Favorite War/Mercenary Movie

[hipower]

GGP2JZ got me to thinking about my favorite movies and that led me to this line of thinking. I saw The Wild Geese about 20 years ago and was blown away by it. One of my alltime favorites. Richard Burton, Richard Harris, and about every good actor in England at the time in one great movie. Anyone else like it?

What's yours?

[Guest Bronker]

Saving Private Ryan is as real as it gets, from what I can fathom.

Tora! Tora! Tora! is a good one as well.

[Guest WWIIfanatic]

my favorite movie is Flags of Our Fathers. i read the book twice, and wrote an essay in school about the flag raisers. ever since i read that book for the first time i have obessessed myself with that flag. earlier this summer my family went to DC and we stopped in Quantico, VA to see the flag. also while we were there i picked up a print of the photo and it is hanging in my room right now. now for the movie i dont really know much about actors, and im really more of a "watch a movie for the story" kind of guy, so i thought the movie did a great job of making the story of the book come to life. i really prefer the book because it has all these little facts that you cant really put into the movie, like how Iwo Jima, for 30 days, was the most populated 8 sq. miles on Earth. ok i cant think of anything else to write so i guess im done.

[Punisher84]

Blackhawk Down probably. When I was at reception waiting to start BCT they put it on for us on a weekend night. Watching that with all the guys I got to be good friends with throughout basic was a cool memory I'll always have.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I don't watch many movies, just what might accidentally show on TV. Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" was pretty good. His "Kagemusha" was pretty good. There was another with war scenes, "Ran"

Seven Samurai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kagemusha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ran_(film)

"Sergeant York" was pretty good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_york_(film)

Edited July 21, 2010 by Lester Weevils

[kb4ns]

Saving Private Ryan is as real as it gets, from what I can fathom.

I'm rather fond of that one too.

[Guest mustangdave]

HiPower...I'm with you here...saw "The Wild Geese"...when it first came out in the theaters...maybe some 30+ years ago, maybe late 70's. For a classic The Longest Day is the ONE. Probably my ATF has got to be PATTON

[Chris]

Patton is probably my all time favorite as well. But I would have to add Zulu to the list. Great action scenes, all the proper military virtues and in the end, victory against overwhelming odds.

[LagerHead]

I know it's a mini-series, but Band of Brothers is it for my money. If you don't accept that, Saving Private Ryan is pretty good.

[CCW]

Red Dawn

[Il Duce]

yeah gonna have to go with 300

[vontar]

I can't narrow it down to 1.

I am going Old school on you guys.

Sergeant York, First one I can remember every watching and understanding

To Hell and Back

Midway

the Guns of Navarone

and

force 10 of navarone

Red Dawn

300

Those probably just start the list.

Edited July 21, 2010 by vontar

[Defender]

For mercenary, I agree with The Wild Geese. Outstanding movie with outstanding actors. Another I really like is Dogs of War, also an oldie. For non mercenary War, I think The Longest Day and Patton, for old school...and Saving Private Ryan for newer ones.

[Will Carry]

Does anyone remember Sam Pekinpaw's "Cross of Iron"? It's one of those sleeper movies that don't get a lot of playing time. It's about a group of German soldiers trying to survive the Russian Front in WWII. It's not the greatest war movie ever made, but it's a purdy good flick if you can find a copy.

[MCSCOTT]

I know it's a mini-series, but Band of Brothers is it for my money. If you don't accept that, Saving Private Ryan is pretty good.

There's nothing better than staying inside on a cold damp fall/winter day, having a good supply of coffee, and watching Band Of Brothers. While watching it and drinking the coffee, I also usually take this kind of perfect occasion to do my yearly cleaning of all of my firearms that didn't get used throughout the year.

As for my favorites though I'm gonna have to go with Saving Private Ryan or We Were Soldiers. From there it gets into alot of the older war movies.

[1gewehr]

It's really hard to beat 'A Bridge Too Far' and 'The Longest Day'. Even now, they do not seem dated. Film-making at it's best without relying on special effects.

For fiction, 'The Wild Geese' and 'The Dirty Dozen' are the two that I still find myself wanting to watch again.

For obscure films, try 'The Boys in Company C', 'Das Brucke' (The Bridge), and 'Farewell to the King'.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

"No Man is an Island" and "The Blue Max", " The Sand Pebbles" as for older movies .. and in more modern times, also "Saving Private Ryan" and "We Were Soldiers"

[SHbicycle]

The Big Red One

Breaker Morant

Defiance

Stalag 17

[Defender]

Wow, I forgot about some oldies but goodies...some already mentioned but also A Bridage Too Far, The Blue Max, and for newer ones, yes the We Were Soldiers is one of my all time faves!!

[Mike.357]

[Mike.357]

and if you can't make up your mind there is this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2gygYbUtVk&feature=related

[McAllyn]

Braveheart and Apocalypse Now

Neither are historically accurate, but both tell great stories.

Platoon will always be up on the list because the 25th was my fathers unit.

Mac

[Guest FiddleDog]

The most recent Rambo is pretty good. I'm sure I'll have to say the expendables when it comes out, though.

[monkeylizard]

Starship Troopers

[byrnemm]

I never met my grandfather, but from what I heard about him, this movie is pretty much a memoir: