Monday, May 29, 2006

War Movies

I'm not good with dates. My one year anniversary of blogging came and went without my knowing. Memorial Day is here, and I'm not the good blogger; no book.

So instead, inspired by the movies showing on the TV, some of my favorite war movies. In no particular order.

From Here to Eternity. Montgomery Clift. Need I say more? A slice-of-life look at the lives of people in the days leading up to Pearl Harbor, including Monty as someone who loves being a soldier but refuses to be pressured into boxing. And Burt Lancaster, as a sergeant who's in love with his bosses wife and doesn't want to become an officer himself.

The Great Escape. Steve McQueen. Prisoners break out of a German POW camp during WW II. Classic.

The Longest Day. D Day. While known for its star filled cast, this is also a solid film about the invasion.

We Were Soldiers. Battle of Ia Drang, Vietnam, 1965. I prefer the full title of the book, We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young. Both book and film emphasize the strategy part of battle.

Black Hawk Down. Somalia, 1993. Army Rangers drop into Mogadishu to capture two warlords; while this quickly turned into worst-case scenario, what impresses me is what these men did to rescue themselves and others.

The Grand Illusion. World War I, escape from POW camps.

Gallipoli. The Battle of Gallipoli during World War I. The ending scenes are heartbreaking. How fast can you run?

I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang. World War I vet imprisoned, escapes, imprisoned, escapes. My paternal grandfather.

Regeneration. British World War I soldiers being treated for shell shock.

Gods and Generals and Gettysburg. The Civil War (American).

What would you add to the list?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Saints and Soldiers
Four American soldiers fighting in Europe during World War II are separated from U.S. forces during the historic Malmedy Massacre. Most of their fellow soldiers are slaughtered by German forces, leaving them stranded and without support behind enemy lines.

TV series-- Combat with Vic Morrow