Best (modern) war movie?

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 19:05

Well, war seems to be a hot topic tonight. (What did you expect from a site full of armchair generals?) So let's have a vote on the best (modern = WW1 and later) war movie.

And by the way - if you can't find your favorite movie on this poll - it's because you have bad taste! I know there are were at least 100 WWII propaganda movies recorded in Hollywood between 1940 and 1950. But were they any good? Perhaps a few - you teach us.

Most of the movies in this poll are anti-war. A few are pure patriotic hero propaganda movies - but extremely exciting despite that.

connorkimbro · December 5, 2003, 19:25

i'm gonna have to say "we were soldiers" . . . i'm not a movie critic or anything, but out of that list, it's my personal favorite

General Ludd · December 5, 2003, 19:29

The last war movie I remember watching is Grave of the Fireflies, so I'll go with that.... er, even though it's not on the poll.

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 19:30

Duh - I forgot "Enemy at the Gates"!

"Work in pairs, the first guy picks a rifle and five rounds, the second guy picks five rounds and follows in his path. When the first guy sees the enemy, he aims and shoots. When the first guy dies, the second guy picks up his rifle and shoots..."

That scene alone is so classical, it's mandatory to watch!

Verto · December 5, 2003, 19:36

Patton!

axi · December 5, 2003, 19:55

I voted for Apocalypse now.

I has 2 times more classic scenes than all other films put together.

As for the guy who mentioned "Starship Troopers": Apart from it being scifi, tell me, where's the was in that one? What one sees in that film is nothing but endless slaughter, which is caused by the screaming lack of firepower on the troopers side. They were all on foot and carriying low caliber weapons for crying out loud! An armored battalion would have slaughtered those bugs anytime, but those boys were all on foot!

Gangerolf · December 5, 2003, 19:59

Rambo

Kassiopeia · December 5, 2003, 19:59

And by the way - if you can't find your favorite movie on this poll - it's because you have bad taste!

... or because it's Finnish.

Shogun Gunner · December 5, 2003, 20:02

Platoon is my vote! I was stunned the first time I saw that movie in the theatre.

Pekka · December 5, 2003, 20:08

This is the end... my only friend, the end.....

Apocalypse NOW!

.. the horror.. the horror..

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 20:13

Originally posted by axi
I voted for Apocalypse now.

I has 2 times more classic scenes than all other films put together.

As for the guy who mentioned "Starship Troopers": Apart from it being scifi, tell me, where's the was in that one? What one sees in that film is nothing but endless slaughter, which is caused by the screaming lack of firepower on the troopers side. They were all on foot and carriying low caliber weapons for crying out loud! An armored battalion would have slaughtered those bugs anytime, but those boys were all on foot!

Starship Troopers also has 2 classical scenes

1) The mixed gender shower scene ( o Y o ) !!!
2) The Brain Bug sucking the guy's head out AARRGGHH!!!

But it is crappy for an enless number of reasons.
1) What is the probability for an insect-like creature on a planet in another solar system to be able to pick up a huge stone, give it high enough velocity to leave the planet, make the stone travel trough space into another solar system, hit the earth in it's orbit and destroy a major town, when the greater part of earth is water and most of the land mass is inhabited?
2) How could the human retaliation force reach the other solar system within what seems to be just a month or two?
3) I hardly doubt that the intention of the humans would be to conquer the enemy planet, but rather to destroy the threath and get back home. So why did they land 1000's of infantry soldiers before they bombed or nuked the ugly bugs to ashes?

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 20:15

Originally posted by Gangerolf
Rambo

Yeah, right! Firing RPG:s from inside helicopters in midair without suffering the consequenses of the back blow really makes sense!

Gangerolf · December 5, 2003, 20:18

the best part is where he treats his wounds with gunpoweder

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 20:22

Originally posted by Kassiopeia

... or because it's Finnish.

Yeah, sorry, I forgot. I have seen plenty of excellent Finnish war movies. One of the best was quite new. I can't remeber it's title, but it was about a recon platoon on patrol in the continuation war 1941. They left from Repola and headed for the White Sea (which they of course never reached). They sneaked behind enemy lines and got into trouble. In the end they ran through the Russian lines from behind, and got accidental bullets from their own buddies in the chest and Russian bayonettes in the back. Only a few guys of the platoon made it. Quite annoying and depressing film - just like a war movie should be...

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 20:30

Originally posted by Gangerolf
the best part is where he treats his wounds with gunpoweder

That's in Rambo III, the Afghanistan movie. Well, I bet he really regrets making than one now huh? But the worst scene from that movie is when a veteran Russian officer in a helicopter attacks Rambo (sitting in a tank) in a frontal assault. You don't have to be that much of an expert to know that a tank is dead meat if an attack helicopter approaches from behind, but could (if lucky) kill the helicopter if it attacks against the tank's front. I don't think any Russian officer would be that stupid, even if he were drunk (which probably was quite common...)

axi · December 5, 2003, 20:40

Edit: Make that "Rambo: First Blood"

Whaleboy · December 5, 2003, 20:41

I'm undecided between Platoon and Apocalypse Now. All Quiet on the Western Front was the greatest anti-war novel (and will be for at least another 7 months

) but the film versions sucked big time. Remarques sequel, "The Road Back", is badly underrated.

