Favorite Scenes from War Movies

It's hardly perfect. The characters often lack credibility due to the way they're written. I understand why - they want to have characters the audience sympathizes with, and it's a German show written for a German audience.

I still think it was a gripping show, and it's not as if it ignores German atrocities. Far from it. You can find Friedhelm to be an unrealistic character for WWII Germany, for example, but he still complicitly takes part in numerous war crimes.

It's called "The Conscientious Objector"

Desmond Doss is the only conscientious objector in history to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. And trust me, he earned it in spades. The documentary is about an hour long but is the most incredible story I've come across in a long time.
Desmond Doss - ( New Window )

He to was a conscientios objector.

They replaced Dick York with Dick Sergeant - sheeeah, like we wouldn't notice! Hold on... Dick Sergeant, Dick York......Sergeant York, weird!

In comment 12971773 Rong5611 said:

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No favorite scene, just a very powerful depiction of a great story and the most terrible time in modern history.

My favorite scene from the movie
link - ( New Window )

In comment 12971815 Eric from BBI said:

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One of the best movies I've ever seen that no one ever talks about.

Whether it's because the subject was too much for people or because it wasn't a big production, you are right, not a lot of talk about this small movie that is far more than its production value.

In comment 12971903 Dunedin81 said:

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but the scene in the grocery store in The Hurt Locker was about perfect. Not over the top, not clich�d, just dead-on.

I agree with your assessment regarding that scene, but that was the exception to how cliched and shitty that movie was. But you already knew that based on our previous conversations...:)

but eventually was convinced to bare arms. Doss never wavered from his original position. Most Medal of Honor recipients earned their medals for one or two actions. Doss' was earned over the entirety of his service.

I know it's not a movie but the entire mini-series was brilliant in its brutal honesty. War is full of incredible bravery, crass humor, shake-your-head incompetence, and a ton of stupid shit done as result of boredom. While not perfect, Generation Kill is the best depiction of modern day military operations.

In comment 12972079 RC02XX said:

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I haven't seen anyone mention Generation Kill yet....

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Eric from BBI : Admin : 5/25/2016 5:05 pm : link : reply (4) Two scenes in Generation Kill (the roadblock scene and the bridge assault)

In comment 12971808 RC02XX said:

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and not any particular scene, but Taking Chance as a whole was pretty powerful. But if I had to pick a scene, the arrival at Dover Airfield get to me every time. And Kevin Bacon was superb in it.

Really an excellent little film which I saw due to a prior BBI recommendation. Good call!

In comment 12972094 Greg from LI said:

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In comment 12972079 RC02XX said: Quote: I haven't seen anyone mention Generation Kill yet.... Quote: Eric from BBI : Admin : 5/25/2016 5:05 pm : link : reply (4) Two scenes in Generation Kill (the roadblock scene and the bridge assault)

Damn...my apology to Eric. Must have missed that.

They war in Europe was just about over and the Americans had just defeated Germans on the west side of a river and the Russians had just defeated them on the East side of the river. Both Patton's Army and the Russians held that ground and had there headquarters on each other's side of the river. The Americans had got there first and took the German ships from the East side of the river to their side but a Russian General did not like that. So he demanded to see Patton and when let in to see Patton he told him that he has to give the ships back to the Russians.

Patten takes out his revolver, points it at the Russian General and says to his aide, "Get this son of a bich out of here before I shot him and put the third Army on Alert for an attack across the river." The General ran out and when the aide came back in alone Patton smiled and and said, "How was that". A lot of his gruff talk was for show for the troops but they all loved Patten and would have followed him anywhere.

By far one of the best tactical Generals we ever had!

Taking Chance is virtually mandatory viewing on Memorial Day.



Greg... I think both Generation War (Our Mothers, Our Fathers in German) and Generation Kill are really, really good mini-series. The transformation of the five friends is fantastic...and like you said...they don't paper over the hard truths.

In comment 12972715 Eric from BBI said:

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Taking Chance is virtually mandatory viewing on Memorial Day.

Amen, Eric.

In comment 12972715 Eric from BBI said:

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Taking Chance is virtually mandatory viewing on Memorial Day.

Is that available anywhere besides HBO?

