The Movieforums Top 100 War Movies Countdown

HINTS BREAKDOWN


32: Big assembly cast.


31: 1917 is filmed like a slow cinema, despite the action.


It finally happened! Cricket got both right and both first! 5 points!

The Dirty Dozen was my #23. It's been a while since I saw it, but it was one of those surprise watches I caught on TCM one day and I really had a lot of fun with it. Great cast, good direction, solid fun. I should probably revisit it one day. I had its odds at 40%, so I'm surprised it made it this far.

I still haven't seen 1917.



Seen: 27/70

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It didn't make my list, but I'm a big fan of 1917. A short review:

1917 is an amazing technical achievement. In what appears to be a continuous take à la Birdman and Gravity, it follows the journey of British lance corporals Blake and Schofield as they race across the French countryside to deliver a time-sensitive ceasefire message to another regiment. This regiment, the Devons, believe they have a golden opportunity to gain ground on the Germans, but what Blake and Schofield's regiment knows that the Devons don’t is that they'll experience a huge defeat if they attack. While the movie's achievements in cinematography and editing have received a lot of (deserved) attention, the emotions the movie stirred in me are what I'll remember about it the most. Regardless of whether it's the distinctive look and feel or the superb performances that are more responsible, the way it depicts war's horrors, close calls and invaluable moments of solace resonated with me in a uniquely raw and genuine way. With that said, I believe the movie would not have been as memorable without George Mackay’s amazing performance as Schofield. He portrays the burden of his incredibly difficult assignment so well that all his emotions and likely all his facial expressions became my own. Speaking of close calls, the movie reminded me of another year-titled historical retelling, David McCullough's 1776, which elucidates that it was a near miracle that the Thirteen Colonies of America defeated the British Empire considering how much the odds were not in their favor. While it obviously portrays a different war and different circumstances, 1917 also successfully acknowledges that many of history’s pivotal events were the result of missions that on paper seemed like they were doomed to fail.

Much to my dad's chagrin, I still haven't seen The Dirty Dozen.

Check off another one, "The Dirty Dozen" was my #4. "1917" was left on the cutting room floor.

Stats: Pit Stop #7

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Decade Breakdown

• 2020s = 1
• 2010s = 5
• 2000s = 10
• 1990s = 3
• 1980s = 7
• 1970s = 6
• 1960s = 15
• 1950s = 11
• 1940s = 7
• 1930s = 2
• 1920s = 3

The 1980s and 1970s are starting to make and expected push, but the 1960s still reign supreme. 1950s, 2000s, and 1940s are also nipping at each others heels.


Repeating Directors

• Sergei Bondarchuk = 3
• Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell = 2
• Andrzej Wadja = 2
• Sidney Limet = 2
• Kon Ichikawa = 2
• Kathryn Bigelow = 2
• Ridley Scott = 2
• Masaki Kobayashi = 2

Masaki Kobayashi joins the list with two of the Human Condition films in the last 21 entries.


War Breakdown

• World War II = 37
• World War I = 6
• Napoleonic Wars = 5
• Vietnam War = 3
• American Civil War = 3
• Rwandan Civil War = 1
• War on Terror (Afghanistan) = 1
• Unnamed civil war = 1
• Crusades = 1
• Second Boer War = 1
• Gulf War = 1
• Cold War = 1
• Cambodian Civil War = 1
• Somali Civil War = 1
• Spanish Civil War = 1
• Iraq War = 1
• Lebanon War = 1
• French and Indian War = 1
• Seven Years War = 1
• Somalian Civil War = 1
• Korean War = 1

World War II still at the top, far and away from the rest with 37 entries. As has been the case, the amount of films from other wars (32) is even less than World War II films. Some notable recent ones, we had our first Korean War film (MASH).

The Dirty Dozen was #71 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1960s while 1917 was #86 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 2010s.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

2. Jojo Rabbit (2019)
4. To Be or Not To Be (1942)
5. Wings (1927)
9. The General (1926)
11. 1917 (2019)
13. The Killing Fields (1984)
14. Grand Illusion (1937)
19. The Caine Mutiny (1954)
21. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

After many a year I finnally rewatched an old favorite The Dirty Dozen, for this countdown. I liked the beginning in the training camp, but can't say I was a fan of how it ended by pouring gas down the vent holes. I'd probably rate it a and mostly for Lee Marvin who's always great in his movies.

I watched 1917 when it came out...much better than Nonlinenar Nolan's Dunkirk. I enjoyed most of 1917 but grew weary of the ever increasing number of challanges that the solider encountered as he tried to deliver his important message. I'd say less would've been more.

Previously I wrote this:

Ahh, it was OK I guess. We keep seeing the solider go from one level to the next level to the next, all while trying not to get blown up. It was like a video game where we see our player trying to make it to the next level safely.

After while the only thing that was interesting to me was wondering what the film maker would come up with for the next scene. I never really bought into the story and so never believed in the film. I was always acutely aware of the movie making aspect of it especially the music score was way over done...and people say movies from the 1940s had overly exuberant movie scores.

Some of the adventure scenes were overcooked, especially the city at night looked fake. So did the raging river with steep rock wall banks, (I thought he was in France not in the Pyrenees).

I'm probably being too generous with my rating...

Ever try grenades dry? Gas makes them more palatable.

I haven't seen either of these. The Dirty Dozen just lingers on the periphery of my mental watch list. I'm not a big Mendes fan, but I'll probably get around 1917 someday.

I haven't seen The Dirty Dozen.

1917 didn't make my ballot, but I'm a big fan of the film and I think it accomplishes quite a lot, given its technical achievements and anti-war themes. I don't feel like saying a lot about the film though since I've already written about it at least a couple times throughout the thread. In short, I'm glad it made the list.

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The Dirty Dozen is not a great movie but it's still pretty awesome, and if I ever forget because I don't watch it for a while, I just have to look at the cast and plot to remember.

I liked 1917, mostly because it hooked me right from the start.