“Nazis. I hate these guys.”: 15 WWII Movies Worth Watching Before You See Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.
Who knew that the Nazis — one of the most brutal regimes in the history of brutal regimes — would be responsible for such fun, mind-blowingly awesome entertainment? The second I see a dude in a grey German uniform and an eye patch enter the frame, I’m like ‘Whoa. That Nazi is going to provide me a great amount of entertainment this evening’. So, with Inglorious Bastards having recently premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, I figured I’d put together a list of some awesome WW2 films as a resource for anyone wanting to beef up their WW2 film knowledge before checking out Tarantino’s self-proclaimed ‘masterpiece’. It’s worth noting that I focused on older films — pre-1980 for the most part — and only the stories featuring Nazi’s. It was tough to cut this down to 15 films, but I’m sure you all will be able to come up with some movies I’ve forgotten or haven’t seen. I’m also sure we’ll get lots of people wagging their finger at the absence of Saving Private Ryan, so to be clear: I like that film. Just didn’t make the list.
Anyways, have a look and be sure to make some time to check out some of these films before August! (I will be posting a companion piece to this list at The Documentary Blog, featuring some recommended documentaries on WW2 and the Nazi’s. Stay tuned!)
15. ILSA, SHE WOLF OF THE SS (1975)
Directed by Don Edmonds
Even though I don’t think Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS is anywere near the caliber of filmmaking represented elsewhere on this list, I do think it’s worth mentioning as the forefront of an entire sub-genre of torture films spawned from the horrible stories that have surfaced regarding the gruesome experimentation that took place in some Nazi concentration camps. The term ‘Nazisploitation’ has since been coined to describe this group of low-budget, graphic torture films that managed to combine the exploitation and women-in-prison sub-genres within a ‘historical’ WW2 setting. Unfortunately, I’ve only seen the censored version of this film and as I watched it, an abrupt cut would interrupt any full frontal nudity or graphic content. Total buzzkill. I can’t say whether or not Ilsa is the best representation of this sub-genre, but I will say I was caught up in its ridiculous characterizations and am amazed that these movies may be the sole representation — in fictional narrative terms — of the atrocities that took place in these camps. And before you ask, I haven’t seen any of the sequels. (For documentary fans, check out Joe Berlinger’s Grey Matter, which looks at some of the Nazi experimentation on the brains of the mentally handicapped.)
14. FIVE FOR HELL (1969)
Directed by Gianfranco Parolini (as Frank Kramer)
Gianfranco Parolini’s (credited as Frank Kramer) awesome spaghetti WW2 film Five for Hell gives us a goofy but fun look at the American GI as seen through an Italian lens. Gianni Garko (credited as John Garko) plays Lt. Glenn Hoffmann, a bubblegum chewing, all-American who assembles a team of soldiers to infiltrate a German hideout to steal some secret Nazi war plans. We’ve seen the story many times before, but the inconsistent tone and oddball characterizations make Hell for Five a particularly unusual viewing experience. Like all American GI’s, Lt. Glenn Hoffmann’s weapon of choice is a hollowed-out-lead-filled baseball which he whips at the heads of whatever Nazi soldiers get in his way. Even better is the fold out miniature trampolines carried by his platoon, turning an otherwise typical storming of a Nazi base into a glorious circus act. The horrors of war indeed! Worth noting; a great score by Elsio Mancuso (credit as Vasco Mancuso), a great perfomance by Klaus Kinski as a nasty Nazi officer, and a hefty serving of crash zooms. Hell for Five isn’t perfect — and certainly has its slow moments — but it’s a fun watch that proves that in the hands of the right people, stereotypes can be fun!
13. MAN HUNT (1941)
Directed by Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang’s ‘Man Hunt’ is the only film on this list to have actually been in production DURING the war. In fact, after it’s release in 1941, Lang had originally been criticized for portraying the Nazi’s as being too brutal; a result of his extreme anti-Nazi sentiments. Looking at it now, I’d say it seems pretty harmless in its characterizations. I almost didn’t include it on this list seeing as it isn’t really a war film per se, but rather a Hitchcockian thriller with a touch of The Most Dangerous Game. Walter Pidgeon plays Captain Alan Thorndike, a big game hunter who’s decided to hunt down the biggest and baddest game of all; Adolf Hitler. Caught in the act by an SS soldier, Thorndike is captured and thus eleminated; or so they thought. He stows away on a ship, making friends with a young Roddy McDowall (like, 10 year old young). Quick on his heels is a German agent, played by John Carradine, who eventually catches up with Thorndike and thus, adventure ensues! A great film that illustrates the early influence of the war on American filmmaking. (Before you ask, Fritz was born in Austria, but Man Hunt was an American production.)
12. PLAY DIRTY (1968)
Directed by André De Toth
I liked Play Dirty because of its pacing and it’s quirkiness. Michael Caine plays Captain Douglas; a British Petroleum executive who’s comfortable existence as a port contractor is shattered when he’s assigned a dangerous mission: travel deep behind enemy lines and destroy an Afrika Corps fuel depot. He’s accompanied by a rag-tag group of officer’s led by Captain Leech — an ex-con who’s only concern is to get Douglas back safely in exchange for an extra 2000 pounds promised to him by his Colonel. The group also contains a homosexual couple, which must’ve been an interesting choice for the time. The team disguise themselves as Italian soldiers and make their way across the deserts of North Africa. There’s some great action in the film, and a wonderfully mundane — and long — sequence in which the men must hoist their vehicles up a steep hill. The sequence plays like Fitzcarraldo in the desert! Director André De Toth handles the film with elegance and style and I was surprised by some of the stylized cinematography; specifically, a sequence in which the soldiers bury some men after a fire fight. The dutch angles and quick cuts has an intense Sam Raimi-esque feel that was an interesting choice. In the end, some might find Play Dirty somewhat dry (no pun intended) but I thought it was an interesting take on the WW2 film.
11. INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (1978)
Directed by Enzo G. Castellari
There seems to be some confusion surrounding Quentin Tarantino’s ‘borrowing’ of the title and the overall influence of Enzo G. Castellari’s Italian WW2 film ‘Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato’, a.k.a. The Inglorious Bastards. Tarantino’s film is definitely not a remake but certainly seems to be utilizing the basic premise (which is obviously taken from The Dirty Dozen, and I’m sure can be attributed to tons of films previous to that) and seems similar in tone. Castellari’s version was goofy at times and certainly didn’t shy away from comedy. Although not as directly geared towards humour as Kelly’s Heroe’s may have been, it showcases the charm and oddball sensibilities that you might find in many spaghetti westerns. The film also touches upon some similar plot points seen in a few other films on this list; the men are heading to Switzerland, as are the soldiers in Von Ryan’s Express, and they’re end up taking part in a mission involving the German’s V2 rockets, as do the commando’s in Operation Crossbow. It’s another great representation of the Italian take on American’s in WW2.