Enemy at the Gates was a reasonably good film, but it was too cheesy, and bore little relation to what actually happened. I also cried when Sacha got hung

. I'm a sensitive chap...

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 20:52

The wonderful irony of "Pearl Harbour"...

An ultra-patriotic American movie released in 2001 - and the heroes are pilots flying a suicide bombing mission - just like the *******s of 911!

Whaleboy · December 5, 2003, 20:56

Kuciwalker · December 5, 2003, 20:58

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Pekka · December 5, 2003, 21:00

Chemical Ollie, perhaps that movie was Rukajärven Tie? It's based on a true story.. but I didn't like it too much.. I think at the end it was too much Rambo style.. Then again they say that's how it happened, but I wished it was toned down ab it, because it's a bit unrealistic, and I think it's bad for the real story, to portray it like that.. too rambo!

Chilean President™ · December 5, 2003, 21:06

Enemy at the Gates the best war movie ever!!

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 21:08

Originally posted by Pekka
Chemical Ollie, perhaps that movie was Rukajärven Tie? It's based on a true story.. but I didn't like it too much.. I think at the end it was too much Rambo style.. Then again they say that's how it happened, but I wished it was toned down ab it, because it's a bit unrealistic, and I think it's bad for the real story, to portray it like that.. too rambo!

Well, I remember one very strong scene - one of the Finns checking out what's beyond a bridge over a small river, and runs right into a Russian ambush - the opposite bank is filled with Russians, who hoses him down with hundreds of 9 mm bullets and he falls off the bridge and ends up at the bottom of the river. His friends retreat, but he somehow swims to the surface and come crawling back to his unit, alive!. Then someone rows a boat back to Repola with him in it (or something like that, can't remember exaclty).

Pekka · December 5, 2003, 21:11

Well then it's Rukajärven Tie. Oh yeah, that's one scene too that I think was too much.. The guy gets shot 68 times, drops into the water, everyone decides to go home and this dude walks emerges and walks their all by himself, angry that they left him? Yeah, gimme a break. Even if it really happened, they could have played it differenlty, not getting hit 98 times. Even if he really got hit 294 times, I wish they had made it differently.

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 21:19

Originally posted by Pekka
Well then it's Rukajärven Tie. Oh yeah, that's one scene too that I think was too much.. The guy gets shot 68 times, drops into the water, everyone decides to go home and this dude walks emerges and walks their all by himself, angry that they left him? Yeah, gimme a break. Even if it really happened, they could have played it differenlty, not getting hit 98 times. Even if he really got hit 294 times, I wish they had made it differently.

Yeah, you are right. Even if it's a strong war movie, it won't qualify for the list for two reasons: 1) It's too unrealistic and 2) No one outside the Nordic region would know about it

Chemical Ollie · December 5, 2003, 21:28

Originally posted by axi
Edit: Make that "Rambo: First Blood"

I could agree on that, except that it is more of a police movie than a war movie. But no matter what genre you place it in, it's one of the classics. The sewing in the biceps wound was a first-timer.

Verto · December 5, 2003, 21:39

I still can't believe you've got trash like Pearl Harbor on the poll, but didn't put in Patton. I mean, C'MON!

epicurian · December 5, 2003, 21:45

Originally posted by Chemical Ollie
Duh - I forgot "Enemy at the Gates"!

"Work in pairs, the first guy picks a rifle and five rounds, the second guy picks five rounds and follows in his path. When the first guy sees the enemy, he aims and shoots. When the first guy dies, the second guy picks up his rifle and shoots..."

That scene alone is so classical, it's mandatory to watch!

That is great, but even better is the bit a little later on where you can just make out a Soviet soldier cry out 'it's useless comrades!' and then they fall back, only to be machine-gunned by their own support team for 'cowardice'. The note of utter despair in the guys voice, is, however, classic!

Ned · December 5, 2003, 21:45

Originally posted by axi
I voted for Apocalypse now.

I has 2 times more classic scenes than all other films put together.

As for the guy who mentioned "Starship Troopers": Apart from it being scifi, tell me, where's the was in that one? What one sees in that film is nothing but endless slaughter, which is caused by the screaming lack of firepower on the troopers side. They were all on foot and carriying low caliber weapons for crying out loud! An armored battalion would have slaughtered those bugs anytime, but those boys were all on foot!

Axi, indeed it was dumb to send foot soldiers into combat with millions of homocidal bugs. But that movie, as with Saving Private Ryan, really put the scare into one like few other movies. Everyone praises SPR because of its realism. Part of that realism is the gut-wrenching fear that combat induces in one. Starship Trooper had that in spades as well.