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| WWII Films & TV Any WW2 Movie is fair game |

May 31st, 2008, 03:50 PM
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Re: Best World War II Films
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"Das Boot"(1981) War from the other side. This sometimes self-serving German film overplays the ideas of Germans as inherently anti-Nazi. It nonetheless captures the claustrophobic, tense, dirty, terrorized world of underwater combat better than any movie before or after. Skip the English dubbed version, marketed as "The Boat. "
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Go and take a hike.
Not all Germans were party members and fanatical Nazis, give me a break.
Well the hell is STALINGRAD in that list?
More to the point where the hell is DOWNFALL as well?
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 Man of the Year 1942
Regards, Richard
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May 31st, 2008, 04:13 PM
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Re: Best World War II Films
I watche "How I won the War" with John Lennon again last night. That one just cracks me up LOL. Alaways brings a smile to my face and so historically accurate  . LOL
How I Won the War (1967)
How I Won the War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.
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May 31st, 2008, 09:29 PM
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Re: Best World War II Films
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Originally Posted by JCFalkenbergIII
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JC, what's this one about? I've heard of it but never seen it.
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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.
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May 31st, 2008, 09:45 PM
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Re: Best World War II Films
Here ya go  .
Overview
The film stars Michael Crawford as bungling British Army Officer Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody, with John Lennon (Musketeer Gripweed), Jack MacGowran (Musketeer Juniper) Roy Kinnear (Musketeer Clapper) and Lee Montague (Sergeant Transom) as soldiers under his command. The film uses an inconsistent variety of styles — vignette, straight–to–camera, and, extensively, parody of the war film genre, docu-drama, and popular war literature — to tell the story of 3rd Troop, the 4th Musketeers (a fictional regiment reminiscent of the Royal Fusiliers) and their misadventures in the Second World War. This is told in the comic/absurdist vein throughout, a central plot being the setting-up of an “Advanced Area Cricket Pitch” behind enemy lines in Tunisia, but it is all broadly based on the landings in North Africa in 1942 to the advance on the Rhine following Arnhem.
[edit] Principal Character and Plot
The main character, Lieutenant Goodbody, is an inept, idealistic, naïve, and almost relentlessly jingoistic wartime–commissioned (not regular) officer. One of the main subversive themes in the film must be the platoon’s repeated attempts or temptations to kill or otherwise rid themselves of their complete liability of a commander. In fact, with dead-weight heavy ironics, while Lieutenant Goodbody’s ineptitude and attempts at derring-do lead to the gradual demise of his entire unit, Goodbody survives, together with one of his charges who finishes the film confined to psychiatric care and the unit’s persistent deserter. In a heavy macabre device, each deceased soldier is replaced by a silent, ghostly figure in complete period uniform whose face is obscured by netting, and whose uniform from head to toe is brightly coloured red / green / orange etc.
[edit] Narrative and Themes
Goodbody narrates the film retrospectively, more or less, while in conversation with his German officer captor, 'Odlebog', at the Rhine bridgehead in 1945. From their duologue emerges another key source of subversion — the two officers are in fact united in their class attitudes and officer-status contempt for (and ignorance of) their men. While they admit that the question of the massacre of Jews might divide them, they equally admit that it is not of prime concern to either of them. Goodbody’s jingoistic patriotism finally relents when he accepts his German counterpart’s accusation of being, in principle, a Fascist. They then resolve to settle their disagreements on a commercial basis (Odlebog proposes selling Goodbody the last intact bridge over the Rhine), (in the novel this is identified as Remegen) which could be construed as a satire on unethical business practices and Capitalism. This sequence also appears in the novel. Fascism amongst the British is previously mentioned when Gripweed (Lennon's character) is revealed to be a former follower of Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists, though Colonel Grapple (played by Michael Hordern) sees nothing for Gripweed to be embarrassed about, stressing that "Fascism is something you grow out of".
How I Won the War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
__________________
For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.
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June 2nd, 2008, 08:56 AM
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Re: Best World War II Films
I have to politely disagree that Casablanca shouldn't be on the list I agree it's a love story but the background is about World War II. Not everything in that happened in the war is about soldiers. There were refugees, too. And that is why I think Casablanca fits the bill. Maybe I'm biased about this film because it's one of my favorites.
