What is your absolute favorite scene in a war movie?

Some great scenes I liked from: The Winds of War and War and Remembrance Mini-series include:

When Captain Victor "Pug" Henry went to Russia and visited a Russian General at the front-and the scenes you see thereof.

The opening scenes from: The Longest Day-where you see a man trying to run away from some Germans persuing him in a staff car-who then shoot him and the officer steps out of the vehicle and snatches and opens the briefcase the Frenchman had been trying to get away with.

 

I like the scene in Enemy at the Gates where the main soviet character finally gets the main German character (names escape me). They just look at each other and with no hesitation at all he just shoots him in the head.

 

My favourite WW2 movie scene would be the beach landing in the movie Saving Private Ryan.

 

Loved the scene in Empire of the Sun, when Jim salutes the Japanes pilots, and the sparks from the welding are flying behind them...get chills every time I see that scene.

 

There are two very powerful scenes in the movie Red Dawn that I like.
The first is when the Air Force Colonel is explaining the situation as he knows it.
One of the Partisans asks "is anyone with us" in which the colonel replys "6 million screaming Chinamen" another asks "I thought there where 6 billion screaming chinamen" The camp then goes quite as the group relizes the gravity of the situation

The other scene is near the end of the movie when the "Wolverines" ambush the Russian commandos sent to kill them. The group captures one of the commandos and then relize that Daryle (one of thier own) has betrayed them. When they go to execute the Russian and the traitor the Russian looks at Daryle and says something along the lines of "We both die today, will you call me brother?"

Powerful stuff

 

Morning all,

I'll have to echo some earlier posts here.

The final scene in Ryan was very moving for me.

The final scene in Das Boot was also excellent. They had gone through so much only to be destroyed in port.

David

 

Again opening scenes in private ryan.james cann's character in bridge too far when he pulls a gun on the surgeon and tells him to look at his officer.

 

I don't have an all time favorite, but some scenes that I really enjoyed are:

Tora! Tora! Tora!: Two American naval officers saluting during colors when an Aichi D3A1 Val flies over them. One officer turns to the other and says, "Get that guy's number Dick! I'll report him for safety violations!" The Val makes a direct hit on a building. Mayhem ensues.

A Bridge Too Far: The German offer to "surrender", and Colonel Frost's reply.

Where Eagles Dare: Major Smith's double and triple cross.

The Longest Day: The Ox and Bucks assault on Pegasus Bridge, and Red Buttons getting hung up in Sainte Mère-Eglise.

Das Boot: The tanker scene. Very harrowing.

The Dambusters: 617 Squadron's strike against the Mohne Dam.

Cross of Iron: Stransky showing his incompetence, and Steiner laughing his ass off.

The Bridge on the River Kwai: Colonel Nicholson getting his way, and being released from the oven amidst the cheers of his men.

Gettysburg: The 20th Maine's stand on Little Round Top.

 

Hi Jack, though I can't access Utube, I know the scene you talk about and agree that it's a powerful scene. The 1930 version of this movie is my favorite of the two. Lou Ayers, Louis Wohlheim (Kaz) and Slim Summerville were great in it. It's a shame that Slim Summerville passed away shortly after this film was made as he was one of my favorite actors of that era.

 

General Savage's opening speech to the crews of the 918th recommending that they consider themselves already dead, etc. Favorite WWII film, too.



dean

 

Those are two of my favorites, also.

Platoon: When Sgt. Barnes marches back(under fire) to the Lt. that called in the messed up fire mission and knocks the crap out of him.

 

Hi Dean, I have to agree with you that Gregory Peck was excellent at his craft in that great movie: Twelve O'Clock High. this movie is one of my all-time most favorites. If I could post pictures, i'd post an original B&W Studio release photo that shows Peck as Savage in flight gear-smoking a Cigar.

 

Thanks for your appreciation of my choice, C. Evans. I fell in love with Twelve O'Clock High when I was about seven years old watching the TV series. Didn't see the film until I was in college. I'm a big fan of the AAF/USAF. Avatar is a giveaway.


dean

 

Hi Dean, thanks and, I was fortunate to have Parents who loved great actors and great Cinema. Also, Twelve O'Clock High is special to me because my Dad was a Ball Turret Gunner in a B-17-44-45 8th AF.

Great avatar BTW.

 

After watching "A Bridge too far" I saw another one of my favorite scenes:

The troops of the 101st Abn. run down a road, with Eliott Gould in lead, with fast-paced music coming on as they dash for the Zon bridge. Suddenly the Bridge explodes and the music stops. Gould moves up to inspect the damage, two shells explode in the river near him. He is unmoved. Sprayed with water, and chomping a soaking cigar, he turns around and says, "Sh**..."

BTW Gould's Character, as I heard from the screenwriter, is the only fictional character in the movie played by a major actor. Interesting.

 

I liked the scene in: The Eagle Has Landed-where the character played by Larry Hagman, was killed by a little ol Lady.

 

Kelly's Heroes: The scene where the squad just got strafed by their own air force. Then Crapgame b*tches about lugging the 30cal machinegun.

Platoon: The first firefight scene.

SPR: The scene where they take the German bunker with the flamethrower.

 

You all listed many of my favorites so I'm reaching for one here:
Not sure if this counts as a scene, but I love the opening credit montage from Cross Of Iron YouTube - Cross of Iron -- Beginning a great mix of patriotism, innocence, the violence of war and defeat with music to match.

 

saving private ryan- at the beginning in the small town an american knocks the wood into the side of the building and it caves in and they all start shouting then 2 americans hose down all the germans with thomies

 

This scene in Winter war: Russian human-wave. Defenders are shocked.