War Movies
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Robert Rodat
Main Actors: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and many others
Probably the movie that probably rejuvenated the war film scene in recent years. It has a fairly simple plot. A soldier is lost behind enemy lines and because all of his brothers died he gets a free ticket home. So the army sends a small group of army rangers lead by Tom Hank's character to pull him out. That basic story is set up against the invasion of Normandy during WW2 commonly known as D-day. The first 15 minutes of the film shows the soldiers storming the beach in graphically horrific detail. It is an experience unto itself. Following that the plot-line begins in the days that followed the invasion. Tom Hanks is additionally backed up by a superb supporting cast to numerous to mention here who many have gone on to do bigger and better things. Spielberg again delights what can I say.
Director: David O. Russell
Writers: John Ridley, David O. Russell
Main Actors: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube
A movie that reminds me of Kelly's Heroes with a heart set during the first U.S. Persian Gulf War. A group of soldiers lead by George Clooney's character and followed up by Mark Wahlberg's and Ice Cube's learn of about a large amount of stolen Kuwaiti gold available to be obtained. Interesting combination of actors, huh. They set off to requisition this gold for their own purposes. Along the way they join up with a rebel group rising to fight Saddam. If you know anything about the first Persian Gulf war these rebels were harshly put down by Sadam's Forces with no help from the Coalition Forces. These soldiers are put into that situation. They have to defy their orders not to help and help or take the money and run.
Director: Oliver Stone
Writers: Oliver Stone
Main Actors: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, William Dafoe
The quintessential Vietnam war movie although as my father said it only showed a certain portion of the war. No movie can capture an entire scope of a war especially one as complex and controversial as the Vietnam war. Oliver Stone (the director) showed his side of the war as he experienced it himself. He showed the darkest side of the war through the eyes of a young idealist soldier played by Charlie Sheen. He also chose to epitomize the not quite as bad parts of the war in the character played by William Dafoe and the worst parts of the war in Tom Berenger's character. As the routine of the war goes on Vietnam and Charlie Sheen are caught in between them.
Directors: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Gerd Oswald, Bernhard Wicki, Darryl F. Zanuck
Writers: Romain Gary, James Clavell, James Jones, David Pursall, Cornelius Ryan, Jack Seddon
Main Actors: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, and so many others it is impossible to mention them all
The movie that tries to show every possible aspect of the invasion of Normandy during WW2 and in very grand scale. What amazes me almost as much as the movie itself is the shear number of big name actors that are in this movie. If you were an actor in Hollywood, the British Ilses, France and Germany you were probably in this movie. Even a very young Sean Connery makes an appearance pre-Bond or anyone knew his name. Compliment the stars the movie shows the true grand scale of the beaches and para trooper drops behind enemy lines. The only thing it does not have is the true grotesque and intense realism provided in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Of course at the time this was probably not possible but what it showed is horrible enough. It is definitely more suitable for kids in that way and probably could be used as a good teaching tool because it is pretty accurate to events while very entertaining. The only warning would be that it is quite long but how else could you fit it all in.
Director: Stephen Spielberg
Writers: Thomas Keneally, Steven Zaillian
Main Actors: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes
p>Quite possibly Stephen Spielberg's masterpiece among masterpieces. It follows Oskar Schindler's involvement in one of the most horrible instances of ethnic cleansing in the history of the world, The Holocaust. Schindler was an German entreprenuer/ industrialist who tried to make his fortune during WW2. To achieve his goals he employs Jewish labor in his factory. Somewhere along the way his goals change and so does he. He becomes a protector of these people as he witnesses the horrors awaiting them. This movie goes beyond that storyline and shows all the horrors to horrible to mention on my little site in graphic detail that occured in the death camps. Spielberg showed it the way it was so everyone would see it as it truly happened. It is not easy to watch and you have to be in a certain type of mood to go through it, but it is something that everyone should see.
Directors: John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, Joshua Logan
Writers: Thomas Heggen, Joshua Logan, Frank S. Nugent
Main Actors: Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, Jack Lemmon
One of my favorite movies of all time. A small navy cargo ship lies as far away from the war in Pacific during WW2. It is inhabited by a power crazed yet ineffective captain (James Cagnet), a boosing yet wise doctor (William Powell), a happless ensign (Jack Lemmon), a lieutanent who wants to be part of the fighting (Henry Fonda), a potted palm tree, and a stir crazy crew (played my many). Put all these together and you have one of the funniest and suprisingly touching films that I have ever seen. The story line puts Henry Fonda's character between the captain and the crew. The captain wants to become a true captain in rank, and he pushes his crew to the breaking point to get it. To help the crew Fonda makes it his mission to get them a shoreleave. Along the way are the crew's and Ensign Pullver's (Lemmon) many hygincs. I also believe this was the movie that introduced us to Jack Lemmon and he won an oscar for his role. And what a role it was. William Powell is as charming as ever though a little grayer around the edges compared to The Thin Man. Cagnet plays his role too well and this is the role I remember Fonda in.
Director: David Lean
Writers: Pierre Boulle, Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman
Main Actors: Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa
Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle which is and to say at the least is extremely loosely based on a real event during World War 2. Basically it is about a Japanese prisoner of war camp and the bridge that the prisoners build over a certain river named Kwai. Of course there is a tremendous battle of wills between the head of the British commander and the camp's commander which is central to the plot and won Alec Guiness an Oscar. It also includes a British commando mission to blow up the bridge which accumulates into a spectacular and unexpected finish that is purely classic.
This is a early movie by the same director as "Lawrence of Arabia" and some of the amazing photography can be seen but not quite as spectacular as the desert vistas and "Dr Zhavago's" almost impressionistic view of the world (not a bad movie in itself). Also it consists a great and strangely similar cast to many of the his other movies. The director, David Lean, weaves an amazing tale of obsession, stubbornness and unexpected heroes like no one else.
Director: Lewis Milestone
Writers: Erich Maria Remarque, George Abbott, Del Andrews, Maxwell Anderson, Walter Anthony, Lewis Milestone
Main Actors: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray
The World War One movie that makes the list and the remake is also excellent though I believe was made for TV. The story follows a group of German schoolboys and particularly a young German boy/man's journey into the army. The group is joined by an old war hand who teaches them the what war really. It shows the true horror of war and the swallid conditions that existed in the trenches. The idealist youth become men and only death and disillusionment follow.