Let you entertain me
Column’s up: The lost patriots of Hollywood
Sigh. They just don’t make men like Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart and Lee Marvin and Steve McQueen anymore. Brad Pitt? Yawn. Colin Farrell? Ewww. Ben Affleck? Gag.
Anyway, I’m enabling comments on a trial basis and would love to hear about your favorite WWII flicks and scenes.
Me first: I’ll never forget the hanging scene at the school in Back to Bataan. Watched the movie when I was 8. Still get choked up thinking about the principal’s body and the American flag.
Look forward to your reflections. See you in the morning.
Update: Thanks for all the inspiring recommendations! Your extensive list of movies should help me avoid the following argument with my husband at the Blockbuster checkout line for the 10th time:
“Honey, why are we renting The Waterboy again?”
“There’s nothing else to watch.”
“Nothing?”
“C’mon. The Waterboy is a classic.”
“Again?!?!?!”
Update II: Coupla folks thought the date of the Academy Awards ceremony I mentioned was a typo since it occurred before Pearl Harbor. Nope. True, we were not officially at war yet, but Walter Wanger saw the need to support our allies’ efforts and defend America’s good name as our place in the world was under fire. We were on the precipice of war and the MPA rallied to the side of the good guys. Regarding Collateral Damage, I know it was made before 9/11 and released afterward. Probably should have worded that more clearly. The point is that p.c. was hampering our ability to name the enemy before 9/11 and it continues to handicap us even more today. The same reluctance to confront our enemies did not infect Hollywood before and during WWII (they didn’t substitute Mongolian fighter pilots for Japanese ones, as far as I’m aware!).
Update III: I stopped liking Harrison Ford when he dumped his wife, stuck that goofy diamond stud in his ear, and shacked up with Ally McBeal.
Update IV: Jeff Quinton’s thoughts are here.
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‘Battle of the Bulge’ - I have seen this movie many times and the scene that always gets to me is where there are the American tanks on one side and the German tanks on the other. The US tanks are much smaller than the German tanks and the troops have to wait and wait for the German tanks to get closer to have any hopes of damaging them with their small guns. As the battle continues it is a mass of tanks and chaos and always leaves me quiet.
There are other films, many others worth mentioning - - but I won’t do all of that now and will allow others to take part
Dead easy, scene-wise — the King of Cool’s scooter jump in The Great Escape.
Article The lost patriots of Hollywood
Correction: The bad guys were portrayed as neo nazis, not Columbian terrorists. So as not to incite people against islamic terrorists.
I sent this to at an email @comcast.com I don’t know if you will get it, so I am sending it again.
I didn’t see the movie because I felt strongly about the falsifying of facts. Shame. I would have liked to see it.
Heidi D.
First, I’m glad to see you added a Comments section! Should provide for some lively and interesting discussion.
I saw “The Terminal” the other day. It’s a cute movie but I think it completely wasted an opportunity to talk about why an Eastern European individual (Tom Hanks’ character) was finally able to come to America and fulfill his father’s quest (I’m not trying to give the ending away). Winning the Cold War has made millions of Eastern Europeans grateful to Reagan and the USA. But, Hollywood either ignores it or is ignorant of it.
Keep up the good work, Michelle, it’s a great blog.
“Box-office patriotism is dead. And so I ask: If Hollywood refuses to support America, why should we support Hollywood?”
And that’s why I buy DVDs about ten times as often as I go to see a movie in the theater. I have a long way to go before I run out of good, inspiring, decent and patriotic movies to buy.
The previous artkcle, Sorry, I stand corrected. It was Collateral damage.
Thanks for listening.
.
Heidi D.
Although it’s probably not my favorite WWII flick, there’s a German language film about the battle of Stalingrad titled, appropriately enough, “Stalingrad”. It’s from the German perspective and focuses on the foot soldier level (ala, “Saving Private Ryan”). It doesn’t really make any statements, one way or the other, but rather it illustrates the horrors of war and the brutality of that battle, in particular. Anyway, it’s always interesting to see different perspectives of WWII.
In terms of American WWII flicks, I always loved Patton (even though I haven’t seen all of it yet!). That opening scene with George C. Scott is a great moment in American cinema
Best WWII movies:
1. The Bridge On The River Kwai
2. The Great Escape
3. Patton
4. The Dirty Dozen
5. Saving Private Ryan
Also…I find that Hollywood’s refusal to portray Arabs as terrorists to be not just P.C. or unpatriotic, but also bad filmmaking.
It seems like all the terrorists in movies since 9/11 are some type of European neo-nazi groups - NOT radical Arab terrorist organizations.
This makes all the “bad guys” (the terrorists) FAR less threatening and scary, and the movie plots far less believable and less interesting. This change in the movie version of Tom Clancy’s “The Sum of All Fears” took a great book and turned into a terrible movie.
