Favorite Scenes from War Movies

But the most intense battle scenes I've ever seen were from the Band of Brothers episode "The Breaking Point", when they're being shelled in the Bois Jacques and then assaulting the town of Foy.

my favorite.

In A Bridge Too Far.

Almost any cliched cavalry charge. William wallace's charge for that matter.

The Opening scene on the Beach.

Had an uncle who was a B-17 pilot. The clip should have started about 15 seconds earlier when the P-51's peeled off (should have been Thunderbolts but I don't think any still flew when the movie was filmed). I make allowances for the hokie Hollywood addition of the sign on the back.


Link - ( New Window )

The Boot Camp Scene and the Sniper scene.

The entire first half of the movie is set in boot camp. There are dozens of scenes in it.

Has a few good ones

In comment 12971209 Victor in CT said:

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my favorite.

One of my favorites too.

When Washington yells, "Yeah, I did it! And, I hope I got your momma!!"

In comment 12971242 Greg from LI said:

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The entire first half of the movie is set in boot camp. There are dozens of scenes in it.

Joker
I am I a World of Shit! (Pop sound)

No more Boom Boom for this Babysan.

In comment 12971237 Shadow said:

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The Boot Camp Scene and the Sniper scene.

A movie that gets over looked and IMO paved the way for movies like Full Metal Jacket was The Boys in Company C

bullet through the scope while using Zane as bait.

Also the sacrifice during the torture scene he was trying to set up. One shot, two kills.

fucking Iphone

...ex Girlfriends uncle.

The firefight scene fucked him up. He said he was in one very similar. Flare going up, illuminating a shitload of soldiers he had no idea were there - in his case he was in a tank and they scrambled - nobody killed, but the fear came back.

Was the most intense war scene I ever saw. Dynamite directing and production on that.

Over run by the VC.

Elias running from the VC being seen by Taylor.

He said Platoon was OK but that Hamburger Hill was the most accurate movie in depicting what Vietnam was like.

That is a pretty epic battle scene.

until PEEJ weighs in

Mars Attacks.

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I haven't seen many tank battles like that.

"Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

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when the air strike was called in directly on the battle because that was accurate almost precise down to the dazed and staggering about of both the north viet and US soldiers after the air strike.

everything preceding that final confrontation on the road are on point - the grittiness, the despair, the uneasiness and brutality. People complained about the 'laser beams' without realizing that tracers exist.

scene
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Maybe I should give it a chance.

(1) Opening scene in Saving Private Ryan (was jaw-dropping movie-making when it came out)

(2) Helicopter attack scene in Apocalypse Now

(3) Broken Arrow scene in We Were Soldiers

(4) Two scenes in Generation Kill (the roadblock scene and the bridge assault)

(5) Fredericksburg attack in Gods and Generals

(6) Final assault scene in Gallipoli

(7) Agincourt in Henry V

(8) Scene where the Hitler Youth girl and boy kill each other in Downfall

(9) Most disturbing... village liquidation scene in Come and See.

(10) Cheesy but still love the last scenes of Excalibur.

from your perception that he won't even register as himself. Pitt carries the film - its not perfect but it was better than I thought,

In comment 12971340 Greg from LI said:

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Maybe I should give it a chance.

It's good and he's not annoying...

given its a cold-war era Russian movie.

In comment 12971340 Greg from LI said:

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Maybe I should give it a chance.

Greg, Fury had some really cool battle scenes, but the final battle scene was so unrealistic that it ruined it for me.

forgot Blackhawk Down... a lot of good scenes in that movie.

dies on Iwo Jima....when Sgt. York takes out those Heinies, like a flock of turkeys......when Yamamoto says,"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.� .....When Humphrey Bogart tells the Germans,"You want water? Come and get it!", from "Sahara".....Pilot to copilot, "Who are those Red Tails?", "Tuskegee Airmen".....

The scene where he is firing at the Nazi tank with his 45 and suddenly it blows up. I remember saying to my self You might as well throw stones at it Then it blows up and shortly thereafter you see the P-51 fly over. Really well done.

..depicting Brecourt Manor and 'Bloody Gulch' near Carentan were pretty intense as well.

one movie that has held up well over time is The Longest Day... I still like the scene where the German officers sees the 5,000 ships coming at him.

the action scenes in Children of Men (One of the movies of the 21st Century) are pretty breathtaking. Here's part of one, counterinsurgency fighting.
Link - ( New Window )

In comment 12971361 Racer said:

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..depicting Brecourt Manor and 'Bloody Gulch' near Carentan were pretty intense as well.

