What's the best war movie ever made?

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...historical accuracy, cinematography, realism, plot...
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Historical Accuracy - Tie between Gettysburg and Band Of Brothers

Cinematography - Enemy At The Gates

Realism - Blackhawk Down

Plot - We Were Soldiers

I'd love to see the people who made Band Of Brothers link up with the team from We Were Soldiers to do a movie on the life of Lewis Burwell Puller. But it would be difficult to find an actor who could pull it off.
 
Hey, no cheating! Remember, the object of the exercise is to choose

ONE MOVIE ONLY!!!

Anyone can make a list of favorites - we've had several here recently - but this thread is to try to establish whether there is one war film that stands out. So far, it doesn't look that way, but there's still hope... ;)
 
I'm sorry. I thought we were nominating and YOU'd have to choose one.

:eek:

I see not too many folks like (watch?) old movies. And I don't mean two or three years old either.

John...and I didn't like SPR much
 
The Naked and The Dead!

You Fuggers! (Inside joke if you read the book)

JK I'll say the original "All Quiet on the Western Front"
I like the part about the Boots. That great pair of Boots that kept finding a new owner.

2nd place will be "When Truphets Fade"
 
I have to say (again) about Audie Murphy's exploits, starring Audie Murphy, not a work of fiction. I think To Hell and Back is a clear cut above the fictional stuff no matter how endearing.
 
I've seen them all but I'm going to go with Battleground, made in 1948 with Van Johnson. "You had a good home when you leftl
You're right."
 
For myself, I have to vote for Gettysburg. I don't think I've ever seen a movie that was so faithful to history, so magnificently cast, and so wonderfully detailed. I watch it a couple of times a year, and am always moved by it.
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I agree it was good, but not my favorite.

My favorite war movie is either Full Metal Jacket or Blackhawk Down.

I would choose Band of Brothers, but it isn't really a "movie", per se.

BTW, I bought my copy of Gettysburg at Gettysburg :D
 
Wings (1927), First Best picture academy awards.

Plot Outline: Two young men, one rich, one middle class, who are in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in World War I.

Good luck, Richie S.
 
Just a lurker here, but I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned A Bridge Too Far.


Also, for all the Zulu fans, what of the star-studded "prequel" of sorts, Zulu Dawn? Not the best film, but certainly entertaining!
 
(Most of the war movies I have seen had gimmicks, like the russian roulette games of The Deer Hunter or the ridiculous thing with the clerk typist in Saving Private Ryan. Full Metal Jacket had some really dumb subplots and Apocalypse Now was psychotic.)

So for a straight war movie my vote is We Were Soldiers, with Mel Gibson. Close runner up was All Quiet on the Western Front.
 
We Were Soldiers.....

read the book first, and even though it would have been a bit of a anti-climax i ALMOST wish that the LZ Albany (happened after the battle at X-Ray and IIRC was the 5thcav catching the NVA on the retreat from X-ray..) portion of the Ia Drang fight had been included as well.

i do have to comment on this though...
Apocalypse Now was psychotic
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combine Fracis ford Coopola(sp?) doing a "Vietnam film" essentially right after the war ended, with a plot pretty much directly transplanted from Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and "psychotic" is ont eh MILD end of what to expect.... :eek:
 
"Sargeant York" (1941) starring Gary Cooper affected more peoples view of war and freedom than any other film.

York's struggle with his religious convictions-vs-the price of freedom came to the screen just as America entered WWII. Many Americans were opposed to getting involved in Europes problems...this movie addressed the "Conscientious Objector" view and why wars are fought better than any film previous or since.

Those opposed to war could say it is pro-war propaganda....others see it as an individual who stayed true to his religious beliefs and served his country with honor and distinction. True story of Congressional Medal of Honor recpient Alvin York.

http://www.army.mil/cmh/Moh1.htm

YORK, ALVIN C.

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company G, 328th Infantry, 82d Division. Place and date: Near Chatel-Chehery, France, 8 October 1918. Entered service at: Pall Mall, Tenn. Born: 13 December 1887, Fentress County, Tenn. G.O. No.: 59, W.D., 1919. Citation: After his platoon had suffered heavy casualties and 3 other noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Cpl. York assumed command. Fearlessly leading 7 men, he charged with great daring a machinegun nest which was pouring deadly and incessant fire upon his platoon. In this heroic feat the machinegun nest was taken, together with 4 officers and 128 men and several guns.
 
The wife and I got to see Gettysburg at a full sized theater.The big screen does more for this movie than seeing it at home.Intermission followed the battle of Little Round Top.Most of us just stayed in our seats for awhile....
I'll vote for Gettysburg.
 
Gettysburg was a powerful movie. It is one of the few movies that I actually made myself go to a theatre to watch. Soon after seeing the movie I made the trip from Nevada to Gettysburg to see the battlefield. Since then I have been there several times.

Not actually a war movie, but a war era movie that left me stunned was Schlinder's List. I also saw this in a theatre and sat there with tears rolling down my face. After the movie I got into my car and sat staring blankly out the windshield for about 10 minutes before I thought I could drive. I am not exagerating.

Here is another link to Alvin York: http://www.medalofhonor.com/Sgt.York.htm
 
I'll toss out another one - "The Pianist." Not strictly a war movie, but in the same vein as "Schindler's List". Pretty poignant look at how Nazi's destroyed family's and how utterly happenstance surviving war can be, ala Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five."
 
Even though I'm heavily into the Civil War and love "Gettysburg", I have to vote for "Das Boot". I read that book numerous times as a kid, thought it was the best book ever, and then the movie was just as good.

Also, if you've never seen them check out the oringinal "Stalingrad", then the re-make of it (completely different movie), and "The Iron Cross" with James Coburn. Great, great movies.
 
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