Though I am disappointed that Longest Day nor Tora, Tora Tora didn't make the author's list, he did admit that his list was a subjective one. Since he included Casablanca and Enemy at the Gates, I think one of his criteria is entertainment value. It seems historical accuracy was not a high priority for him. Still, his list is a good listing of very watchable movies.
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June 3rd, 2008, 11:10 PM
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Re: Best World War II Films
Quote:
Originally Posted by JCFalkenbergIII
Here ya go  .
Overview
The film stars Michael Crawford as bungling British Army Officer Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody, with John Lennon (Musketeer Gripweed), Jack MacGowran (Musketeer Juniper) Roy Kinnear (Musketeer Clapper) and Lee Montague (Sergeant Transom) as soldiers under his command. The film uses an inconsistent variety of styles — vignette, straight–to–camera, and, extensively, parody of the war film genre, docu-drama, and popular war literature — to tell the story of 3rd Troop, the 4th Musketeers (a fictional regiment reminiscent of the Royal Fusiliers) and their misadventures in the Second World War. This is told in the comic/absurdist vein throughout, a central plot being the setting-up of an “Advanced Area Cricket Pitch” behind enemy lines in Tunisia, but it is all broadly based on the landings in North Africa in 1942 to the advance on the Rhine following Arnhem.
[edit] Principal Character and Plot
The main character, Lieutenant Goodbody, is an inept, idealistic, naïve, and almost relentlessly jingoistic wartime–commissioned (not regular) officer. One of the main subversive themes in the film must be the platoon’s repeated attempts or temptations to kill or otherwise rid themselves of their complete liability of a commander. In fact, with dead-weight heavy ironics, while Lieutenant Goodbody’s ineptitude and attempts at derring-do lead to the gradual demise of his entire unit, Goodbody survives, together with one of his charges who finishes the film confined to psychiatric care and the unit’s persistent deserter. In a heavy macabre device, each deceased soldier is replaced by a silent, ghostly figure in complete period uniform whose face is obscured by netting, and whose uniform from head to toe is brightly coloured red / green / orange etc.
[edit] Narrative and Themes
Goodbody narrates the film retrospectively, more or less, while in conversation with his German officer captor, 'Odlebog', at the Rhine bridgehead in 1945. From their duologue emerges another key source of subversion — the two officers are in fact united in their class attitudes and officer-status contempt for (and ignorance of) their men. While they admit that the question of the massacre of Jews might divide them, they equally admit that it is not of prime concern to either of them. Goodbody’s jingoistic patriotism finally relents when he accepts his German counterpart’s accusation of being, in principle, a Fascist. They then resolve to settle their disagreements on a commercial basis (Odlebog proposes selling Goodbody the last intact bridge over the Rhine), (in the novel this is identified as Remegen) which could be construed as a satire on unethical business practices and Capitalism. This sequence also appears in the novel. Fascism amongst the British is previously mentioned when Gripweed (Lennon's character) is revealed to be a former follower of Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists, though Colonel Grapple (played by Michael Hordern) sees nothing for Gripweed to be embarrassed about, stressing that "Fascism is something you grow out of".
How I Won the War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thank you JC ;-)) I might give this one a try at some point. ;-))
__________________
Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.
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June 4th, 2008, 04:19 AM
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Ace
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Re: Best World War II Films
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Originally Posted by C.Evans
Thank you JC ;-)) I might give this one a try at some point. ;-))
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My pleasure. I need to pick it up on DVD for my collection.
__________________
For the first time I have seen "History" at close quarters,and I know that its actual process is very different from what is presented to Posterity. - WWI General Max Hoffman.
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June 4th, 2008, 04:32 AM
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Re: Best World War II Films
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Originally Posted by skunk works
What about "Lion of the Desert" ?
quote from "We do not kill prisoners."... "They do it to us?"..."They are not our teachers!"
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Reminds me of a quote of the Marquess of Salisbury. He was speaking of the RAF's area bombing of German cities...
"Of course the Germans started it, but we do not take the devil for our example."
My favorite war movies are probably Saving Private Ryan and Zulu. A Bridge Too Far is also very well done.
I dont like most war movies... If Band of Brothers counts it definitely deserves a mention.
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