Can you recommend any World War 2 films?

Acacia

Well, I'm hugely interested in World War 2 and was wondering if you wise people could recommened some movies for me?:D I've seen the 'classics' like Schindler's List several times but I'm looking for something new! I've also seen (and loved) "The Pianist", "Grave of the Fireflies" and "Life Is Beautiful" ( Yes, they're all so cheerful! ), so anything along those line would be great!

Thanks in advance! Also, if ye could explain your choices, because I think making list threads is a no-no in this forum and I don't want to get in trouble!

MagicMarker

Escape to Victory
Letters From Iwo Jima
Flags of Our Fathers
Bridge on the River Kwai
Das Boot
Empire of the Sun
Where Eagles Dare
Downfall

edit: Ooops, forgot to give reasons, I'll get back to that!

dr.bollocko

The longest day.
Patton.
All of the above.
There's also a WW2 forum:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1054

Tipsy McSwagger

The Thin Red Line
Saving Private Ryan

Band of Brothers is amazing but it's not a film.

ziedth

Although a TV show Band of Brothers might for all the world be a 10 hour film. If you haven't seen it your in for a big treat because it's based on a true story to boot. One of the very few 5/5 ratings I would give a film/show.

I saw Valkyrie for the first time not too long ago and it was much much better then I thought it would be. Well worth a watch and it's a little different.

Harts War is not exactly a WW2 film but based in the time in a POW camp but I also found it very enjoyable.

Pepe LeFrits

It's more of a prison film than a war film but Stalag 17 is worth a watch.

BrianOFlanagan

All of the above and "Enemy at the gates" because it's a true story and you don't see many movies based just on sniping and/or the Russian side of things.

Merch

The Big Red 1

breadmond

Tora Tora Tora is a brilliant film about pearl harbour, it's also very historically accurate, much better than pearl harbour (the movie) which I couldn't stand. Das boot is heavy going but one of my all-time favorites, it really captures the hellish environment of a u boat and the fact that it is from a German perspective is interesting.

MagicMarker

BrianOFlanagan wrote: »

All of the above and "Enemy at the gates".

Worst. Movie. Ever

8mv

+1 for
Enemy at the Gates
Downfall
Saving P Ryan

freeze4real

+1 for empire of the sun.

I cried when i watch it.
I still do.

Sad Professor

I don't think there's going to be much discussion in here, so just list away, folks, and I'll lock this once the OP has enough suggestions.

freeze4real

Sad Professor wrote: »

I don't think there's going to be much discussion in here, so just list away, folks, and I'll lock this once the OP has enough suggestions.

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Merch

Long time since I saw it, but I thought "Escape from Sobibor" was good

Das boot,
Midway,
Heaven Knows Mr Allison (Im sure not one most would pick, where I found out about Sake, but one I liked)

edit
also
Deer Hunter and Catch 22

I like the anti war ones, even when the theme seems like a war movie so the thin red line too

mikemac

Caine's Mutiny

freeze4real

here's another defiance 2008 daniel craig. its a good movie.

Another is Valkyrie i think by tom cruise

jpfahy

The Battle of Britain - very realistic film
Bridge on the River Kwai - ditto
The Great Escape - superb entertainment
Kelly's Heroes - ditto

cml387

I've always had a soft spot for "A Bridge Too Far".
For a start,it doesn't feature an allied victory but Operation Market Garden ,an ultimately failed attempt to capture three bridges and launch a spearhead into Germany in 1944.
Secondly it's broadly historically accurate,even in some scenes which seem outlandish (e.g.

Jemes Caan pulling a gun on a doctor to save his friend

)
Thirdly it has a stellar cast, including Sean Connery,Robert Redford,James Caan,Dirk Bogarde, and most significantly Anthony Hopkins is superb as Lt. Col John Frost leading the doomed troops at Arnhem bridge.

Manco

Come and See, a Russian film about the Nazis in Belarus. Not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, but it really gets across the horror of their atrocities.

TheEscapist

The Pianist, tough going but a beautiful film. Not exactly heavy on war action though. Still a great WW2 film.

Phony Scott

Nearly all the recommendations mentioned are excellent. You can't really go far wrong with WW2 films. Scratch that, you can go wrong, horribly wrong! Before the thread closes, I'm going to recommend 'Ilsa She Wolf of the SS'. It's one of the most tasteless films I've ever witnessed!

Seriously though, the only film not on the list so far that I'd highly recommend (after seeing the rest) would be Paul Verhoeven's 'Soldier of Orange'. It's unique in may ways as it is taken from the perspective of someone who lived through those times and (to my knowledge) not many films come out of Holland that are boys own type action films, but this is one of the best.

MagicMarker

TheEscapist wrote: »

The Pianist, tough going but a beautiful film. Not exactly heavy on war action though. Still a great WW2 film.

Hmm, I wonder if the OP has seen this? If only there was some way to know...

Sonovagun

Kellys Heroes

Sad Professor

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hmm, I wonder if the OP has seen this? If only there was some way to know...

Says he who posted a big list despite the OP asking for reasons.

Renn

I'd recommend Triumph of the Will followed by Night and Fog. For me it's a pretty 'perfect' double bill.

Germany Year Zero is another good one, some fantastic footage of a Berlin in ruins too.

Others to check:

Im toten Winkel - Hitlers Sekretärin
Sophie Scholl: The Final Days

Kess73

Merch wrote: »

The Big Red 1

Great film.

OP, if you get this film only buy the bos that has

The Big Red One : The Reconstruction

on the cover.