My great-uncle marched in the atrocity that was the Bataan Death march, just barely escaping. My wife’s grandfather fought alongside the Marcos-led guerrillas that helped liberate the Philippines.
Sadly, the Pacific theater isn’t as widely covered by Hollywood (as well as historians) as the European front is, but it was just as much an important and heroic tale.
I, too liked Back to Bataan, but movies like it and Midway never reached the hype and quality of The Longest Day, Patton, or Casablanca.
Maybe I’m biased in my family’s history with the liberation of my parents’ homeland, but I wish more would be said and shown about the heroes of the Pacific.
P.S. BTW, Michelle… Just had to say YOU ROCK! Keep it up!
One of the best movies I’ve ever seen is target=”_blank”>The Best Years of Our Lives. To me, it’s a war movie because it deals specifically with the return home from war, and the way the experiences of the war continue to affect veterans and civilians alike.
Dana Andrews was in quite a few old war movies, and I’m slowly trying to collect them all.
The Guns of Navarone is quite good, as well…
Great war movie: The Dambusters.
Also if it counts “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” but its not exactly about combat
Ah. I see you don’t allow HTML in the comments. I’ll refrain in the future.
(1) “Sergeant York” with Gary Cooper
(2) “In Harm’s Way” with John Wayne & Kirk Douglas
(3) “High Noon” with Gary Cooper
Yeah, yeah, I know - “High Noon’s” not really a war movie, But it’s a great metaphor for the world we and our country are in right now…the lone cowboy standing “unilaterally” against the barbarians while the townsepeople cower - oh sorry, display their nuance and cultural sensitivity
I remember for a few weeks after 9/11 - before the media decided it had a Higher Duty to act as a fifth column - the American Movie Classics (AMC) network was showing reruns of “Sergeant York” and “High Noon” at least once a week each.
Without a doubt ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and the beach scene. And ofcourse Schindlers List, particularly the end scene where he wonders why he didn’t do more. Band of Brothers would be there aswell hehe.
Yawn, Ewww and Gag? Lol. Don’t hold back there Michelle, tell us what you really think! Atleast it give the rest of us mortals hope
Stay safe and wonderful Blog!
Bruce
For me the one that made the earliest and strongest impression was Midway. I had vivid dreams (not neccessarily nightmares) for weeks afterwards. It sparked an interest in history that has lasted decades.
“Schindler’s List” and “The Pianist” - they remind not only of history’s darkest times, but of our duty to persevere in the good fight against Islamofascism.
As one who was freed by the D-Day invasion, I have to rank The Longest Day as #1. I still tear up when I see these 75-85 year old guys who saved the world and built a country and then saved South Korea for good measure.
Thank you!
allan
Typing as someone who sits on the left hand side of ‘the pond’, I’d go for The Dambusters…reason, Richard Todd, who plays Wing Cdr Guy Gibson, served with 15 Para during WWII & jumped into Normandy on D-Day.
Whilst these days the film might look ‘wooden’, at least its leading man knew just a little about being under fire.
My favorite is Stalag 17 - so full of cleverness, it’s got an antihero (a true entrepeneur), and the proper villain gets killed. What’s not to like?
So many great patriotic movies I have seen over the years. I know you’re asking for a particular movie and scene, but I just wanted to add. Do you remember all those black and white movies where as the main character was slowly talking of what happened in the battlefield that day, in the background they would be playing our National Anthem? And the hair on your arms would stand up, you’d get the chills and think, God what a wonderful country we live in? Those are the movies I miss.
The biggest patriot of them all, the Duke, was in many memorable WWII flicks, including Back to Bataan. Two others that stand out for me are “They Were Expendable” and “Sands of Iwo Jima”
Hi Michelle
My favorite was called ‘A Walk in the Woods’ about a platoon of soldiers on a mission to take a farm house. I saw this in grade school back in the early 60’s in Philadelphia. When the soldiers go over the wall to attack the farmhouse and the Battle Hymn of trhe republic is playing it was inspiring. I wound up spending 4 years in the Marines partly because of this movie. Thanks for your hard work.
“The Memphis Belle”
I watched it with my father when I was about 10. It’s still one of my favorite movies.
Hands down the best WWII movie is the relatively new Saving Private Ryan. I have not seen anything else, besides Band of Brothers, that truly captures what those men had to go through for us today, hooah.
I think one of my favorite WW II movies is “In Harm’s Way” with John Wayne. It had an all star cast and a great storyline.
I agree with your summation of Pitt,Affleck, and
the “metrosexuals” of our time. Swayze is faggy,
and Keanu is WHATEVER. I have always loved the old Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, even James Coburn movies. I really love the movies from the
30’s and 40’s, when men looked like men and acted
like men.
