| BorisVM |
The kind of movies you enjoy usually says a lot about your personality. Even though it's common to enjoy lighter fare like Jerry Maguire or The Wedding Singer , most guys can't do without a regular dose of war movies. It's all about machismo, testosterone, and things blowing up.
Because there are so many war movies to choose from, I must narrow the scope. To compile this list, I considered movies that deal with 20th century armed conflicts. Also, war must not only be part of the subject matter; the movie must feature the actual depiction of battles, with lots of mayhem and explosions. Sorry Casablanca fans...
Without further ado, here are some of the best war movies ever made.
Number 10
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003CXRA/virtualmacedo-20"]Enemy at the Gates (2001)[/url]
Enemy at the Gates takes place during the German invasion of Stalingrad. If the Nazis win the battle, the Eastern Front will fall. At this point, all that stands in the way is a Russian sniper (Jude Law) who must confront his enemy, a German sniper, (Ed Harris) in the city ruins.
Director Jean-Jacques Annaud directed a film that shows the horror the Russians had to deal with while still capturing the spirit of the fighting men and women. What makes this movie so interesting is that the story turns into a game of cat and mouse. There's enough suffering and mayhem to sustain your attention, and your woman might even want to watch the tumultuous love triangle.
Best line: "Vodka is a luxury we have. Caviar is a luxury we have. Time is not."
Number 9
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000059HAI/virtualmacedo-20"]Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)[/url]
Imagine the 2001 blockbuster Pearl Harbor but without Ben Affleck coming back from the dead and the cheesy dialogue. What you get is Tora! Tora! Tora! , a fascinating look at the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the events that led up to it. Being a co-production between Japan and the United States, this film offers an unbiased look at both sides of the story.
The movie establishes how a series of mistakes were directly responsible for the success of the Japanese raid on the Hawaiian naval base. Unfortunately, the film lacks a strong central character for the audience to root for, but this is swiftly redeemed during the explosive 30-minute battle sequence in which the American ships are bombed. It's as exciting as any action movie while being exceptionally historically accurate.
Best line: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."
Number 8
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005ATQF/virtualmacedo-20"]Full Metal Jacket (1987)[/url]
It's the 1960s and young men are preparing for their tour of duty in Vietnam. Matthew Modine and Vincent D'Onofrio's characters are among a
horde of recruits put through their paces at a Marine Corps boot camp, where they learn to stop thinking as individuals but rather as a unit. Then, Modine's "Private Joker," learns firsthand that dehumanizing is the only way to cope with the terror encountered in the country.
One of Stanley Kubrick's last films, it endorses boot camp methods as adequate methods of survival -- essentially portraying this theme differently than contemporary movies. The intense search for a sniper in the city ruins illustrates this admirably. Arguably a tough movie to sit through, the highlight is the award-winning performance of real-life former drill sergeant R. Lee Ermey, who turns ritual debasement into an art form.
Best line: "A rifle is only a tool. It's a hard heart that kills. If your killer instincts are not clean and strong you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not kill. You will become dead Marines. And then you will be in a world of sh*t. Because Marines are not allowed to die without permission! Do you maggots understand?"
Number 7
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767802470/virtualmacedo-20"]Das Boot (1981)[/url]
Watching a war movie often causes viewers to demonize the enemy. In Das Boot , filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen offers a distressing look at how a German U-boat crew, led by Captain Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Jrgen Prochnow), deals with being marooned at the bottom of the sea. Never has crossing the Strait of Gibraltar been more enthralling.
A heart-pounding thriller, Das Boot is about how the high spirits of young sailors are quickly shattered when they realize that submarine duty isn't as glamorous as they suspected. This is definitely the best submarine movie ever made, in which the screws of suspense are constantly tightened and viewers feel as claustrophobic as its characters.
Best line: "They won't catch us this time! Not this time! They haven't spotted us! No, they're all snoring in their bunks! Or, you know what? They're drinking at the bar, celebrating our sinking! Not yet, my friends. Not yet!"