Good call.

I can't recall seeing any other war movie that showed Tank battles in that way. Obviously, I wasn't a tanker in WWII, but it appears to be the most accurate out of anything I've seen.

I always love the scene where they ask the German Officer to go back to the beach and Normandy and look one last time to make sure he did not see an invasion. He is reluctant, but looks again anyway. Right as he looks, the entire horizon is filled with ships and shells start coming in.

Children of men.

In comment 12971362 Eric from BBI said:

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one movie that has held up well over time is The Longest Day... I still like the scene where the German officers sees the 5,000 ships coming at him.

Dammit, I thought I was going to be the first to think of it.

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one because it exemplifies leadership, it is so well done and that series was so accurate with what really happened.

one because it exemplifies leadership, it is so well done and that series was so accurate with what really happened.

(Crap forgot the link)
link - ( New Window )

In comment 12971361 Racer said:

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..depicting Brecourt Manor and 'Bloody Gulch' near Carentan were pretty intense as well.

This is the best for me also.

parts of it hold up real well, so long as John Wayne isn't chewing scenery, he's dreadful in it and his John Wayne character is ill-suited for the film. They also play for laughs with Red Buttons awkwardly and it's too long (irony).

Amazing film.

at the end in the military cemetery gets me every time I see it. The older Private Ryan has his family around him at the grave of the 101st Airborne Captain that led the team to 'save' him. When Private Ryan says, "tell him I was a good man" I lose it.

but the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds where the Jewish Family was hiding under the floorboards of the kitchen while Hans Landa was questioning the French farmer.

10 minutes or however long it was of pure stress and you knew it was going to end badly.

It's not my favorite because I liked the outcome (obviously), it was just so well acted.

where the Nazis in the pill box see the invasion fleet for the first time sticks with me and puts a smile on my face.

is the one where Kevin Dillon (Bunny) was harassing the local villagers and kept shooting at the mentally impaired one making him dance and then killed the old lady with the butt of his rifle to the head.

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Holy shit! You see that fucking head come apart, man? I never seen brains like that before, man. I bet you the old bitch runs the whole fucking show, man. She probably cut Manny's throat. She would probably cut my balls off if she had the chance.

again, not the outcome, but the scene was well done. the whole theater cringed.

Buddy Ebson killing Eddie Albert in a basement in "Attack". Then the rest of the squad putting a round in him as well. Intense. Especially in those days.

And the snowball scene on Christmas in "A Midnight Clear". Singing carols both sides. Very sad.

Mitchum & Jurgens at the end of "The Enenemy Below".

Brecourt Manor, Carentan, Breaking Point and Crossroads.

Almost all of Gettysburg - fantastic.

where he is running upright through the jungle snapping twigs with every step, and basically doing what probably would have gotten him wiped out within 100 yards of camp.
The 'jungle' also looked a lot like a forest in North America.
This may be geographically wrong, but I loved at the end when he watches the sunset over the ocean. Doesn't Viet Nam's coastline face East?

When the recruits are sitting in the barracks introducing themselves.

The US of A could use a little GSP mentality right now.

Lee Marvin goes ape shit on Eddie Albert!!......1:12:15

sorry....
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Just was watching the Peleliu and Guadalcanal scenes recently. Great stuff.

In comment 12971340 Greg from LI said:

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Maybe I should give it a chance.

Ok. You missed out on a good film, Shia does a hell of a job BTW. Not sure I understand the hate.

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maybe not in same vein as some of others listed here but

- steve mcqueen bouncing baseball against wall in The Great Escape

- alec guinness emerging from oven in Bridge Over River Kwai

- lots from Guns of Navarone

- opening scene in Patton

In comment 12971421 OC2.0 said:

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Buddy Ebson killing Eddie Albert in a basement in "Attack". Then the rest of the squad putting a round in him as well. Intense. Especially in those days. And the snowball scene on Christmas in "A Midnight Clear". Singing carols both sides. Very sad.

Love the snowball scene in A Midnight Clear.

as well. Midway was a little more Hollywood versus good battle scenes, but I was always an aircraft carrier buff so love that one especially since it turned the tide of WW2 in the Pacific.

Other good war movie scenes...opening to Saving Private Ryan, speech in Patton, training in Full Metal Jacket, some good tank scenes in Fury (really), and anything in Band of Brothers is pure gold.

mountain battle scene in Lone Survivor is fucking still tough to watch.

