflict. Its an absolute must see movie.

It was called No Mans Land
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0283509/

 

[mcneill]

Having never been in a war I'm not qualified to judge, but here goes anyway:

We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan, Blackhawk Down (already mentioned)

The Patriot (Except for the burning of the church)
Cold Mountain
Enemy at the Gates

Jim

 

[Drizzt]

Well, it wasn't a movie, per se, but I finally picked up the DVD set of Band of Brothers... wow!

 

[Destructo6]

The 317th Platoon was pretty good, too. It takes place in French Indochina in 1954 and was written/directed by a guy who fought (combat camera) and taken prisoner at Dien Bien Phu. It has a feel as though it was filmed during the period.

 

[Ala Dan]

Hamburger Hill

Full Metal Jacket

Gardens Of Stone


Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[boofus]

Was Glory or Gettysburg realistic? I wasn't around back then.

 

[ExtremeDooty]

I thought Wind Talkers was good. Seemed realistic.
Same thing for We Were Soldiers.
"Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves."

 

[Destructo6]

Windtalkers seemed more like a kung-fu film than a war film.

The Thin Red Line was just awful. The best part was when Woody Harleson blew off his keister with his own grenade.

Savior starring Dennis Quaid was pretty good and disturbing.

 

[carpettbaggerr]

And don't forget:

The Great Escape

Stalag 17

 

[tetleyb]

I'll second FULL METAL JACKET

Any US Marine who sat through the first 45 minutes, without breaking into a cold sweat, didn't have a hard time in boot camp.

R Lee Ermey should have won an academy award for that performance. The most realistic acting job I have ever seen for a Drill Instructor.

Another EXCELLENT move: ZULU. Starring Michael Caine. Excellent movie. Very realistic to what actually occured at Rourke's Drift.

 

[MaceWindu]

My Vote

Black Hawk Down.....by far...

I think I wore out my DVD


MaceWindu

 

[4570Rick]

It's an oldie but; The Red Badge Of Courage

 

[VeT|Us]

Talvisota
Black Hawk Down
Saving Private Ryan

Lets not forget Band of Brothers!
Allright, allright, its a mini-series..

 

[Hal]

The original -
"War of The Worlds" - the 1953(?) version.

No not for the actual content or story line, but for the movie itself and how the characters were portrayed. If you can bear the corny story line and all, be sure to watch for the little kid standing by the space ship crater during one of the early scenes.
Kids great. He's all about 6 or so, and all decked out with a cowboy hat and a pair of six-guns.
Very, very, very realistic in how a kid of that time would have been dressed for play.

Another one:

"On the Beach" - probably the most depressing moive I've ever seen. It's probably one of the most plausible outcomes of a total SHTF all out war though.

Cold war:
"The Bedford Incident"

 

[Dave Markowitz]

The Thin Red Line was just awful. The best part was when Woody Harleson blew off his keister with his own grenade.

I disagree. IMO, the best part about that movie was the end. Not the final speech by George Clooney. I mean when I got up and left the theater.

TTRL sucked .

 

[Ky Larry]

Cross of Iron.

The original, uncut All Quiet on the Western Front. I was lucky enough to see the scene where the soldiers pulled the bodies out of the coffins during the artillery barrage. This scene was so grim and realistic it was cut from the movie before it was released.

Pork Chop Hill