Best war movie ever?

Discussions on naval-war movies, films and games.
iankw
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Post by iankw »

I haven't even seen Pearl Harbour, after reading the many reviews here. Re Titanic: It is a good film in many ways but there is one thing that annoys me, and that isn't accurate (from all I have read) - the film shows the stern section breaking off and crashing down into the sea. I have never read anything to support this, but I have read a fair bit to suggest the break occurred under water, either just before or during the final plunge. Sorry to be picky but, imo, details are important for history.

regards, Ian.
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marcelo_malara
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Post by marcelo_malara »

For all that I have read the stern did fail above water. The structure could not just withstand the stress of having that part of the ship hanging. What is in discussion was if the skin of the ship ripped apart as seen in the movie or if the lower parts buckled. The problem is that the lights of the ship were already gone, it was dark and the witness didn´t agree with what happened.
iankw
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Post by iankw »

Well Marcelo, over the years I have read a lot about Titanic, as I am sure you have. One of my favourite ever films is "A Night to Remember", which is solely about the loss of Titanic. I cannot recall any mention of the stern section crashing back into the sea, in any of the survivors reports I have read (admittedly a long time ago), and then, a few years ago, I found this site:

http://home.flash.net/~rfm/index/contents.html

This man has built a scale model of the wreck of Titanic, even to the point of including details like shoes in the wreckage. I will let you read his story, which I think is a fascinating account of a man's obsession. Of relevance to our discussion though is the section called "The Break-Up". The explanation of the break up is quite detailled and states, quite clearly just after diagram C11, that the survivors stories do not support the Cameron version.

I have no quibble with Titanic as a film about a sinking ship, I just don't think it should be called "Titanic" if it isn't accurate.

regards

Ian
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Post by Bgile »

Ian,

According to your logic, "Sink the Bismarck" should have been called something else ("Sink some unknown battleship"?) because it has inaccuracies in it. I don't agree.

I have seen some reconstructions ... there was a lot of that going around because of the movie. There is at least one expert who felt the ship came apart as it did in the movie. It was described in great detail. I don't think they did that for theatre. Right or wrong, they did it that way because the people they hired to find out what happened led them in that direction.
iankw
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Post by iankw »

Hi Bg

Well it isn't logic really, more like a feeling, but it's still as valid as anyone elses, so I guess we are going to have to agree to differ.

regards

Ian
surfsup
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by surfsup »

For my pound of flesh, here is my favourite period war movies:-

ancient:- Gladiator

Sail:- Master and Commander

WW1 :- All Quiet on the Western Front

WW2 Air :- Tuskeegee Airmen

WW2 at Sea :- Tora Tora Tora

WW2 on Land:- The Longest Day

Korea :- The McConnell Story

Vietnam :- Good Morning Vietnam

the Cold War :- Even though not a War movie but Thirteen Days for the suspense as no actual fighting took place, but the mood of the time was quite evident.
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RF
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by RF »

I am surprised by some of these choices.

The Longest Day is indeed an epic, but I would have thought Saving Private Ryan would be better as it more realistically shows warfare for what it is, rather than a roll call of Hollywood stars. For similar reasons I would rate Das Boot as better than Tora Tora Tora.
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by Pr_Eugen »

At sea: Das Boot, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Master and Commander
At air: Memphis Belle, To fight there are one "old men"...(USSR-1975)
At land: Waterloo
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surfsup
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by surfsup »

RF wrote:I am surprised by some of these choices.

The Longest Day is indeed an epic, but I would have thought Saving Private Ryan would be better as it more realistically shows warfare for what it is, rather than a roll call of Hollywood stars. For similar reasons I would rate Das Boot as better than Tora Tora Tora.
Even though I love Das Boot, I enjoyed Tora Tora Tora as it covered the factual elements on both sides leading up to that fateful day. It didn't have that hollywood feel to it and was more accurate in it's portrayal.
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by JtD »

Two of my favorites are Das Boot and Full Metal Jacket. I also consider Letters from Iwo Jima a good war movie.