I guess we are talking modern warfare battle scene? Because Braveheart?

The opening scene from Enemy at the Gates where half the Russian soldiers were running into battle with no weapon and told to pick one up if their partner got shot.

Both the first battle and last battle in The The Last Samurai.

Also Big Red One with Luke Skywalker is a great movie...

Lone Survivor when Michael Murphy make the call to get pulled out. Actually that entire firefight is incredible.

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parts of it hold up real well, so long as John Wayne isn't chewing scenery, he's dreadful in it and his John Wayne character is ill-suited for the film. They also play for laughs with Red Buttons awkwardly and it's too long (irony).

Wayne has a monologue where he praises the British. That didn't age well. Too preachy - let's remind the dumb American audience of the sacrifices the Brits made. Other than that I liked Wayne in this movie. Not as good as Mitchum of course. Loved the scenes with Mitchum on Omaha Beach.

I think Doctor Zhivago has some good scenes from WWI in addition to also showing some from the Russian revelation

I also thought War Horse had some good WWI scenes

In comment 12971462 Jimmy Googs said:

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as well. Midway was a little more Hollywood versus good battle scenes, but I was always an aircraft carrier buff so love that one especially since it turned the tide of WW2 in the Pacific. Other good war movie scenes...opening to Saving Private Ryan, speech in Patton, training in Full Metal Jacket, some good tank scenes in Fury (really), and anything in Band of Brothers is pure gold.

Love Midway...dating myself but I saw that in the theater in "sensurround".

In comment 12971451 BillT said:

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Just was watching the Peleliu and Guadalcanal scenes recently. Great stuff.

In many ways, Pacific is probably a much more realistic war series than Band of Brothers, but it is VERY dark and disturbing at times.

In both series, I like the end where you find out what happened to those who survived.

To the Maine deserters about returning to join the upcoming battle at Gettysburg to fight "for the freedom of others" moved me to tears the first time I saw it, and it still moves me today, more than 20 years later.

threw Peter Graves into the compound

from the Longest Day too. Especially when he is asked "where are those 5000 shops headed " and his hysterical response "right for me!" And the shelling starts and moments later he is asked without the bunker being pounded " Pluskat do you hear me" and his response is priceless " those 5000 ships you say the Allies don't have well they've got them! " powerful powerful scene.

in Kokoda and Thin Red Line.

In comment 12971503 Dave on the UWS said:

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from the Longest Day too. Especially when he is asked "where are those 5000 shops headed " and his hysterical response "right for me!" And the shelling starts and moments later he is asked without the bunker being pounded " Pluskat do you hear me" and his response is priceless " those 5000 ships you say the Allies don't have well they've got them! " powerful powerful scene.

Good stuff, especially in the original German.

In comment 12971496 BlueLou said:

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To the Maine deserters about returning to join the upcoming battle at Gettysburg to fight "for the freedom of others" moved me to tears the first time I saw it, and it still moves me today, more than 20 years later.

Gettysburg is still my favorite war film. There are little things in that film that are small but historically accurate, like when Cushing is told to "give them the double canister."

Cushing isn't really in the film except that one line, but here is his story...

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Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery at Gettysburg, and was hailed by contemporaries as heroic in his actions on the third day of the battle. He was wounded three times. First, a shell fragment went straight through his shoulder. He was then grievously wounded by a second shell fragment, which tore into his abdomen and groin. This wound exposed his intestines, which he held in place with his hand as he continued to command his battery. After these injuries, a higher-ranking officer said, "Cushing, go to the rear." Cushing, due to the limited number of men left, refused to fall back. The severity of his wounds left him unable to yell his orders above the sounds of battle. Thus, he was held aloft by his 1st Sergeant Frederick F�ger, who faithfully passed on Cushing's commands. Cushing was killed when a bullet entered his mouth and exited through the back of his skull. He died on the field at the height of the assault. He was 22 years old.[8][9] His body was returned to his family and then interred in the West Point Cemetery in Section 26, Row A, Grave 7. His headstone bears, at the behest of his mother, Mary, the inscription "Faithful unto Death."[10] His grave is next to that of Major General John Buford, another hero of Gettysburg, who had chosen the battlefield that Cushing had died defending.

Alonzo Cushing - ( New Window )

We're gonna keep fighting. Is that CLEAR? We're gonna attack all night, we're gonna attack tomorrow morning. If we are not VICTORIOUS, let no man come back alive!

