Best Military Movies?

PBS had a mini-series a few years ago....I think it was called "Carrier"....where they filmed on a carrier and followed a few of the men over the course of (if I remember correctly) several months. It was very good. Well worth it if you order it from PBS. I gave it a couple of "old navy vets" in my family for Christmas that year and they really enjoyed it.
 
Bruno and Luigi have highlighted many of my favorites. :thumb:

I would add a few more of my favorites:

1. The Gallant Hours (1960, James Cagney)
2. Men of the Fighting Lady (1954, Van Johnson)
3. All Quiet on the Western Front (Original: 1930)
4. Command Decision (1948, Clark Gable)

Again, just a FEW...there are many more!!

And KUDOS for knowing of "Paths of Glory" and including it!!! MOST folks I know have never seen it. It's outstanding! :thumb:

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Capt MJ said:
Master and Commander, with Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany. Great action scenes at sea, but also examples of good and bad leadership in naval life that resonate today. Not a "great for the ages" film, but most enjoyable.

U-571, with Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson. Will bring new-found respect for submarine life, as well as an appreciation for the political pressures that can put military lives at risk.

Glory, with Matthew Broderick, a young Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and a big-name cast. One of my all-time favorite movies. Admit it makes me cry every time.

Oh, and Heartbreak Ridge, with Clint Eastwood. A classic hard-bitten Marine with heart of gold story, with some good comic moments along the way. You get some sense of the pride of being a Marine.

Did you catch Game of Honor, the recent Showtime (I think) documentary about Army-Navy football? I still see it showing.

Of course, anyone who has served can pick the heck out of military movies, the things that just aren't true, right or done just for the dramatic effect. That doesn't mean they aren't enjoyable overall.
Click to expand...
U-571 or K-19? K-19 was Ford and Neeson

All good movies! Master and Commander is definitely one of the better movies on leadership, IMO.
 
Wow! So many good recommendations! I will never be out of a good movie to watch! I have compiled all of the movies into a list for everyone or if anyone sees a good one missing. :)
--------------------------------------------------------------
A Bridge Too Far
Battle of Britain
The Longest Day
Blackhawk Down
We Were Soldiers
Gunga Din
Last of The Mohicans
The Patriot
Patton
The Dirty Dozen
Das Boot
Paths of Glory
The Great Escape
Mutiny on the Bounty
We Were Soldiers
Casablanca
Gettysburg
The Fighting Sullivans
Hail the Conquering Hero.
Paths Of Glory
Master and Commander
U-571
Heartbreak Ridge
Game of Honor
The Incredible Mr. Limpett
Band of Brothers
A Few Good Men
Speed and Angels"
Summer of '42
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
The Caine Mutiny
Flags of Our Father
Letters from Iwo Jima
Twelve O'Clock High
Breaker Morant
From Here to Eternity
Taking Chance
The Hurt Locker
The Deer Hunter
MASH
Behind Enemy Lines
The Thin Red Line
The Dirty Dozen (My Dad's Favorite)
Gallipoli
Full Metal Jacket (For my Marine nephew)
Gladiator
Carrier
The Gallant Hours
Men of the Fighting Lady
All Quiet on the Western Front
Command Decision
 
Opps, I must have missed those in my copying and pasting frenzy. New list below, subject to updates!:shake:
-----------------------------------
A Bridge Too Far
Battle of Britain
The Longest Day
Blackhawk Down
We Were Soldiers
Gunga Din
Last of The Mohicans
The Patriot
Patton
The Dirty Dozen
Das Boot
Paths of Glory
The Great Escape
Mutiny on the Bounty
We Were Soldiers
Casablanca
Gettysburg
The Fighting Sullivans
Hail the Conquering Hero.
Paths Of Glory
Master and Commander
U-571
Heartbreak Ridge
Game of Honor
The Incredible Mr. Limpett
Band of Brothers
A Few Good Men
Speed and Angels"
Summer of '42
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
The Caine Mutiny
Flags of Our Father
Letters from Iwo Jima
Twelve O'Clock High
Breaker Morant
From Here to Eternity
Taking Chance
The Hurt Locker
The Deer Hunter
MASH
Behind Enemy Lines
The Thin Red Line
The Dirty Dozen
Gallipoli
Full Metal Jacket
Gladiator
Carrier
The Gallant Hours
Men of the Fighting Lady
All Quiet on the Western Front
Command Decision
Saving Private Ryan
Restrepo
An Officer and a Gentlemen
Top Gun
 
flieger83 said:
And KUDOS for knowing of "Paths of Glory" and including it!!! MOST folks I know have never seen it. It's outstanding! :thumb:
Click to expand...

I love all Kubrick films, even Eyes Wide Shut. :biggrin:

Cant believe we left off Kubrick's best "war" movie:

Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb.