Number 6
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003CX74/virtualmacedo-20"]Three Kings (1999)[/url]
It's 1991 and the Gulf War just ended. While nobody's sure if they're allowed to shoot enemy soldiers, a motley band of troops made up of Maj. Archie Gates (George Clooney), SFC Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) and SSG Chief Elgin (Ice Cube), discover a secret map leading to some of Saddam's stolen gold. Attempting to steal it for themselves, the boys discover that a great part of the Iraqi population was rising up against the dictator, but the American government stopped supporting them once the war ended.
In the great tradition of adventure war films, the American would-be thieves have to choose between getting rich and helping the vulnerable rebels flee their country. A departure for war movies, Three Kings is actually a comedy. Sure, there are incredible action sequences and visual effects (witness the bullet wound demonstration and bunker gunfight), but the endless jokes help us understand one aspect of the Gulf War -- namely, how consumerism replaced ideology as a reason for waging war.
Best line: "You know you're on the path to truth when you smell sh*t, isn't that what they say?"
Number 5
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005OWEG/virtualmacedo-20"]Apocalypse Now (1979)[/url]
It's the middle of the Vietnam War and Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a top-secret mission in Cambodia to assassinate a fellow American soldier (Marlon Brando) who has gone mad and is acting like God among a local tribe. Willard hitches a ride with a patrol boat and encounters not only battles, but also war-torn individuals.
A bona fide masterpiece of American cinema, Francis Ford Coppola turned Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness into a film that delves into the true consequences of war on individuals. This is not a movie about heroes; it's about the kind of insanity where comfort is found in the small pleasures of life, like surfing or firebombing villages from helicopters. The latter is underscored by Wagner's signature music playing in the background. It's not a film for the fainthearted.
Best line: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
Number 4
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00003CX97/virtualmacedo-20"]The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)[/url]
This is the true story of how the Japanese used prisoners of war to build a bridge crucial to the war effort. William Holden stars as Major Shears, a selfish and cynical American who manages to escape from the prison camp. But idealistic Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) sets out to prove that the British can build the best possible bridge, which gives his men a reason to live. Later, Holden leads an international commando back into the jungle to destroy the bridge.
Director David Lean had a way of making The Bridge on the River Kwai more than an action movie, as it takes the time to explore themes of obsession, honor and heroism. Guys looking for an action film with gunfights and explosions (the bridge blowing up is pretty impressive for its time) will be satisfied with this classic, especially since it also makes viewers think .
Best line: "Do not speak to me of rules. This is war! This is not a game of cricket!"
Number 3
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005AUJQ/virtualmacedo-20"]Platoon (1986)[/url]
This is the story of Private Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen), an idealist who volunteers to fight in Vietnam but soon realizes that war is indeed hell. What's even more disheartening is that his platoon is divided into those who support the hippie Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), and those rooting for Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), a brutal killing machine. They must not only fight the enemy, but themselves.
The early '80s were replete with movies about Vietnam. Mostly, they were about war heroes having trouble adjusting to life back home or returning to rescue forgotten POWs, against all odds. In Platoon , Oliver Stone was inspired by his own experiences as a foot soldier and it ended up as one of the most realistic war movies in American history. The battles are chaotic and gruesome, which really gives the viewer an idea of how scary it was to be in Vietnam in those days.
Best line: "Somebody once wrote: "Hell is the impossibility of reason." That's what this place feels like. Hell."
Number 2
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00001ZWUS/virtualmacedo-20"]Saving Private Ryan (1998)[/url]
It begins on D-Day, the greatest invasion of the greatest war in history. U.S. Rangers are spearheading the attack on Omaha Beach, and after hours of bitter fighting and thousands of casualties, the Allies finally have a foothold on Europe. But the Ryan family has seen three of their sons die for their country. This is when General George C. Marshall sends a patrol deep into enemy territory to inform Private Ryan (Matt Damon), the sole surviving son, that he's got a ticket home. Is it justifiable to risk the lives of eight men to save the life of one? That is one of the questions this film asks viewers.
Although the Oscar-winning Schindler's List had brought World War II back in the spotlight in the early '90s, war movies were given a fresh breath in 1998 when Steven Spielberg teamed up with Tom Hanks. What they made was the fundamental war movie, one of the most violent and unflinching looks at what combat was really like. The Omaha Beach landing is definitely one of the most realistic battles ever committed to film and if the visuals don't make you feel like you're actually there, the sound effects sure as hell will.
