Best World War II Films You've Seen.

[Capt. Rapticon]

Here people can discuss their favorite movies about World War II. It could be either be about the Axis and Allies. Also either American or Foreign films would be much appreciated for recommendation.

My only request though is to avoid racist comments or any form of discrimination in this thread. Also please avoid petty squabbling over which film is better. If you have to say a film is better than the other, please do it in a professional way. Also you can share a film for recommendation.

Anyways the best films of WWII I've watched so far would be, Patton(the film that got me into World War II history;) ), Saving Private Ryan(Who doesn't know this film?), Enemy at the Gates(Russians FTW), Letters from Iwo Jima(Ken Watanabe! He rocks!), Der Untergang(German film of the last days of Hitler), and Band of Brothers(Look at my signature, where did you think I got it from?).

Anyways my list could go on and on. But these films are the ones that stand out among them. Also could anyone recommend me any other good films to watch? I'm pretty bored with not much to do right now.

[Pvt.Jonez]

Funny thing is, my teacher just assigned us a WWII movie watching project. Just watch a wwii movie, and answer some questions she said. Here is the list she gave us. I have hardly seen anyof them, so i dont know if theyre any good at all.


The Best Years of our Lives (1946)- WWII Vets coming home
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)- Allied Prison camp break
A Bridge too Far (1977)- WWII Action (I dunno thats what it says)
The Caine Mutiny (1954)- A disturbed ship captain has a mutiny on board.
Casablanca (1942)- Life and Romance in Nazi-Controlled North Africa (For you real men lol)
The Desert Fox (1951)- Story of Rommel in N. Africa
Diary of Anne Frank-(1959) Its Anne Frank, woo
The Fighting Seabees-(1944) Fighting Construction Workers in Pacific
The Great Escape-(1963) Daring escape of Allies from German POW camp (i think Steve McQueen is in this one)
The Guns of Navarone-(1961) Impossable mission to destroy German guns (2 things-To destroy german guns, what idiot wrote that sumary, and presumably they sucucceded, so how can it be impossable???)
Judgement and Nuremburg-(1961) Trial of Nazi War Criminals
The Longest Day-(1962) Story of Normandy
The Memphis Belle-(1943 and 1990) Bombing mission B-17 you know
Midway-(1976) Story of Midway
Mr. Roberts-(1955) Comedy on Pacific Supply Ship
Mrs. Miniver-(1942) live in WWII england
Pearl Harbor-(2001) Pearl Harbor duh
The Sands of Iwo Jima-(1942) invasion of Iwo Jima
Stalag 17-(1953) POW camp with a suspected nazi collabrator
Thirty Seconds over Toyko-(1944) Allied Bombing Raids over Jpn.
Ones Rated R
Enemy At the Gates-(2001)- Ive seen it, and ya, it owns
Patton-(1970)- Bio of Patton
Schindlers List-(1993) Story of Oskar Schidler, ive seen it, and it owns also
SPR-No explanaiton needed. .owns
The Thin Red line-(1998) Guadalcanal

A few more recent ones-
Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo-Owns
The Great Raid-Very good movie, baised on the book Ghost Soldiers, a must read

[Capt. Rapticon]

Mein Gott! I forgot Bridge over the River Kwai, Schindler's List, The Longest Day, and Casablanca in my list! They are probably one of the Best WWII films out there and I forgot them!:(

[messenger]

I have Guns of Naverone, it's quite a good if old film.

[NesQuik!]

A bridge to far is a good film! :> It is about Operation Market Garden, taking the bridge over the Rhine! It shows good action (for so far the 70's had good action movies), a lot of tanks, the stupid decisions of the British generals, and the life of the supressed Dutch.

[Tigerkiller]

Hart's War- Not really any WWII fighting but it is based in the Battle of the Bulge. The few scenes of action are very good, and the final part is emotional.
Battle of the Bulge- Pretty obvious what it is. A film showing the offensive of about 50 German Tiger Tanks(They are actually Pershings in German skin). The end is good, with a face-off between the "Tigers" and a large Battalion of Chaffees.
Anzio-Also obvious. Not very good in my opinion though.
My two best films I've watched have got to be Enemy at the Gates, and Saving Private Ryan. Best series of Episodes has to be Band of Brothers. Guess its the newer films that are the greatest.

[Jarkeler]

The Thin Red Line, A Bridge Too Far, Band of Brothers series, Saving Private Ryan, Grey Zone, Flags of our Fathers, Memphis Belle, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Run Silent Run Deep, Das Boot, Hell is for Heroes, Letters from Iwo Jima, Saints and Soldiers, etc.

