The Silver Screen Oasis

The Fox News website has complied a list of their Top 20 Combat films. They don't claim them in order but maybe they are. What do you think?

1 - Saving Private Ryan.
2 - Tora, Tora, Tora.
3 - Full Metal Jacket.
4 - All Quiet On The Western Front.
5 - MASH.
6 - Letters From Iwo Jima.
7 - The Dirty Dozen.
8 - Glory.
9 - The Hurt Locker.
10- A Bridge Too Far
11- Platoon.
12- Das Boot.
13- Black Hawk Down.
14- Sgt. York.
15- The Deer Hunter.
16- Paths of Glory.
17- Apocalypse Now.
18- The Longest Day.
19- Schindler's List.
20- The Bridge On The River Kwai.

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/entert ... ovies-time

Off the top of my head, in no particular order, my favorites are:

STEEL HELMET
FIXED BAYONETS!
VERBOTEN
CHINA GATE (is there a pattern developing?)
THE BIG RED ONE
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
CROSS OF IRON
CATCH-22
THE DEER HUNTER
GRAND ILLUSION
ALEXANDER NEVSKY
CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT
PATHS OF GLORY
THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN
THE BIRTH OF A NATION
HENRY V (1989)
THE LOST PATROL
THE STORY OF G.I. JOE
DUCK SOUP (hey, there's combat at the end)
DR. STRANGELOVE, OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB

With THE HURT LOCKER, a new standard for greatness has been realized, making all other war films (with the possible exception of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT) trivial by comparison. THE HURT LOCKER is not only a profound and totally objective statement on the human condition, but a colossal artistic achievement as well. I hope everyone gets a chance to see it on the big screen; it will suffer terribly on your living room monitor.

Dewey:

Thanks for the suggestion. Some friends of mine are trying to plan a night tot watch it so it is good to know you like it.

Chio:

Bonus points for "Duck Soup." (They did pay for a months rent on the battlefield.) I like that you included "The Steel Helmet." I saw that for the first time last year. While i had no particular love for Gene Evans after a lifetime of TV work I thought he was terrific in what was, if I recall, his debut.

A small section of some my personal faves (I'll write the long list later):

Paisan (1946)
Open City (1945)
Edge of Darkness (1943)
Story of G.I. Joe (1945)
Downfall (2004)
Cross of Iron (1976)
A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1959)
Wooden Crosses (1930)
Shoah (1985)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
King Rat (1965)
The Grand Illusion (1937)
Murphy's War (1971)
The Deer Hunter (1978)
Lifeboat (1943)
Paths of Glory (1957)
The Killing Fields (1984)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Glory (1989)
The Big Parade (1925)
Shame (1968)
Mother Night (1996)
The Mortal Storm (1940)
Barbed Wire (1927)
Das Boot (1982)
The Life and Death of Col Blimp (1943)
The 49th Parallel (1941)
Joyeux Noel (2005)

In my opinion and not being a fan of the War genre, least of all of the sub-genre "Combat" films, how could they have omitted "Objective Burma!" (1945), one of the very best of its kind! When I saw it I was truly amazed by its mise-en-scene, Walsh's deft direction and Flynn's top-notch performance. It almost plays as a documentary!

Braveheart! {he shouts lustily, as tiny bits o' haggis leap fro' out his mouth}

#4 on that list should be #1 in my opinion. And not having "The Big Parade" on there is just criminal.

And oh yeah, where is "Wings"?

Didn't see these mentioned either:

What Price Glory (1926)
The Big Red One (1980)
The Best Years of Our lives (1946)
Uprising (2001)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Westfront 1918 (1931)
The Small Back Room (1948)
Battleground (1949)
Blind Spot (2002)
Triumph of the Will (1933)
Army of Shadows (1969)
A Man Escaped (1956)
Lacombe Lucien (1974)
Night and Fog (1955)
The Last Metro (1980)
Conspiracy (2001)
Forbidden Games (1953)
Fires on the Plain (1959)
The Burmese Harp (1956)
The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
The Tin Drum (1985)
The Ninth Day (2004)
Kanal (1957)
Two Women (1961)
The Conformist (1970)
The Damned (1974)
Closely Watched Trains (1966)
The Shop on Main Street (1965)
Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
Kapo (1965)
Cranes are Flying (1957)
Come and See (1980)

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We all know most 40's thru 50's war movies were just so much propaganda, which actually is fine, and it wasn't until the late 70's and the 80's that more truth started coming out. It will be months before I get to see The Hurt Locker, so until that time, I have a few favorites, and list my reasons.

1. The Enemy Below - Superb psychological drama on an American battle ship and a German sub.
2. The Longest Day - Portrays events from both sides.
3. Saving Private Ryan - Because of the story it was based on, of the 5 brothers.
4. The Dirty Dozen - I just enjoy all the characters.
5. The Story of G.I. Joe - Touted as true to life for the foot soldier by uncles who were there.
6. Sgt. York - Inner struggle seems likely to be more wide spread than just one man.
7. M.A.S.H. - Tragedy/comedy is a good trade-off throughout the movie.
8. All Quiet on the Western Front - should be higher up, but silents are not my thing - Only seen once.

Chris

I haven't seen The Hurt Locker, so I can't judge yet. However. here's a list. Most of which will be British

All Quiet On The Western Front
The Dambusters
They Were Expendable
To Hell And Back
The Cruel Sea
The Way To The Stars
Reach For The Sky
Paths Of Glory
Carve Her Name With Pride
In Which We Serve
Dunkirk
Pimpernel Smith
The Escape Of The Amythiest
The Gentle Sex

I skimmed through this list --

Did anyone mention John Huston's The Red Badge of Courage (1951) with Audie Murphy (if so, forgive the repeat)? One of the best war movies I ever saw, and one of the best John Huston movies I ever saw, too. This one, which has the look and feel of a semi-doc indie, should get much more play than it does.

I know of which ye speak, Judith!
Caught this one just a couple months back, and was pleasantly surprised by how powerful Murphy could act when he was motivated to carefully underplay a character; a shame he didn't have the opportunity to do more with a master like Huston!

This is great. You all are doing wonders for my Netflix queue.