Memorial Day ritual: war movies!

VeritasVR

I started this ritual a few years ago when I was alone in the dorms for Memorial Day weekend and got extremely bored. Memorial Day is a holiday which commemorates U.S. soldiers who have fallen during their military service. So I ask you, what better day to spend watching your favorite war movies all day?

The last few years I did this, I watched whatever was on TV. I'm more interested in watching what you guys think are the best war movies so I can streamline my watching of said movies before the day is over. I'm partial to World War II movies because of my grandparents' amazing stories about it (and also obviously from all the freakin' WW2 games I've played).

So far I'm interested in watching some I have seen and some I've not seen. I'm definitely going to watch some classics like The Longest Day, "Tora Tora Tora", and A Bridge Too Far.

Any other recommendations for this spectacular holiday?

BornToHula

Hamburger Hill, Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, The Dirty Dozen, We Were Soldiers, and Enemy at the Gates are all missing from an otherwise good list.

I generally prefer the Vietnam era because I have family that actually served during it, it just strikes a certain chord.

durandal4532

Bridge Over the River Kwai is pretty awesome. It's about a bunch of British POWs forced to build a bridge on the Pacific front during WW2.

TwistedJester

Kelly's Heroes if you want something different.

VeritasVR

Ruiner999 wrote: »

Enemy at the Gates

Oh yes. I've been told to see that and somehow forgot all about it. Any other movies about the Eastern front?

musanman

VeritasVR wrote: »

Ruiner999 wrote: »

Enemy at the Gates

Oh yes. I've been told to see that and somehow forgot all about it. Any other movies about the Eastern front?

How can Patton not be on this list? That's not eastern front but he's in Africa and pushes up into Italy. Probably the most classic intro to any movie too.

durandal4532

Patton for certain. Oh! And Stalag 17 and The Great Escape, also awesome POW movies.

lunchbox12682

I'd throw in some modern ones like Black Hawk Down.
SPR ftw though.

embrik

Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, The Big Red One, Deer Hunter, Guns of Navarone, Force Ten from Navarone, Three Kings, Windtalkers.

There are a ton of others, and some that work with the war theme, but also encompass other themes. (And other sides of conflict). Take, for example, Das Boot (about German Submariners), or Schindler's List (More about the holocaust).

Edit: Oh, and throw a comedy or two in there to lighten the mood - like Stripes

meatflower

Maybe not your traditional war film but fascinating and disturbing at the same time is the German film, Der Untergang (Downfall as it was called in the U.S).

It chronicles Hitler's last few days in his bunker below Munich and the lives of the other people around him. As historically accurate as something like this can be, it's probably the best idea we'll ever get as to what was going through the minds of those involved at the time. The acting is superb, especially the actor who plays Hitler...chilling best describes his performance.

If you're one of those "I don't like to read when I'm watching a movie" types though then avoid this, it's in German with English subtitles.

A very powerful film, macabre stuff but great if you'd like to see the other sides perspective. Letters From Iwo Jima I've heard is also excellent in this regard, though I haven't seen it myself.

BlazeFire

Are you looking for something specific in the war movies, or just the setting?

Good Morning Vietnam is a great movie set in a war. It's my favourite work by Robin Williams. He was great in that movie. I think I'll have to watch it again.

thatnerdyguy

Band of Brothers. It's amazing, and it'll eat up half the day if you watch it all! 10 hours of the most powerful WWII story I've ever seen.

VeritasVR

thatnerdyguy wrote:

Band of Brothers. It's amazing, and it'll eat up half the day if you watch it all! 10 hours of the most powerful WWII story I've ever seen.

I've watched the entire series many times. Probably the best mini-series ever.

BlazeFire wrote:

Are you looking for something specific in the war movies, or just the setting?

Not too concerned with either, just if it's, well... good. And I'm probably going to just check the movies everyone recommended and see what's on. There's usually like 4 or 5 channels showing them all day, so this should help me a lot.

Thanatos

Both Flags of my Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima are supposed to be great.

Feral

embrik wrote: »

The Big Red One

This is a great and underappreciated movie.

hbm292

All good flicks! A personal favorite is Stalag 17--a story about a POW camp. Also, The Great Escape is another good prison flick.

There is just something about POW movies that makes me want to turn on Call of Duty an kill as many Nazis as possible...

ElectricTurtle

The Enemy Below and Midway haven't been mentioned. There are also a couple of noteworthy WWII comedies such as Operation Petticoat and Father Goose.

Mosana

Stalingrad is an excellent, but sadly underrated German war film. For films which haven't been said yet but are good: Das Boot, Bridge at Remagen and The Eagle has Landed. Also look for Hannibal Brooks, with everyone's favourite drunk Oliver Reed. In a similar vein is the Vietnam-era Operation Dumbo Drop, if you're in to elephant-themed war movies.

Hardtarget

The Great Escape is a requirement.

Six

Lawrence of Arabia is my favorite movie, war or otherwise. Arab revolt in WW1.

+1 for Bridge on the River Kwai, too. Another David Lean movie.

nexuscrawler

Das Boot!

Doodmann

Band of Brothers is manditory. I just watched the last episode and I don't think I've ever seen something as moving as the beaten German General speaking to his troops.