What is your absolute favorite scene in a war movie?

This can include war movies dealing with any war outside a ww2 movie. I guess you can also include Viking, Pirate and Robin Hood type movies as well.

My absolute favorite scene in a "war" movie is:

When Robin Hood played by Errol Flynn)) just after the capture of Basil Rathbone's character and his companion along with Lady Marion)) The scene is when Robin Hood is swinging on a vine and lands on a tree branch aand says: "Welcome to Sherwood my Lady."

Nothing is as classic as that.

 

My favourite scene would be in To End All Wars when the POWs are helping the Japanese wounded. It is probably my favourite scene as it is just simply moving, and human.

I also liked the ending of Band of Brothers...that really did tear me up as it was a very nice way to end a great Mini-Series .

Jet

 

I haven't seen To End All Wars but, would like to.

Yeah--I thought the ending scenes at BoB were interesting and sad. It's been awhile since I watched it and think i'll watch it later today to refreash the memory.

 

Right off the top of my head I have to say that in Saving Private Ryan there are 2 scenes that really grab me.

------ Ryan as an old veteran, slumping over the grave of Capt. Miller, then straightening up and saluting. He asked his wife, "...I've been a good man, havn't I?" (I'm guessing at the wording here). The point being, he needed assurance that he tryed his best to be a good husband and Father to his family, validating the fact that Miller and his men gave their lives to help him, a very moving scene.


--------During the assault on Normandy scene, a dazed soldier is seen stumbling around on the beach looking for something. He grabs his own severed arm off the ground an heads off! This incident is something I read somewhere, and to see it portrayed in this movie was amazing! Thank You Steven Spielburg!

The Blue Max

 

I like the scene early in the movie "Enemy at the Gates", where the Russins are going over in boats and getting attacked by German aircraft. It shows how terrifiying and cruel the Russian front was.

Also the attack at the end of the movie "Das Boot" was also good and shows the terrior of war.

The scene in "Apocalypse Now" where Martin Sheen asks this guy in a bunker if he knows who's in charge here, is one of my favorite scenes also. It kind of sums up the Viet Nam war to me.

 

My absolute favorite scene in any war movie would have to be, in Glory, when the 54th are charging Ft.Wagner?. One of the Confederate forts in Charleston Bay. But, that's my favorite.
In a WW2 movie, it would have to be in BoB, after Easy Company finds the remains of Dachau and they are taking food from the baker and he is complaining and one of the men threatens to shoot him, I think that exemplafies the type of feelings were going on at the time.

 

Good choices.

OK: now i'll choose by Wars: Starting back to the 16th-17th Centuries.

The movie Horation Hornblower with Gregory Peck as Captain Hornblower:

My favorite scene in that movie was after Capt Hornblower, hes exect officer and Quist, had been caught and imprisoned at a French seaside fort--after shooting up all French Ships of the Line--they found in a harbor.

Then they were taken to a stagecoach to be taken elsewhere and they manage to escape. They then find their way to another Frence seaport and follow three Dutch Navy Officers into a Tavern--where they proceed to beat them up (You only hears the sounds) and they steal "borrow" their uniforms.

Pre Revolutionary War:

In the movie: Rogers Rangers w/ Spencer Tracy, Robert Young and Walter Brennan. Loved the great attack scenes that Rogers Rangers made on the Abanacki Indian village.

In Allegheny Uprising: W/ John Wayne, Claire Trevor, George Saunders. The courtmarschal trial scenes of John Wayne. All the spoken parts and when Claire Travor has to show the courtroon an example of powderflares/burns by taking a white shirt and firing at it twich to prove a point.

Drums Along The Mohawk is another alltime fav as well as one with Henry Fonda in it--which the name escapes me at the moment. In both movies--when the Indians surrong the Forts--the fighting scenes are unbeatable.

Pre-War fo 1812:

In Shores of Tripoli: W/ John PAYNE--as a US MArine Lieutenant on board a US NAvy ship. His sneak attack on an Arab fort with a few others were excellent.

The War of 1812:

The Buccaneer: with Charlton Heston as General Andy Jackson and a then with black hair, Yul Brenner as the Pirate: Jean LeFitte, the battle scenes at or near New Orleans--especially with the British firing their rockets.

The Crimean War: Charge of the Light Brigade: W/ Errol Flynn, and David Niven. The Arab siege of Chakoti and the final charge of the 17th Lancers against Russian Cannon at Balaclava.

"Cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them, onward rode the 600."

The Civil War: Tho I like others better--I think the best fighting scenes were in the movie Gettysburg--where Gen Chamberlain was fighting on the hill trying to keep the Confederates from overrunning the Union positions.

Post Civil War Indian Wars:

They Died With Their Boots On. Errol Flynn as Gen Geo Armstrong Custer. Loved the Last Stand fighting.

Spanish American War: Rough Riders--with Teddy Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders up San juan Hill. T.R. played by Tom Berringer.

WW1:

The Fighting 69th w/ James Cagney. The scenes where he is firing a mortar by himself just before he gets fatally wounded.

The Lost Battalion: W/ Rick Schreder as the Major in command of the Lost Battalion. The first fighting scenes when they get lost in the woods--where he really startsd learning how to lead his Battalion.