Best line: "I just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel."
Number 1
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008YLV2/virtualmacedo-20"]Black Hawk Down (2001)[/url]
Black Hawk Down is based on a little military operation that most people have forgotten about. In 1993, U.N. forces were sent to Somalia to aid the country torn by civil war. Elite American soldiers, including those portrayed by Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Tom Sizemore, go into the city to capture some warlords, but the mission drags on into the night when two helicopters are shot down and people must be rescued. The nighttime showdown is absolutely breathtaking.
Not only is this a magnificent war film, expertly directed by Ridley Scott, it is also a Jerry Bruckheimer production, which means that a lot of resources were used in order to make this the ultimate guy movie. To make matters even more nerve-wracking, the film is inspired by actual events. In the tradition of Saving Private Ryan , it's a violent sensorial attack that makes you appreciate just how valiant these boys really were.
Best line: "Nobody asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns out that way."
honorable mention
[url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005PJ8O/virtualmacedo-20"]Patton (1970) [/url]
This list would be incomplete without mentioning one of the best war films ever made. The reason it doesn't get a higher spot is because it lacks explosions and epic battles. Patton is the tale of World War II General George S. Patton, one of the most ******ted military commanders in U.S. history. We follow his story from his days in North Africa to the Italian campaign and all the way through to the invasion of Germany.
On the one hand, Patton was a genius. A brilliant military strategist, he knew all about history and the arts. On the other hand, he was an egomaniac goofball in love with his own image. He even believed he was the reincarnation of past military heroes. Still, that's what made him -- and the movie -- so fascinating. As played by George C. Scott, he was a cool, self-confident conqueror who was larger-than-life in every ******t (this can especially be witnessed in the fiery opening speech).
Best line: "Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." |
| achtung_panzer |
Da de, i "Deer Hunter" e voen film, ama ete ne se najde na listata...
Moja top 10 lista voeni filmovi:
10. Lepa sela lepo gore:
Nikoj ne ne' razbira nas kako nie samite, i sose site titlovi i fusnoti za da im se objasni na zapadnive samoljubivi tuturutki shto se sluchuva i koj e koj vsushnost... za zhal nema onolku specijalni efekti kolku shto bi trebalo da ima pristoen voen film (a mnogu povekje drama na taa smetka)...
9. Кurskata bitka:
Ruski film sniman nekade 1960-tite, se prikazhuva edna od najgolemite bitki vo istorijata na choveshtvoto (najgolema spored brojot na vojnici na obete strani, Crvenata Armija vs. Vermachtot). Mnogu dolg film (kako vsushnost i samata bitka), ima nekolku delovi, posebno jak e delot so bitkata kaj seloto Prohorovka (najgolema oklopna bitka vo istorijata spored brojot na oklopni vozila na obete strani). Raka na srce, specijalnite efekti nekogash i ne se na nivo (sepak toa se '60-tite) a i kvalitetot na snimkata nekogash ne e na posakuvanoto nivo...
8. Battle for Britain:
Pochetokot na otvoreniot konflikt megju Tretiot Rajh i Britanija. Churchill e svesen deka bitkata za Francija e zagubena i gi povlekuva ostatocite od vozduhoplovite shto gi ima vo Francija za sosema izvesnata nacistichka invazija...
Prekrasni snimki na vozdushni borbi megju germanski i britanski lovci, site avioni vo filmot se originalni od togashniot arsenal na RAF i Luftwaffe... blagi znaci na amaterizam koga se raboti za specijalnite efekti i malku povekje drama od voobichaeno za voenite filmovi...
7. Das Bot
Super popularnata TV serija pretvorena vo film. Nema onolku izgoren barut, krv i destrukcija kako vo klasichniot voen film, sepak ima adrenaline rush shto go nosi vojuvanjeto;
6. Downfall
Poslednite denovi na Tretiot Rajh, Hitler e skrien vo bunker vo okolinata na Berlin dodeka Crvenata Armija bezmilosno i nezadrzhlivo go stega obrachot okolu posledniot nacistichki bastion. Pristojna kolichina na specijalni efekti (vo shto evropjanite se tradicionalno slabi), kvalitetna drama... soliden voen film...
