re: What do you think is the best World War Two movie?

Posted by lsusa

Doing Missionary work for LSU

Member since Oct 2005

6213 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 7:04 pm to GetCocky11

quote:
It's a really hard question because of the million different ways to look at the war. Best battle movie? Best movie talking about the Holocaust? Civilian suffering in Asia? Civilian/non-"undesirable" experience in Europe? Resistance movements? Love stories with the war in the background? Movies told from the bad guy point of view? Movies about the homefront? Hard to say which is the best.

You make some good points regarding what exactly qualifies as “a World War II movie”. I know someone sarcastically listed “A league of their own” which takes place during the time period, and obviously the fact that the men are off at war is part of the reason the women are playing baseball and has some effect on the plot, but overall the focus of the movie was “this is a women’s baseball league”.

On the other hand, someone mentioned Casablanca for which the World War II and the fight against the Nazis is itself is central to the plot. Victor Laslow has come to Casablanca in an attempt to try to escape
the Nazi. Yes, Rick and Ilsa are start crossed lovers, but Rick ultimately chooses to send her off with Victor because “the problems of three people don’t amount to a hill of beans” in the mad world.

Considering that Casablanca is one of the greatest movies ever made, period, then it probably rates as the greatest World War II movie.

Again, using different qualifications you could probably come up with different movies. For battle scenes, it’s hard to beat Saving Private Ryan. I’ve always appreciated the historical aspect of Midway and Tora, Tora, Tora. Thirty Seconds over Tokyo, the Sands of Iwo Jima, The Guns of Navaronne, The Great Escape and Bridge on the River Kwai are some of my favorites. Stalag 17 is another good one. I think the Devils Brigade is underrated. 12 O’clock high and The Longest Day. Sahara with Humphrey Bogart. Battle of the Buldge. Battleground. The story of gi Joe. Three came back.

I consider Kelly’s Heroes, the Dirty Dozen and Inglorious Bastards to be more action oriented less historical WW II films, but equally as entertaining.

I’m sure there are easily 10-15 more I could list that are very entertaining and rewatchable. I think I’m particularly missing naming many films that were actually made in the 40s and 50s.

Posted by nealnan8

Atlanta

Member since Oct 2016

4016 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 7:08 pm to bountyhunter

Mine are:

Saving Private Ryan
Enemy At The Gates
The Longest Day
The Guns Of Navarone
Downfall
Fury
Bridge Over The River Kwai
Greyhound

Posted by DFWAggie09

DFW

Member since Oct 2011

1487 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 7:24 pm to bdavids09

I’ll add a few of my personal favorites, mainly from memories of watching them with my Dad as a kid.

The Guns of Navaronne
The Longest Day
Run Silent, Run Deep

Posted by mizzoubuckeyeiowa

Member since Nov 2015

39032 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 7:42 pm to Tom288

quote:
Everyone always forgets about Come and See.

That's because most haven't seen it.

It's my #1 most disturbing war movie I've seen.

I'd add Stalingrad as its juxtaposition.

Posted by eph4v29

Member since Aug 2010

348 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 7:45 pm to bdavids09

“Best” is impossible for me. My essentials:
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Battle of Britain
The Final Countdown (trust me)
Twelve O’Clock High
Saving Private Ryan
Dunkirk (for the Spitfires)
Torpedo Run
Personal angle because my dad flew in both of these for real:
The Longest Day
The Battle of the Bulge
And because I enjoyed the books:
None But The Brave
Battle Cry

This post was edited on 6/4/24 at 7:50 pm

Posted by SouthEasternKaiju

SouthEast... you figure it out

Member since Aug 2021

42919 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 7:59 pm to bountyhunter

quote:
A Bridge Too Far

Phenomenal cast.

Battle of the Bulge comes to mind as well.

Posted by dnm3305

Member since Feb 2009

16036 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 8:07 pm to bdavids09

I’ve always thought that Saving Private Ryan made me feel what WWII was like. You can really feel the movie. From riding on the boats as they’re approaching Normandy to the scene where Caparzo is shot in the street while it’s raining. The scene where they were sitting at camp looking at the dog tags of dead soldiers searching for Ryan’s…you can smell the soldiers walking by. All the Jackson sniper scenes. Sticky bombs, ya know it’s “a bomb that sticks. It’s a sticky bomb. It’s in the GI handbook…” Upham’s character arc. The bet the platoon had on Captain Miller’s job back home. Right before the the final battle where they’re listening to the French opera singer reminiscing about the finer things and the music cuts with a rumble and you know the tanks are coming. I think Saving Private Ryan is masterful at building suspense and putting you in the moment and it’s almost gotten to the point where it’s underrated.