The Manchurian Candidate was a good one. There are lot’s of great old movies I just cannot pick
THE one.
The all time moving movie for me, though, is
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. I fell in love with all the
character and cried my eye’s out each time I saw
it. I think it is one of the all time best movies
from top to bottom that I have seen. It, as well
as thousands of others, made a great impact on me.
I have to say, my tastes in war movies tend to run more to the comic (i.e. Father Goose, Operation Petticoat) or musical (South Pacific) but that’s just me. I enjoy reading about wars more than the big screen visuals - but I do like the older war movies better than the newer. I think depictions of the harsh reality are very necessary for some who can’t wrap their minds around it otherwise - but my own imagination is enough for me.
Great blog, Michelle! I’m enjoying keeping up with you daily!
U-571
Can’t believe it wasn’t mentioned. Rent it if you haven’t seen it. Maybe it appeals to me as a former military officer, but I enjoy the maturing of the Navy Lieutenant in the film. Two examples–when he leaves his wounded captain on the surface and submerges his submarine to complete the mission. . .and the captain smiles because it’s a lesson he was trying to teach him (cried there, I don’t mind my saying), and the scene where the NCOIC asks permission to “speak frankly, sir” and gives him a dressing down about inspiring his men.
Awesome flick. Awesome blog, too! You are just as articulate (more so than many), and just as humourous, I might add, without all the naughty language. You’ll be the queen of blogdom in no time.
Of course, sometimes a little, “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” interspersed with some naughty language is wonderfully cathartic, so I don’t think Emperor Misha or Kim DuToit have anything to worry about. But your blog is my new favorite. Thanks!
Most of the good ones are already mentioned - ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai’ was quite good, also - the scene with the British Commander realizing what he’d actualy done (albiet to save his men from being beaten/starved to death by the Japanese), is piceless.
Personal favorite WWII movie scene - passage of Tom Hank’s character in ‘Saving Private Ryan’, when he looks at Ryan, and says simply ‘Earn this’.
OT - Great blog Michelle.
The best war movie from WWII is “Bataan” from 1943. You have to admire a movie that in the midst of a war that was still in the balence, a film maker and a studio had the guts to show a doomed platoon of men who were fighting a ruthless, evil enemy but who fought because they knew there was a higher purpose. It is a patriotic but at the same time, a realistic film. I wish someone would make something like that now.
In addition to most of those already mentioned:
Sand Pebbles
Where Eagles Dare (more of a spy thing set in WWII, but great nonetheless)
The Dirty Dozen
Tolerance (old, epic silent film)
The Longest Day - best thing for decades, the first black-and-white movie I ever saw that I thought was any good
Saving Private Ryan - good, a level up in moviemaking, but still flawed by some low-hanging Hollywood fruit designed to advance the story (i.e. depending in the sector, the successful charge up the seawall at Omaha beach took between hours and the greater part of the day in reality)
Band of Brothers - Perfection - without a doubt the most accurate piece of historical filmmaking EVER.
“Band of Brothers” is definitely at the top of my list, not least of all because it’s a true story. When I was a young Captain in the Army, the book version was at the top of everyone’s professional reading list, and some of the actions of Dick Winters and Easy Company are still taught to new Lieutenants at the Infantry School. The HBO mini-series (which is now on the History Channel on Monday nights) was superb.
My favorite scene is during the episode concerning the Battle of the Bulge. During an attack on the small Belgian town of Foy, the young officer leading the assault falls apart in the middle of the advance, leaving his troops exposed to murderous German fire. Dick Winters, who is the battalion commander at this point, grabs a trusted subordinate named Ronald Speirs and sends him to take the attack in. Speirs takes off at a run through an open field filled with artillery and machinegun fire, relieves the failed commander, assumes control of the troops, takes the attack onto the objective, then runs straight through the German lines to link up with another American unit on the far side of the town. Then, HE RUNS BACK through the German lines so he can be with his men. AND IT’S ALL TRUE! Talk about heroes…..whenever I see this scene, and I’ve seen it dozens of times, my pulse races and I break out into a sweat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more inspiring.
Great blog MM, can’t get enough.
No one has mentioned “Twelve O’Clock High”?
“Tora! Tora! Tora!” does 7 December 1941 in about half the time of “Pearl Harbor,” without the sappy love triangle, and (best of all) no Ben Affleck.
The Big Red One.
How about Robert Mitchum in Heaven Knows Mr. Allison (1957)?
What a wonderful storyline and great acting by Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr! One could not even imagine that today’s Hollywood would produce such a movie–a macho man and a beautiful woman marooned on a small isle during war–without them boffing each other the very first night.
