Outstanding Movies Depicting the Horrors of War - a huge addon
Submitted by darktremor on Sun, 02/22/2004 - 03:55
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- This list is actualy a just a massively edited and changed cloned version of a previous one by Julia. Her original list only had 4 movies, which to me fell HORRIBLY short. There are TONS of movies that depict the horrors of war, and, she missed out on some key ones. Since she didn't accept comments, and I didn't want to see so many worth noting left out, I had to clone and add on hugely to her list (only the first 4 were on the original list)
- Platoon
- Saving Prvate Ryan
- Three Kings
- Cold Mountain
- Apocalypse Now
- All Quiet On the Western Front
- Bridge Over the River Kwai
- Band of Brothers (TV Mini-series)
- Full Metal jacket
- Schindler's List
- Patton
- The Thin Red Line
- Das Boot
- Enemy At the Gates
- Gettysburg
- Braveheart
- Glory
- Black Hawk Down
- Gangs of New york (This shows the horrors of gang warfare, which is still war)
- Gladiator
- The Longest Day
- The Killing Fields
- Lawrence of Arabia
- A Midnight Clear
- Hell is for Heroes
- Also - The Valour and the Horror. A TV miniseries, but extremely controversial and shows some horrors that very few others dare to.
- Born on the Fourth of July
- Catch-22
- La Grande illusion
- Hamburger Hill
- Grave of the Fireflies
- Paths of Glory
- Two Arabian Knights
- Noah's Ark
- Hell's Angels
- The Crusades
- Sergeant York
- Desperate Journey
- PaisÃ
- The Red Badge of Courage
- To Hell and Back
- Attack
- The Deer Hunter
- (I probably missed a whole bunch - send me any I missed)
- Sry - was undicussable for a while - a side effect of the cloning process. You can add suggestions now.
Cloned From:
I've been wanting to mention "Hell Is For Heroes" (1962) starring Steve McQueen among a rather impressive group of other young actors on their way to later and greater careers.
I saw it uncut a few years ago and was amazed at the realism for a movie from 1962. The agonizing yells and moans of wounded soldiers was a first for me. I've never seen a movie made before this one that showed more than the typical "shot - fall down - don't move" soldier.
I haven't read of a direct connection yet, but I'd be willing to bet the U.S. TV show, "Combat" was based on this movie. They both arrived in '62.
Movie details HERE.
Have you seen A Midnight Clear? I remember loving it. Also, I'm not sure why, but Schindler's List (a great movie) seems out of place on this list. Holocaust movies feel like a different genre from war movies.
Good suggestions everybody. I'll add those two.
Definitely 'The Last Samurai'.
eh...not really though. It doesn't really show the HORRORS of war. It just shows war, and in a very Hollywoodized way - you won't leave that movie thinking - "war is terrible".
(I definitely liked it though)
It depicted the horrors of war at the end when
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All the samurai's were killed off in the battle. I would say that scene depicted the horrors of war, especially when the gatling gun was used.
hmmm...I guess so. Sure, I'll add it.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Catch-22 (1970)
Grande illusion, La (1937)
Hamburger Hill (1987)
Grave of the Fireflies (1994)
MASH (1970)
Excellent! thanks.
Don't know about MASH though - bit too much of "the lighter side."
Please add the Russian film Come and See to this list. This is a gut-wrencher if ever there was one. It's about a little kid who joins up with a passing patrol to fight the Nazis. The things he sees and experiences... I haven't seen it in ten years, but I can still see some scenes with crystal clarity. Incredibly haunting.
Here's a few suggestions:
Two Arabian Knights (1927)
Noah's Ark (1929)
Hell's Angels (1930)
The Crusades (1935)
Sergeant York (1941)
Desperate Journey (1942)
Paisà (1946)
The Red Badge of Courage (1951)
To Hell and Back (1955)
Attack (1956)
The Deer Hunter (1978)
Gods and Generals (2003)
I actually haven't seen most of these, except Gods and Generals (which I didn't like), and the Red Badge of Courage (which I did), but I'll trust you on these (I'm not going to add Gods and Generals though).
Did anybody sit through Gods and Generals?
Hell, I have the patience of Job, and I didn't make it...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Gods and Generals is the only one of those that I haven't seen. I started watching it at a friends house but lost interest before it really got started good.
It doesn't get really good. Trust me - you're better off just skipping it. It's possibly the slowest and most anti-climactic movie I've ever seen.
Paths of Glory
Excellent. (adds)
I'm not sure about this but what about The Pianist. I really liked that one; it was very real to me.
I'll have to check it out. I hear its good.
a great list, the favourite of mine from there in terms of horrors of war is Saving Private Ryan, it envokes such sadness and awe purely in that first scene! However, one problem with the otherwise awesome list - 3 Kings?! :O i know it was on Julia's Originally, but the Horrors of War being depicted? Umm, not really. If anything it's a poor attempt to look cool in the Gulf war Hollywood style, and Ice Cube really can't act.
I think Three Kings might depict some horrors.
Refugees, the senseless death of a parent in front of her children, chemical weapons, torture, political expediency, racism... bovine abuse. Troy gets the symbols of American Empire literally shoved down his throat.
I know Three Kings doesn't have the operatic moments of the "horrors of war" that are the stock and trade of Platoon, Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter et al. I think having those kinds of emotional arias would have robbed the movie of its power and moral authority.
I agree Oddyseus, I think it's a brilliant film. There are at least a few scenes that are perfect representatives of "the horrors of war." Plus, I found that the Hollywood style more represented the way that the soldiers thought the war was going to be before they arrived, before they actually saw what it was really like to be somewhere like Iraq, then when they actually went out of their way to be in battle ("see some action"), the film changed its tone to a darker, more real perspective. I think that's a real horror: the soldiers are all gung ho about glory and battle until they get there and see the real terror of war.
fair enough :)
Grave of Fireflies. God what a good movie. You are spot on with that one.
Letters from Iwo Jima is definitely worth a look, terrific movie much better than Flags of our Fathers.
Sure, I'll give it a viewing.