I first saw it on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

If you can sit through that movie and not get misty eyed, you're a stronger man than me.

It's hard to explain, but I have a weird aversion to Iraq/GWOT movies. I think the only one I've watched in its entirety was Lone Survivor. Some of it is probably a form of guilt that my own time in Iraq was cushy and safe - the biggest worries at al-Asad were when the water heaters weren't working and rat control.

Taking Chance is a powerful movie that was well-made. I have a copy of it, but I've only watched it a few times. It's too painful. It makes me ponder all the guys I crossed paths with in training, from boot camp through my MOS schools, and wonder if any of them never made it home.

The Pacific is the standard for me. They capture the brutality of the Pacific Theater and the beautiful landscape where these battles were being waged.

In comment 12972510 nicky43 said:

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They war in Europe was just about over and the Americans had just defeated Germans on the west side of a river and the Russians had just defeated them on the East side of the river. Both Patton's Army and the Russians held that ground and had there headquarters on each other's side of the river. The Americans had got there first and took the German ships from the East side of the river to their side but a Russian General did not like that. So he demanded to see Patton and when let in to see Patton he told him that he has to give the ships back to the Russians. Patten takes out his revolver, points it at the Russian General and says to his aide, "Get this son of a bich out of here before I shot him and put the third Army on Alert for an attack across the river." The General ran out and when the aide came back in alone Patton smiled and and said, "How was that". A lot of his gruff talk was for show for the troops but they all loved Patten and would have followed him anywhere. By far one of the best tactical Generals we ever had!

I don't know about all loved...My grandfather hated him. He once told me they called him blood and guts because it was their blood and his guts.

Zulu It was about the battle of Rorke's Drift which took place shortly after a very large English force was wiped out at a place called Isandlwana. At Rorke's drift around 130 English troops had to hold off several thousand ZULU warriors trying to advance into South Africa. The movie portrays both sides honorably. About two thirds of the way through the movie there is a scene in which the Zulu's are giving a war chant and in order to maintain the moral of his troops their commander (Stanley Baker - I also believe it the first Movie that Michael Caine had a major role)tells one of his men to start singing (has got to be total BS) and with the interplay of the Zulu War Chant and the Welsh regimental song it makes for a awesome scene.
History Buff's review of the Movie ZULU - ( New Window )

In comment 12973062 Mike From Brielle said:

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Zulu It was about the battle of Rorke's Drift which took place shortly after a very large English force was wiped out at a place called Isandlwana. At Rorke's drift around 130 English troops had to hold off several thousand ZULU warriors trying to advance into South Africa. The movie portrays both sides honorably. About two thirds of the way through the movie there is a scene in which the Zulu's are giving a war chant and in order to maintain the moral of his troops their commander (Stanley Baker - I also believe it the first Movie that Michael Caine had a major role)tells one of his men to start singing (has got to be total BS) and with the interplay of the Zulu War Chant and the Welsh regimental song it makes for a awesome scene. History Buff's review of the Movie ZULU - ( New Window )

Great pick, I was thinking of that earlier when someone mentioned the Zulu movie

Heard movie producers had to put repairs on some old B-17 bombers in order to get some realistic shots for the movie.

Good scene where the gun turret on bottom of plane get shot up but the gunner has his safety harness on and is pulled back into the plane.

A ton of these B-17 crews never made it back alive once the war effort moved to daylight bombing missions over Germany...

In comment 12972937 Greg from LI said:

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It's hard to explain, but I have a weird aversion to Iraq/GWOT movies. I think the only one I've watched in its entirety was Lone Survivor. Some of it is probably a form of guilt that my own time in Iraq was cushy and safe - the biggest worries at al-Asad were when the water heaters weren't working and rat control. Taking Chance is a powerful movie that was well-made. I have a copy of it, but I've only watched it a few times. It's too painful. It makes me ponder all the guys I crossed paths with in training, from boot camp through my MOS schools, and wonder if any of them never made it home.

I think you would be surprised by Generation Kill. It's not like Band of Brothers, which focuses on the heroism of the characters in the face of horrors of war. Generation Kill focuses more on the absurdity of war, especially how crazy the Iraq Invasion was. It also is brutally honest about what happens when Marines aren't engaged in combat and even in combat how ridiculous people can be.