10. CROSS OF IRON (1977)
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Cross of Iron’ is the only film on this list that’s told strictly from the viewpoint of the Nazi’s, and maybe that’s why it never received much attention. As expected, it’s both dark and violent, and at times might be a little too cerebral for the average war film fan. It’s certainly the least ‘fun’ film on this list, but the complexity of its characters — most notably James Coburn’s Sergeant Steiner and Maximilian Schell’s Captain Stransky — and the viscerally engaging action sequences give Cross of Iron a personality of its own; albeit maybe one of a chaotic, drunken madman. The direction is quite solid as Peckinpah makes good use of slow motion and his colour palette is appropriately drab and desaturated; something that would become almost a cliche in modern war films. Worth noting; the opening credit sequence is particularly effective, mixing stock footage of the Hitler youth and the botched invasion of Russia while underscored by an upbeat German folk song.
9. FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE (1978)
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Unlike The Guns of Navarone, Guy Hamilton’s Force 10 From Navarone could probably be considered slightly fluffy and maybe even a little campy. You could say that this film is to The Guns of Navarone as Moonraker is to Guy Hamilton’s own Goldfinger. Hell, Richard Kiel — Jaws from Moonraker — even makes an appearance! Luckily, I liked Moonraker and I loved Force 10 From Navarone. It definitely has that 1970’s James Bond look and feel; diffused cinematography, dated optical compositing and a generous use of miniatures. The plot is a bit complicated, but essentially the two lead surviving characters from the original Guns of Navrone are assigned to a new mission; infiltrate Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia and hunt down a German spy who’d they thought was previously executed. Of course, they’re eventually side tracked and end up attempting to blow up a bridge. Go figure. The story might be a bit of wild goose chase, but I found it to be a great adventure and a ton of fun watching this small group of soldiers eluding the enemy, only to be caught, and elude yet again, and get caught yet again, and so on. The film pretty much picks up where The Guns of Navarone left off, starting with a long — and unnecessary — recap, only this time, Gregory Peck and David Niven are replaced by Robert Shaw (his second last film) and Edward Fox. Joining them on their mission is a young post-Star Wars Harrison Ford and a young pre-Action Jackson Carl Weathers. Worth noting; a pre-Strange Brew Angus MacInnes plays one of the allied soldiers, eh? Beauty.
8. KELLY’S HEROES (1970)
Directed by Brian G. Hutton
I know some people have reservations about the casting of comedic actors in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Does this mean the film will be…funny? I certainly hope so. If there’s anything Tarantino can do well, it’s black comedy. It’s also a decision that’s in line with some pretty great war films of the past; mainly Brian G. Hutton’s Kelly’s Heroes. With a solid ensemble cast including Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Don Rickles and Telly Savalas, Kelly’s Heroes managed to combine the action and thrills of a decent war film with some good, usually subtle comedy. In fact, the tone and the plot — a group of soldiers infiltrating enemy lines to steal some Nazi loot — is reminiscent of David O. Russel’s ‘Three Kings’, a film that I loved. Worth noting; an awesome theme song and a great performance by Carroll O’Connor as Major General Colt.
7. OPERATION CROSSBOW (1965)
Directed by Michael Anderson
Even though its story is loosely based off of a real military mission, ‘Operation Crossbow’ is more of a lesson in adventure than actual history. George Peppard (best known as Hannibal on the A-Team) stars in this extremely fun espionage thriller that was more than likely an answer to the James Bond craze of the sixties. The film follows at team of engineers who volunteer to be sent behind enemy lines to sabotage a Nazi rocket that could destroy London. The three men, fluent in German, take on the identities of dead Nazi officers and embed themselves within the enemy camp. The twist; their new identities may not be as solid has they’d expected when the men discover that one of their Nazi alter-ego’s is wanted by police for murder! Totally awesome! Sophia Loren received top billing even though she simply makes a cameo in the film; an apparent favour for her then husband and producer of Operation Crossbow, Carlo Ponti. Also worth noting; Trevor Howard, who plays a skeptical science advisor, was also in Von Ryan’s Express! Incestual WW2 movie making rules!
6. VON RYAN’S EXPRESS (1965)
Directed by Mark Robson
Imagine ‘The Great Escape’ on a train and you’ve pretty much got ‘Von Ryan’s Express’. Old Blue Eyes plays Colonel Joseph L. Ryan; an American pilot shot down in Italy only to be captured and brought to a P.O.W. camp. Surrounded by British soldiers, Ryan finds himself forced into a leadership role after discovering the previous high ranking officer had been killed. After the Italians surrender to the German’s, Ryan and his troops end up re-captured and shoved into boxcars to, I assume, be transported to a German P.O.W. camp. After accusations of treachery – hence the nickname ‘Von Ryan’ – Sinatra’s character decides to lead an escape plan which sees them escaping from their boxcar through a hole in the floor and subsequently eliminating the Nazi guards controlling the train. After donning the German uniforms, the men must guide the train through enemy territory towards freedom; Switzerland! This movie is tons of fun and features a pretty crazy moral crisis for Sinatra’s character and an ending that more than likely surprised audiences upon the films original release. Worth noting; a great Jerry Goldsmith score!
5. THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967)
Directed by Robert Aldrich
The Dirty Dozen, as far as I can tell, seems responsible for creating its own sub-genre. Any films featuring a band of unlikely misfits on a suicide mission are usually referred to as being ‘like the Dirty Dozen, only with (fill in the blank)’. Much like Die Hard and Speed resulted in films being described as ‘Die Hard…on plane’ or ‘Speed…on a train’. Lee Marvin leads this crew of military criminals, some sentenced to execution, as they attempt to infiltrate an enemy chateau on the eve of the D-Day invasion. The Dirty Dozen features yet another great ensemble cast with many names mentioned elsewhere on this list, including Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown and John Cassavettes. Definitely one of the more unconventional war films of the time and certainly a representation of the era in which it was made, The Dirty Dozen is totally bad ass.
4. THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961)
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Like Where Eagles Dare, The Guns of Navarone is a fun, albeit much slower, thrill ride that finds a small team of officers infiltrating a seemingly impenetrable German outpost. This time, Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn are among a team of men who accept the mission to sabotage a pair of guns on the island of Navarone, keeping the Royal Navy from rescuing 2000 soldiers held up on the island of Keros. Disguised as Greek fisherman, the team approach the island and scale a massive cliff wall, immediately reminding me of The Princess Bride — yet not once reminding me of the opening of Star Trek 5. There’s a great relationship between Peck and Quinn’s characters, who at one time were friends yet now are enemies forced to work together. Sort of like Balki and Larry in Perfect Strangers. The Guns of Navarone is an epic journey and certainly set the bar for many adventure films to follow.
3. WHERE EAGLES DARE (1968)
Directed by Brian G. Hutton
This could be the most fun I had out of all the WW2 films on this list. There’s something about snow Nazi’s that really gives me a solid buzz. Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton lead a team of British commandos (Eastwood being the sole American) on a mission to infiltrate a Nazi castle and rescue a captured Brigadier General. The cool thing? The only way to access the castle is by cable car! (A sequence that is later imitated in Moonraker) There’s tons of action and adventure mixed with a touch of espionage and a few plot twists. Definitely a fun time. Worth noting; Where Eagles Dare is one of three films on this list based off of novels written by Alistair Maclean, but the only one in which he wrote the screenplay. The other two are The Guns of Navarone and Force 10 From Navarone.
2. THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)
Directed by John Sturges
Here’s a film that successfully combines the horrors of Nazi P.O.W. camps with the universal fun of tunnel digging. Seriously, I remember watching this movie when I was a kid and being totally enthralled by the trolly system these guys had going. It’s like The Dog Who Stopped the War, only with guns instead of snowballs and no dog. (Note: It’s nothing like The Dog Who Stopped the War) This could manage to hold ones interest simply from an engineering aspect; nevermind the awesome cast (Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasance, James Coburn, James Garner) and cool action, all at the hands of the amazing John Sturges. A definite must see for all film fans and a movie that simply couldn’t be left off of this list.
1. THE BIG RED ONE (1980)
Directed by Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller’s ‘The Big Red One’ manages to cover so much ground and assemble so many characters that it puts The Band of Brothers to shame. His trademark grittiness and occasionally heavy handed social commentary shines through as we follow the 1st Infantry Division — nicknamed ‘The Big Red One’ — from North Africa to Sicily, and eventually to Omaha beach on D-Day. Lee Marvin plays Sgt. Possum, who’s experience in the first world war finds him leading his “Four Horsemen” through some pretty crazy situations, including delivering a baby inside of a panzer tank — a scene that plays out quite hilariously in contrast to the otherwise morose tone of the film. Star Wars geeks will recognize this film as the ‘Luke Skywalker war movie’, as Mark Hamill plays Pvt. Griff, a soldier who refuses to kill. I was lucky enough to see the fully restored Cannes 2004 version of the film — now available on DVD — as Fuller intended it to be seen. This version was put together under the supervision of Richard Schickle after Fuller passed away. Please take the time to check out ‘The Big Red One’. And while you’re at it, have a look at his Korean war film, ‘The Steel Helmet’.
Comments (104)
are you aware that your ads are covering your posts’ titles? it’s really annoying
Posted by tim on May 26th, 2009Can you give me more info on the ads you are talking about? Different ads display in different regions so we might not be seeing the same ads you are. I know there was one banner ad at the top causing a problem last week but I thought I had deactivated it.
Posted by Sean on May 26th, 2009This article assumes that the reader would actually put themselves through the torture of le film de Tarantino.
Posted by TheAllKnowingGod on May 26th, 2009No ad-problems here.
Sweet list. A lot of films which I didn’t know about, I’ll definetly check a few of them out.
Posted by Kasper F. Nielsen on May 26th, 2009Another great list Jay, I’m most interested in ilsa because i’m a fan of those type of films but I plan to go through all of these over the summer, I’m gonna have alot of free time.
Posted by Drew on May 26th, 2009@ This article assumes that the reader would actually put themselves through the torture of le film de Tarantino.
your indignation is trendy.
I have the same problem with the banner ad Sean. It happens sometimes. Right now it’s an ad for Management. But I think it’s an ad for Mac and cheese or something that causes the problem.
Posted by Rusty James on May 26th, 2009Great list, Jay!
I love WWII films so I will definately need to catch up with some of these.
Looking forward to your documentary list as well.
Posted by Aaron on May 26th, 2009I love, love, love THE BIG RED ONE. Great topper!
Fact: Lee Marvin still rules.
Posted by Kurt on May 26th, 2009Great list. CROSS OF IRON is a completely underrated and little scene gem from Peckinpaw. And I can’t wait to check out FIVE FOR HELL.
I’ve read the script and from the sounds of it the finished movie is pretty close. I would add some French New Wave flicks, the early Goddard and Truffaut, and THE LAST METRO, to the list. The reports saying that this is also another homage/ripoff/pastiche of Leone is no exaggeration. The first scene and the scene in the basement bar read like Leone 101. If anyone’s never checked out THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY or ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST you’ll see exactly where he’s pulling that from.
The script was pretty bad, but the footage I’ve seen looks really interesting. I’m totally jacked to see this.
Posted by Phil G on May 26th, 2009You’ve managed to unearth some intriguing films I was unaware of amidst the acknowledged classics.
I’ve seen the uncut version of Ilsa and it definitely lives up to its reputation. Whatever one may have to say about its lack of taste, it is a very well made piece of exploitation cinema with all the shock, titillation and campy acting such films require.
Of course there are always other films one could include (especially for a topic so well covered cinematically). There are comedies like “The Great Dictator” and “To Be or Not To Be” (I still haven’t seen the Lubitsch version but it is meant to be a classic) and European art films like Visconti’s “The Damned” and Lina Wertmuller’s “Seven Beauties”. But here are some other personal recommendations :
“Five Graves to Cairo” (1943)
Billy Wilder’s tense tale of a British soldier stranded in the North African desert after the rest of his tank crew are killed. He finds a hotel which has just been deserted by the Brits and is about to become Rommel’s headquarters. He finds that the hotel waiter was killed in a bombing raid, so he pretends to be the dead man not realising that the waiter had been a spy for the Nazis. When Rommel, in the form of a scenery-chewing Joseph Von Sternberg, turns up, our hero realises that he may be able to use his precarious position to learn the secret key to the Nazi’s invasion of North Africa. What are the Five Graves to Cairo? Of course Wilder also directed “Salag 17″ which could also be included, but I still haven’t caught up with that.
“A Time to Love and Time to Die” (1958)
Douglas Sirk, the master of the Hollywood melodrama, directed this powerful adaptation of an Eric Maria Remarque novel about a dispirited German soldier who returns home for leave to find that his family’s home has been destroyed by Allied bombing. While looking in vain for his parents he falls in love with the daughter of a political prisoner. A chance encounter with an old friend who is now a Nazi officer leads our hero to wonder if he can use this friendship to get his girl’s father released from the concentration camp. In spite of the love story at its heart, this is a remarkably dark film for its time.
“Verboten!” (1959)
Another Sam Fuller movie. Maybe this doesn’t count because it takes place after the war, but it does deal memorably with Nazis, this time the Werewolves, a Nazi guerilla movement. An American soldier falls in love with a German woman and provides her with food and luxuries, not realising that he is being set up by the Werewolves.
Posted by David Munn on May 26th, 2009hey,
i’m from the US and the ad in question is a macaroni and cheese ad or something. I think there may have been something else too but mainly the mac’n'cheese one.
thanks
Posted by tim on May 26th, 2009You really can’t go wrong with Nazis as your movie villain. Everyone hates ‘em. I’ve only seen 2 movies on your list (The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape), and The Great Escape is on my top 100 list. I too am enamored by those tunnels…and the whole moonshine sequence that ends badly. If you want to see a good recent movie about Nazi’s I recommend “Downfall” (Der Untergang, 2004), a German film about Hitler’s final days in the bunker. But there are many other characters and some urban battle scenes.
