THE OFFICIAL LIST of the 100 greatest war films ever!
May 26, 2023 17:45:59 GMT
timshelboy and mikef6 like this
Post by drystyx on May 26, 2023 17:45:59 GMT
The caps and the exclamation point stamp this as the OFFICIAL list of the 100 greatest war films ever. Any complaints submitted for review must be sent to:
Office of complaints and reviews
PO Box 830989384716834680209847832891090291398
Off shore drilling site 803884209329
zip code 00000
All complaints must be postmarked by July 3, 1989.
Important note on classification of "war movie": It gets into a very gray area sometimes, especially with espionage and "war background" movies.
For instance, "The Deer Hunter" is almost totally the drama with the war far in the background, and I don't classify it as a war film. Likewise, probable classics like Mephisto and Cabaret are dramas with war as a motivation, but never really in the picture, while "Identity Unknown", "The African Queen" and a few others are dealing first hand with the war. The duo of Rome, Open City and Massacre in Rome are frontline war movies with resistance members.
In espionage movies, it gets even more gray. "13 Rue Madeline" and many of Hitchcock's espionage films don't classify as war films, because they are totally into the spy work and detective work away from the front.
Then, there are movies like "The Killing Fields" and "Matewan" which aren't exactly wars, due to the "one sidedness" of the confrontations, so they don't classify as war films.
Is "Southern Comfort" a war film? After careful consideration, I think it's more of a "confrontation" or "battle", but not a war. "Seven Samurai" is an ongoing war with bandits IMO.
Now, for fans of some much heralded movies that I do include on the list, who aren't happy with the placing, that just proves that those movies are overrated. Take the big money venture of "Saving Private Ryan". I include it on the top 100 list, so that should be enough. It's a good movie, but the few weaknesses are too stereotypical. We know that Hollywood will never let a bullet find a guy from New York. We know that the guy in the beginning is Private Ryan, not the sergeant. These are just too trite and too contrived bits, which still don't detract from it being a good movie. It's just overrated. The "brutality" and "horror" are not new to war movies.
"Guadalcanal Diary" is every bit as brutal as Private Ryan. In one scene, a soldier's legs are amputated by a tank, for instance. "Objective Burma" has a scene where Errol Flynn finds a horribly disfigured and dying friend. In "Fort Apache" men are buried face down in anthills. Brutality is nothing new to making war movies. So, yes, Private Ryan gets too much credit for things it did not originate. It just followed the same patterns Hollywood always had. There is nothing at all that is original or risk taking about the movie. I give the nod to films that actually take more risks.
The OFFICIAL LIST:
100. Flying Leathernecks 1951
99. Gung Ho 1943
98. Battle of the Bulge 1965
97. Above Us the Waves 1955
96. The Monuments Men 2014
95. Walk the Proud Land 1956
94. Guadalcanal Diary 1943
93. Saving Private Ryan 1998
92. The King of the White Elephant 1940
91. Rome: Open City 1945
90. Massacre in Rome 1973
89. The Viking Queen 1967
88. Sands of Iwo Jima 1949
87. Pork Chop Hill 1959
86. Glory 1989
85. Journey to Shiloh 1968
84. Cry of Battle 1963
83. Attack 1956
82. War Hunt 1962
81. Northwest Passage 1940
80. The Cockleshell Heroes 1955
79. Wake Island 1942
78. Alexander Nevsky 1938
77. Last of the Comanches 1953
76. Sahara 1995
75. Sahara 1943
74. Twelve O'Clock High 1949
73. Mission to Death 1966
72. The Four Assassins (aka "Marco Polo") 1975
71. Desperate Journey 1942
70. The Guns of Navarone 1961
69. The Young Lions 1958
68. Lost Command 1966
67. Wake Island 1942
66. The Ogre 1996
65. Between Heaven and Hell 1956
64. The Frozen Front 2017
63. Fort Massacre 1958
62. Only the Valiant 1951
61. Identity Unknown 1945
60. No Man is an Island 1962
59. 1917 2019
58. Von Ryan's Express 1965
57. The Beast of War 1988
56. Halls of Montezuma 1951
55. We Were Soldiers 2002
54. The African Queen 1951
53. Invasion U.S.A. 1952
52. Soldier of Orange 1977
51. They Fought For Their Country 1975
50. Mister Roberts 1955
49. Paths of Glory 1957
48. Objective Burma 1945
47. Went the Day Well 1942
46. Savage Pampas 1965
45. Pharaoh's Army 1995
44. Two Flags West 1950
43. Bataan 1943
42. Homecoming 1948
41. Escape From Fort Bravo 1953
40. 633 Squadron 1964
39. Commandos 1968
38. A Bridge Too Far 1977
37. Das Boot 1981
36. Come and See 1985
35. The North Star 1943
34. The Mountain Road 1960
33. Anzio 1968
32. The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957
31. Patton 1970
30. Ride With the Devil 1999
29. Men in War 1957
28. Eight Iron Men 1952
27. The 317th Platoon 1965
26. Empire of the Sun 1987
25. PT 109 1963
24. Ice Cold in Alex 1958
23. God of War 2017
22. White Tiger 2012
21. A Canterbury Tale 1944
20. Decision Before Dawn 1951
19. Too Late the Hero 1970
18. The Alamo 2004
17. Stalag 17 1953
16. The Hidden Fortress 1958
15. Kingdom of Heaven 2005
14. Master and Commander 2003
13. Warkill 1968
12. Platoon 1986
11. All Quiet on the Western Front 1930
10. Then There Were Three 1961
9. The Bridges at Toko Ri 1954
8. Troy 2004
7. Fort Apache 1948
6. Flesh+Blood 1985
5. Shake Hands With the Devil 1959
4. Fury 2014
3. 49th Parallel 1941
2. Jungle Fighters (aka "The Long and the Short and the Tall") 1961
1. SEVEN SAMURAI 1954
Office of complaints and reviews
PO Box 830989384716834680209847832891090291398
Off shore drilling site 803884209329
zip code 00000
All complaints must be postmarked by July 3, 1989.
