This weekend, The Telegraph newspaper, in its weekend review magazine printed a feature on a new Winston Churchill biopic - as a side piece it printed what, the newspaper claim are the ten best war films ever made. Archive readers may find the top ten interesting so here it is:
10 Bridge over the River Kwai
9 The Dirty Dozen
8 The Great Escape
7Where Eagles Dare
6 Casablanca
5Ice cold in Alex
4 Schindler's List
3 The Thin Red Line
2 Das Boot
1 Saving Private Ryan
It's an interesting list but I don't think Casablanca belongs in any list of war films - it's set during the war sure enough but it is not a war film as such, and Private Ryan seems to pop up in the top spot in a lot of these lists. And why not - it's a damn good film and that opening is brutal and shows war as it must have really been. Veterans are often quoted as saying that film got it right. In fact remove Casablance and the ponderous Thin Red Line and the list would closely mirror my own. I'd have Downfall at number one, though and Cross of Iron would also be in there.
Ahh well each to their own.
The Telegraph are giving away four classic war films on DVD next weekend.
5 comments:
If Casablanca doesn't belong here, then neither should Schindler's List. Both of these movies are two of the greatest movies ever made, but they don't have any battle scenes. But they do portray the damage and horror war can do to those not on the battlefield. I think they both belong. Tough to do a list with only 10 slots. Where's Patton? Das Boot is the best in my opinion. Also probably the longest war movie ever made too.
I wouldn't place Schindler's List there either - brilliant and touching movie that it is. But it's a different movie to the majority of war films. SChindler's List is a classic that deserves kudos for its handling of the subject as well as allround great acting. But no- it's not strictly a war movie.
Which 'Thin Red Line' are we talking here. The original with Lee Marvin or the modern re-make.
If the former then it has a brilliant piece of black and white opening with just the thin red line as the only piece of colour.
As for 'War Movies' why is it always confined to World War 2. Does the prequel World War 1 not count? Or Korea, Cyprus, or even Vietnam?
War Movies, by it's own defination, relates to movies about war or set in and during a war.
Ergo Casablanca counts as a war film.
Personally, I would rate films like 'The African Queen', 'Paths Of Glory', 'Battle Of Britain', 'A Bridge Too Far' and 'Dunkirk' above 'Saving Private Ryan'.
The original 'Das Boot' was a 6 hour tv series before cut down to almost half the length for the movie release.
Ray - I agree with Saving Private Ryan - after that excellent opening it falters.
Interesting selection, and like you Gary, Cross of Iron would make my list, as would Castle Keep and Enemy at the Gates.
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