I highly recommend it, as you'll most likely see in the characters some of the Marines you knew. It's wholely relatable even if you weren't in combat arms. It's my favorite modern day war depiction.

Having had the honor of being the senior Marine representing the Marine Corps at a funeral of a Marine Major killed in Iraq, I presented the flag and had to tell a grieving widow "On behalf..." While I didn't get to know the Major and his story like in Taking Chance, just spending those few moments witnessing the heartbreak of the loved ones and seeing their child, who probably wasn't even fully comprehending what was going on was enough to haunt me for the rest of my life. I can imagine how hard it is for those who actually get to know the families and share in their grieving at a personal level.

Since having my children, I've reevaluated my time in the Corps. Before my kids arrived, my deployments were times of adventure. They sucked but were fun and I knew I would miss them even as I longed to get back home. And while I never had a sense of immortality that a lot of young combat arms guys feel, I also never thought too much about my mortality through any operations, no matter how fucked up they ended up being. However, now, I can't imagine being in those situations again without constantly dreading missing out on my children's lives if anything happened to me...or about leaving my kids without a father (like how I grew up). I can't imagine how so many of my fellow Marines, who were fathers at the time of our deployments endured their own time away from their own kids. I have so much respect for their selflessness in being able to do so.

From All Quiet on the Western Front (WWI) ...

A French soldier is mortally wounded by an German soldier as he attempts to jump across a battle line trench. The German endures hearing the agonized death groans of the Frenchman for many hours.

Sends shudders down my spine. It speaks to the futility and horror of dying in the jungle for an ingrate nation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECQeLQURNuw

In comment 12973225 RC02XX said:

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Having had the honor of being the senior Marine representing the Marine Corps at a funeral of a Marine Major killed in Iraq, I presented the flag and had to tell a grieving widow "On behalf..." While I didn't get to know the Major and his story like in Taking Chance, just spending those few moments witnessing the heartbreak of the loved ones and seeing their child, who probably wasn't even fully comprehending what was going on was enough to haunt me for the rest of my life. I can imagine how hard it is for those who actually get to know the families and share in their grieving at a personal level.

Wow. I salute you sir.

until after I left active duty. I saw how hard it was on some of the guys I knew to be apart from their children for so long.

In comment 12973424 Greg from LI said:

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until after I left active duty. I saw how hard it was on some of the guys I knew to be apart from their children for so long.

Same as us. Even when I was going through the FBI hiring process, my wife said that if I chose to go that route, we would wait a few more years before we started our family. In the end, we decided that starting a family was more important than me being in the Burea. It all worked out, as we have two awesome kids, who I get to see everyday unlike some of my friends, who chose to go the FBI route or stayed active duty.

In comment 12971717 wgenesis123 said:

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Battle of the Buldge. When the German Colonel is inspecting his tankers for the first time and he tells them sing. I just love the sound of that German song and I have no clue what the song is since its in German.

I mentioned that scene earlier ... one correction ... the Panzer Commanders break into the song on their own perhaps sensing their Colonel's doubts of their capabilities due to their youth ... Robert Shaw then tells his war weary old aide "SING!" ... and show solidarity with the brave young men

In comment 12971988 Jeever said:

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It's called "The Conscientious Objector" Desmond Doss is the only conscientious objector in history to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. And trust me, he earned it in spades. The documentary is about an hour long but is the most incredible story I've come across in a long time. Desmond Doss - ( New Window )

Incredible. Thank you for sharing.

In comment 12971717 wgenesis123 said:

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Battle of the Buldge. When the German Colonel is inspecting his tankers for the first time and he tells them sing. I just love the sound of that German song and I have no clue what the song is since its in German.

"Boys. Too many boys."

Wait for it. Subtitled so you can sing along.
Das Panzerlied - ( New Window )

In comment 12974255 Giants_ROK said:

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In comment 12971717 wgenesis123 said: Quote: Battle of the Buldge. When the German Colonel is inspecting his tankers for the first time and he tells them sing. I just love the sound of that German song and I have no clue what the song is since its in German. "Boys. Too many boys." Wait for it. Subtitled so you can sing along. Das Panzerlied - ( New Window )

This isn't poster formerly known as Daehan Mingook(?) and Raultney, is it?