I mean really, it has everything you want in a war movie:

  • 843rd Bomb Wing
  • General Ripper
  • Group Captain Lionel Mandrake
  • Burpleson Air Force Base
  • The War Room
  • General Turgidson
  • The Big Board
  • B-52
  • Major Kong
  • And an international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

:thumb:
 
Here are a few more:
Sophie's Choice
Bridge over River Kwai
South Pacific
 
A couple good ones I didn't see listed yet...

"Joyeux Noel" - It's about a front line truce between German, Scottish, and French troops on Christmas during WWI.

"The Lost Battalion" - WWI battle when several companies of American soldiers are cut off by the Germans in the Argonne Forest.
 
Luigi59 said:
I love all Kubrick films, even Eyes Wide Shut. :biggrin:

Cant believe we left off Kubrick's best "war" movie:

Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb.

I mean really, it has everything you want in a war movie:

  • 843rd Bomb Wing
  • General Ripper
  • Group Captain Lionel Mandrake
  • Burpleson Air Force Base
  • The War Room
  • General Turgidson
  • The Big Board
  • B-52
  • Major Kong
  • And an international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

:thumb:
Click to expand...

OMG!!! :eek:
:bang:

I can NOT believe I left that one off...ME, a former SAC TRAINED KILLER!!! :eek:

It HAD to be that tour in Eagles...turned off my SAC switch...yeah, that's it!!

I mean, what would Gen'l Curt Lemay say? What would Gen'l Tooey Spaatz say? What would Col Bat Guano say?

Oh, that's right:

You're gonna have to answer to the Coca Cola company.

Ahhh...I feel all better now...:rockon:

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
You've got to add "The Best Years of our Lives", about 3 servicemen returning home after WWII. I guess technically it's not a war movie, since it takes place after the war is over, but tells of the war's impact on these vets and their families. A truly wonderful movie.
 
Northwest Passage. Old but covers the first half of the book pretty well. Do they still hand out "The Ranger Handbook"? It incorporates many of Roger's rules of rangering developed during The French and Indian War.
 
howacupcake said:
Opps, I must have missed those in my copying and pasting frenzy. New list below, subject to updates!:shake:
-----------------------------------
A Bridge Too Far
Battle of Britain
The Longest Day
Blackhawk Down
We Were Soldiers
Gunga Din
Last of The Mohicans
The Patriot
Patton
The Dirty Dozen
Das Boot
Paths of Glory
The Great Escape
Mutiny on the Bounty
We Were Soldiers
Casablanca
Gettysburg
The Fighting Sullivans
Hail the Conquering Hero.
Paths Of Glory
Master and Commander
U-571
Heartbreak Ridge
Game of Honor
The Incredible Mr. Limpett
Band of Brothers
A Few Good Men
Speed and Angels"
Summer of '42
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
The Caine Mutiny
Flags of Our Father
Letters from Iwo Jima
Twelve O'Clock High
Breaker Morant
From Here to Eternity
Taking Chance
The Hurt Locker
The Deer Hunter
MASH
Behind Enemy Lines
The Thin Red Line
The Dirty Dozen
Gallipoli
Full Metal Jacket
Gladiator
Carrier
The Gallant Hours
Men of the Fighting Lady
All Quiet on the Western Front
Command Decision
Saving Private Ryan
Restrepo
An Officer and a Gentlemen
Top Gun
Click to expand...

Hopefully we can add "Act of Valor" to this list after it comes out this week. :biggrin:
 
Sergeant York starring Gary Cooper. First saw when I was at TBS in the 70's. Must have seen 15 times since and I still love it.
 
A Bridge Too Far
Battle of Britain
The Longest Day
Blackhawk Down
We Were Soldiers
Gunga Din
Last of The Mohicans
The Patriot
Patton
The Dirty Dozen
Das Boot
Paths of Glory
The Great Escape
Mutiny on the Bounty
We Were Soldiers
Casablanca
Gettysburg
The Fighting Sullivans
Hail the Conquering Hero.
Paths Of Glory
Master and Commander
U-571
Heartbreak Ridge
Game of Honor
The Incredible Mr. Limpett
Band of Brothers
A Few Good Men
Speed and Angels"
Summer of '42
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
The Caine Mutiny
Flags of Our Father
Letters from Iwo Jima
Twelve O'Clock High
Breaker Morant
From Here to Eternity
Taking Chance
The Hurt Locker
The Deer Hunter
MASH
Behind Enemy Lines
The Thin Red Line
The Dirty Dozen
Gallipoli
Full Metal Jacket
Gladiator
Carrier
The Gallant Hours
Men of the Fighting Lady
All Quiet on the Western Front
Command Decision
Saving Private Ryan
Restrepo
An Officer and a Gentlemen
Top Gun
Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb.
Sophie's Choice
Bridge over River Kwai
South Pacific
Joyeux Noel
The Lost Battalion
The Best Years of our Lives
Stripes
Battleship
Taps
Northwest Passage
Sergeant York
Act of Valor?
 
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