I didn't like Saving Private Ryan at all.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

ancient:- Gladiator

Sail:- Master and Commander

WW1 :- All Quiet on the Western Front

WW2 Air :- Tuskeegee Airmen

WW2 at Sea :- Tora Tora Tora

WW2 on Land:- The Longest Day

Korea :- The McConnell Story

Vietnam :- Good Morning Vietnam

the Cold War :- Even though not a War movie but Thirteen Days for the suspense as no actual fighting took place, but the mood of the time was quite evident.
Not good choices, not at all. Don´t have much time but to put Good Morning Vietnam over Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter of Platoon is a lack of serios thought of great magnitude. Or Longest Day over, let´s say the Russian Epic "Battle of Kursk" or "A Bridge Too Far". About Cold War everybody with knowledge of cinema would regard Stanley Kubrick´s "Dr. Strangelove" or "Fail Safe" or "The Manchurian Candidate (The original one, of course)". But one of the heaviest mistakes here is Tuskagee Airmen over the classic Twelve O´Clock High or Memphis Belle.... Of course, those two last air war movies have a serious flaw in their cast: neither Denzel Washington nor Forrest Withaker are present as liberal minded high knowledgeable US officers saving it´s crew and the world from a Gene Hackman´s desire to bomb a German Child Hospital or something like that...
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by surfsup »

Karl Heidenreich wrote:
ancient:- Gladiator

Sail:- Master and Commander

WW1 :- All Quiet on the Western Front

WW2 Air :- Tuskeegee Airmen

WW2 at Sea :- Tora Tora Tora

WW2 on Land:- The Longest Day

Korea :- The McConnell Story

Vietnam :- Good Morning Vietnam

the Cold War :- Even though not a War movie but Thirteen Days for the suspense as no actual fighting took place, but the mood of the time was quite evident.
Not good choices, not at all. Don´t have much time but to put Good Morning Vietnam over Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter of Platoon is a lack of serios thought of great magnitude. Or Longest Day over, let´s say the Russian Epic "Battle of Kursk" or "A Bridge Too Far". About Cold War everybody with knowledge of cinema would regard Stanley Kubrick´s "Dr. Strangelove" or "Fail Safe" or "The Manchurian Candidate (The original one, of course)". But one of the heaviest mistakes here is Tuskagee Airmen over the classic Twelve O´Clock High or Memphis Belle.... Of course, those two last air war movies have a serious flaw in their cast: neither Denzel Washington nor Forrest Withaker are present as liberal minded high knowledgeable US officers saving it´s crew and the world from a Gene Hackman´s desire to bomb a German Child Hospital or something like that...
Everyone is different and has their likes and dislikes when it comes to anything in life. You like your choices and I like mine.
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RF
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by RF »

surfsup wrote:
Even though I love Das Boot, I enjoyed Tora Tora Tora as it covered the factual elements on both sides leading up to that fateful day. It didn't have that hollywood feel to it and was more accurate in it's portrayal.
Beware, Tora, Tora, Tora isn't 100% accurate, particulary on the Japanese side. I also recall errors with regard to the US and German parts.
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surfsup
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by surfsup »

RF wrote:
surfsup wrote:
Even though I love Das Boot, I enjoyed Tora Tora Tora as it covered the factual elements on both sides leading up to that fateful day. It didn't have that hollywood feel to it and was more accurate in it's portrayal.
Beware, Tora, Tora, Tora isn't 100% accurate, particulary on the Japanese side. I also recall errors with regard to the US and German parts.
Granted. but how many good War movies, or in fact, any Movie is 100% accurate with regards to portraying History.
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Re: Best war movie ever?

Post by Legend »

The closest one I can think of... is Saving Private Ryan. The only thing that I can think of that would be not true would be the the actual plot (how ironic). Besided the rescue mission, everything was super-realistic...
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