아마도요.

In comment 12974320 Giants_ROK said:

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아마도요.

If it is you, you need to post more...been a long time. If not, my apology.

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If it is you, you need to post more...been a long time. If not, my apology.

One and the same. Don't want to miller this most excellent War Movie thread, but thanks.

Don't get to see the Giants play that much over here. Been here full time for a long time and am a bit out of the loop. Night games are good, though. Used to hate night games. Now, I hope they play as many as possible.

Hope things are well with you.

Better clip.
Das Panzerlied - ( New Window )

In comment 12971773 Rong5611 said:

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No favorite scene, just a very powerful depiction of a great story and the most terrible time in modern history.

I am Jewish, and "the most terrible time in modern history" is certainly an apt description of the Holocaust...

But the movie "The Killing Fields" of Cambodia certainly rivals any modern historic claim to "the most terrible" title.

And the real horror of it is there are plenty of other modern war atrocities that can stake their own fair claim to the title of most terrible massacres: in the Congo, Darfour (Sudan), Bosnia, Myanmar, currently Syria...

The list goes on and on.

In comment 12974343 Giants_ROK said:

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Quote: If it is you, you need to post more...been a long time. If not, my apology. One and the same. Don't want to miller this most excellent War Movie thread, but thanks. Don't get to see the Giants play that much over here. Been here full time for a long time and am a bit out of the loop. Night games are good, though. Used to hate night games. Now, I hope they play as many as possible. Hope things are well with you.

Glad to see you posting again! Hope all is well on your end.

We Were Soldiers.

Mister Roberts

Stalag 17

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Apocalypse Now

Platoon

Patton

Lawrence of Arabia

Not in order but nay of the above I can pick off a scene and say it was spectacular.

the final battle scene, a futile attack on Fort Wagner by the 54th Infantry.

In comment 12973062 Mike From Brielle said:

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Zulu It was about the battle of Rorke's Drift which took place shortly after a very large English force was wiped out at a place called Isandlwana. At Rorke's drift around 130 English troops had to hold off several thousand ZULU warriors trying to advance into South Africa. The movie portrays both sides honorably. About two thirds of the way through the movie there is a scene in which the Zulu's are giving a war chant and in order to maintain the moral of his troops their commander (Stanley Baker - I also believe it the first Movie that Michael Caine had a major role)tells one of his men to start singing (has got to be total BS) and with the interplay of the Zulu War Chant and the Welsh regimental song it makes for a awesome scene. History Buff's review of the Movie ZULU - ( New Window )

Mike, I have to thank you...watching your clip made me go back and watch that movie again. You know how hard it is to find that movie to watch? Wasn't on Amazon, netflix or youtube. I had to find some website to watch it.

"Rear rank. Fire!"
"Advance!"
Stepped rank volley firing - ( New Window )

In comment 12971912 Racer said:

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..'The Blue Max' and 2008's 'The Red Baron' were devoid of Hollywood cheese as well. 'TBM' was pre-CGI. 100% real aircraft.

The Blue Max theme music is outstanding.
The Blue Max - ( New Window )

in the thread, but The Train with Burt Lancaster is a good one.

In comment 12971520 mavric said:

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with Joshua Chamberlain's defense of Little Round Top in "Battle of Gettysburg". Still blows me away. My cousin was in Easy Company, but he didn't make it. He was shot during Operation Neptune after several days of clearing out the enemy. He was patched up in time for Operation Market Garden and then lost his life in the Bois Jacques woods of Foy during the Bulge. I have some of his items (not his purple hearts in which my cousin has locked up). He was my mother's first cousin and she made cookies and homemade candy and sent them to him. They were very close. He's on the website Find-a-Grave which has a bio on him and a dozen or so pictures (on a different tab) if anyone is interested. He was an outstanding young man. The site allows you to leave virtual flowers and a thank you if interested. Kenneth J. Webb - ( New Window )

Than you for this, Mavric. I'd be proud to have such a cousin.

Oof.

Trying to take the anthill.