S&WKING
Member
"wind talkers" "saving private Ryan" "tears of sun" what ever the mel gibson movie was and "behind enemy lines" are all awsome man i wish i could have taken ur class
Need help selecting film about war for 9/10th grade HS students
- Thread starter silverlance
- Start date
- Status
Markinnorcal
Member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2006
- Messages
- 3
To Hell and Back
This is my choice for the best movie.
This is my choice for the best movie.
Oleg Volk
Moderator Emeritus
Das Boot, Cross of Iron, Winter War
BlazingAngel01
Member
Wind Talkers(real good one)
The Bridge On The River Kwai
We Were Soldiers
The Great Escape
Enemy At The Gates
Black Hawk Down
Down Fall (Story of Hitler's Bunker)
The Bridge On The River Kwai
We Were Soldiers
The Great Escape
Enemy At The Gates
Black Hawk Down
Down Fall (Story of Hitler's Bunker)
silverlance
Member
Thank you for all the posts.
My goal for the movie is to reward them for having finished a long workshop (chapter) about a topic that they dont understand or comprehend fully. None of the kids have ever been to NY and although they are exposed to violence frequently (we get about 4 kids killed a year out of 4650) they don't understand what war is. Hell, I don't myself, except for the little I went through and the drunken admissions of my friends back from the sandbox.
The time limit is 90 minutes. We have a 2 hr class because it is intervention. Their english is good enough but their attention spans are abysmal esp when it comes to black and white film. so all quiet on the western front is out.
so far it looks like band of brothers "We Stand Alone Together : The Men of Easy Company" and Saving Private Ryan first 20 minutes.
I don't want to show a movie just to entertain, but I am not a history teacher and don't want to get into history too much either (not because I dont know it, but rather because I dont want to wander off subject - we are focusing on the emotional and expressive aspects of post war writing, not battle strategy or whether the mosin was better than the mauser, for instance).
the ken burns documentary looks very interesting but way too expensive. ill try to get the school to fund one for next year. and dear america also looks very good but also expensive as well.
aside from my academic goal of reinforcing instruction, my secondary goal is this: to impress upon this generation that often seems so foreign to majority america the value of their new citizenship here, however controversial; and to impress upon them the incredible cost of war.
the next workshop we will be doing will be a short one (two weeks before xmas) and will feature a section on the holocaust. speaking personally, one of the main reasons why i own guns is because i read history and learned of all the instances in which enslavement was easy because a people was disarmed and conditioned to not seek armament - the jews in germany, the chinese in nanjing, the bosnians in the former yugoslavia, the tutsis in rwanda.
if anyone here has a copy of that band of brothers episode that i can borrow, please do let me know. i'll pay shipping, insurance, and replace it if damaged in any way. that sounds like a real winner but i think it is available only as a boxed set and pretty expensive.
My goal for the movie is to reward them for having finished a long workshop (chapter) about a topic that they dont understand or comprehend fully. None of the kids have ever been to NY and although they are exposed to violence frequently (we get about 4 kids killed a year out of 4650) they don't understand what war is. Hell, I don't myself, except for the little I went through and the drunken admissions of my friends back from the sandbox.
The time limit is 90 minutes. We have a 2 hr class because it is intervention. Their english is good enough but their attention spans are abysmal esp when it comes to black and white film. so all quiet on the western front is out.
so far it looks like band of brothers "We Stand Alone Together : The Men of Easy Company" and Saving Private Ryan first 20 minutes.
I don't want to show a movie just to entertain, but I am not a history teacher and don't want to get into history too much either (not because I dont know it, but rather because I dont want to wander off subject - we are focusing on the emotional and expressive aspects of post war writing, not battle strategy or whether the mosin was better than the mauser, for instance).
the ken burns documentary looks very interesting but way too expensive. ill try to get the school to fund one for next year. and dear america also looks very good but also expensive as well.
aside from my academic goal of reinforcing instruction, my secondary goal is this: to impress upon this generation that often seems so foreign to majority america the value of their new citizenship here, however controversial; and to impress upon them the incredible cost of war.
the next workshop we will be doing will be a short one (two weeks before xmas) and will feature a section on the holocaust. speaking personally, one of the main reasons why i own guns is because i read history and learned of all the instances in which enslavement was easy because a people was disarmed and conditioned to not seek armament - the jews in germany, the chinese in nanjing, the bosnians in the former yugoslavia, the tutsis in rwanda.
if anyone here has a copy of that band of brothers episode that i can borrow, please do let me know. i'll pay shipping, insurance, and replace it if damaged in any way. that sounds like a real winner but i think it is available only as a boxed set and pretty expensive.
