best WWII film

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Welcome to the Forums Business. S!

I disagree, it's in the top ten, and it's only there due to the opening scene. The film itself is kind of contrived. Das Boot was better all around, so is The Bridge, Tora! Tora! Tora! or Cross of Iron. Honestly, as a film, I even think Kelly's Heroes is better.

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I'd say Tora Tora Tora for me. The only part they left out were the Enterprise's Dauntlesses getting shot up. They even had the B-17s.

Greg

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-General Winfield Scott Hancock at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863

A Bridge Too Far

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One more soldier reporting sir
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I'm sure everyone is sick of me saying it, but once again I say BATTLEGROUND!!!!

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Honestly, now that I think of it, every time I see SPR I like it less. It's just too cheesey. A squad with an Italian, Jew, hillbilly, smart guy, smart ass, shy guy, and the slavic sergeant (at least they thought of a name besides kowalski), risk their booty for one guy, fighting the lying, sneaky, dirty SS the whole time. I can't place my finger on it, I like the movie, but it seems more and more cheesey all the time. It reminds me of one of the movies made during the war or something, ALMOST propagandaish. Plus, they say the name of the movie in the movie. Cheesey. And the whole last stand thing at the end, where a seemingly very small group of infantry takes on not only that huge german unit, but 4 tanks, at least one halftrack if i remember right, and more. I don't know, I just don't like it much anymore.

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I agree with you Doc Raider. When I first saw the film I was just getting intrested in ww2. But now that I've watched a Bridge Too Far, Longest Day and other war films, it doesn't seem to have the effect as others do. And also, compared to Band of Brothers Saving Private Ryan seems so small.
By the way, I've never heard of Battle ground before ( [img]redface.gif[/img] ). Whats it like ?

Jet

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And when he gets to heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I have served my time in hell

I think DR means the 1949 black-and-white movie 'Battleground' starring Van Heflin and John Hodiak.

Probably the best 'Battle of the Bulge' film ever and still available on VHS.

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I really liked Enemy at the gates, but it should have been longer.
Saving Private Ryan was good too.

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Go-Flames-Go

Thanks Martin.
I agree Brad, Enemy at the Gates was a great film but would of been better if it was a little bit longer. I feel though it lacked the emotion that Band of Brothers, Battle of the Buldge (the film) and even Saving Private Ryan possess. But the battle at the beginning and the planes attacking the soldiers in the boats showed what it was like, and when the men are shoved off the trains.

Jet

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And when he gets to heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I have served my time in hell

would of like to have seen Private Ryan and Enemy at the Gates follow the truth to it's end, but this is the case with all war movies, throw in the fictional characters and the rest of the war into one two hour flick.......the heck with reality.

E

I enjoyed Enemy at the Gates also, especially the first 15 minutes. It gave you a good feel of what so many red-army soldiers went thru, when their commanders used them as nothing more than sheep.

I would have liked less of the women(love interest) and more of PAPA? (The guy with the metal teeth) his sniper companion that gets killed. The ten minutes or so he was in the film was great.

I also agree on EATG--I liked it through and through, and I liked SPR--but--personally I like movies like: Decision Befor eDawn--which was in Black and White and filmed just a few years after the war--using real German Tanks and other equipment and many of the extras were real German soldiers. This movie starred Richard Basehart os Lt Rennik, Werner Graf as "Happy" and Hans-Christian Bleth as "Tiger." Oh and a yound Klaus Kinski was in this movie--I forget what role he played.

Another great movie was made in 1955 in color and was written by Erich Maria Remarque--the one who also wrote: "Alls Quiet on the Western Front" This movie is: "A Time To Love and a Time To Die" starred John Gavin as a German Obergefrieter on the Eastern Front. Not much action in it but--this is one of the finest war films I have ever seen.

Battleground is and will always be one of my favorites as well as Kellys Heroes and Where Eagles Dare. I think all of these beat SPR and I liked EATG better than SPR--but also maybe im a bit biased as I like anything to do with Stalingrad.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

For those who have not seen this yet. A thread I started a little while ago based on Crapgame's research. Lot of WWII films in there with accompanying links to Internet Movie DataBase.

http://www.ww2forums.com/cgi-bin/ubb...=000107#000001

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I've only been able to watch about half of Decision before Dawn, it's hard to find on the T.V.

The uniforms and equipment are great though.

Carl, good second choice I've read that book and seen the movie. It gives you a little feel for what took place in Germany "behind the lines"

Thanks Mike and congrats on you "award" I absolutly love Decision Before Dawn--it had that Film Noir feeling to it. Ive got it on tape and im going to see if I can have the tape copy transferred to a DVD disk. This is until they put it out on DVD then ill buy the real thing.

I think this movie was originally from a book called: "They Call it Treason." which is a VERY hard out of print book to find. Last I saw a copy go for --it went for around $80.00.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

$80.00 for a book. That must be one good book. Could you tell me a little bit more about it again please. Thanks

Jet

__________________
And when he gets to heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I have served my time in hell

Hi Jet--this book was a paperback printed in the late 1940s or early 1950s. As far as I know--it hasnt been reprinted since then.

Basically--the book the movie is based on is about captured German Soldiers who are recruited by the Allies. They endure training and sent on milkrun missions until they prove themselves. Then they are sent behind the German lines to gather info on troop movements for the allies.

Once they get the info required--they are to report back to Allied lines. In the movie--the recruited soldier nicknamed "Tiger" went with Lt Rennik to Mannheim--and "Happy" was dropped elsewhere. "Happy" eventually and barely makes it to where the others are in Mannheim.

The mission gets compromised fro "Happy" somewhat early on as he is being followed by some Gestapo--who are posing as ordinary German SOldiers. One gains his trust somewhat and they travel together--which is fine for "happy" but his companion is actually just doing this as a way to "keep an eye on happy" making his job easier.

Something goes wrong and "Happy" discovers it and does his best to move along--and then eventually heads to Mannheim--where his two companions are.

They get turned in to authorities by "Tigers" nephew--who is in the Hitler Youth and is out to make a name for himself.

These 3 men just barely escapt the Gendarmerie and along the way--"Tiger" decides he no longer wants par tof the group--attempt to flee and is killed bu Lieutnant Rennik.

Rennik and "Happy" swim for freedom--making the first way through the lines--but "Happy" has to give up because of his bad leg and turns himself over to German Authorities. Rennik is the only one to make it back---alive.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Definately not the best, in my opinion, but very good for sure. [img]smile.gif[/img]

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