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Army Times' Top 10 military films

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by ifilus, Jul 7, 2007.

  1. Interesting that SPR, for all its vaunted authenticity, doesn;t make the list.
    Agree with Boom on The Longest Day.
    Where's All Quiet On The Western Front?
     
  2. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Here's the AT's criteria, pretty simple actually -- "We’re talking about classic movie moments that provide a snapshot of American military history, must-see films like “The Sands of Iwo Jima” and “The Green Berets” (two of the Duke’s finest. God bless you, John Wayne, wherever you are)."

    So no Das Boot, no Kelly's Heroes, no AQOTWF...

    Personally, I would jettison "A Bridge Too Far" which should be on no one's 'best" list -- ever. Saving Private Ryan could be 10th, so could Longest Day, tho it was a plodding movie.

    As for Boom's thought of "From Hear To Eternity," Eye might be inclined to disagree....
     
  3. Stretch15

    Stretch15 Member

    No mention of Battle of Midway?

    A star-studded classic.
     
  4. Bob Slydell

    Bob Slydell Active Member

    Uh, Stripes anyone? ;D

    And Top Gun over, well, any one of the others? The rest are great picks, Great Escape has been on Encore a lot recently.

    Inglorious Bastards will top this list one day!
     
  5. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    How can you talk about great military movies and not mention Taps?
    George C. Scott, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Timothy Hutton.. a great cast.


    Or a couple of others set in WWII -- 1941 and Pearl Harbor
     
  6. Moondoggy

    Moondoggy Member

    "I'm the commander of this f-ing boat! Gimme that GD key!"
     
  7. NoOneLikesUs

    NoOneLikesUs Active Member

    I'm surprised Twelve O'Clock High isn't on the list. As a military film it's great. An excellent example of how leadership works. Very little action in it however.

    All Quiet Along the Western Front was a best picture winner, yet it doesn't surprise me that it is not mentioned. It's a great war film, but it doesn't praise the military. Plus the army it follows around is German.
     
  8. IU90

    IU90 Member

    A distinguishing factor appears to be political: the omitted "obvious choices" tended to include a controversial, critical, left-wing or otherwise less-than-flattering portrayal of the American military. Whereas the included ones nearly all portrayed our military in overwhelmingly heroic, gung ho, patriotic terms (although I guess FMJ might be the exception there).

    How else can they explain Top Gun being chosen over several classics on your ommitted list.
     
  9. Simon_Cowbell

    Simon_Cowbell Active Member

    Bridge Too Far is on the short list, certainly, of the best casts ever assembled.

    I agree, though, that it doesn't make my toes tingle either.
     
  10. tyler durden 71351

    tyler durden 71351 Active Member

    I'm very surprised that "Full Metal Jacket" topped the list. I think it's great, but it's not a flattering look at the Army. (For one, it's the movie that made me realize that I could never make it through basic training.) It's more warts and all.
    Seems to me that "Saving Private Ryan" is an obvious choice.
    Of course, then again, did soldiers make the list? Maybe they wanted something a little more gritty and real.
     
  11. Chi City 81

    Chi City 81 Guest

    It wasn't about the Army. It was the Marines.
     
  12. Buck

    Buck Well-Known Member

    My list

    1. 'Sands of Iwo Jima'
    2. 'Kelly's Heroes'
    3. 'Apocalypse Now'
    4. 'Full-Metal Jacket'
    5. 'The Thin Red Line'
    6. 'The Dirty Dozen'
    7. 'All Quiet on the Western Front'
    8. 'Patton'
    9. 'Run Silent, Run Deep'
    10. 'Stalag 17'

    Please note: Upon further reflection, 'Apocaplypse Now' and 'Full-Metal Jacket' have been switched.
     
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