Favorite War Movie (drama, romance, Lawrence of Arabia, Paths Glory)

[roger6087]

I though of some more but don't know if you would call them war movies, maybe satire or black comedy.
Catch-22
MASH
Slaughter House Five

[Tricky D]

Who said war movies can't be satirical?
Kelly's Heroes is a good example of a satirical war movie.
I do luv their tagline;

They set out to rob a bank... and damn near won a war instead!

[Tom9]

I don't know about "the best" but I'd like to add two here that i think everyone would like to see (I was going to say "enjoy" but that's not a very good word considering the subject). The two films are

"A Walk In the Sun"
This film has made right after the invasion of the Italian peninsula but the government ask that it not be released until after the war. once you see it you'll understand why. Here is a brief synopsis:

In the 1943 invasion of Italy, one American platoon lands, digs in, then makes its way inland to attempt to take a fortified farmhouse, as tension and casualties mount. Unusually realistic picture of war as long quiet stretches of talk, punctuated by sharp, random bursts of violent action whose relevance to the big picture is often unknown to the soldiers.

"My Name Is Ivan" or by it's alternate title: "Ivan's Childhood"

This is a Russian film by the famous director Andrei Tarkovsky, who managed more than once to outwit Soviet censorship. It contains some very beautiful moments of great emotion and cinematography as well as some horrible moments of war. A brief synopsis:

12-year old Ivan works as a spy at the eastern front. The small Ivan can cross the German lines unnoticed to collect information. Three Soviet officers try to take care of this boy. but Ivan's thirst for revenge for the deaths of his parents at the hands of the Germans is all consuming and it is all that Ivan lives for and what drives him on.


Both films are on Netfix.

[RDSLOTS]

I'd like to add, or 2nd, Saving Private Ryan.

Others I either enjoyed, or found some merit from watching:

Apocalypse Now (careful, though -- most definitely what I refer to as a 'head movie)
Catch-22

Schindler's List

[Niki]

Band of Brothers - not technically a movie, but my favorite WWII story/movie ever.

Big Red One
LOTR trilogy
Glory
Sergeant York

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by Niki

Band of Brothers - not technically a movie, but my favorite WWII story/movie ever.

Big Red One
LOTR trilogy
Glory
Sergeant York

Thanks for mentioning Sergeant York. That was a great movie, and I forgot all about it when thinking of this thread.

[Irishtom29]

Big Red One, yeah, Sam Fuller's take on WW II, great picture. Fuller was in the 1st Infantry Division and fought the Germans

Early in his career he made a very good war picture called "Steel Helmet".

I recently read Fuller's memoir "A Third Face---My Tale of Writing, Fighting and Filmmaking". Good book.

[ElizNJ]

Casualties of War with Sean Penn and Michael J Fox. Very disturbing movie, but one I've never forgotten.

Playing for Time with Vanessa Redgrave. It's a made for tv movie (based on a true story), but hits all the buttons.

Bridge on the River Kwai

[harahap]

Pan's Labyrinth. A very creative way of showing a child's escape from the traumas of both an unhappy household and war.

[dynimagelv]

Gettysburg [from the Michael Shaara novel Killer Angels]