Mostly all of the WWII movies were really good. It seems during that period in history all Americans were more patriotic. The civil war is distressing because we were fighting against each other. Watching brother be divided against brother and states against states is a black mark on our history. I will never understand why the South still finds it proper to put on the civil war battle reenactments. It is like a yearly reminder of our nations shame.
Fly Boys is also another good one. This one made me cry, laugh and get angry all at the same time. I have also just recently rewatched Band Of Brothers. I forgot how incredible this series was and am happy to own it.
Land: 1) Patton [George C. Scott at his best] 2) Saving Private Ryan [Tom Hank's best performance] 3) Force Ten From Naverone [Harrison Ford is great] 5)The Guns of Naverone 6) Casablanca [no actual war action, gotta try to slip it by though, hey it is Bogart] Sea: 1)Midway 2) Tora, Tora, Tora Series: 1) A Band of Brothers 2)Hogan's Heros [gotta like Bob Crane] 3)Rat Patrol 4)The Winds of War 5)War and Rememberance
I seem to like the majority of WW2 movies, but The Thin Red Line and Saving Private Ryan are my favorites.
We are Gentlemen about our loss, but we are asking the rest of world to please tend to your own knitting and we will tend to our own! Thank you very much.
There is a film which is absent from everyone's list which I think all should try to see: Soldier of Orange. Though thre is an American version (dubbed English), I recommend the original Dutch version, if for nothing else the additional scenes (about 20). I awaited seeing the American version while on a US Army post, recommended it to many people, but was disappointed when I noticed the missing scenes, done undoubtedly to shorten the film. The lead actor was a young Ruger Hower. Oh, part of the Dutch film was in English. It is the story of a group of young men and how the war affects them. And as I recall they used the correct, period equipment throughout.
A Bridge too Far Valkyrie (Even with Tom Cruise) Saints and Soldiers Stalingrad (The 1993 German film) I like how these never portray any nation as evil, Bridge too far: You see German commanders caring for their men, and the lives of the enemy Valkyrie: Kenneth Branagh's line "We have to show the world that not all of us were like him" sums it up Saints and Soldiers: Nice German guy who helps the Americans Stalingrad: the Germans are humanised, made out to be just men doing their duty, not mindless killers Also none of these glorify the Americans, which is why Patton (cringes) or Saving Private Ryan didn't get on the list
It is a very realistic film, it shows it as it really was. My first boat wasn't that much more advanced.. (40 years later!!)
I just encountered a "hollywood movie" (false advertising) called Stalingrad Snipers. I want to warn you: BAD MOVIE!!! It looked to be a Bylo-russia production but I doubt if even that was true. It French. Everyone speaks French. The Russians speak it, the Germans speak it. and if there were any Ukrainians, they spoke it. But no subtitles And it seems the Russian snipers are on the offensive -- during the SUMMER. That's right. The city is under siege, and it is summer. There are so many flaws as to boggle an historian's mind