The two most memorable war movies, at least to me, are “Sahara”(1943) with Humphrey Bogart, an “All Quiet On The Western Front”(1930) with Lew Ayres. I’ve never seen either one in a movie theatre, only on television. The best film of the two is “Sahara” because of Bogart’s acting talent, and tough guy charisma. The most powerful story is “All Quiet…”. I read the book a few years after seeing the movie. It filled in the gaps and smoothed over some of the cardboard cutout characterizations. The story, and Ayres acting talent make this movie memorable.
So many wonderful films mentioned, but my favorite would have to be “Tora! Tora! Tora!”. It was the first WWII film that I saw with real cognizence of its subject matter (or as close as I could get to that at 9 years of age). It really made an impact on me in regard to how I saw the military (and happy thing that it did).
By the way, I love your blog, Michelle, and hope that you decide to keep the comments enabled in the future.
There are so many memorable films from that era. I don’t know where to begin. I have a few favorites that have not already been mentioned.
Proudly We Hail (1943) - A great tribute to the nurses who served on Guadalcanal, many of whom were taken prisoner by the Japanese.
Stage Door Canteen (1943) and Hollywood Canteen (1944) - Musical/comedies that showed the inner workings of the canteens where Hollywood stars served food and entertained the GIs making their way through Los Angeles, many of them going off to combat. They are both lighthearted films and wonderful for one of the things dicussed in your column, Michelle. They are littered with stars playing themselves, who saw their ability to entertain both the troops and the folks at home as a vital part of the war effort, and they contributed their talents whenever they could.
Not to belittle these great older films, but I happen to see a more modern film that while not necessarily addressing the broad issue of patriotism did underscore the noble philosphy behind our military. It was Danny DiVito’s Renaissance Man. I’d suggest equiping your television with a TV Guardian (http://www.tvguardian.com/) before watching it since the language can be bad, but the general idea is one of praise for virtue, nobility and the pride of being a soldier. Robert Redford’s The Last Castle was also a good movie for supporting the concept of the military as a noble institution. These concepts have been under attack by Hollywood and the Left for decades, and instilling a realistic view of Patriotism begins with the acknowledgement that war can be a virtuous exercise, and the military and honorable institution.
Let’s not foret Hollywood changing the villains in The Sum of All Fears from Arabs to neo Nazis. Yeah when was the last time neo Nazi groups (as odious as they are) tried to get WMD’s?
For those that think that Hollywood patriotism is dead, you need to check out “Miracle”. This film does a great job of painting the picture of American malaise in the late 1970’s, and then shows how hard work, strong leadership, and unity under national pride produces a miracle. Patriotism is still there, you just have to look under rocks to find it.
you mention modern actors - here’s one you’ll like - Harrison Ford.
-ron
I have two favorite scenes: 1)In “God is my Copilot” with Dana Andrews there is a scene n which the Japanese officer is questioning Dana and asks for some information. Dana goes back to another room to ask his fellow captured pilots and from the room comes The Battle Hymn of the Republic in loud voices. The look on the Japanese officer’s face is priceless. Also the singing duel in Casablanca when the French singer does le Marsallais (sp) while the Germans in the cafe try to outshout her and the entire room. I always cry at that scene, it was when the French were our allies and were grateful.
Lots to choose from, but one I’ve always liked is the Duke’s The Fighting Seabees (1944) about the C.B.s - the U.S. Navy’s Construction Battalion. Contractors with guns. Very cool. Also the classic British war film In Which We Serve (1941), with Noel Coward and John Mills, about three survivors of the sinking of a Royal Navy destroyer. Had a huge effect on the British public.
But Casablanca is my all time favorite - particularly the scene where the German major asks Bogart if he (Bogart) can imagine the Germans invading London. Bogart says, when you get there, ask me. The major asks, can you imagine us invading New York City? Bogart says, there are some sections of New York City I wouldn’t advise you to invade. I think that’s still true…
Still one of the most moving scenes for me is in one of the unlikeliest films: “Giant.” The character played by Sal Mineo, son of longtime Mexican-American employees on the great ranch and very far down on the social scale, is a sensitive, well-bred and intelligent young man who goes off to WWII. The film shows a newspaper clipping with his picture in uniform, the headline announcing that “local boy coming home… .” The scene cuts to a lonely rail station in the great open plains of Texas; the rail cars begin to pull away, passing in front of the camera, the sunrise lit scene barely visible between the cars as they pass. Suddenly, the train is past and the sound of rumbling wheels fades. The camera hasn’t moved. Standing completely alone in stark silence we see his arrival: a flag-draped coffin lying atop a baggage cart.
That never fails to catch in my throat and moisten my eyes. I always think of my mother’s telling of her whole small Tennessee town turning out in hushed silence for the funeral procession of the town’s first war casualty…these were the young men who saved us all…
Non combat WWII movies would have to be The Caine Munity and Mr. Roberts. Both address leadership issues. Stalag 17 is another great non combat movie. My favorite WWII combat movie is Sands of Iwo Jima. I do have to mention that my favorite scene in any war movie is the Russian Roulette scene in the Deer Hunter. Intense to say the least.
