Top 5 War Movies

I spend a lot of my day reading about movies, or rather, films. This really began back in late 2001, when I first discovered IMDB and when IGN was still free (man, those were the days) I read about more films than I had ever heard of. I love finding about new movies that usually go unnoticed in mainstream society. Don’t get me wrong, I do partake in typical Hollywood films religiously. But there is just something about finding that diamond in the rough that makes my day.

I stumbled upon a list linked from IMDB entitled ‘the top 10 most disturbing films of all time.’ I am always intrigued by things like this. I had heard of nearly all of them. But on the user comments, I discovered some war films that I had not heard of before. This got me thinking – what are my favorite war movies? Seeing as this blog has been in countdown mode before, I figured what better to write about than something I love! So here we go, my top 5 war movies (not including Band of Brothers, its a miniseries)

5. Saving Private Ryan

Some people may find this cliche’, but all the positive praise you hear about it is true. It is quite possibly the most realistic look into what actually went on during WWII. Some scenes I can never get out of my head (i.e. the German soldier slowly lowering a knife into an American Soldier’s heart) I was actually going to include Schindler’s List in the mix, but I wanted to tackle movies that deal more with being on the actual battlefield. See this film, its exceptional.

4. The Fighting Sullivans

I stumbled upon this film back in Jr High with my dad. It was on AMC, and for some reason, it was on our TV. I wasn’t too much into movies back then, but this one kept my eyes on the screen. It is a story inspired by true events about a group of 5 brothers growing up in small town Iowa (anytown USA). The film chronicles their lives as children, teenagers, and adults, and eventually them shipping off during WWII. You can’t go into this movie without knowing the story, so I am going to tell you. *SPOILER ALERT!! We learn the USS Juneau has been shot down, and all 5 Sullivan brothers were aboard. None of them survived. The hardest part of this movie was seeing the father’s reaction, as he asks the chaplin, “…all five?” I will never, ever forget this movie. It goes to show that we live in a great country, and very brave people have given their lives for it.

3. Glory

Dated? Not at all. I am surprised that the majority of Civil War films tend to focus on the Confederacy. Glory deals with the first black squadron fighting for the North. And can I say, what an extremely powerful film. Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, and even Matthew Broderick make the best of a very sensitive subject. Most powerful scene: the ending (but I won’t give it away.)

2. The Pianist

Arguably the greatest film to come out in the last 10 years, this film has moved me unlike any other. Roman Polansky’s use of Chopin’s beautiful nocturnes and war-torn imagery create one of the greatest films of all time. There are scenes of extreme violence, desperation, and torment. But there are also underlying themes of redemption and hope. Besides Schindler’s List, this is the only WWII film I have seen where a German figure is seen as sympathetic. I guess it just goes to show how evil can totally overwhelm a person. If you were to see only one World War II movie in your life, this needs to be the one.

1. Full Metal Jacket

This has remained my favorite war movie of all time for the past several years. This movie really packs a punch (what a terrible phrase.) Its like you are getting three movies in one: boot camp, life in Vietnam, find the sniper. I have only seen a handful of Stanley Kubrick’s films, but what I have seen, I have loved. Full Metal Jacket blends humor, wit, action, violence, and tension so perfectly into a masterpiece that can never be topped in my book.

I tend to believe that everyone has heard of Full Metal Jacket, but hardly anyone has seen it. And until you have exprienced Full Metal Jacket, you are missing out on the greatest war movie of all time.

These are my deepest and darkest thoughts on modern day cinema. This list may change soon, as I have recently discovered another movie concerning WWII entitled, “Come and See.” The trailer alone gives me chills. But I will get back to you on that.