Let's Go to War

One positive of staying up during the late shift with the girls (that would be 9 pm - 5 am) is that it allows me to settle in the cool, comfortable basement and watch a few movies. If you followed along here that's always a good thing.

So, in honor of those fighting to defend America I present my favorite War movies. My criteria is simple; I have to like it and it must involve an American war.

5 - THE DIRTY DOZEN (1967)

Set during World War Two, this is the ultimate Nazi revenge movie. You take a bunch of military prisoners that are sentenced to death anyway and offer them a chance to train for a suicide mission and a chance at redemption.

Lee Marvin is the maverick major who is "volunteered" to lead this band of deviants which include a host of unusual characters. Telly Savalas as a bible thumping psycho, John Cassavettes a gangster, Charles Bronson a cynical officer and Jim Brown as a social activist. All are perfect in their roles. The action leads to an explosive finale at a French chateau and its one of the more memorable scenes. This movie isn't the most true to reality but it is a blow'em up that stands above many. Movie executives must think so too, as Tarantino is using the ideas found here in his new WW2 film, Inglorious Basterds.



4- FULL METAL JACKET (1987)

Stanley Kubrick's movie about the Vietnam war is basically two films; the first half showing a group of young men training on the "island" during basic and the second follows writer Private Joker (Matthew Modine) during his time in Vietnam. The movie is intense and even though I've seen it several times, watching last night on the big screen everything seemed to pop into the room.

Sgt. Hartman (R.Lee Ermey) is the star of this picture. A former D.I. who was supposed to be a technical advisor to Kubrick is downright scary and unintentionally hilarious in the role.

"You will learn by the numbers, I will teach you!" I've used that one on my students a few times.



3- THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)

What's great about this movie is that it has a level of truth to it, based on the book by Paul Brickhill it tells of an Allied attempt to escape a German POW camp. Again an ensemble of stars led by Steve McQueen as the Cooler King and "Big X" Roger Bartlett (Richard Attenborough) that help organize the plan. You have to love Bronson as Danny the "Tunnel King" and James Gardner as the scrounger Headley. I have no idea how this movie was ignored by the Academy. It's a classic, influencing everything from The Simpsons to Chicken Run.



2- SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)

Just watch the first twenty minutes and understand the meaning of war. The plot of finding the last Ryan may seem a bit far fetched but the Lincoln letter was real and makes this historical fiction film at least plausible. War movies are always about groups of actors and the group that sets out to find Matt Damon is good, especially Ed Burns and Tom Sizemore. Unfortunately that great thespian Vin Diesel doesn't stick around long.



1- BAND OF BROTHERS (2001)

It may feel like cheating including a mini-series but its simply the best war show I've ever seen. It has more time to build up characters and by the time you get to the completion of the mission you are right along with Easy Company from their first drop during D-Day up until their entry into Hitler's hideout. During the series the real men depicted are given interview time and it's quite fascinating trying to figure out who is who until the end. There are plans to give the same treatment to the Pacific theater in WW2 and I can't wait.