First: Ms. Malkin…great website. You are, without a doubt, one of the best conservative writers today.
2 best war movies I have seen (and the best scenes):
1) The Dirty Dozen - scene in which Donald Sutherland (number 2) gets to play general…dialogue below.
Major John Reisman: Which one of you guys wants to be a general?
Major John Reisman: Pinkley?
Pinkley: What kind of general, sir?
Major John Reisman: Just a plain, ordinary, every day, home-lovin’ American general.
Pinkley: I’d rather be a civilian, sir.
2) The Great Escape - scene with the Cooler King and the Kommandant towards the beginning of the movie.
All mentioned to this point, wonderful choices Band of Brothers would have to be my fav. BUT what about Stalag 17?
In reference to Heidi’s post of June 23rd, it was Colombian terrorists in “Collateral Damage”. The neo-Nazi switcheroo was performed on Tom Clancy’s flick, “The Sum of All Fears”.
It’s gotta be the scene in the dirty dozen when the gang kills all of the german officers and their escorts hiding in the bunkers.
If they remade that movie today, they’d either remove that scene, or leave it in as a way of showing that “Really, there were atrocities committed on both sides.”
The opening scene in “Patton.”
Any scene with Steve McQueen in “The Great Escape.”
All of “The Longest Day,” “A Bridge Too Far,” and “The Dirty Dozen.”
Okay, this sucks. I wanted nothing more than to come in here and say something so powerful, so insightful, so thought-provoking that strong men would stop in their tracks and small children would burst into tears.
And I got nothin’.
Oh, well. Patriotic movie moments. A thousand times yes to everybody who said things like “Band of Brothers” and “The Longest Day.” Great pieces of cinema. But in the middle of an entirely mediocre film there’s a moment that’s stuck with me for years and years. Right in the middle of “Clear and Present Danger” there a montage of scenes of a funeral and an ambush cut together in slow motion over “America the Beautiful.” Just writing about it has literally, no kidding, given me goose-bumps.
While I’m on the subject of moments, there’s one in an old episode of “The West Wing.” One of the lead characters has arranged for an honor guard for a deceased Korean War vet. It’s set over a boy’s choir singing “The Little Drummer Boy” (it’s a Christmas thing). When the Marines fire their volleys over the casket, there’s this split-second shot of one of the characters starting at the sound of the rifle reports. Great moment.
Like you, Michelle, I prefer the pre-1968 war movies. “Patton” is a notable exception. I watched “Back to Bataan” with my 3 teenaged sons a few weeks ago and pointed out to them that it was made during the war. They didn’t miss that the movie supported the country in a time of war. Of all the newer movies the best, for me, is: “We Were Soldiers Once” from Mel Gibson. He and Sam Elliott are both terrific in it and it is a great portrayal of our brave VietNam troops. Mel and Sam would have fit in fine with The Duke, Clark and Mr. Stewart.
John Wayne’s war films (except for the longest day) are lame compared to his westerns. He is too over-the-top macho and gung-ho. Much better are films like Battle Cry (with Van Heflin and James Whitemore) and Twelve O’Clock High. Since You Went Away is a great homefront film.
Speaking of over-the-top macho, I loved the TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep when I was a kid.
1944’s “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” with Van Johnson as Lt. Ted Lawson, one of the incredibly brave B-25 pilots who flew the April 1942 Doolittle raid.
The movie (and Lawson’s book by the same name) are far superior to the laughable protrayal of the raid in the junky “Pearl Harbor.” Alec Baldwin as Jimmy Doolittle? *GAG* Spencer Tracy as Jimmy Doolittle? Oh, YES!
What about “We Were Soldiers”? The scene that gets me is when the men are leaving on the bus to go to war. The character portrayed by Mel Gibson (I can’t remember his name, how embarrassing) made sure he was the first on the ground and the last to leave, the very model of leadership. The inspiring charge up the hill with bayonets fixed. The sergeant major was inspiring as well; he did all the airborne drops in WWII and also fought in the Korean War. I don’t know how much is true and how much is “Hollywood”, but “We Were Soldiers” is an incredibly inspiring movie.
Though I love Patton, it’s more about the man than the war. Midway has always been my favorite WWII movie, even though the love-subplot is awful. There’s an odd mix of pride, irony, and remorse when Bomber 8’s Dauntlesses finally begin to descend on the enemy, and you can feel the exhilaration is just about to peak when one of the pilots calls out, “Commander McClusky! The decks - they’re loaded with bombs!” A second later the flattops start to explode and another one says, “Sweet Jesus! We caught ‘em cold!”