5. Dirty dozen
Kako mozhe da se zaboravi ovaa klasika od voen film, iskreno me chudi kako ne se nashol na listata od pogore; se' sami klasichni holivudski zvezdi (bez John Wayne fala bogu); T. Savalas, Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin... pukanje ima vo zadovolitelni kolichestva, na momenti duri e i zabavno (gledlivo duri i za zhensko)...
4. Thin Red Line
Izvonreden film za bitkata kaj Gvadalkanal, grupa marinci se ostaveni sami na sebe da se branat od japonskite sili odlichno vkopani... krvavenje i pukanje kolku sakash, prikaznata dobra... specijalnite efekti za sekoja pochit;
3. We were soldiers
Mel Gibson vo uloga na polkovnik vo amerikanskata vojska ispraten vo Vietnam na pochetokot od vojnata so novoto amerikansko oruzhje- helikopterot... izobilstvo na pirotehnika, odlichna prikazna, solidni sporedni ulogi, vistinska poslastica za ljubitelite na ovoj zhanr filmovi;
2. Apocalypse Now
Ushte eden od klasicite na voenite filmovi, iskreno se mislam zoshto ne go stavam na prvo mesto... mozhebi zaradi premnogu droga niz filmot? Ne mora da se drogirate, akterite vo ovoj film toa go pravat za vas, taman so muzikata (Doors) isto kako da ste duvnale joint.
Pred nekolku godini niz kinata beshe prikazhana Redux verzijata na ovoj film, site snimki koi ne se nashle koga prvpat go pushtile filmot za prikazhuvanje (a ne se nashle zaradi preterana grozomornost). Zadolzhitelen naslov vo kolekcijata na ljubitelite na voeni filmovi.
1. Saving private Ryan
Zarem ima neshto da se dodade okolu vekje dadenite komentari za edno od remek-delata ne samo na voeniot film... Ednostavno filmov e odrednica za standardite na snimanje na voeni filmovi, site drugi naslovi prvin se sporeduvaat so ovoj... i specijalnite efekti, i inovativnata kamera, i glumata; se' e standard za idnite voeni filmovi.
Sledejkji go formatot na prethodnata lista, eve i honorable mention:
Full Metal Jacket
Odlichna prikazna, efektni dijalozi, pirotehnika na visoko nivo, kvalitetna gluma. Zasluzhuva specijalno mesto vo kolekcijata voeni filmovi. Najgolem vpechatok- dijalozite, ednostavno sami se vrezhuvaat vo sekjavanjeto. Eden od niv, na samiot pochetok, sgt. Hartman im se "predstavuva" na novite regruti:
"I'm gunnery sergeant Hartman, your senior drill instructor. From now on, the only words that will come out from your filthy sours will be sir yes sir. Do you maggots understand that?
"Sir yes, sir!"
"Bullshit! I can't hear you, sounds like you have a pair!"
"Sir yes, sir!"
"If you ladies leave my island, if you survive my recruit training, you will be minister of death, poised for war. Until then, you are lowest form of life on earth, you are pukes, you are grab assdick pieces of amfibian shit... You will not like me because I'm hard, but the more you hate me the more you'll learn. There is no racial bigotry here, I don't look down on kikes, niggers, wasps or greasers, for me you are all equally worthless!"
A sledniov dijalog e legendaren (i kopiran vo nekolku drugi filmovi):
"Where are you coming from, scumbag?"
"Texas, sir!"
"Holly dogshit! Only steers and queers come from Texas. And you ain't lookin' like a steer to me, so that kind of narrows it down!"
Aj ushe malku i dosta e:
"Your ass looks like 150 pounds of chewed bubblegum private Pile! I bet you if there was a pussy on that obstacle, you would have made it!"
I ushe eden za kraj:
"Are you a fagget, do you suck dicks?"
"Sir, negative sir!"
"Bullshit, I bet you could suck a golfball through a garden hose!" |