George C. Scott as Patton

In comment 12971363 Nitro said:

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the action scenes in Children of Men (One of the movies of the 21st Century) are pretty breathtaking. Here's part of one, counterinsurgency fighting. Link - ( New Window )

My favorite movie ever. The scene at the end while the bombings were going on was the best thing I've seen this last decade plus.

The one Nitro linked

In comment 12971362 Eric from BBI said:

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one movie that has held up well over time is The Longest Day... I still like the scene where the German officers sees the 5,000 ships coming at him.

That's such a great scene. I want to believe it really happened that way.

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 )

Battle of the Bulge ... Robert Shaw - one word ... "Sing"
Illustrated the understanding of the duty of a soldier to his country and his fellow soldiers no matter what side he's on ...

In comment 12971519 Pete in MD said:

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In comment 12971362 Eric from BBI said: Quote: one movie that has held up well over time is The Longest Day... I still like the scene where the German officers sees the 5,000 ships coming at him. That's such a great scene. I want to believe it really happened that way.

I believe it did. I'm 90 percent sure I read that.

When John Wayne and Fess Parker both die at the end Then the final song is played

In comment 12971502 PEEJ said:

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threw Peter Graves into the compound

That was awesome!

The Breaking Point. Heartbreaking wpisode.

In comment 12971372 JOrthman said:

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I always love the scene where they ask the German Officer to go back to the beach and Normandy and look one last time to make sure he did not see an invasion. He is reluctant, but looks again anyway. Right as he looks, the entire horizon is filled with ships and shells start coming in.

great scene ...

In comment 12971550 snumber6 said:

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Battle of the Bulge ... Robert Shaw - one word ... "Sing" Illustrated the understanding of the duty of a soldier to his country and his fellow soldiers no matter what side he's on ...

That's the scene I was thinking about! BTW The Longest Day was a fantastic book.

The assault on the farm house in "A Walk in the Sun".

When Shughart and Gordon are defending Durant after Durant's Blackhawk is shot down.

While not my favorite but the most realistic scene that I enjoyed but also just had to laugh at and shake my head was during the final raid to kill OBL in Zero Dark Thirty. The way everything went to shits (the scene with everyone ending up in a single room waiting for the final door to be taken down broughy back memories of similar shit situations for me) while still being able to accomplish the mission was just so authentic to me. Even our deadliest special ops teams go through their own snafus...was good to see that.

original Red Dawn. The scene where the Eckart brothers die always get me. "It's hard being brothers, isn't it?"

Sounds like there are a lot of war movie buffs on this thread. If you have never seen the movie "Das Boot" (The Boat), see it. It's a very real and very gritty look at a German U-boat crew from the perspective of Germans.

While trying to take the hill, they get pinned down and come under heavy fire from both the Cong and friendly fire from choppers. One of the true brutalities of war no one really likes to talk about.

Horatio Hornblower and Master & Commander. Something about those fights between tall ships was just too cool.

Captain Horatio Hornblower with Gregory Peck.

In comment 12971513 Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy said:

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In comment 12971363 Nitro said: Quote: the action scenes in Children of Men (One of the movies of the 21st Century) are pretty breathtaking. Here's part of one, counterinsurgency fighting. Link - ( New Window ) My favorite movie ever. The scene at the end while the bombings were going on was the best thing I've seen this last decade plus.

That long cut scene is masterful. Wouldn't call it a straight up war movie, but I was going to suggest it as well.

Climbing out of the trench after nearly get hit by a grenade for the 2nd time within a few minutes: "That's fuckin twice."

from Gettysburg. When Jeff Daniels as Chamberlain yells "Fix bayonets!" because his men are out of ammunition, and then orders a charge in the face of certain death , I'm moved to tears. I'm so humbled at the bravery of ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances.

Also, the final scene of Breaker Morant, which is one of my all time favorite movies.

in the hut with the VC forcing the prisoners to play Russian Roulette. Great revenge scene with DeNiro setting up the bad guys.
Also love the final scene with everyone sadly singing God Bless America.

Courage Under Fire, Rules of Engagement, A Few Good Men (law is war)...

AND, last but not least, Rambo ripping heads off with a .50 cal and slicing the leader in half.

Paul begging the dead French soldier to forgive him.

Paul reaching out for the butterfly.

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The final battle - ( New Window )

The final fighting scene in Zulu is most likely my favorite but its hard to choose one over another.

I enjoyed it.

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.

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.