Roswell 1847
member
"Pork Chop Hill" and "The Man in the Gray Flannel suit", two of the best of Gregory Peck's performances.
Less wel know films are the works of WW2 veteran Samuel Fuller. He also wrote "The Big Red One" but his other earlier films are better done and much more realistic characters.
"the Steel Helmet"
"Fixed Bayonets"
Hemingway's
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"The Longest Day"
" An American Guerilla in the Phillipines"
" In which we Serve"
" The Young Lions"
"Attack" staring Jack Palance as Lt Joe Costa, a great performance.
Buddy Ebsen is outstanding.
"Zeppelin" Staring Michael York. Though much less realistic.
"The Blue Max" George Pepard, though you might want to be sure Ursula Andress Nude scene has been edited.
Less wel know films are the works of WW2 veteran Samuel Fuller. He also wrote "The Big Red One" but his other earlier films are better done and much more realistic characters.
"the Steel Helmet"
"Fixed Bayonets"
Hemingway's
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"The Longest Day"
" An American Guerilla in the Phillipines"
" In which we Serve"
" The Young Lions"
"Attack" staring Jack Palance as Lt Joe Costa, a great performance.
Buddy Ebsen is outstanding.
"Zeppelin" Staring Michael York. Though much less realistic.
"The Blue Max" George Pepard, though you might want to be sure Ursula Andress Nude scene has been edited.
cracked butt
Member
Red Dawn
bogie
Member
Actually, I think that the most powerful portion of Band of Brothers is the medic's story. I'd also suggest making the book available to the kids...
Omaney
Member
+1...Best episode of the ten.
macFarlaine
Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2007
- Messages
- 422
Dads Army,very British..
Titan6
member
Tora, Tora, Tora.
Glory
Gettysburg
Glory
Gettysburg
Landlocked Pirate
Member
Glory.
Phil DeGraves
Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2006
- Messages
- 1,531
Letters From Iwo Jima
35Rem
Member
I personally don't see the need for the blood and guts on the screen. I really don't think someone really gets it from a TV. War is nasty, even though I haven't experienced it personally. Honestly, very few soldiers have probably experienced what was done to humanity like in WWI, WWII and Vietnam.
It may be cheezy, but I would rather show movies that have REAL historical signifigance.
As one said:
My favorite: Seargent York. He wouldn't let them "Hollywood-ize" his story, he had a big part in it, so it was probabaly as close to the truth as you'll get.
Either of those probably won't be hard to get permission for, either.
It may be cheezy, but I would rather show movies that have REAL historical signifigance.
As one said:
Great flick. Real guy. Hard Life getting there.
My favorite: Seargent York. He wouldn't let them "Hollywood-ize" his story, he had a big part in it, so it was probabaly as close to the truth as you'll get.
Either of those probably won't be hard to get permission for, either.
jefnvk
Member
The Killing Fields
Harve Curry
Member
Silverlance,
Most of the films mentioned are good choices, but consider this idea.
Put together clips of the top 10 or more film choices. Show the high points of each story, the parts that have a message that don't let go. It could span the time of the United States, Revolutionary War, Civil War, all the way to now. It could include original photo, art, news reel, qoutes, songs, poems....
Most of the films mentioned are good choices, but consider this idea.
Put together clips of the top 10 or more film choices. Show the high points of each story, the parts that have a message that don't let go. It could span the time of the United States, Revolutionary War, Civil War, all the way to now. It could include original photo, art, news reel, qoutes, songs, poems....
If you really want to drive home the emotional side of war there is probably no better film than Gettysburg. Of course, films about the Civil War don't seem to "translate" well to kids any more. On the more modern side of things, Band of Brothers, as many have said, would be an excellent choice, as would Platoon.
I like band of brothers as well as it provides a good over all picture. From basic to the end of the war. Market garden, bastogne, and "why we fight."'
"Why we fight" is a great episode the company discovers a concentration camp.
"Why we fight" is a great episode the company discovers a concentration camp.
I agree Letters from Iwo Jima is much better then Flags of Our Fathers, IMO he spent more time making it interesting. Oh there was a small amount of cast between the two, during some of the war scenes they used a small part of the Flags cast but none of the major characters from either movie was involved in both.
That being said 9th and 10th graders won't watch it because it was done in Japanese (with Clint Eastwood directing it
)
HarryB
Member
As a teacher myself 7-9th grade I have shown Band of Brothers previously. Showing an episode later in the series defeats the great character development with the exception of the medic story at Bastogne. The why we fight has a pretty graphic sex scene (unnecessary IMO). I think the best way to show in a limited fashion are the first two episodes of their training and then the D-Day jump combined with the assault on the German gun position is incredible. You may also need to get parental and administrative permission due to language and violence concerns.