[Orrie]

Letters from Iwo Jima, Flags of our Fathers, Stalingrad, Das Boot, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Kelly's Heroes, Saints and Soldiers....

[Mellish]

eh, i need only say 3 words: Saints and Soldiers!!!!! Best WWII movie made under $1000000 EVER!!!

[t-bone]

the devils brigade , guns of navarone , midway, longest day,van ryans express, in harms way, bridge too far for ww2. el-cid, last of the mohicans,three muskateers 70's remake,green berets,bond the original history and the fantasy.

[richard]

you guys nailed most of them..

theres one thats liek 30 minuites over tokyo, and wind talkers. those are the only two i can think of that yall havnt named..

and id forgot about the mephis belle. that was a damn fine movie if i remember it correctly.. i havent seen it since i was a little pup..

[Volksjager]

Cross of Iron, probably one of the best world war two films iv seen, it also takes place from the german point of view, a rare find.

[Jagman]

A lot of my favourites you've already mentioned but how about....Where Eagles Dare or a really old one (often shown here in the UK) Went the Day Well (1942 I think)

[noobishpro]

Saw a movie sometime ago, can't remember its name, but it was about stalingrad and the eastern front from a german point of view. Quite violent, but in a fake looking kind of way (it was old). Anyways, it was cool.
Also, anyone heard of Mckenzie break? its like a great escape thin, but with nazis in britain, very funny in some ridiculous parts- guy damages a plane with a mp40 more than a flakvierling lollol

[Cap'n Rommel]

Das Boot, Stalingrad (favorite, IMO)Der Untergang. Also The Big Red One is briliant

[Totenkopf]

well personaly im going to go with

1.Saving Private Ryan
2.Stalingrad
3.Anzio
4.The Longest day


but thats just my opinion

[Madturnip]

Tora, Tora, Tora.
Saving Private Ryan
Battle of the Buldge
Patton
Dirty Dozen - Fiction but good
Kelly's Heroes - Fiction but good
Downfall - movie about the last days of Hitler - in german English sub's

and all the others posted follow there after

[Sgt. D. Pilla]

Kelly's heroes
Battle of the bulge
Dirty Dozen (what ive seen of it)

[panzerleader]

1.SPR ;was their a 20mm AA/AT peice like that in final town battle?
2.band of brothers : had some very good looking axis/us tanks
3.cross of iron : good movie ;some russian armor
4.Big Red One ;good story
5.Batle of Britain : real planes no computer trickery
6.Patton ;good story mostly fake german stuff
7.Letters fron Iwo Jima; nice to see jap point of view;very good

[Totenkopf]

Another one is called Zvesda...its actully really good look it up...ts a Russian film about the Ostfront but its good none the less

[messenger]

I saw this one called Thin Red Line yesterday, set in the pacific conflict.
It made little sense what-so-ever, you didn't know who the characters were and it constantly flicked onto one of the squaddies wive's cheating on him.

[Totenkopf]

I agree with messnger that movie really wasnt that good i had to sit down and watch it 3 times to actully get trough it.

[Madturnip]

Tora, Tora, Tora... Docu-drama - more than a movie -

[Totenkopf]

I didnt really like tora tora tora...it never caught my attention...they neeed to make a new WWII movie....like now...with all the tech we have now it would look amazing

[Madturnip]

I thought they did quite well with that movie for as old as it is.

[Totenkopf]

I do give them credit for that but they just didnt catch my attention...

[messenger]

I saw Letters from Iwo Jima yesterday, a quite compelling and powerful film.
You never really think of the Japanese as anyone but crazy Banzai charging people with tin can tanks, this film is definitely a good'un as it shows them as people etc.

[Totenkopf]

I agree it was an amzing film....i just wish they would make one about the Germans...say about the Germans side at Normandy....say a in the eyes of the Germans on SPR..

[Scharnhorst]

Best World War Two movies I have seen are Das Boot, Cross of Iron, and that new picture by clint, Flags of our Fathers.

[messenger]

My dad got crap loads of war-films, I think I have Flags of our Fathers, is that set on Iwo Jima?

[Scharnhorst]

yes it is, theres also a book by the same name, a good read.

[Totenkopf]

Indeed..that book was amazing...a great read and a quick one to once you get into it.

[Dietrich]

I saw Letters from Iwo Jima yesterday, a quite compelling and powerful film. You never really think of the Japanese as anyone but crazy Banzai charging people with tin can tanks, this film is definitely a good'un as it shows them as people etc.

Here here. Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags Of Our Fathers were the two best WW2 films I've seen in a long time. That's why I think more Americans, British, etc., should watch Das Boot and Stalingrad, to see that the "enemies" were people too, fighting in defense of their country.