This is the uncut version of the film that was released some years after Fuller died.

The original theatrical release is about 50 minutes shorter and is missing a number of complete scenes that cause the shorter version to jar badly storywise.

The Reconstruction version flows as the film was meant to and actually feels shorter than the much weaker original release.


Lee Marvin is excellent in the film and the supporting cast are quite good. It basically spans how a small group of soldiers and their sergeant get by from the very start of the war right up to when the war ends.

reallyrose

Europa Europa is a favorite of mine. Darkly comic and based on a true story.

mikemac

The Big Red One was partly filmed in Meath. Trim Castle and the Boyne are used

Just throwing that in there if you're a local and you can see what you can spot

Zaph

Some foreign films worth considering:

The Counterfeiters - superb film based on a true story about a Nazi plan to flood Europe with counterfeit cash produced in a concentration camp. Won the Best Foreign Film Oscar a few years ago.

Downfall - Hitler's last days in the Berlin bunker.

Black Book - Dutch film about the resistance during the Nazi occupation.

Of those already mentioned I'd definitely second:

Band of Brothers
The Great Escape
Tora! Tora! Tora!

And a couple of others worth watching:

Cross of Iron
The Bridge at Remagen

Morlar

In no particular order & off the top of my head.

Hitler - (the Robert Carlyle version)
39th Battalion
The Eagle has landed
Attack on Leningrad
The Night of the Generals
Downfall
The Night Porter
The Damned
Come and see
Triumph of the Will
The Big red one (recon)
Das Boot
Battle of the Bulge
Stalingrad
Saints and Soldiers
The english patient
Band of Brothers
A Bridge too far
The Longest Day
Valkyrie
The great escape
Stalag 17
PATTON
Cross of Iron
Salon Kitty

MagicMarker

Sad Professor wrote: »

Says he who posted a big list despite the OP asking for reasons.

Shuttupa yo face!

QDog10

cml387 wrote: »

I've always had a soft spot for "A Bridge Too Far".
For a start,it doesn't feature an allied victory but Operation Market Garden ,an ultimately failed attempt to capture three bridges and launch a spearhead into Germany in 1944.
Secondly it's broadly historically accurate,even in some scenes which seem outlandish (e.g.

Jemes Caan pulling a gun on a doctor to save his friend

)
Thirdly it has a stellar cast, including Sean Connery,Robert Redford,James Caan,Dirk Bogarde, and most significantly Anthony Hopkins is superb as Lt. Col John Frost leading the doomed troops at Arnhem bridge.

Best theme tune of any WW2 movie..

inforfun

Soldaat van Oranje.

Skerries

Morlar wrote: »

The english patient

up it's own hole boring ****!

replica

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE. BASED ON A TRUE STORY AND WAS DECISIVE IN SWINGING THE WAR IN THE ALLIES FAVOUR.

BrianOFlanagan

MagicMarker wrote: »

Worst. Movie. Ever

The OP asked for a list of ww2 movies and reasons as to their recommendation. Never said they had to be critically acclaimed. Troll.

_Kaiser_

The Enemy Below

/thread

Acacia

ziedth wrote: »

Although a TV show Band of Brothers might for all the world be a 10 hour film. If you haven't seen it your in for a big treat because it's based on a true story to boot. One of the very few 5/5 ratings I would give a film/show.

I've heard only good things about this, I believe my boyf's friend may have it on DVD, will definetely be getting borrowed!:)

Manco wrote: »

Come and See, a Russian film about the Nazis in Belarus. Not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, but it really gets across the horror of their atrocities.

For some reason, I really like films that dark and heavy-going (hence the interest in ww2!). That sounds very interesting, I'll check it out!:D

TheEscapist wrote: »

The Pianist, tough going but a beautiful film. Not exactly heavy on war action though. Still a great WW2 film.

It's one of my all-time favourite films , though there are scenes I actually can't watch

mikemac wrote: »

The Big Red One was partly filmed in Meath. Trim Castle and the Boyne are used

Just throwing that in there if you're a local and you can see what you can spot

This one seems to be mentioned a lot so I'll check it out too, plus I like the Irish connection!


Thanks a million guys, yiz are a fountain of knowledge! I've loads to keep me going for the moment so that'll keep me busy!:D

Nolanger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olyf5v_TYUE

tim_holsters

If you watch only 1 movie on this thread OP make sure it's Come And See.

It's a phantasmagoric horrorshow that's an essential watch for anybody interested in the genre.

Blue850

+1 for Das Boot
and Ice Cold in Alex

Phony Scott

Skerries wrote: »

up it's own hole boring ****!

Tried to watch it twice and on both occasions fell fast asleep about twenty minutes in. Thunderously dull film.

BrianOFlanagan

Now I remember it!

Murphy's War. This is quality stuff lads!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067458/

Reason: It involves one Irish man taking on a whole bunch of nazis who really pissed him off and it's hilarious.

There's a great line in it where the French chap asks Murphy how he knew how to make bombs and he replies like this "from watchin my daddy make bombs for good men with noble causes".

+1 for Ice Cold in Alex

Mickeroo

BrianOFlanagan wrote: »

Now I remember it!

Murphy's War. This is quality stuff lads!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067458/

Reason: It involves one Irish man taking on a whole bunch of nazis who really pissed him off and it's hilarious.

There's a great line in it where the French chap asks Murphy how he knew how to make bombs and he replies like this "from watchin my daddy make bombs for good men with noble causes".

That was on telly last weekend or the weekend before, peter o'toole plays murphy, it was good alright,

fairly depressing ending though!!