It's the Panzer Lied. It's a real song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdl8pJ8RqTQ - ( New Window )

In comment 12971705 SwirlingEddie said:

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. The final battle - ( New Window )

Zulu is a good film.

Follow the damn rules!!!

And letters from Iwo Jima. The way you saw some of the same things but from both perspectives like in flags when they found the Japanese soldiers who committed suicide and in letters when they actually committed it

In no particular order...

Saving Private Ryan - Opening scene, powerful. Very emotional movie.

Platoon - Airstrike at the end. Good movie.

Patton - Opening speech. My favorite war movie.

Longest Day - The Free French attack on the hotel is well done. Whole movie is very good.

Gettysburg - Chamberlain's defense of Little Round Top.

Midway - They should re-do this one, the CGI would provide a really cool depiction. Not particularly good movie though, but a great story and a good cast.

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

The scene I liked most was one where James Colburn is at a curb side cafe hiding behind a newspaper while pretending to read while keeping an eye on four German officers. The cafe was run by French resistance fighters and are serving the four officers

As the server walks back he gets a phone call and immediately goes and tells Colburn you have a telephone call. Colburn looks puzzled but gets up and takes the phone. There is no one there. He then sees the two resistance fighters duck behind the bar. So he hangs up the phone and does the same.

Suddenly a car comes steaming down the road, stops, then opens fire on the the German officers and kills them. The resistance fighters and Colburn then pop back up, pour a drink, raise their glasses, klink them together and drink to a job well done. Great scene.

In comment 12971458 widmerseyebrow said:

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.

Yeah!

In comment 12971341 Eric from BBI said:

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(5) Fredericksburg attack in Gods and Generals

I can't even remember it. I had looked forward to that movie for a long time. I thought the movie was so disappointing that I've never been able to watch it a 2nd time.

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.

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

In comment 12971732 Ivan15 said:

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Follow the damn rules!!!

Stale thinking, we constantly use war terms to depict football:
prepare for battle
going to war
war face on

So yes it is related. Free you mind.

In comment 12971422 OC2.0 said:

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Mitchum & Jurgens at the end of "The Enenemy Below".

Very good choice.

Hunt for Red October and Crimson Tide

It had the words in English, never knew what they were before. It also showed the scene from the movie, the singing is as expected better in the movie.

In comment 12971624 MadPlaid said:

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Horatio Hornblower and Master & Commander. Something about those fights between tall ships was just too cool.

Good one. Was going to say 'HMS Lydia' defeats El Supremo and 'Natividad', but thought I'd get too many "huh?"'s

The first battle sequence in the fog during 'M&C' was the best few minutes ever shot of that type of naval engagement imho. Peter Weir understood that cannon balls smash things and make splinters, in contrast to the rest of Hollywood that thinks they explode.

.

in Roman times if the Emperor gave the thumbs up it meant death and thumbs down meant life. Hollywood has reversed it and we know thumbs down to mean death. Spartucus is another great war movie that is to much in favorites to go into or choose. However seeing the legions march into battle in Roman squares was impressive.

Tora Tora Tora.
It may have subtitles for the Japanese, but much better that the modern version which should go nameless!!

that brings to mind a scene from the movie 300 - which overall I think was a missed opportunity - the battle of Thermopylae.

the famous line "Molon Labe" (Come and take them) was screamed by Leonidas to the forces of Xerxes when requested to "lay down your weapons". the # of persian forces were exaggerated historians say, initially it was supposedly 1M Persians but even the revised 150,000 number makes it one of the most remarkable battles in history.

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

The scene with the captain and the chief talking after the boat was saved from sinking down deep and imploding...that was terrific. "All you need is good men. Good men."

A Midnight Clear is one of my all-time favorite movies. Beautifully shot, poignant, incredibly sad.

Generation War, a German WWII miniseries, had some intense battle scenes.

..'The Blue Max' and 2008's 'The Red Baron' were devoid of Hollywood cheese as well.

'TBM' was pre-CGI. 100% real aircraft.

.

The night patrol into no man's land in Paths of Glory is harrowing.

Although I know it wasn't entirely without criticism regarding accuracy, I thought Generation War was absolutely incredible.

In comment 12971411 pjcas18 said:

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but the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds where the Jewish Family was hiding under the floorboards of the kitchen while Hans Landa was questioning the French farmer. 10 minutes or however long it was of pure stress and you knew it was going to end badly. It's not my favorite because I liked the outcome (obviously), it was just so well acted.

Excellent pick. Brilliantly directed. The bar scene in that film was dynamite as well.

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.