Films.

[Jim Clay]

Regarding Iwo Jima, there was a fifties film "sands of Iwo Jima" IIRC (did it star John Wayne??). I don't think it would go down as one of the greatest war films... but someone may think otherwise.

As for Ira Hayes, yes a desparately tragic story, told well in Peter La Farge's song as sung by the Man In Black Johnny Cash, but also extremely well told in a book (title eludes me) which I read in the 60s by Wiliam Bradford Huie (you should find the details on Amazon's US site).

But a film which should be considered for inclusion, as several pals have already suggested, has to be Saving Private Ryan which I saw for the first time on UK Channel 5 last night (whether this was a mutilated version is being discussed on another current thread - it didn't feel like it to me). I had been warned but nonetheless the first 30 mins literally had me gasping. From the instant the LC ramps started to lower, it was a stunning, horrific, amazing and totally breathtaking depiction of what such combat must have looked, sounded AND felt like. For this part of the film Speilberg deserves all the praise he has received IMO.

Inevitably, after this 30 min holocaust, the rest of the film could have been expected to pale in comparison, but I have to admit that a lot of the rest of the action was almost as gripping in its own way.

And Channel 5 have to be commended for delaying the first ad break until 40 mins into the film and at a totally natural break.

Just my two penn'orth!

Jim

[BeppoSapone]

As for Ira Hayes, yes a desparately tragic story, told well in Peter La Farge's song as sung by the Man In Black Johnny Cash, but also extremely well told in a book (title eludes me) which I read in the 60s by Wiliam Bradford Huie (you should find the details on Amazon's US site).

But a film which should be considered for inclusion, as several pals have already suggested, has to be Saving Private Ryan which I saw for the first time on UK Channel 5 last night (whether this was a mutilated version is being discussed on another current thread - it didn't feel like it to me).  I had been warned but nonetheless the first 30 mins literally had me gasping.  From the instant the LC ramps started to lower, it was a stunning, horrific, amazing and totally breathtaking depiction of what such combat must have looked, sounded AND felt like.  For this part of the film Speilberg deserves all the praise he has received IMO.

Inevitably, after this 30 min holocaust, the rest of the film could have been expected to pale in comparison, but I have to admit that a lot of the rest of the action was almost as gripping in its own way.

And Channel 5 have to be commended for delaying the first ad break until 40 mins into the film and at a totally natural break.

Just my two penn'orth!

Jim

Thanks for that Jim. I will have to look out for it. Wiliam Bradford Huie also wrote an early 1950s book on the execution of Eddie Slovik.

Maybe people are right about "Saving Private Ryan" being uncut, and my memory has enhanced the film I saw? I am sure that a couple of things were cut though like the scene when the Ranger Sgt scoops up some soil from Normandy and puts it in his rucksack. You were able to read the place names on the other two tins for several seconds at the cinema.

[Pte1643]

There's no need to settle for "second best", having to watch SPR in TV edited mode.

You can, and I did, buy it sometime ago on DVD for a fiver, from ASDA

Then watch it in it's full length glory, like Spielberg had intended.

Mark

[Jim Clay]

Beppo

The WB Huie book on Ira Hayes was The Outsider - here's my old Panther p/back if it attaches OK.

The scooping French soil into 1 of 3 cans scene was certainly brief and I don't recall seeing names on the other cans, so you could well be right.

Of course Mark is right, get it on unedited dvd and play on your home cinema system with surround sound and all!

Jim

[Morval Ross]

My Favs are

A bridge too Far,

The Battle of Britian.

All queit on the Western Front (The original)

The Dam Busters

Das Boot

In which We Serve

The Longest Day

Anything with Sir johnny Mills

and Lawrance of Arabia.

Any one disagree.

Ross.

[Kathie]

You all lost me a while ago.

However, does anyone know where I could get a copy (DVD or video) of "Oh What a Lovely War". I managed to buy a CD last year but cannot find a copy of the film.

Kathie

[Jim Clay]

Kathie

It is apparently due out on DVD this year - see the discussion on IMDb at [email=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064754/board/nest/13023178]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064754/board/nest/13023178[/email]

So no scouring ebay or video-hunter sites.

regards, Jim

[Jim Clay]

Oops!

Sorry that URL came up as an email address, but you know what I'm trying to do....

IMDb forum

Doh!

[BottsGreys]

Which reminds me. My main "beef" with war films is that they so often show men doing brave acts, and often being wounded etc.

Then, they conveniently forgot to mention the rest of the soldiers life. Many of the wounded from wars are in pain until the day they die. No "Glory" there, and very little help from cynical governments that have used them like you or I would use a Kleenex.

Here is an example of what I mean. Chris has mentioned the well known shot of the American flag being raised on Iwo Jima. One of the members of the USMC that did that was the Native American Ira Hayes, and it wrecked his life.

Beppo:

I don't know if you are familiar with Brady's book, but I am hoping against hope that they make the movie true to the book. It not only tells of Iwo Jima, but gives a well-balanced bio of each of the men and how their destinies came together.

An example, a story about Ira Hayes, whom you mentioned. For months after the photo was published, the Marine in the image who is far right placing the pole in the soil was either unidentified or misidentified. The man's real name was Harlon Block from Texas, and he was KIA on Iwo. From the first moment his mother saw the famous image, she insisted to family and friends that the Marine was Harlon, although the man's face cannot be seen. She would say, "Oh, that's definitely Harlon. I know my boy." and a great line, "I changed so many diapers on that boy's butt, I know it's my boy." Anyway, in May 1946, Ira Hayes hitchhiked (on his own initiative and unknown to the Block family) from the Gila River Reservation in Arizona to the Block's home in Texas (over 1300 miles one way) so that he could share stories of having served with Harlon and to confirm once and for all that it was Harlon in the photo.