Posted by Mason on May 27th, 2009Hey Mason, I’ve seen Downfall and enjoyed it a great deal. Another surprisingly good recent Nazi film; Valkyrie.
David Munn: Thanks for the suggestions! Out of the films you listed, I’ve only seen The Great Dictator. I will definitely be checking out Verboten!
Phil G: I almost bought The Last Metro specifically to watch for this list, but it was too hefty a price at the time. I’ll definitely be checking it out in the near future.
Posted by Jay C. on May 27th, 2009Jay sure knows his World War II films. I’ve never gotten into the war genre for some reason. Oh, except in outer space.
Drew, you’re not old enough for Ilsa.
If anyone is interested, PBS is playing a new documentary, “World War II: Behind Closed Doors: Stalin, the Nazis and the West,” tonight (Wednesday) at 8 pm EST.
Posted by Reed Farrington on May 27th, 2009Wow. Did the above comment — which seems to be spam — copy a previous comment to trick our spam filter — and readers — into thinking it’s legit??
THAT is impressive.
Posted by Jay C. on May 27th, 2009Big fan of Cross of Iron, The Big Red One and Steel Helmet.
Posted by swarez on May 27th, 2009I’ve got no patience for Ilsa though, as often as I’ve tried to watch them I get bored very quick.
nice collection. although i would put ‘the dirty dozen’ on top and i’ve gotta say that i really don’t like ‘the big red one’ that much. the list reminded me that these are the movies i grew up with because my father was/is really into war movies and doesn’t really care about other genres. so it wasn’t that much about the quality of the films and he watched ‘the dirty dozen’ and ‘cross of iron’ and their sequels back to back.
Posted by markusmaria on May 27th, 2009there’s one more i think should be mentioned: a bridge too far
Hey, great list! But Battle Squadron (Castellari) is missing!
Posted by Peter on May 27th, 2009Hi Jay,
I have to enquire about your obvious fondness for Valkyrie. The movie is a competent thriller and nothing more than that. The decision to have Von Stauffenberg (Cruise) speak in his own accent and the rest of the cast in RP makes things a little confusing. By casting exclusively British theatrical players in supporting roles Cruise is left seeming very out of place.
Broadly this was the reaction when the film was reviewed in Britain and their is very little critical tolerance of Cruise in Britain so the accent would have been a big sticking point.
Was it that you didn’t mind the clash of accents or that you were so involved in the assassination plot that you didn’t notice these things.
PS There are loads of good Nazi docs on quicksilverscreen.com. One in particular – whose name I can’t remember – dealing with 1990s’ interviews with a group of young soldiers who happened to use cameras to record their training and progress towards the front. Suffice to say the portrayal of life in the reich was very different to history’s accepted viewpoint.
Posted by John on May 27th, 2009John: I actually liked the decision to go with the natural accents of all of the actors. It took the attention off such a technical side of the performances, which is otherwise a pretty useless distraction. I think that if Tom Cruise was walking around talking with a German accent, there’d be more discussion about how good/bad his accent is rather than how good/bad the movie is. It seems like the easy ‘go-to-criticism’ in regards to any performances calling for a different accent.
On that topic; once the discussion of accents come up, what stops you from taking it to the next level of authenticity, demanding that all actors speak German rather than English with German accents? I think it’s almost more of a disregard for authenticity having all of the foreign characters simply speaking English with whatever accent is attributed to their character’s language of origin.
Also, thanks for the heads up on quicksilverscreen.com!
Posted by Jay C. on May 27th, 2009Sheesh. I’m embarrassed to say this, but I haven’t seen any of these yet. Anyway, great list, and you’re giving me plenty to catch up on!
Posted by Reed on May 27th, 2009“Drew, you’re not old enough for Ilsa.”
Dude, I’ve seen Last House on the Left, Faces of Death Cannibal Holocaust, and worst of all real life snuff footage. I think I can handle it. I mean can Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS possibly top the Budd Dwyer suicide tape? Or the beheading of Nick Berg?
I’m mean come on though, despite what the MPAA may say, 16 is pretty much old enough to handle anything.
Posted by Drew on May 27th, 2009I got to see Valkyrie, but all this talk about accents is bullshit. To be a true professional actor is to have the ability and practice to master dialect and accents; are you saying that Tom Cruise is not a professional actor? Maybe he isn’t but the choice made in Valkyrie sounds unprofessional, lazy and misconceived. Throughout the history of stage and film, productions have been richer and more satisfying with good accents. Eliminating them because it is HARD TO DO SUCCESSFULLY is a cop-out that results in the reaction Valkyrie got.
Posted by rus in chicago on May 27th, 2009rus: Why bother with the accents when it makes no sense that they’d be speaking English to begin with? Why not just set a rule right up front, like in The Hunt For Red October, that says ‘from here on, we’ll be telling this story in English’. I had no problems with Sean Connery’s scottish accent in the role of a Russian submarine captain.
Posted by Jay C. on May 27th, 2009Love those Posters!! Great list. Good to see Operation Crossbow get some recognition. Most of these are awesome movies I’ve watched over and over. Cross of Iron is a war “cult” movie if there ever was one. Curiously, considering its status in the Valhalla of WWII films, Where Eagles Dare was tepidly reviewed in its day (all I know is that in MY hometown it was a HUGE hit). There have been many WWII action flicks, but considering your list, we are just looking at those with some real up close and personal interaction with Nazis. Now how about a few to add to the list:
1972-the original Slaughterhouse Five, the Dresden bombing from up close AND Alien abduction!
1971-Murphy’s War-Peter O’Toole duels a Nazi U-boat and wins, sort of.
1966-Is Paris Burning? The Underground French REALLY kick some Nazi ass!! And Orson Welles.
1966-Night of the Generals-OMG this movie is frickin’ far out! Incredibly ridiculous soundtrack and Germans speak with a ruddy Brit accent, but the story rocks. Peter O’Toole, even crazier than in Murphy’s War, in a cat and mouse crime drama with Omar Shariff and has he got a dirty habit he can’t break!
1965-What a Year! Beatlemania, James Bond, the Beverly Hillbillies and a Yul Brynner/Marlon Brando match-up called Morituri. Perhaps audiences were puzzled by the name, or they didn’t like seeing Americans attempting to rape a nice Jewish girl. However, this is a Brando film for Brando and non-Brando fans. And its quite a nail-biter.
Posted by Coolerking on May 27th, 2009i don’t get the problem with the ‘false’ accent. here in germany 99% of foreign films are dubbed and they don’t bother with accents that much. would people who have this problem with ‘valkyrie’, a highly controversial film in germany, be happier if it was filmed in german language and subtitled.
Posted by markusmaria on May 27th, 2009It must be that Nice Nazis in movies have American accents. Truely evil ones, like Harvey Keitel in The Grey Zone, have German accents. Same holds true for Mexicans, like Charlton Heston in Touch of Evil (Nice Mexican, American accent).
Posted by Mason on May 27th, 2009Coolerking: Awesome suggestions! I’ll have to check those out.