Important note on classification of "war movie": It gets into a very gray area sometimes, especially with espionage and "war background" movies.
For instance, "The Deer Hunter" is almost totally the drama with the war far in the background, and I don't classify it as a war film. Likewise, probable classics like Mephisto and Cabaret are dramas with war as a motivation, but never really in the picture, while "Identity Unknown", "The African Queen" and a few others are dealing first hand with the war. The duo of Rome, Open City and Massacre in Rome are frontline war movies with resistance members.
In espionage movies, it gets even more gray. "13 Rue Madeline" and many of Hitchcock's espionage films don't classify as war films, because they are totally into the spy work and detective work away from the front.
Then, there are movies like "The Killing Fields" and "Matewan" which aren't exactly wars, due to the "one sidedness" of the confrontations, so they don't classify as war films.
Is "Southern Comfort" a war film? After careful consideration, I think it's more of a "confrontation" or "battle", but not a war. "Seven Samurai" is an ongoing war with bandits IMO.
Now, for fans of some much heralded movies that I do include on the list, who aren't happy with the placing, that just proves that those movies are overrated. Take the big money venture of "Saving Private Ryan". I include it on the top 100 list, so that should be enough. It's a good movie, but the few weaknesses are too stereotypical. We know that Hollywood will never let a bullet find a guy from New York. We know that the guy in the beginning is Private Ryan, not the sergeant. These are just too trite and too contrived bits, which still don't detract from it being a good movie. It's just overrated. The "brutality" and "horror" are not new to war movies.
"Guadalcanal Diary" is every bit as brutal as Private Ryan. In one scene, a soldier's legs are amputated by a tank, for instance. "Objective Burma" has a scene where Errol Flynn finds a horribly disfigured and dying friend. In "Fort Apache" men are buried face down in anthills. Brutality is nothing new to making war movies. So, yes, Private Ryan gets too much credit for things it did not originate. It just followed the same patterns Hollywood always had. There is nothing at all that is original or risk taking about the movie. I give the nod to films that actually take more risks.
The OFFICIAL LIST:
100. Flying Leathernecks 1951
99. Gung Ho 1943
98. Battle of the Bulge 1965
97. Above Us the Waves 1955
96. The Monuments Men 2014
95. Walk the Proud Land 1956
94. Guadalcanal Diary 1943
93. Saving Private Ryan 1998
92. The King of the White Elephant 1940
91. Rome: Open City 1945
90. Massacre in Rome 1973
89. The Viking Queen 1967
88. Sands of Iwo Jima 1949
87. Pork Chop Hill 1959
86. Glory 1989
85. Journey to Shiloh 1968
84. Cry of Battle 1963
83. Attack 1956
82. War Hunt 1962
81. Northwest Passage 1940
80. The Cockleshell Heroes 1955
79. Wake Island 1942
78. Alexander Nevsky 1938
77. Last of the Comanches 1953
76. Sahara 1995
75. Sahara 1943
74. Twelve O'Clock High 1949
73. Mission to Death 1966
72. The Four Assassins (aka "Marco Polo") 1975
71. Desperate Journey 1942
70. The Guns of Navarone 1961
69. The Young Lions 1958
68. Lost Command 1966
67. Wake Island 1942
66. The Ogre 1996
65. Between Heaven and Hell 1956
64. The Frozen Front 2017
63. Fort Massacre 1958
62. Only the Valiant 1951
61. Identity Unknown 1945
60. No Man is an Island 1962
59. 1917 2019
58. Von Ryan's Express 1965
57. The Beast of War 1988
56. Halls of Montezuma 1951
55. We Were Soldiers 2002
54. The African Queen 1951
53. Invasion U.S.A. 1952
52. Soldier of Orange 1977
51. They Fought For Their Country 1975
50. Mister Roberts 1955
49. Paths of Glory 1957
48. Objective Burma 1945
47. Went the Day Well 1942
46. Savage Pampas 1965
45. Pharaoh's Army 1995
44. Two Flags West 1950
43. Bataan 1943
42. Homecoming 1948
41. Escape From Fort Bravo 1953
40. 633 Squadron 1964
39. Commandos 1968
38. A Bridge Too Far 1977
37. Das Boot 1981
36. Come and See 1985
35. The North Star 1943
34. The Mountain Road 1960
33. Anzio 1968
32. The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957
31. Patton 1970
30. Ride With the Devil 1999
29. Men in War 1957
28. Eight Iron Men 1952
27. The 317th Platoon 1965
26. Empire of the Sun 1987
25. PT 109 1963
24. Ice Cold in Alex 1958
23. God of War 2017
22. White Tiger 2012
21. A Canterbury Tale 1944
20. Decision Before Dawn 1951
19. Too Late the Hero 1970
18. The Alamo 2004
17. Stalag 17 1953
16. The Hidden Fortress 1958
15. Kingdom of Heaven 2005
14. Master and Commander 2003
13. Warkill 1968
12. Platoon 1986
11. All Quiet on the Western Front 1930
10. Then There Were Three 1961
9. The Bridges at Toko Ri 1954
8. Troy 2004
7. Fort Apache 1948
6. Flesh+Blood 1985
5. Shake Hands With the Devil 1959
4. Fury 2014
3. 49th Parallel 1941
2. Jungle Fighters (aka "The Long and the Short and the Tall") 1961
1. SEVEN SAMURAI 1954