Master Blaster
Member
Saving Private Ryan, if they can cope with the r rating and very graphic violence. Band of Brothers since its a real narrative of actual war experiences, but it will be much more time consuming to watch.
Silverlance,
I am not a combat vet but I did train and serve in the Army. Also, I am not a history teacher, but I have a collegiate level history degree. Additionally, I freely admit that my taste in great war films would likely be viewed as "cry-baby pacifist" by many. That being said, I'll offer my comments.
It seems to me, that given your criteria: ex. 90 minutes of viewing time, 9th grade students, a desire to reinforce pedagogical goals (the emotional and expressive aspect of post war writing) and impressing the costs of war, your choices are somewhat limited.
Are 9th grade kids really going to relate to our father's and grandfather's war movies? I think not. I think this rules out the long list of B/W films. Additionally, kids these days are fairly savvy media consumers and they can smell cheese from a long way off. So, in a way, that rules out your more "rah-rah" type war films, you know, the films with wooden heroes who dutifully take that hill. Or the films with characters whose only flaw is that they are young and eager. If the film is more propaganda than war chronicle I wouldn't be shocked if they tuned out.
Next we have foreign films...the students may have trouble relating. Relating to german U-boat crews, relating to German troopers in Stalingrad, relating to Aussie farm boys, etc.
I'm not sure that you are left with much.
A film that I would suggest might be: When Trumpets Fade. It runs 92 minutes. It was made in 1998 and it is about the Battle of Hurtigen Forest in WWII. It is a gritty film, with real characters rather than heroic caricatures and it depicts themes of sacrifice, redemption, futility, and courage. Trumpets might be a good fit if you just want to get through a whole film which you can then discuss from a writer's perspective.
Another option might be: A Midnight Clear which is a film based on William Wharton's autobiographical book of the same name. The advantage with this film being that you can actually compare it to the author's work. It runs just under two hours. The drawback is that the film is very slow and really only has one "action" scene.
Now outside of those two, I will echo Blackhawk Down (though I feel BHD is a bit heavy on the America as noble world policeman theme) and Band of Brothers as good options and here is why: Both films have books attached and both films have a wealth of additional material featuring first hand interview accounts with soldiers who were present. You could have a list of this material prepared in advance for students and for the two, three or four kids who really get their hackles up, they have ready-made places to go for more knowledge.
I am not a combat vet but I did train and serve in the Army. Also, I am not a history teacher, but I have a collegiate level history degree. Additionally, I freely admit that my taste in great war films would likely be viewed as "cry-baby pacifist" by many. That being said, I'll offer my comments.
It seems to me, that given your criteria: ex. 90 minutes of viewing time, 9th grade students, a desire to reinforce pedagogical goals (the emotional and expressive aspect of post war writing) and impressing the costs of war, your choices are somewhat limited.
Are 9th grade kids really going to relate to our father's and grandfather's war movies? I think not. I think this rules out the long list of B/W films. Additionally, kids these days are fairly savvy media consumers and they can smell cheese from a long way off. So, in a way, that rules out your more "rah-rah" type war films, you know, the films with wooden heroes who dutifully take that hill. Or the films with characters whose only flaw is that they are young and eager. If the film is more propaganda than war chronicle I wouldn't be shocked if they tuned out.
Next we have foreign films...the students may have trouble relating. Relating to german U-boat crews, relating to German troopers in Stalingrad, relating to Aussie farm boys, etc.
I'm not sure that you are left with much.
A film that I would suggest might be: When Trumpets Fade. It runs 92 minutes. It was made in 1998 and it is about the Battle of Hurtigen Forest in WWII. It is a gritty film, with real characters rather than heroic caricatures and it depicts themes of sacrifice, redemption, futility, and courage. Trumpets might be a good fit if you just want to get through a whole film which you can then discuss from a writer's perspective.
Another option might be: A Midnight Clear which is a film based on William Wharton's autobiographical book of the same name. The advantage with this film being that you can actually compare it to the author's work. It runs just under two hours. The drawback is that the film is very slow and really only has one "action" scene.
Now outside of those two, I will echo Blackhawk Down (though I feel BHD is a bit heavy on the America as noble world policeman theme) and Band of Brothers as good options and here is why: Both films have books attached and both films have a wealth of additional material featuring first hand interview accounts with soldiers who were present. You could have a list of this material prepared in advance for students and for the two, three or four kids who really get their hackles up, they have ready-made places to go for more knowledge.
- Status
