Just a raw list.
The Story of Sergeant York
The Big Parade
The Fighting 69th
All Quiet on the Western Front
Grand Illusion
Paths of Glory
Gallipoli
Hell’s Angels
Wings
Lawrence of Arabia
The Lost Battalion
The African Queen
Just a raw list.
The Story of Sergeant York
The Big Parade
The Fighting 69th
All Quiet on the Western Front
Grand Illusion
Paths of Glory
Gallipoli
Hell’s Angels
Wings
Lawrence of Arabia
The Lost Battalion
The African Queen
Add “The Longest Day”
Fun to watch if you are over 60 because it was all cameo appearances by every big actor of the day. John Wayne played a puffy faced General who never got out of his jeep, and I’ve always wondered if that was because he couldn’t walk straight, but was a got to have as a cameo.
Gettysburg. Gods and Generals. Patton. Red Badge of Courage (flawed but it has Audie Murphy).
Steve
Beau Gest
Black Hawk Down
Assault on Leningrad
Stalingrad
Battle for Sevastopol
Dr Strangelove
Full Metal Jacket
Soldier of Orange
Zulu
All of those are too depressing. I much prefer Three Kings.
I see that none of you have read my code. All of the movies in my list were set in World War I.
damn.
yep, wearing the brown helmet today. Would the Stuntman with its WWI flying ace movie within the greater movie be a sorta addition?
I did not notice the code, though I did notice the absence of a couple of movies, “The Best Years of Our Lives” in particular.
Have you come around to my position of the state of the international elites, then?
I think The Best Years of Our Lives is a good candidate for the best American movie ever. Right after Casablanca. I believe it should be required viewing.
Most of the best American movies about war or the aftermath of war were about WWII. In addition to the Best Years I’d put They Were Expendable, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, Saving Private Ryan, Bridge on the River Kwai, From Here to Eternity, and The Search, among many others, into that category.
Bridge on the River Kwai is one of my all time favorite movies. William Holden was the all-time best American actor for portraying cynicism.
There’s a movie that is a kind of criminal counter-part to The Best Years of Our Lives about WWI: The Roaring Twenties. It starts off somewhat similarly to TBYoOL, with veterans returning home, looking for work, and finding they can’t get it.
Fletcher’s Garage Mechanic: [Eddie, in his Army uniform, returns to his old place of employment – a garage – seeking to get his job back] That guy thinks he’s gonna’ get my job just because he’s got a uniform on. He used to work here.
Fletcher’s Garage Mechanic: Yeah, those monkey’s are gonna’ find out what a picnic they had on Uncle Sam’s dough while we stayed home and WORKED!