What is Your Favorite War or Military Movie?

Paths of Glory is mine. Bridge over the River Kwai is very good too.

I like bridge too.

Doctor Strangelove, Patton, and A Midnight Clear. I have a weird fascination with war movies for a pacifist.

Great question.

Patton, yes!

I kinda like Jarhead, just because it was so....exactly what was described to me by my brother. However, I have a place in my heart for Forest Gump...forever. Does that count?

I have never liked war or military type movies. Unless you count "Good Morning Vietnam".

I have two favorite War movies. I doubt that you have seen my number one favorite. It is called "Saints and Soldiers" It is a dramatic, intense and heroic WWII film about members of the Greatest Generation struggling to be both good men and good soldiers.

My second best war movie is "Pearl Harbor." It is not nearly as good as Saints and Soldiers but I love it anyway.

One of my favorite military movies is a bit of a stretch, because it is actually a personal growth movie on several levels.
It was Renaissance Man, with Danny DeVito

Our favorite war movie has been for a long time now " In Harm's Way " ---- of course John Wayne being my husband's favorite all time star it had to have him in
it. bj and charlie Michon -- July 19, 2007 -- 8:50pm ADT

Ya know there was a time I liked a lot of differant war movies. But have kind of pulled away from them because the actors and actresses are nothing but fonies.
When is the last time you heard of Tom Hanks,Martin Sheen,Shean Penn and a lot of the others doing for any veterans organization. They make all kinds of money off the backs of the true veterans. But they are the biggest protesters against wars and the fight against terrorists. Do you ever see them doing something for the VFW,DAV or American Legion. They are out for them selves and the hell with the veteran or the troops that gave them the freedom to live that life style.
This is just one of them pissed off Nam vets thats venting.
Thank you for listening.
Dave R

You don't have to be a Viet Nam vet to think that...

Every war movie made about Iraq/Afghanistan has flopped but Hurt Locker. Hollywood still thinks they can play anti military in a "military" movie, treat Joe like a simple bum or victim and it will sell? Only Hurt Locker had a clue so far.

Dave, you are right... I dont even watch movies with these phonies in them anymore..

TORA! TORA! TORA!,,,,,that could change if I see Clint's new movie

I really LOVE Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan. I am not a big war movie buff but this one kept my attention.

Bridge Over the River Kwai was in a class by itself. Great acting, great script and great photography.

Can I only have one? Because, I have two and it's hard to decide. They are: Saving Private Ryan, and When We Were Soliders. Both great movies!

I'm nit big on war movies, but I'm sure I've seen plenty. Saving Private Ryan is the only one that really comes to mind. Except maybe that movie with Bruce Willis where he is trying to save a bunch of people during a war in Africa.

Stalag 17

I have three favorites, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Great Escape, and the Longest Day.

Flags of Our Fathers and Platoon.

A number of them actually

1. Dr Zhivago (even though it probably can't be called a typical war movie.. still)
2. The Pianist
3. Braveheart

My and my husband's favorit is "Band of Brothers"

I just posted a similar topic, what a coincidence. We must think alike huh? I didn't know you were posting it and mine just went along with my verterans war theme. Cool biz Liz! My favorite war movie is Forest Gump. Second would be Schindlers List.

I loved" Platoon", and I also loved "Hamburger Hill," and "Hell is for Hero's "with Steve McQueen. I really loved Denzel on that sub, but not an actual war movie per se, I am going to do a piece on that one, Ellen B

Gone with the Wind and Braveheart are the two I most liked

Bridge over the River Kwai. My uncle was a PoW, who worked on the Burma railway.

Tunes of Glory: in reality a post-war film. But the fact that the CO had been tortured as a PoW has a bearing on the plot.

Braveheart? I HATED that film. The history was totally wrong. The 'real' story was worthy of a film, why make one up?

Glory

platoon

Metal something? A new release or movie my boyfriend showed me in the store? And..ladder 49- related to war somewhat.

I loved the Pianist!

Letters from Iwojima (sp) The enemy missed their families, also. They had children they loved and wives who missed them. They longed to go home just as the USA soldiers did. I thought it was brilliant how the writer set these two differences aside each other and made them so very human.

Purple heart. That's a WWII movie about the crews of two of Doolittle's raiders being willing to die rather than surrender important information.

Several. Gettysburg for it's several failings was pretty good. Hamburger Hill was the only Vietnam War movie that came close to what those whom I served with said was that war in reality. Gardens of Stone for a non combat Army movie that actually got almost every detail right. Black Hawk Down because I knew some of those guys and they said it was pretty straight.

I guess my favorite would be... Sands of Iwo Jima with John Wayne.... The Green Berets with John Wayne.....does Shenendoah Count? This starred Jimmy Stewardt and was about the Civil War... I thought it was really good.. but there are still more but cannot think of the names of some... Some had Audi Murphy in them....

Patton,Kelly's Heroes,and The Dirty Dozen; I like the old ones.-Norman

All are great war movies that everyone mentioned, However if you want white knuckled, nail biting intense war drama, I would have to go with Fail Safe. An older movie starring Henry Fonda as the President. The story is about a possible nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The U.S. is at DEF CON 5, and our bombers are in the air, and flying for Russia. Turns out, it's a mistake. Most are shot down, except for one. It's past the point of no return where even the President can't call it back. Check it out because it has been a long time since I have seen it too.

The Tom Cruise movie Valkyrie was really good too.

Paths of Glory mentioned above was not one of my faorites in spite of its good reviews. The thing that killed it for me was that the French soldiers spoke English with a very American accent. Granted that the English is really a translation, I lose the "reality" of the theme when this happens. It is realistic to argue that since those soldiers are not speaking in English but are actually translating for the autience, it doesn't matter. But it does to me. For instance another great war movie was The Young Lions with Marlon Brando playing the part of a German officer. He spoke with a decided German accent, which although technically hypocritical in a way was important (to me) in getting the sense of reality and sincereity across. It was a Great Movie. Another one not mentioned and which was in many ways a class "B" film was called Battleground. The thing that made it important to me was not so much the acting per se or even the specific story but the reality of Wold War II on the front that came because the actors had lived during that time and had a personal sense of the reality behind it all. Where Eagles Dare, for instance, was a much better film technically but lacked that sense because it was made with people had never been through the reality of World War II. Just some observations.

Unlike many people I am not a fan of war, either real or on film. In time when the human race matures war will be a thing of the past and no longer of any interest to people. War will become an amusing footnote to history.

Have any of you seen or remember, CROSS OF IRON or A TIME TO LOVE AND A TIME TO DIE (by Eric Maria Remarque, author of the great war film, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT)? If not you are missing something.

I liked the two versions of both I saw Donald, the 1930 version and the Richard Harris, Ernest Borgnine version.

The Caine Mutiny is my favorite military movie, just love Humphrey Bogart's performance as the skipper who is losing it!