WW2:

Where Eagles Dare: Scene where Leutnant Schafer (Clint Eastwood) is standing at the top of some stairs and surprises the German Soldiers who are charging up the stairs. He is using his MP-38/50.

Korean War: Pork Chop Hill: Gregory Pecks leadership throuout the full movie--especially when they are first coming up that hill and start attacking the first chicom trenches.

Vietnam War: Full Metal Jacket. The scenes in which just after 8 ball gets shot by the female sniper--when they cut loose with a "Mad minute" on the buildings where they thing the sniper is.

Modern Wars: Black Hawk Down: The scenes where Sergeant Strucker is leading the column of HumVees through Mogadishu--and through the ambushes.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Certainly the scenes of Falkirk battle in "Brave Heart". The lucky William Wallace being smashed by the experienced military genious Edward 'the Longshanks'.

And I like many of the different scenes you have been describing. I know I have plenty of memorable scenes. But I should think on them first.

 

Actually the concentration camp was a small one at Landsberg. Dachau was too far away...

 

The bit where the americans are cut up by that AA gun on Saving Private Ryan.

In Enemy at the Gates, the russians being machine gunned by the german planes, though could be better, the dive-bomber used much larger bullets...

The bit where the german gets shot in the leg and ran over in Band of Brothers, a big shock, espically when you got girls in the room seeing it for the first time - what a way to go.

In Cross of Iron, during the first battle when the russians are retreating, a MG42/34 cuts up the mud and brings down several russians, something about machine guns...

In Stalingard, the part where the two germans run into the building and set of a demo-charge, engulfing four machine guns in flames, booooom!

 

Zealot, Cross of Iron was great. A few years ago I managed to get 8 or 10 Cross of Iron movie cells.

I have some with Col Brandt, Captain Kiesel, Captain Stransky and several battle scenes. I have a cell from the scene where the Russians snuck in behind an MG team and starts shooting them. I have another scene where Leutnant Meier is shoving his men back into position just before he gets bayoneted and I have a cell with Corporal Krueger who had just kicked the Russian he shot who had just bayoneted Lt Meier.

I also have several A Bridge Too Far Cells--nothing very spectacular except when the Irish Guards start their attack--I have a cell from behind the German Anti-tank gun that gets the first "kill" or hit.

 

Well, that's precisely the effect desired in "Band of Brothers", they are horrified about what they saw at the camp. But they are told by other Allied troops that they discovered hundreds of camps like that and that there even were some ones bigger with gas chambers and furnances! Dachau was not that 'primitive', since it had concrete buildings and huge infraestructure. Remember when major Winters (or was it captain Nixon?) says: "The Russians liberated a camp ten times bigger than this one!" They were wrong, they liberated a dozen camps ten times bigger than that and two 100 times bigger that that!

 

Stalingrad-end scene where 2 German soldiers freeze to death and are covered by snow.

Saving Private Ryan-Whole last battle scene in Ramelle is spectacular.

Band Of Brothers-Too many classic scenes of cinematography to list, I loved every second of it!!!

 

"O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me" [Bang] ... Pvt Jackson in Saving Private Ryan, parying while lining up rifle shots. That and the entire opening D-Day sequence.

As far as non ww2 movies, the final assault in Hamburger Hill....

 

Spitfire, that IS an awsome scene!

 

Ok, forgive me for these, some are from bad war movies:


The Scene in Windtalkers when they are assaulting the Japanese TrenchLine. The Japanese are holding off the Americans until their leader stands up, weilding his precious Samurai sword and yells BANZAI!!!!!!!!!


The whole 'Pips Priller' Sequence of THe Longest Day 'The LUFTWAFFE has had its glorious Moment!'


THe Patriot (Not ww2, i know)
'If I am going to die I am going to Die Well Dressed'


A Walk in the Sun: YEs a walk in the sun!

'You guys kill me'
and Archimbeau's whole 'Battle of Tibet' thing


Deleted scene from 'We Were Soldiers'
When Hal Moore is speaking with MacNamara and Westmooreland.


CvM (500?)

 

Good thread !

The Dam Busters - 'Well chaps, my watch says it's time to go' and the drive out to the Lancasters

SPR - Omaha Beach

Apocalypse Now - the helicopter attack

Where Eagles Dare - the opening Ju52 scene & music

and The Battle of Britain - Goering berating his pilots : -
Osterkamp - 'You yourself were a fighter pilot in the last war...'
Goering : 'A fighter pilot, yes - not a coward !'
Osterkamp : 'There is no suggestion of cowardice Herr Reichsmarschall !'
Goering : ' I am making the suggestion !!'

 

Martin--I agree with you especially on Where Eagles Dare and Battle of Britain. It's been too many years since I was last able to see Dambusters to make a comment. If I remember correctly--I do believe I enjoyed watching it but--it's been about 20 or so years ago since I did see it and I can't remember much about it except that they were testing or developing that Dam busting bomb.

I wonder if it is on DVD yet???

 

I remember seeing Dambusters when I was really really young (yes even I was young once ).

Unfortunately they haven't shown it in years here either.

Greg