Speaking of cool posters, I actually have an original Operation Crossbow poster! Still waiting to get it framed though.
Posted by Jay C. on May 27th, 2009I think people’s problems with accents in VALKYRIE has more to do with a predisposition to dislike the movie more than anything else. They have to find something to complain about.
I remember when THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST came out it got slammed for everyone speaking in a New York accents. It does seem a little crazy at first, but the idea was to engage the audience into a biblical story that was completely different than what they were used to, and not further alienate them. I think Schrader says something in the commentary about speaking colloquial english is just as valid as the dialogue being a King James version of English.
Same with VALKYRIE, which is a very underrated movie. Having everyone do their version of a German accent would distract more than just letting people speak naturally.
Posted by Phil G on May 27th, 2009+1 for dog who stopped the war reference.
Posted by dan on May 27th, 2009Fantastic Jay! I actually like to do “my homework” before seeing some films especially when it comes to Tarantino and I think you couldn’t of come up with a better a list than what you have here.
#15 – So this is one of the movies that inspired Rob Zombie to do his Grindhouse faux trailer?
Keep adding more good movies to the list guys. Im in that groove of just watching a shit ton of war films.
Posted by Pr1mal on May 27th, 2009@ Jay: Just curious, have you ever seen The Train with Burt Lancaster? It’s a pretty awesome 1964 John Frankenheimer film.
Also, even though it isn’t a WWII film, The Boys from Brazil is a fun watch if only to see Gregory Peck play an old Nazi.
Posted by Aaron on May 27th, 2009OK. Fair point regarding the problems with these British actors doing German accents as an alternative. I think Phil G is right that I might have a problem with Cruise due to over familiarity in recent years due to a slew of similar performances.
I love Last Temptation. I played Judas in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh a few years back and drew mainly on the more humane and logical aspects of Keitel’s portrayal of Judas. A very moving experience which was magnified by Keitel’s realistic reading.
Aaron: Boys from Brazil is cool.
Love Gregory Peck in this. The whole “evil lives on” theme is pretty compelling and it updates the WW2 story.
Jay: I reckon that those in Britain who had a problem with Connery in Red October probably had the same problem with Cruise in Valkyrie. This is more than likely due to the (somewhat unfair) demands expected of moviestars when they attempt potentially challenging roles. It comes down to if you like the guy and Cruise in my neck of the woods is generally disliked and Connery is tolerated.
Love the podcast by the way and I just listened to Reed and Jay’s Wrath of Khan commentary which actually made me want to watch the movie whilst listening this shit. Reed has a certain charm.
Here is a recent short you might a get kick out of out of “Krullwise” http://vimeo.com/2317120
Posted by John on May 27th, 2009Good looking list, my GF has never really watched war movies before so I wanted to start off with some classics – this list is great reminding me of all those classics that have (unfortunately) slipped into obscurity.
BTW great call on Kelly’s Heroes, Where Eagle’s Dare and Von Ryan’s Express – all fantastic films
Posted by Dave on May 27th, 2009Did I say “Krullwise”. I obviously meant “Ghoulieswise”
How about that…
Posted by John on May 27th, 2009Like everything related to film sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t – In the Hunt for Red October all of the other actors did accents. I believe, again I haven’t seen Valkyrie, this is not the same approach. Seeing how this is the biggest complaint about the film, even my father complained, I think the filmmakers would make a different choice if they had the chance to do it over. The proof is in the pudding – it didn’t find its audience and it had bad word of mouth due primarily to the accents.
I don’t understand people’s thinking accents are B.S. because they are speaking English, everything in film is smoke and mirrors. Everything is put in place to suspend disbelief. Should actors not add make-up affects unless they are absolutely perfect. No they do make-up and if they don’t get it right they lose the audience, fair enough. The only difference is accents and language are needed to directly communicate ideas, dialogue and plot. I want accents, it adds to the layering and suspension of disbelief, at least more so than no accents. I’m just not for lazy film making; Singer made a choice because it was the easy way out and it appears it f*cked him.
Posted by rus in chicago on May 27th, 2009Good list though, I’m going to the best rental house in Chicago tom. to rent some of them:
Odd Obsession Movies
http://www.oddobsession.com/
Posted by rus in chicago on May 27th, 2009Great list, Jay. Quick comment about the accents in Valkyrie: about 5 minutes into movie, I was annoyed at the choice not to use accents and felt that I was at a crossroads. Should i just dismiss this movie and shut it off, or endure this initial annoyance and buy into the movie? The fact that I had to make this decision in the first place is a bad sign and didn’t help with the suspension of disbelief that rus mentioned. But I bought in anyways and 10 minutes into the film, I was no longer annoyed and was pretty entertained by the movie. It’s not that the story pulled me in so much that I didn’t notice the non-accents anymore, rather I was able to just get past it and enjoy the flick. It seemed like a quirky choice that later endeared itself to me, but I kept thinking it was disrespectful to the Germans watching the movie in their home country. It added a layer of unnecessary and avoidable ethnocentrism.
I didn’t mind it, but agree that they probably would have done things differently if they had a second chance.
Posted by dan on May 28th, 2009dan: i think germans don’t care how the actors speak in the movie. the main problem with the movie was for most people that a scientologist played stauffenberg and for some that it misrepresented history in making a devoted nazi into a hero.
Posted by markusmaria on May 28th, 2009There is no problem with accents because almost every movie in Germany is dubbed. And markusmaria is right: the main problem was the hero and scientology issue.
How do I know? I’m one of these bloody germans.
Posted by Andreas on May 28th, 2009“people that a scientologist played stauffenberg” really?! I’m a German American and I’m not that shallow. WTF, has his religious views got to do with this movie and his performance, come on….. Unless, I’m not understanding the huge scientologist debate in Germany; I think I remember Cruise doing some politicking there – is that what you are referencing?
Posted by rus in chicago on May 28th, 2009rus: from the moment it was announced that cruise would play stauffenberg there were constant debates and commentaries in the papers, especially while the movie was filmed in berlin. you could just go to any bigger german paper (like spiegel or die welt) and you will see.
Posted by markusmaria on May 28th, 2009“the main problem with the movie was for most people that a scientologist played stauffenberg and for some that it misrepresented history in making a devoted nazi into a hero.”
Well maybe they should’ve found a neo-nazi to play the role then?
Regarding Germany not supporting the idea of making a devoted Nazi into a hero; not sure that I buy this. After all, the four men at the forefront of operation Valkyrie are the ONLY four WW2 soldiers memorialized in Germany. How could they possibly be pissed about a movie?
Posted by Jay C. on May 28th, 2009jay c: don’t understand me wrong i didn’t have any problems with tom cruise. i personally wasn’t that interested in the movie, but i was really fed up with all the tom cruise hate in the media before and after the release. because when it was released the same people who didn’t approve of tc because of scientology complained that he wasn’t cool enough and didn’t have the chops for the role.