Watching some of Clint Eastwood's most recent films, I found myself really feeling like the characters feel; I got that feeling when I watched Million-Dollar Baby too.

[=VTA=AirborneCZ]

my top ten[ThumbUp] of WWII movies:


Das Boot
Saving Private Ryan
Battle of Britain
The Longest Day
Cross of Iron
Bridge on River Kwai
Stalingrad
Der Untergang
Letter from Iwo Jima
Bridge too far

how could i forgot to add Band of Brothers series? :)

[Totenkopf]

I wish wish wish they would make a new WWII movie in the ETO somewhere with all the tech and CG we have now it would be soooooo F***ing awesome...im gonna write Spielberg..im serious anyonw wanna help me..because im sure if he got enough emails he would do it...theres 980 something of us if we all do it we have a chance.

[Dietrich]

If Spielberg did another ETO film, it would no doubt show the Germans being klutzy and stupid like in Saving Private Ryan. XP

[Martini]

I think there are lot of good war movies and there is a lot of bad ones i am the one really for realisme like that the germans actually speak german or japanese speak japanese

My top five in random order favorite movies of world war 2
Der Untergang
The Pianist altough he didnt speak polish
Flags of our fathers have not yet seen the other one letters from iwo jima
Saints and soliders
Das boot

and just to say it i dont like the iron cross thinks it is really stupid, sorry to anyone who can be offended

[messenger]

I watched Kelly's Heroes yesterday, funny film.

[Sgt. D. Pilla]

:o Kelly's Heroes is great isnt it...I love it...same with the BotB movie and Dirty Dozen

[Jason Baane]

If Spielberg did another ETO film, it would no doubt show the Germans being klutzy and stupid like in Saving Private Ryan. XP

The Germans weren't represented as klutzy nor stupid in Saving Private Ryan. They were, however, portrayed as losing - which is historically accurate.

[Totenkopf]

awww yes Kelly's Heroes...great movie i love Oddball he was Great no shame and not a care in the world

[Dietrich]

The Germans weren't represented as klutzy nor stupid in Saving Private Ryan. They were, however, portrayed as losing - which is historically accurate.

I was exaggerating for the sake of humor.

I didn't want to go into detail in that post of mine, but what I was referring to was the various ways in which the German soldiers in the final battle scene in Saving Private Ryan did not adhere to German squad- and platoon-level tactics -- in other words, they didn't fight they way they would have fought (so I understand it). (I admit, though, that I'm not comparably familiar with US Army squad- and platoon-level tactics so as to know if the Rangers and Airborne in that scene were fighting according to their tactics, so maybe it's "wrong" on both sides. *shrug*)

Just one point: the conspicuous absence of MG-42s. The German troops were stated to be from 2. SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich. Even if the troops from "Das Reich" which advanced into the town were from the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung, they would have had one MG-42 per squad. (Of course, one could surmise, "Well, maybe their machine-guns were broken or . . . .") If the troops were from one of Das Reich's two component Panzergrenadier regiments, they would have had (not necessarily in all cases) even two MG-42s per squad. Not one MG-42 or MG-34 is to be seen (or even heard, so far as I could tell) in the "Battle of Ramelle" scene. If there were approximately 50 German infantry (as reported by the Ranger sniper at the beginning of the scene) there would have been between four and six (as many as nine or ten) MG-42/-34s between them.

All this would seen like petty nitpicking if it weren't for my point: the Ranger and Airborne guys are supposed to be heroic (which they, outnumbered and outgunned, for the most part are), but the way I see it, it downgrades the intended valor of the protagonists if their foes are shown to be fighting ineptly.

Besides, "if ya have two 'Tiger' tanks in yer WW2 movie, why don't the Germans have any SAWs?"

But I don't want to be off-topic, and I don't want to win an argument or even start one in the first place. That said, would you do me the honor, Jason, of adjourning with me to a fresh thread to discuss Heer small-unit infantry tactics vis-a-vis the corresponding US Army tactics?

[advarntek]

i like many WW2 files i like
Life is beautiful
enigma
the guns of navarone
von ryan's express
Memphis belle
the eagle has landed
Stalingrad
the piniest

and yes i do own all these films

[Capt. Rapticon]

I would like to add Bridge at Remagen, Tora Tora Tora, Pearl Harbor, The Fallen, When Trumpets Fade, and The Desert Rats to my list.

[Capt. Rapticon]

Oh I would like to add Amen, a great movie, Conspiracy, a miniseries about the nazi officers in HBO, and lastly the masterpiece, The Pianist, I love that movie.