I get chills just typing it.
What? No one has “Pearl Harbor” listed here? Are you all mad? Ben Affleck should have gotten an Academy Award!! Being able to portray a P-40 pilot that also flies a B-25 for Jimmy Doolittle…amazing!
lol.
Favorite “real” WWII movie: Patton
Favorite scene: When Old Blood-N-Guts is up on that hill saying he was there when the Carthaginians had done battle there. “God help me, I love it so.”
Great Blog Michelle - you’re the best!
This was an easy question: 1st place for me, by far, was “Sink the Bismarck”. Good old-fashioned British stiff upper lip and Churchillian determination. And I still like Johnny Horton’s rendition of the theme song.
Other movies I loved were “A Bridge Too Far”, “Memphis Belle”, “The Longest Day”, and (I know this will be viewed as weird) “Paradise Road”.
Best Years of Our Lives…. great film!
I also liked Tora!Tora!Tora! I particularly liked the real file footage interspersed with the re-enactments. Plus, the actors were all the heavyweights of the time… Henry Fonda, Glenn Ford, E. G. Marshall, Jason Robards, and more. It’s a real throwback.
I loved Gibson in “We Were Soldiers”.
I wonder, Mel Gibson is an American born citizen who grew up in Australia (are not all Australians good American material?) … could we get him to do a cage-match with Mikey (The world is an oyster, and I ate it) Moore?
Best WW-II flick has to be Band of Brothers, hands down.
Great article.
Patton’s my favorite WWII movie by far.
My favorite roll-over by Hollywood was the switch from radical islamisists to European neo-nazi’s when they made the film “Sum of all fears.” Imagine how impactful the story, as written, would have been in a film released in 2002!
I am 73 years old and I remember a lot of the old movies of the 2nd WW. Since You Went Away starring Robert Walker, June Allyson, Greer Garson, Joseph Cotton, Shirley Temple, Claudette Colbert,Jennifer Jones and others was one of my favorites. But there were so many others I can’t list them all here.
I still say they ought to exile those Hollywood so-called stars to Iraq or Afghanistan and let them see how great that would be to live under the dictatorships of those or other countries. Maybe they would be a little more appreciative of this country and the freedoms we still possess.
My two favorites have got to be:
1.Sands of Iwo Jima
2.In Harms Way….Kirk Douglas’ line, “What we got here Rock, is a gut bustin’, mother lovin’ Navy war,” is an all time classic.
My favorite scene is from “The Big Red One” in which Lee Marvin is carrying the young French refugee on his shoulders and feeding him apples. The boy succumbs to his starvation and illness, and shows the poignancy of the soldier and his mission and the tragedy of the experience.
Not even Lee Marvin or Steve McQueen could compare to my own father, who dropped out of school at 17 to join the Navy and fight in WWII.
Who needs Hollywood when you’ve got a patriot for a Dad.
Lets see here…..
My personal favorite from World War II is Patton. No question - although the movie is a biography, not an orthodox war story. The opening scene is one of the great film highlights.
However, I’d argue that great patriotic war movies do not necessarily have to be current. Sargeant York, for example, is a World War I story - but it came out and did great good in World War II. Sometimes, it is a Good Thing to remind people of just who they are.
Well, they’ve already been mentioned numerous times, but “Band of Brothers”
and “The Longest Day” are at the top of my list.
Someone mentioned Mel Gibson, though “We Were Soldiers” is about Vietnam, not WW2. Has anyone seen “Attack Force Z” with Mel Gibson? It’s set in the Pacific and Gibson is in the cast, though he wasn’t top billed. Haven’t seen it since I was a kid, but remember it fondly, if a bit vaguely.
A few movies I love: The Audie Murphy Story, A Town like Alice, Anzio, and Gallipoli (yeah, it’s WWI, but those Anzacs were tough and cool). The Audie Murphy story is no Sergeant York, but it’s nicely done and inspirational as well.
I am going with Saving Private Ryan
For those who want a movie about the Pacific war, how about: “McArthur”.
Great film. Gregory Peck’s farewell address to the West Point cadets was magnificent.
Another vote for Patton. And almost any scene (particularly the one Marshall mentions). But it was my first time I saw the politics in war portrayed, and that stuck with me.
Don’t forget OPERATION BURMA with Errorl Flynn and The flying Tigers with John Wayne.
Hmm maybe when a war with as noble and selfless a goal as World War II had is launched for open and honest reasons and isn’t hobbled by politics, dubious methodology and outright incompetence perhaps Hollywood will make a movie of it.
The thing of it is Hollywood has one motive, on I think we can all appreciate, making money. They’re not there to entertain us, they’re there to make profits, they just happen to entertain us while doing so. If there is a market and audience for some sort of whitewash of Vietnam or some jingoistic Dessert Storm then they will make them. That’s not what the American audiences want so they don’t get it. It’s sort of like democracy.
