Greatest WW2 Film?

[JimW]

Also coming to praise The Victors - saw it for first time just recently:

Although it was adapted to be about a group of GIs, is actually based on an autobiographical book by forgotten English working class author Alexander Baron.

 

[Griff]

One I haven't seen in years and never gets a mention is Beach Red

Pretty shocked me the only time of seeing it.

Beach Red

 

[Balbi]

The Longest Day.

"I tell you, there's some pretty peculiar fellows on this beach"

Sunday afternoon one that though.

Yeah, unfortunately it means MOST of your Sunday afternoon as it's so bloody long

Trades Description

 

[mike desantos]

Bridge on the River Kwai is a classic
The Dambusters and Reach for the Sky are worth a mention i think

 

[mike desantos]

None but the Brave - directed by Frank Sinatra

Action in the North Atlantic - Bogart

 

[Endeavour]

Wow, certainly not the best way to see it (10min segments) but somebody has put all of "Come and See" on youtube. eeks

or maybe

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7E798237FFD2C2AD

 

[Stoat Boy]

Another big shout here for 'Cross of Iron'.

Also loved the 'Das Boot' TV series and will happily wile away any wet Sunday afternoon I can with a B&W WW2 film.

But, and I have not seen it listed here so apologies if somebody has already mentioned it but 'Mosquito Squadron' never fails to impress even if its only for the attack at the end of it (which as a rather interesting bit of trivia that I only found out about recently but which I sure is common knowledge was used as the blue print for the Death Star attack sequence in the original Starwars film).

And I enjoy, and still watch at least once a year, 'Mediterraneo' which is an Italian film. Not strictly a war film in that there is very little fighting but its set in WW2 and is about a group of Italian soldiers who get stranded on a little Greek Island.

 

[lobster]

I agree with come and See and trilogy of war films by Andrzej Wajda , great films.

Does films based around ww2 count? like Ivan's Childhood , The Tin Drum , Sophie Scholl – The Final Days , Aimée & Jaguar , Divided We Fall ?

 

[Griff]

Watched Army of Shadows last night and really got into it, great stuff. More tense than action.

 

[IMR]

Ice Cold in Alex for entertainment, Come and See as a reminder of what war entails.

Is there a Japanese equivalent of Downfall?

 

[Meltingpot]

Run Silent, Run Deep,is a good one;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_Silent,_Run_Deep

I'd also give a vote for that one where Robert Mitchum played a sub chaser who ends up having a cigarette with the captain of the sub he's just captured. Wish all battles could end like that.

 

[butchersapron]

Ice Cold in Alex for entertainment, Come and See as a reminder of what war entails.

Is there a Japanese equivalent of Downfall?

Sort of - Japan's Longest Day

 

[Flashman]

Downloaded Come and See but the subs aren't English

 

[tony.c]

I watched Flame and Citron last night and though I used to find subtitles offputting I thought it was good.
Some other WW2 films I've watched recently include Fortress of War, a Russian film about the Nazis attack and siege of the Brest Fortress in 1941. If you can overlook the heroic Russian propaganda style it is a decent enough war film.

Red Tails is about the black fighter pilots US squadron who became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The film has good CGI aerial combat footage and references to the discrimination they experienced in trying to become pilots and at the front, until they proved themselves as among the best fighter pilots. One trainee who led a protest against segregation in the officers mess in the US was courtmartialled, kicked out of the USAF, and blacklisted for years. The extras sequences is well worth watching for the interviews with surviving pilots. Some have only recently received medals for bravery from Obama.

Fortress is about the crew of a US B-17 Flying Fortress bomber based in North Africa for bombing raids to Italy. Reasonable CGI aerial footage. It's a bit of a downmarket 'Memphis Belle', but I thought it was a watchable film.

 

[Idris2002]

Force Ten from Navarone.

I jest of course.

There's a thing called The Malta Story with Alec Guiness as a RAF recon pilot flying out of Valetta which is worth watching.

In Which We Serve, also.

 

[DotCommunist]

'It Happened Here'

a what if look at nazi occupied england. Its like you woke up and 'World at War' is on the tele but you woke up IN THE WRONG REALITY

 

[Idris2002]

'It Happened Here'

a what if look at nazi occupied england. Its like you woke up and 'World at War' is on the tele but you woke up IN THE WRONG REALITY

 

[dylanredefined]

Not really a Nazi is he? Doesn't have the air of evil and ruthless competence you expect from a proper Nazi. More a golf club bore.

 

[Idris2002]

Not really a Nazi is he? Doesn't have the air of evil and ruthless competence you expect from a proper Nazi. More a golf club bore.