Posted by markusmaria on May 28th, 2009and stauffenberg isn’t that undisputed but in general he is regarded as a hero.
if you are interested i could sure find some articles in english about the discussions here.
after all this writing about the movie, i think i have to watch it after all.
stupid Nazis
Posted by dan on May 28th, 2009Scientology is not a religion but seen as a sect in Germany. So there are always doubts if Cruise is playing a role or reaching for world domination. *g*
Every movie that deals with ww2 in a “entertaining” way will get problems in public disussion over here. Next victim will be Tarantino’s Basterds. Escpecially the older generations can’t handle it, this past will dominate the thoughts (in and out of germany) for many decades. Sometimes that is good and necessary but it can also be a pain in the ass.
Posted by Andreas on May 29th, 2009I’m totally confused, isn’t being overly concerned about groups of people with certain religious affiliations what has gotten Germany in trouble throughout it’s history?!
Posted by rus in chicago on May 29th, 2009I have no problem with Tom Cruise being a Scientologist. The problem I do have is that his overwhelming douchetastory comes out in every role. This includes “Valkyrie”, which I thought was an ok movie. Yet, once again it was Tom Cruise playing Tom Cruise. I want to see him in a role that is closer to the (Quality) he gave us in “Born on the Fourth of July.” And as for the accents, who cares, as long as the acting is good. But, if Cruise would have tried an accent then at least it would have been somthing different. Lately, and I mean in the last decade or longer, it seems as though he just shows up on set and says his lines. He has been in good films. But, now a days it is usually the rest of the cast that carries the film.
Posted by Matt C on May 29th, 2009Oh yeah! Got off topic with Tom Cruise. Great list Jay. Another great is “Stalag 17″ (1953). It’s a wonderful William Holden film.
Posted by Matt C on May 29th, 2009Regarding “Where Eagles Dare”, Richard Burton wished to appear in an action movie. Alister Maclean was approached to see if he had any novels available for sale. All of his novels were sold. So the request was made for Maclean to write the screenplay directly without a novel. Clint Eastwood almost didn’t take the role because of his popularity from the spagetti westerns. He felt that he needed to be the lead. It is the last film where his name doesn’t appear first, unless he is the director where, of course, his name is last in the credits.
Posted by Jack909 on May 30th, 2009Great list of movies! Seen most of them and am def looking forward to inglorious bastards. Thought this list could use a few more contemporary films though. Tim Blake Nelson’s “The Grey Zone” (2001) is a favourite of mine although not many people have seen it. I also LOVED valkyrie – missed it in theaters but rented it on blu-ray a few days ago. Good link i found is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haF29n7lSUw
Posted by JackieD on June 1st, 2009saw Man Hunt – awesome!
!!!SPOILER WARNING!!!
the guy at my rental shop started telling me that there is stuff online that reveals the referenced movies for each chapter in Inglorious Bastards. I told him I didn’t want to know but it got to my ears before he would stop. Apparently, each chapter references non war films like Days of Heaven. Jay might want to search and add this as an aside. I also see a lot of footage is coming on line from the Cannes screening:
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/20/first-reviews-and-clips-for-tarantinos-inglourious-basterds/
Posted by rus in chicago on June 1st, 2009oh, and there is a great little “making of” thingy on my copy of Man Hunt; I didn’t realize that Hollywood, and specifically Man Hunt, was brought up on charges by the US government for violating the Neutrality Act the US had prior to entry in to the War. Man Hunt was indicted but Pearl Harbor made the case null and void!
Posted by rus in chicago on June 1st, 2009Great list, but just one little cavil: I was a little taken aback by the comment that Jerry Goldsmith’s score for _Von Ryan’s Express_ is “worth nothing,” especially when it is described as “great”; I suspect that you meant “worth noting.”
There is a genre that might be described as anti-war-film (not just anti-war, like _Grand Illusion_); I wasn’t crazy about _How I Won the War_, but I would definitely want to put _Castle Keep_ at the top of that list, and maybe in this list as well.
Posted by Howard on June 2nd, 2009Whoops. You’re right Howard, his score is worth ‘noting’. I’ll have to fix that. Thanks for the comment!
Posted by Jay C. on June 2nd, 2009“Samuel Fuller’s ‘The Big Red One’ manages to cover so much ground and assemble so many characters that it puts The Band of Brothers to shame.”
You have to be kidding. The Big Red One extended edition was quite a bit better than the original theatrical release as it attempts to cover alot. One could have used the 10 part mini-series treatment the 101st 506th Easy got. But it hardly puts Band of Brothers to “shame”.
On Dirty Dozen and Kelly’s Heroes… I saw them both at a drive-in and was immediately hooked.
Cross of Iron has to be one of the best war films out there.
Posted by Rich W on June 2nd, 2009I have ‘Five For Hell’ on a disk with some other movies and have never made it through the first few minutes. It is just awful! For a good laugh, look up the review on IMDB.com
And I have never understood why so many people compare ‘Three Kings’ and Kelly’s Heroes’ as being similar. The only thing they have in common is the subject of gold.
Posted by MG Shanks on June 4th, 2009Kelly’s Heroes is a classic example of great casting, action and humor. If your not looking for a factual WWII education and just want some great entertainment, it’s one of the best! And is a favorite in my collection.
If I had a DVD of Three Kings, I would use it as a coaster to set my drinks on.
STALAG 17
Posted by WOODY on June 5th, 2009I agree with u guys about Downfall, good movie. You gotta see “the Counterfeiters” if you haven’t yet. Awesome! Based on real event/people. Like Downfall it’s German too, so rednecks who can’t read subtitles may want to pass on these movies.
Posted by ThreeFingerMary on June 6th, 2009Lot of talk about Valkyrie here…while I agree the accents at first were a little bit…odd, I got over them fairly quickly, and was pulled right into the story. I thought the acting was really good all around, and the tension (despite the fact that I was aware of the final outcome) was well done. I especially liked the amount of work that went into making it as authentic as possible. Really enjoyed it, is what I’m saying.
Posted by Greg Wilson on June 8th, 2009The Dirty Dozen is probably in my top10 for favorite movies. Really fantastic. I haven’t seen Big Red One, I might have to rent that.
Posted by Michael on June 9th, 2009What about Das Boot, The Longest Day, and The Battle of Britain? And some not so Nazi- The Devil’s Brigade, Command Decision, and 12 O’Clock High.
Posted by David on June 11th, 2009Lee Marvin’s character in _The Big Red One_ is billed simply as “The Sergeant”. He used the name “Possum” to alert the lieutenant to the fact that he was about to give a ficticious report.
Posted by El Hefe on June 11th, 2009There must be something wrong w/ me because I LOVE THESE FILMS(all but’Ilsa,The Shewolf’, but I’m willing to tolerate that one)!!! I say that ‘cuz I’m a female and most of my gf’s find this genre of films boring. But I love the actors they use, the subtle machismo (key word here:SUBTLE), and confidence that their characters possess, not to mention the fact that these men were real heroes ready to put their backs against the wall to preserve life & liberty for the oppressed!! I need a cold shower.:o)
Posted by Puma on June 16th, 2009I’m female as well, but I love WW2 films. I grew up watching “The Dirty Dozen”, “The Great Escape”, and many others with my father, and I always enjoy discussing and watching new ones with him.