Oh and George Clooney was in Three Kings, he carried, I believe an M-16.
Great article on Hollywood. you might check out a couple of books I wrote spoofing the elite liberals of Hollywood, ‘Hollywood! Must Be Destroyed’, and the sequel, ‘The Lies That Blind’. They are short, funny spoofs of Hollywood written from a conservative/Christian view. I’ll be the first to admit I’m no Tolstoy, but if you want a great laugh at these liberals, check them out at amazon, or http://www.liesthatblind.com
I’ve seen a lot of good war movies and would have a hard time saying which ones were great and which were merely good. The ones that stand out in my mind are “Patton,” “The Longest Day” and the like. But any with John Wayne would definitely go on my list of favorites.
Great blog, Michelle, and I hope the good tone of comments in this thread continues so that you’ll continue to open comments.
Natch, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Das Boot, Where Eagles Dare, Band of Brothers, and Stalag 17. Steve McQueen’s Grandstanding ruined The Great Escape for me. I haven’t seen Battle of the Bulge, Stalag 17, or The Flying Tigers for a while. And, as sleepers, I’d throw in Escape From Sobibor and The Desert Rats.
ty for the wonderful blog.
Hi Michelle!
My favorite WWII movie is 12 O’clock High.
The men of the 8th Air Force paid a tremendous price for the defeat of Hitler.
The stress of facing almost certain death in the same set of circusmtances day after day devastated more than one your American.
God Bless them … they were real heroes!
Marty
Once upon a time we had a war that wasn’t built entirely on lies.
When we were attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor, we didn’t declare war on Bolivia so an unelected drunk could dress up in a pilot costume and boast “Mission Accomplished!”
When we invaded France on D-Day we didn’t find possible evidence of Nazi-related program acitvities…we found the goddamn Nazis.
The patriots in Hollywood were those who turned out for the premiere of Fahrenheit 911, and real Americans across the country are turning out to see it. The antiAmerican scum are the ones trying desperately to shut the film down.
Hi Michelle,
Wonderful blog!
Mel’s “We were soldiers” is a true story of the Vietnam conflict. It recounts our first encounter with massed North Vietnamese troops. The author of the book “We were soldiers, and we were young” (darn, I forget his name) was the actual field commander in the battle and contributed significantly to the movie’s production.
The aforementioned NCOIC (played by Sam Elliot) actually had done what was described in the movie.
The book will make you cry. Heroes all.
A few (of many) outstanding WWII films: “The Longest Day”, “Sands of Iwo Jima”, “A Bridge Too Far”, “Cross of Iron”, “Where Eagle’s Dare”, “Patton”.
Special Mention #1:“To Hell & Back”- The most highly decorated soldier in American history, Audie Murphy was the recipient of some 24 U.S. and foreign awards including three Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor. Although the movie itself is a bit on the low budget side, all the events and heroic deeds depicted are true and were lived through in real life by Audie himself; that is not merely an actor you are seeing on screen, it is an honest to God American Hero.
Special Mention #2: Though not a WWII movie, “The Green Berets” deserves mention. Made in 1968 (the year of the Tet Offensive), it was the first Hollywood movie to depict American involvement in Vietnam. Unlike most subsequent Vietnam war movies, it avoids the now customary/obligatory depiction of American soldiers as rapists, baby killers, drug crazed criminals, etc. and instead depicts American soldiers in a positive and honorable light. Who else but John Wayne would have the courage to make a pro American Vietnam war movie (particularly during the most tumultuous year of that conflict). Most who populate Hollywood today can’t muster up enough courage and patriotism to portray American soldiers in a positive light in Any conflict, much less in their favorite, Vietnam (it’s their favorite because the U.S. “lost”).
Special Mention #3: “Black Hawk Down”- Also does not take place during WWII, but is an excellent war movie. The scene depicting the actions of the Delta sniper team (MSG Gary Gordon and SFC Randall Shughart) at the second crash site is truly gut wrenching. Their heroic, courageous determination in holding off a howling, bloodthirsty mob (literally to the last bullet) ranks in the same class as the Spartans at Thermopylae and Davy Crockett at the Alamo.
-My respects to you, Michelle. You’re great, we Luv ya, keep up the good work!!
A lot of great movies mentioned so far, but I’m surprised nobodies mentioned Battle of Britain yet. Great flying sequences, superb use of the montage before it became cliched, the Germans actually spoke German instead of English with a heavy German accent, and it managed to convey not just the horror and brutality of war but the purpose behind it.