This is the type of thing I hope is covered in the movie, not just the heroics on Iwo Jima.

Chris

[Kathie]

Jim, thanks for that info about the website re Oh What A Lovely War - I dint know it exiwted. I see it is coming out in Spring 2005. Where would I be able to get a copy when it does?

Thanks

kathie

[anneg001]

I did not see any mention of

J'ACCUSE

GANCE, ABEL

FRENCH, 1919

I thought the end was successufully anti-war. The image of the dead from all countries rising to signify their folly to the living and the sound going with it stayed with me

[Jim Clay]

Jim, thanks for that info about the website re Oh What A Lovely War - I dint know it exiwted. I see it is coming out in Spring 2005. Where would I be able to get a copy when it does?

Just saw your message, Kathie. Don't know but I guess if you check the usual suspects from time to time (Amazon) and the IMdB forum you'll see when it's available.

Regards, Jim

[bravo7165]

-Cross of Iron (Eastern Front World War II)

-The Bridge at Remagen (World War II)

-Pearl Harbor (World War II)

-All Quiet on the Western Front (World War I)

Regards

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

what do you think of das boot

[Steven Broomfield]

Claustrophobic!

[Duncan]

Why are we (the British, and in particularly the English) always shown as either villains, or a bit cowardly, or incompetent, or public school prats etc etc? It’s not just US films, Gallipoli was pretty down on the British too. Remember the bit when the Aussies are getting slaughtered and there are two English officers who can stop it, ones nasty, the other bumbling and incompetent. And the Aussies ask how the British landing is going on and they’re told, ‘they’re sat about drinking tea’.

Anyone seen ‘Going Home’ by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation? About the riot of Canadian troops at Rhyl in 1919, lots of flashbacks to the Western Front too. Good film. Actually that was a bit anti English too now I come to think of it!

Duncan.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

It's on @ the moment,Lunchtime C4,: "A Matter Of Life & Death" Starring David Niven,Roger Livesey & Kim Hunter,Made by Powell & Pressburger,This enchanting Film does it for me every time I watch it!

[AB64]

I think my favourite is "theirs is the glory" about Arnhem made in about 1946 using veterans of the battle on the actual battlefields - very bad acting in places but the guys are soldiers not actors. During the breaks in filming many of the soldierswent searching out the field graves of the comrades.

Also good are "they were not divided", "the way ahead" and "Full metal Jacket"

Alistair

[Devils Own]

I was an extra in 'Going Home' which was filmed at Tonfanau camp, mid-Wales shortly after 'The Monocled Mutineer' in which I was also an extra. I was beginning to feel typecast. I really wanted to do westerns but there aren't many cacti in Ceredigion.

Watched 'The very long engagement' last night on TV on SKY box office. In my opinion it was a decent French WWI movie. Is the punishment in no man's land based on a particular incident?

Steve

[Guest IMDB Fan]

J`ACCUSE a Fisrt World War film that used real French troops as extras many of whom were jkilled in battle after filming

PATHS OF GLORY A cynical but compelling court room drama

BREAKER MORANT An Aussie film set during the Boar War similar to PATHS OF GLORY . If you watch the news the do gooders in the British government are working on a real life remake

DAS BOOT Makes the audience empathise with the Germans . No small feat

CROSS OF IRON Set during the Eastern Front campaign and has the old cliche that no Germans were Nazis . What makes it remarkable is that the villain also despises the Nazis on egaliterian reasons . If you only see one movie featuring the second world war this is the one to watch

PLATOON If you claim to watch this without crying I`ll call you a liar

APOCALYPSE NOW I think a lot of people don`t understand the subtext . It`s about war in general and Vietnam in particular . It starts of all macho and gung ho then the longer it goes on the more distressing and plotless it becomes

No offence to the people who liked the following movies but if you enjoyed PEARL HARBOR and WE WERE SOLDIERS I think you should watch more movies starting with the ones I mentioned

Oh and BAND OF BROTHERS is poor history but what`d you expect from Ambrose ?

[ray hoggart]

Hello chums,

I thought the point of the discussion was to express what films we enjoyed!

It seems to have become a sort of 'This is the point of the film and if you disagree with me you're stupid'

Ray 7155

[Guest IMDB Fan]

Hello chums,

I thought the point of the discussion was to express what films we enjoyed!

It seems to have become a sort of 'This is the point of the film and if you disagree with me you're stupid'

Ray 7155

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you`re referring to me Ray I wasn`t calling anyone stupid or making any other personal comments . However I fail to see how anyone can enjoy the hopelessly anachronistic and overblown PEARL HARBOR or Mel Gibsons 21st century version of THE GREEN BERETS

If anyone did enjoy them as either history or examples of movie making at its very best please reply explaining why

Thankfully no one was written in saying that OPERATION BURMA was like a fly on the wall documentary because that really would have been stupid

[domsim]

I bought the original 'All Quiet on the Western Front' on DVD a couple of months ago and had forgotten what a brilliant film it is.

Best film in my opinion.

Cheers

Dominic

[Steven Broomfield]

Anyone know if J'Accuse is available on DVD?

For me - I love Genevieve. OK not a war film (well - war of the sexes, if that counts), but just lovely fun and an England that sadly doesn't exist any more. Great music, too.

[Jim Clay]

For me - I love Genevieve......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"Starring" Kenneth More and (was it?) Kay Kendall (?) - but we know the real stars were the cars! Lovely film, and the England it portrays seems so historic now

Jim

[Gunboat]

What did people think of the film "The Trench" which was out a few years ago. No one has mentioned it I dont recall it being a bad film and given the subject matter would have thought many of the pals would have watched it.