I was sad to see my favorite WW2 film (”Sahara”) left off the list. From 1943, it stars Humphrey Bogart in charge of a very ragtag group of soldiers and two prisoners (one of whom is–you guessed it, a Nazi). Then the group decides to hold off a Nazi battalion from a waterhole, although the only firepower they really have is a tank.
It’s a great film, but not nearly as well known as most of the others on your list.
Posted by Emma on June 22nd, 2009I cannot fathom your choices except for the Guns of Navarone and the Great Escape!!!
Posted by steve on June 29th, 2009The 1950s movie Tobruk comes to mind.
Also the following:
Reach for the Sky..
Battle of Britain,
A Bridge too Far
The Longest Day,
The Dambusters,
Patton.
Someone mentioned Slaughter House Five which essentially is a Love Story, using the Dresden Bombing by the RAF as a backdrop, to Kurt Vonnegurt’s wonderful tale.
Second post
Posted by steve on June 29th, 2009also include
Mr Klein starring Alain Delon Alain Delon, Jeanne Moreau, Francine Bergé, Juliet Berto, Jean Bouise, Suzanne Flon, …
The Last Metro.
Stalag 17
The Malta Story: Alec Guinness.
Sink the Bismark
That’s enough for now…
The Victors (1963)
Directed by: Carl Forman
This film is impossible to view much less obtain. It is hard to believe that it is suppressed, even to this day. The makers of this movie must have really pissed someone off.
Posted by Marius Langbein on June 29th, 2009Besides “Das Boot” and “Der Untergang” which already got mentioned, other lesser known German / Austrian WK-II movies include:
08/15 (1954)
Posted by ignatius on July 3rd, 2009Der letzte Akt (1955)
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Marius,
This guy says he has “The Victors”:
http://www.joesclassicmovies.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=554&gclid=CN766fPSupsCFQtN5Qod9ifZ_w
I just found the site now so I cannot verify whether he’s on the level or not.
Posted by Nimadan on July 3rd, 2009Not a very good list, although I did like Cross of Iron. Better to watch:
The Longest Day
Posted by Zardoz on July 3rd, 2009King Rat
They Were Expendible
Hitler: The Last Ten Days
Battleground
G.I. Joe
39th Parallel
Inside the SS
Best Days of Our Lives
The Dam Busters
The Hill
Back to Bataan
Decision at Dawn
The One That Got Away
The Search
cross of iron-exceptional
Posted by B1G_D0G on July 4th, 2009kelly,s heroes-ditto
also
too late the hero
when i was a kid mosquito squadron did it for me too but not so much now
oh and bridge over da kwai
Of this list, the only three I don’t already have on DVD are the first three: Ilsa, Five For Hell, and Man Hunt. (So, for the sake of completeness, I’ve gone off and ordered them…) I have yet to watch a couple of the others … but I’ll get to them soon…
Posted by Pete on July 4th, 2009O.K., now make a list of the top 15 PACIFIC war movies! That would be GREAT!!!
Posted by Monster on July 6th, 2009I remember seeing The Steel Helmet when it was released. I am sure the version being shown now has been edited. There is a scene where Sgt Zack kills a North Korean soldier posing as a woman refugee. For some reason it was cut out.
Posted by Pete on July 9th, 2009Great list (esp Dirty Dozen & Kelly’s Heros, 2 of my all-time faves)…How ’bout:
Patton
Posted by David on July 11th, 2009Stalag 17
Saving Private Ryan
Das Boot
1942
Got to be the Russian film “Come and See” for the best WW2 movie.
Posted by Kev on July 17th, 2009WW2 films from a European perspective are also worth watching e.g.;
Posted by andrew Cathcart on July 20th, 2009‘Come and See’(Russian) ‘Stalingrad (German) Europa Europa (German) ‘Two Women’ (Italian) Self-Made Hero (French)’Dunkirk’ (English) Dark Blue Sky (Czech)Hansum (Norway)
Quintin’s movie is more of the 60′’s 70’s exploitation genre, such as Kill Bill was to Kung Fu movies. I don’t think a big budget films (Guns of Naverone, Great Escape)should be on this list. IMO, the list should be more of the low budget schlock like “5 for Hell”. Another movie that should be on the list is “The Hornet’s Nest”. Quintin is not just paying tribute to WWII European theater movies, as much as the low budget productions which poured out of Europe after the war. Quintin is paying tribute to the hokey, campy WWII movies of the genre.
Posted by Bruce on August 2nd, 2009@Cathcart: And do not forget the 2 fantastic finnish war movies Talvisota and Tuntematon sotilas.
Posted by FredrikH on August 2nd, 2009Come on–what about: A BRIDGE TOO FAR!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Carla O'Neill on August 5th, 2009Airforce, The Sands of Iwo Jima, The Flying Tigers…
Posted by Carla O'Neill on August 5th, 2009Let’s give a shout-out to the late Ron Goodwin, who did the rousing scores to a few of these – Force 10, Operation Crossbow, Where Eagles Dare – and several other British based WW2 movies, like Submarine X-1, Battle Of Britain, and 633 Squadron, as well as Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines. His scores are as much a part of these movies as the action is. If you like his music there’s a collection of his scores’ main themes downloadable as mp3’s from Amazon.
Posted by Mike on August 6th, 2009gosh! thanks to everyone for mentioning all these great movies! (i guess some of them really are great!). Got to try and find some of them!
Posted by katy on August 7th, 2009Great list… a few I need to see. I love science fiction, but forget Luke Skywalker… Mark Hamill firing those single shots into that oven at the concentration camp… being given another clip instead of told to stop…. that moved me as much as anything like Schindler’s List… more. This is the first I’ve ever seen of recognition to The Big Red One, my favourite WWII movie.
Posted by Zonker on August 11th, 2009A list of best WWII movies without “Saving private Ryan ” ???? Are you guys blind ?????? The opening scene in this movie only, makes more than the whole list here !!!……Great escape a top ten ???????? Pathetic !!! Donald duck is better than that!!
Posted by Marius Voinea on August 14th, 2009Great list!
I’ve thought of two more WWII films you should check out.
Stalag 17 and Castle Keep. You should definitely give these two films a watch if you haven’t already done so.
Posted by DJ Schuby on August 16th, 2009can’t believe no one brought up Roger Corman’s”The Secret Invasion”. Made in’64,he beat “The Dirty Dozen” to the punch.
Posted by bad bob on August 17th, 2009Wow! Great list, but you forgot a recent release, that is fantastic. “Flame & Citron”, Its a Danish movie, sub-titled, but a breathtaking thrill ride. This is such a great movie. The thing I never liked about American WWII movies done in the sixties, was that all the women were made up to look like they were walking through a sixties movie. No real feel for the forties. This movie got it all right. Check it out.
Posted by Penelope on August 17th, 2009Flame and Citron is a fucking disgrace. And when I saw it, it wasn’t even subtitled!