I think the all-time best war movie was “Band of Brothers.” “Saving Private Ryan” was extraordinary, but bogged down by caricatures. Still, it makes a nice companion piece with “Schindler’s List.” The original “All Quiet On the Western Front” is a masterpiece. And I can’t believe no one has mentioned the ultimate true war story: Audie Murphy’s “To Hell and Back.”
How’s this for a dark horse: If Hollywood had tried, really tried, to make a movie that would act as a conservative metaphor for the War on Terror, it could not have done better than the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. I know that’s not what they intended, of course, but it could easily be seen that way. The joke’s on them.
Ah! The days when men were MEN. Now men are in Iraq-Afghanistan fighting to preserve the face of hollyweird latcheys who in turn will make a hero movies out of their backs.
In our short memory capacity,we’ll begin to think the latest pretty boys of the screen is the real one.
At my ripe age,I’m begiining to enjoy “animated” movies rather than putting my money on box office flicks.
There are many movies that bring the 40’s and WW2 to life for me. Some are:
Mrs. Miniver - The Homefront in England
Tora Tora Tora - best for Pearl Harbor
The Longest Day - love Red Buttons
Stalag 17 - another great movie
Battleground - very good about the Bulge
For anyone who wants to see the tragedy of the home front watch The Human Comedy with Mickey Rooney.
The best documentary made on the war and the 40’s was made in 1998 by PBS entitled America in the 40’s hosted by Charles Durning (He is a war hero.)
The White Cliffs of Dover with Irene Dunne is also a must see. The end scene is great.
Band of Brothers is one of the best.
Saving Private Ryan is the first movie I was ever speechless over. My husband and I didn’t talk all the way home. We were stunned.
I’m sure I’ve forgotten many.
Michelle, keep up the good work.
Command Decision with Clark Gable is a great one. Makes a great double feature with Twelve O’Clock High. My Dad flew B24s during the war and says those two get it right. He ended up in a POW camp, so his favorite is the Great Escape. Hell Is For Heroes with Steve McQueen, despite the corny name, is also a good one.
Keep up the great work, Michelle. You and Mark Steyn keep me sane.
One great film few people have heard of is “When Trumpets Fade” (made sometime in the early 90’s, I believe). It deals with the fighting in the Heurtgen Forest in late ‘44, a campaign that most Allied historians would prefer to forget. The movie is brutally accurate and chilling, but the story should not be forgotten. Can probably be found in large video stores.
Add another vote for “The Dirty Dozen” here. And I’m ashamed to say I haven’t seen “Saving Private Ryan” yet.
“Patton” also gets a nod.
I am also going with “To Hell and Back”. It might not be the best picture, but it is certainly the most notable. The story of the most decorated soldier of WWII, played by the soldier himself - Audie Murphy.
Hard to top that!
“Das Boot” (the original in German with subtitles) Interesting perspective from the other side. BTW the German Navy HATED the NAZI’s.
Kelly’s Heroes
Patton
Big Red One
The Longest Day
Von Ryan’s Express
The Great Escape
Band Of Brothers
Oh yeah…MrBenchley is a wanker who is disregards facts because he is either dishonest or stupid.
Saving Private Ryan is a excellant movie with many lessons (while NOT being anti-American).
What they did to “The Sum of All Fears” was crimminal. They took a book that will give you nightmares and made it almost comical!
George C. Scott- Patton. This movie has the ultimate scene, where “old blood and guts” states-”I love it. God help me, I do love it so.”
That was a soldier, not some touchy feely guidance counselor cum peace-keeper.
Has to be Patton, although there are tons of great WWII movie scenes from which to choose. Maybe the best scene from the movie is when Patton hears the message from McAuliffe to the Germans besieging Bastogne and demanding his surrender: “Nuts”. George C. Scott laughs and says, “A man that eloquent has to be saved.”
I also like the climactic scene in “Saving Private Ryan,” where Tom Hanks looks up at Matt Damon on the bridge and tells him to be worth the cost of saving him, and the reaction of the man when the film cuts back to real time. I often think that must give some insight into the mixed emotions survivors of battles must feel.
Best WWII novel, BTW, is The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk. Forget the movie, which only comprises part of the novel and misses its entire main theme of how a young, pampered, sheltered boy went to war and became a wiser, empathetic, and more independent man as a result. A great and subtle metaphor for the United States.
Naval film The Enemy Below. Tense U-Boat/destroyer duel with nice riffs on leadership and friendship in war. Trivia–what other movie could have a Jewish actor playing a German second-in command?
The Pianist is good, though it may not be a WWII movie in the sense you mean.
Although it’s not a war film, one of my favorite scenes is from White Christmas when Bing Crosby, Danny Kay and the troops honor the general by singing “We’ll follow the old man whereever he wants to go”
I get tears in my eyes no matter how many times I watch it!
Thanks for your blog - it is my new go to site at the end of eeah day!