I also have a soft spot for the movie Fury

This post was edited on 6/6/24 at 7:17 am

Posted by DR93Berlin

Member since Jul 2020

1555 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 9:43 pm to 3nOut

0-2. Neither is WWII. Who taught you history? Complete failure.

Where Eagles Dare
Battle of Britain
The Big Red One

This post was edited on 6/4/24 at 9:51 pm

Posted by FearlessFreep

Baja Alabama

Member since Nov 2009

19575 posts

Posted on 6/4/24 at 10:13 pm to bdavids09

saw it in the theater on the 25th anniversary of the invasion

remarkable retelling from multiple perspectives, including the Germans and the French resistance, apparently quite historically accurate

Posted by Funky Tide 8

Bayou Chico

Member since Feb 2009

56023 posts

Posted on 6/5/24 at 9:08 am to mizzoubuckeyeiowa

quote:
Everyone always forgets about Come and See.

That's because most haven't seen it.

I have never seen it. I am going to watch it tonight or tomorrow.

Posted by Animal

Member since Dec 2017

4341 posts

Posted on 6/5/24 at 10:52 am to bdavids09

Godzilla Minus One. I kid. I just happened to watch it last night.

Posted by NPComb

Member since Jan 2019

28042 posts

Posted on 6/5/24 at 11:15 am to Animal

Go ahead and download but I think Fury has become one of my favorite WWII movies

Posted by chinese58

NELA. after 30 years in Dallas.

Member since Jun 2004

33348 posts

Posted on 6/5/24 at 9:25 pm to FearlessFreep

All day tomorrow TCM has D-Day documentaries and movies. Times are all CDT.

9am Code Name: Emerald (1985)

quote:
An agent for the Germans is sent to uncover the plans for D-Day.
Director
Jonathan Sanger
Cast
Ed Harris, Max Von Sydow, Helmut Berger, Eric Stoltz

7 am The Americanization of Emily (1964)

quote:
A British war widow falls for an opportunistic American sailor during World War ...

Director
Arthur Hiller

Cast
James Garner, Julie Andrews, Melvyn Douglas

9am George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1984)
Documentary

quote:
Biography of the Academy Award winning director including dramatic color footage...
Director
George Stevens Jr.
Cast
Fred Astaire, Warren Beatty, Pandro S. Berman

11 am 36 Hours (1964)

quote:
Nazis kidnap a key American intelligence officer and try to convince him that Wo...
Director
George Seaton
Cast
James Garner, Rod Taylor, Eva Marie Saint

1 pm Red Ball Express (1952)

quote:
A racially integrated platoon fights to overcome their differences during World ...
Director
Budd Boetticher
Cast
Jeff Chandler, Alex Nicol, Charles Drake

2:30 pm D-Day the Sixth of June (1956)

quote:
An American and a British soldier in love with the same woman head for the Norma...
Director
Henry Koster
Cast
Robert Taylor, Richard Todd, Dana Wynter

4:40 pm George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin (1994)

quote:
This documentary follows American troops from D-Day 1944 to their stand in Berli...
Director
George Stevens Jr.
Cast
George Stevens Jr., Carl Davis, Peter Howell

5:30pm Overlord (1975)

quote:
A young soldier undergoes grueling training in preparation for the D-Day invasio...
Director
Stuart Cooper
Cast
Brian Stirner, Davyd Harries, Nicholas Ball

7pm Saving Private Ryan (1998)

quote:
A special detachment fights through war-torn Europe to find a man whose brothers...
Director
Steven Spielberg
Cast
Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Ed Burns

10 pm The Longest Day (1962)

quote:
The story of the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II. Following dozens o...
Director
Ken Annakin
Cast
John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan

1:15 am Eye Of The Needle (1981)

quote:
Hitler's most feared undercover secret agent in Britain has learned an apparent ...
Director
Richard Marquand
Cast
Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan

3:15 am I See A Dark Stranger (1946)

quote:
An Irish woman who hates the English turns Nazi spy.
Director
Frank Launder
Cast
Deborah Kerr, Trevor Howard, Raymond Huntley

TCM schedule for June 6th

Hope I can watch the documentaries.

This post was edited on 6/6/24 at 3:44 pm

Posted by farad

Member since Dec 2013

12279 posts

Posted on 6/5/24 at 9:50 pm to skrayper

quote:
My personal favorite is probably Midway - the version made in 1976. Is it the best WWII movie? No... but it was among the first I ever saw and led to my deep fascination with that specific battle.

same here...didn't think it could be outdone...

IMO Midway {2019) outdid the 1976 version and can watch either one over and over...