Posted by Henrik on August 17th, 2009Band of Brothers (I know it’s a mini series but hands down the best WWII movie)
1941
Patton
The Thin Red Line
Kelly’s Heroes
Stalag 17
Das Boot
Dirty Dozen
Pearl Harbor
Defiance
The Longest Day (for its cimematography)
I agree I don’t like the big budget WWII movies like Saving Private Ryan, A Bridge to Far, to many stars ruin it for me. But S.P.R. almost made me cry.
Posted by Chris on August 20th, 2009oh and Hell in the Pacific
Posted by Chris on August 20th, 2009An excellent list, indeed!
I must disagree with those who do not care for “Saving Private Ryan” merely because of it being “Big Budget Hollywood”; it was -for me- the first time I saw a World War II film that -to me- brought home the scope of the conflict while, simultaneously, getting into intricate details of both personal and brutal life on the lines. From this, you may guess that I’m not one for war films.
That said, World War II films like “Casablanca” are favorites of mine and “The Great Escape” certainly belongs on this list! Kudos!
Posted by Sylvan on August 21st, 2009nice list . You must Also add Schindlers List Man . Thats really worth watching
Posted by Nilay Vishwakarma on September 6th, 2009I was wondering if you knew the name of an old WWII movie. I remember there was a woman and her family home was destroyed and she was arrested but then rescued by a german soldier whom she then fell in love with. Later in the movie she was engaged to a jewish guy and had to explain that she wasn’t a prisoner but his lover. Do you think you can help?
Posted by Reatha on September 25th, 2009I’d like to nominate “Anzio,” another dark and cynical, if historically questionable, WW2 film from the ’60’s. Robert Mitchum as a (pacifist?) war correspondent, Earl Holliman as the obligatory Sergeant, and a creepily effective Peter Falk as a pathfinder. A semi-Spaghetti war film as the crew was Italian.
For some really camp butchering of history, how ’bout Battle of the Bulge? Cringeworthy nonsense starring Robert Shaw, Telly Savalas, Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews and Charles Bronson.
Play Dirty, BTW, is one of my favorites.
Posted by motoman on September 29th, 2009Did anyone mention The Devil’s Brigade?
Posted by Josh on October 3rd, 2009whys cross of iron even in your list? theres only 1 party member in the film, and nobody likes him… best war films all seem to be foriegn, das boot, stalingrad, letters from iwo jima, days of glory, brotherhood, assembly, americans just cant do war films too much cigar chompin gum chewin brooklyn tom sizemore style numptys in them
Posted by mac mackenzie on October 13th, 2009I guess you could come out with a list of the 15 most mediocre movies and get an argument but I’d like to toss in my two cents worth too. I think you were talking German not Japanese fascists here so “They Were Expendable” and others in that vein like what I consider perhaps the best war movie ever, “Thirty Seconds over Tokyo” (they everything right in that movie except casting tall, full head of hair Spencer Tracey as short, bald Jimmy Dolittle)kinda don’t apply. Also someone mentioned “Pearl Harbor” apparently not knowing what a steaming pile that turkey was. Real war movie aficionados retch at the mention of that dog, call it the polar opposite of “Thirty Seconds over Tokyo”. That having been said I’d like to note the following two films. “What did you do in the War Daddy?” is particular favorite of mine. It’s hard to find and was panned by critcs because it was a comedy but I think this attitude
Posted by Dave on October 24th, 2009comes from the fact that the bulk of movie critics were never in the military. They say that combat is hours of boredom interspersed with moments of abject terror. Humans tend to find humor even in such bleak surroundings. I remember reading where a war correspondent asked a B-17 tail gunner why he decided to become a tail gunner and he replied “It’s the only outfit I know of where you can retreat at 300 miles per hour”. “What did you do in the War Daddy” is a riot with two of my favorite actors, Dick Shawn and James Coburn. It even has Carroll O’Connor doing the hard nosed general bit he pulled off so well in other flicks. It even has a super patriotic flag waving finale so if you’re an America hating nutball either get over it or skip watching it. (BTW if you happen to be an America hating nutballit’s not likely you will find any of the movies cited here any fun to watch at all) The other movie is called “The Secret of Santa Vittoria”. It too is a comedy, but not the laugh variety. Like “What did you do in the War Daddy” it’s set in WWII Italy and pits town drunk Anthony Quinn against ubicquitous bad guy kraut Hardy Kruger. Santa Vittorias claim to fame is unique and tasty wine and when the towns folk replace their local fascist government with the town drunk they get the idea that they may have been a touch impetulant when the Nazis show up and announce they intend to approriate the towns entire stock of wine. The rest of the flick is spent showing Quinn leading the town in ingeniously hiding a million bottles of wine from the germans. Not a shoot’em up like “Where Eagles Dare” but great fun. I don’t know your age but I’m 52 and I’ve found to my distress that most people under thirty have never heard of these films. The modern movies young folks watch are slick and high tech but I find the great majority of them to be either stupid, offensive or both they lack the character and originality of older movies.
There is the classic Odessa File which is not in your list. No other film can move you the way it does.
Posted by Francis Ouseph on October 28th, 2009I’m not very sure if i should see The Big Red One. It looks very serious and feels very claisscal america-propagandish bullshit. I felt i had enough of that after Saving Private Ryan.
Posted by Gaylord! on November 1st, 2009Should i give this movie a chance?
To they who are saying “why isn’t private ryan on the list?” He explained why he wasn’t adding It, you needed only read the whole preface. Personally I agree about not liking the old movies that much, with the exception of “PATTON” and “A BRIDGE TO FAR”.. My hands down fav is “DOWNFALL” noone will ever top that portrayal of hitler. DAS BOOT, and another Uboat movie worth checking out is U-571, Uboat themed movies kick arse. I wonder though most of all why they haven’t come out with a movie about Hiroshima, with modern day fx it would be killer..
Posted by spectral on November 4th, 2009A movie I didn’t see listed is the Russian film The fall of Berlin (I believe made in 1949). Today it’s perceived as campy, though it was considered a classic at the time. It used some actual German tanks and other equipment captured by the Russians. Speaking of accents, one thing I find particularly funny is that in this film, they tried to make the Hitler character sound like Hitler though he was speaking Russian the whole time. It features Stalin as a hero and matchmaker between the male and female leads.
Unfortunately, the film is expensive (about $40 from Movies Unlimited).
I suppose this isn’t really about Nazis, since none appear in it, but The Americanization of Emily is definitely worth watching for an alternative view of D-Day. It starred Julie Andrews (as Emily) and James Garner. One of the most amazing films I’ve ever seen. It ridicules the whole idea of war heroism, though Paddy Chayevsky, the writer, won the Purple Heart in WW II. It’s amazing that a film like this came out in America in the early 60’s.
Posted by Ted on November 13th, 2009My personal favorite would have to be “Ich war 19″. If you can find a copy with English subtitles it’s certainly worth a watch.
Posted by Frederick on November 19th, 2009Leave a Reply