1FF's Favourite War Films of All Time

[Craig]

War!! What is it good for?... 1FF countdown lists.

It's been 10 months since Cas' monumental success of a horror film list concluded and I need to make up for the shambles of a western list I ran which was quite obviously just a shameless vanity project to curry favour with a certain poster

Send me your 20 favourite war films via PM and I promise to make up for it. You can choose films about any war you like.

 

[Stevencc]

Your Western list was a complete triumph, mate. I had it bookmarked and went through it adding stuff to my IMDB watchlist as I went. I plan on getting to them soon after I finish watching the gialli I am ploughing through at the moment.

 

[Aber gas]

I agree with Steven. The western thing was great. Don't be silly.

 

[SALTIRE]

Struggling with this, I've seen so many I like, and probably have around 40 at the moment and possibly adding more into that, and to cut these down to a list of 20 will be tough!

 

[Aber gas]

Struggling with this, I've seen so many I like, and probably have around 40 at the moment and possibly adding more into that, and to cut these down to a list of 20 will be tough!

I could probs do twenty on 'nam alone.

 

[SALTIRE]

I could probs do twenty on 'nam alone.

Yep, I could probably do 20 on the old British war films as well!

 

[Craig]

First list is in.

 

[Craig]

Two lists. Things are shaping up.

 

[Dirk]

May I join in?
If yes, are films of the 30 year war (1618-1648) or the Napoleonic Era allowed?

edit: First post already explains it.

 

[Craig]

Yes and yes.

 

[Aber gas]

This is shaping up to be the best feature there has ever been.
Super excited.

 

[Dirk]

OK, then expect my 20 movie list in a few days. Should be no problem for me to name at least 20 from the different eras (except Iraq/Afghanistan or Vietnam)

 

[Dirk]

Are only movies allowed or mini tv series (2parter, 4 parter), too?

I've already made a "preliminary" list and some of my movies are only in German and I couldn't find an english dubbed version. May I put these on my list or only english spoken movies? (Some German movies are also available in English like "Das Boot" )

 

[Craig]

Only feature length movies please. Doesn't matter what language.

 

[Dirk]

Just sent my list. Due to the above said (no 2 or 4 parter) there's a totally different result here for me because I had to "abandon" some 30 year war and napoleonic war films (they had the feature length of movies but it were mini tv series)

Spoiler

13 * WW II
3 * WW I
2 * Vietnam
1 * Napoleonic
1 * Medieval
-----------------
20!

 

[SALTIRE]

I had 51 films in my list I had to trim down. Spent about an hour cutting out some films I love as well; so tough.

 

[Camborne Gills]

I could only come up with 10, not being a great movie buff

 

[Dirk]

Craig Just sent you a corrected list with 2 changes (films I watched lastly). Hope it's okay.

My new list contains now

Spoiler

12 WW II Movies
5 WW I Movies
2 Vietnam Movies
1 Napoleonic War Movie

btw: How many lists do you have now and when will we see the results?

 

[Craig]

8 lists including my own. Will set a deadline sometime in the next week.

 

[Craig]

We have 9 lists in now with over 100 films nominated ranging from 480BC to the 23rd century AD and as close to home as a field in England to as distant as a galaxy far, far away.

I will set a deadline of midnight on Wednesday the 8th February. This is subject to change though and if it becomes obvious no one else is interested brought forward so we can crack on.

 

[Craig]

We now have 10 lists so with this in mind the deadline is brought forward to midnight Tuesday 31st.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Bloody hell, that moved quickly. I'll have a think tonight.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Done - gone for a few cold war films. It's such a broad topic that I'm looking forward to seeing what has been nominated. I was tempted to put the Indiana Jones films for instance but not sure they really count.

 

[iesty wfc]

We have 9 lists in now with over 100 films nominated ranging from 480BC to the 23rd century AD and as close to home as a field in England to as distant as a galaxy far, far away.

I will set a deadline of midnight on Wednesday the 8th February. This is subject to change though and if it becomes obvious no one else is interested brought forward so we can crack on.

i didnt even think of those as being part of this list, although i guess theres nothing against fictional wars, and i probably included a couple that were borderline fiction in my list

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

When's this kicking off Craig ?

 

[Craig]

Start countdown tomorrow.

 

[Craig]

War. Since Cain and Abel men have waged war on each other. Since the early 20th century we have made films about it. What follows is a list of 1FF member's favourite films on the subject of war. 116 films in total covering all manner of wars.

In joint 38th place with 1 point each these six films were voted 20th on one list each.

The 300 Spartans (1962)

Rudolph Maté's epic telling of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480BC when 300 Spartan warriors held off a vast Persian army at a narrow pass in Southern Greece. A huge box office success it grossed ten times its $8.5million budget at the box office. A standout amongst the numerous sword and sandal movies of the time.


Team America: World Police (2004)

Satirical action from the creators of South Park using puppets in a crude homage to the likes of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlett it follows the adventures of a team of gung-ho American special forces operatives as they attempt to infiltrate and take out North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.


Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)

A French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war.


First Blood (1982)

Special ops veteran John Rambo returns home from Vietnam and is set upon by the abusive sheriff of a small town. Taking to the woods he is pursued by the law and wages a one man war on the officers out to get him.



The Keep (1983)

German soldiers garrisoned at a remote Romanian castle in WWII unleash an ancient evil.


Starship Troopers (1997)

Paul Verhoeven's big budget adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's sci-fi novel about an intergalactic war on giant alien space bugs.

 

[SALTIRE]

Starship Troopers was mine, not only was it great fun and done with tongue in cheek humour (being a Verhoeven film that comes with the territory ) but it had an interesting take on us where we became the aggressors with a lot of Nazi tones.

Was thinking of putting First Blood in my list as well but it fell short.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

Never really liked Rambo and never seen Starship Troopers. I can't believe anyone would put Team America though.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)

Spoiler: MINE

Nouvelle Vague/Left Bank fountainhead. An aftermath of war film.... a meditation on memory, loss and trauma; atrocity considered at a temporal remove. It's elliptical and enigmatic, formally bracing, a tone poem as much as a narrative. A personal tale as a means of processing a global catastrophe.