My Top 10 Favourite War Movies – Revisited
I re-watched Glory the other day and while I still think it’s a very good movie, I don’t think it deserves to be in my Top 10 nor will it end up in my Top 20. Top 50 certainly. This made me think that it’s about time to revisit my Top 10. I had to replace Glory and I also decided to get rid of Band of Brothers. It is excellent, absolutely deserving of being watched and re-watched but it’s a mini-series and not a movie.
So here is the list which will probably change again, sooner or later.
Two movies were almost included Days of Glory and Das Boot.
I’m in the process of re-watching and while I know that Black Hawk Down, Stalingrad, Hamburger Hill, Platoon and The Thin Red Line will stay on the list, I’m not a 100% sure about the others.
Which movies would have to be on your Top 10?
warmoviebuff said,
November 3, 2011 at 10:52 pm
That’s a decent list, but Glory is better than a few of your choices.
In no particular order, here are mine:
The Great Escape
Black Hawk Down
Saving Private Ryan
Glory
Last of the Mohicans
Platoon
The Longest Day
Apocalypse Now
Full Metal Jacket
Enemy at the Gates
allaboutwarmovies said,
November 4, 2011 at 6:23 am
I’m still torn whether to include movies like Last of the Mohicans. For me it’s much more a romance. If I did broaden the genre, I would maybe include it and King Arthur as well.
I also don’t think The Great Escape is a proper war movies.
I just started re-watching, it’s possible I kick out Gallipoli.
Our lists combined (minus those who are there twice already gives an extremely good top 17.
There are stil a few I need to watch and that may be in the top 20 like The Winter War (3.5 hrs long) and Battle of Algiers…
warmoviebuff said,
November 5, 2011 at 12:20 am
As you know, I can not have my name associated with a Top 17 that includes The Thin Red Line!
I think you will rethink Gallipoli if you rewatch it. A good movie, but not great. Breaker Morant is much better.
I take your point about The Great Escape, but POW movies are an established sub-genre and I bet you consider Mr. Lawrence to be a war movie. I would argue that the POW genre is more defendable than the Resistance subgenre that Army of Crime falls into. As far as Mohicans, it is a war romance, but the key is the central act set in an actual historical siege.
allaboutwarmovies said,
November 5, 2011 at 7:21 am
Ok, let’s agree that your list will ook slightly different.
For obvious reasons the Resistance is a theme that is close to my heart. In it stays!
C138 said,
November 20, 2011 at 12:07 am
For some reason I never think of 10 best war movies, so I go with 5 instead.
1. The Thin Red Line (1998)
2. Apocalypse Now (1979)
3. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
4. Glory (1989)
5. Come and See (1985)
allaboutwarmovies said,
November 20, 2011 at 7:21 am
I have a hard time narrowing those I really like to down ten.
These are five very interesting choices… Very varied. I haven’t seen Come and See yet but the others are outstanding. Thanks for sharing your list.
C138 said,
November 24, 2011 at 9:05 am
You should check out Come and See. It is, by far, the most intense and disturbing war movie I’ve ever seen.
allaboutwarmovies said,
November 24, 2011 at 2:28 pm
I will, thanks, I laready got it here, just need some time to finally watch it. I’ve heard it’s controversial but I’m looking forward to it.
Guy Savage said,
November 21, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Just wanted to leave a message that I came across a book you might like:
Films of the French Foreign Legion by Philip Liebfried just published.
allaboutwarmovies said,
November 21, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Thanks a lot, I’ll have a look. Sounds interesting.