The Movieforums Top 100 War Movies Countdown

Wales, Europe

09-18-23

The Human Condition 1 was number 12 on my list! Great film.

Harry Lime

BANNED FROM VIENNA

09-18-23

Happy to see Patton so high up. It would have made my top 50. it's a great film with performances and obviously, especially, one extraordinary performance.

The Human Condition I made my list at #5. I went with the first in the trilogy as a representative of the entire trilogy. Like I've said before it's a masterpiece and like others have said before take the time and watch it. It's worth it.

5. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)
9. Shoah (1985)
10. The General (1926)
15. Army of Shadows (1969)
18. Waltz with Bashir (2007)
19. Rome, Open City (1945)
21. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
23. Three Kings (1999)
24. Underground (1995)
25. La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2003)

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Little Ash

he/him

09-18-23

26. Apocalypse Now

Yeah, seems too early, but outside of Braveheart, it's my only guess.

Thief

Master of None

09-18-23

Originally Posted by Little Ash

26. Apocalypse Now

Yeah, seems too early, but outside of Braveheart, it's my only guess.

No way. My money is on Apocalypse Now being Top 3.

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Little Ash

he/him

09-18-23

Originally Posted by SpelingError

Wow, it's quiet in here so far. Where's everyone else at?

Playing BG3 over the weekend?

Little Ash

he/him

09-18-23

Army of Shadows was my #23. I wasn't expecting it to make the list at this point, but I also have no idea what's making the list other than about 5 movies.

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love was my #7.
Or to recap:
2. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961)
5. The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959)
7. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)

I was tempted to make them 2-4, but there were some other great movies that made their way in there. The quality seemed impressively consistent throughout, with the main qualm being that Road to Eternity felt a little repetitive structure-wise to No Greater Love. For ranking, I don't know which I prefer more I or III. However I placed II over I for this ranking just because it was active military service, rather than life during wartime (under an oppressive military regime), so for the sake of a "war" movie, I gave Road to Eternity an edge over No Greater Love specifically for this list.

In some ways I like No Greater Love the most because it does seem to capture the futility of thinking one might be able to be change a system from the inside, while A Soldier's Prayer feels more like Kobayashi just taking a knife to the audience member for having any hope. All very solid.

My #4 was Waltz with Bashir. Since Army of Shadows showed up this late, I now have to at least consider my #3 still has a chance, but it feels unlikely. My #6 has no hope, which feels appropriate.

09-18-23

#26 #26

175 points, 14 lists

Braveheart

Director

Mel Gibson, 1995

Starring

Mel Gibson, Catherine McCormack, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan

09-18-23

#25 #25

187 points, 15 lists

The Deer Hunter

Director

Michael Cimino, 1978

Starring

Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage

KeyserCorleone

Registered User

09-18-23

HINTS BREAKDOWN:

26: A reference to an episode of The Fairly oddparents where there was a running gag involving kilts.

25: The Russian roulette scene from The Deer Hunter.

Cricket got 26 and Wyldesyde got 25. One point for each of them. And I'm really happy someone got Braveheart on the first guess due to the reference.

Miss Vicky

MoFo's Resident Bitch

09-18-23

I saw Braveheart once many years ago and didn�t like it at all. I�ve never bothered to revisit it. I haven�t seen Deer Hunter or anything from the last few days.

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Last edited by Miss Vicky; 09-18-23 at 10:33 PM.

Deschain

Msg

Registered User

09-18-23

I don’t love Braveheart.

Deer Hunter on the other hand was my #4. One of the greatest films ever made. Those Russian roulette scenes are still so intense.

MovieFan1988

Msg

Registered User

09-18-23

The Deer Hunter was a good movie from the 70's, that Russian roulette scene was an intense thing to watch.

Ballot Update

Tropic Thunder is #2 on my ballot
The Deer Hunter is #4 on my ballot
Three Kings is #6 on my ballot
First Blood is #8 on my ballot

Update on what movie on my list might make it to this list
1. It definitely should make it
2. Tropic Thunder (2008)
3. Nope
4. The Deer Hunter (1978)
5. Nope
6. Three Kings (1999)
7. It's still got a chance of making it
8. First Blood (1982)
9. It definitely should make it
10. Nope

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John W Constantine

Msg

Alias: John Utah

09-18-23

More like a wedding scene movie, am I righ? Righ?

I had it @ no. 8, it goes along quite well with Heavens Gate as a Cimino double bill.

Braveheart has always been a favorite but I didn't really consider it for this countdown.

Holden Pike

One Ornery Sumbitch

09-18-23

The Deer Hunter was #38 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1970s. Braveheart was #32 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1990s, #21 on the original MoFo Top 100 in 2010, and fell all the way to #93 on the MoFo Top 100 Refresh.

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Thief

Master of None

09-18-23

Yay, seen both films from this batch!... and even one was in my ballot!

Braveheart was my #16. I've loved this film ever since I saw it back in the 90s. I think that Gibson does a great job of mixing some of the historical aspects of the time with the mythical aspects of the character of William Wallace. With time, I've grown to be more critical of some of his choices, but I still find myself captivated by it, specifically of how it portrays the hunger for freedom of a whole country. That's something that hits particularly close to me.

As for The Deer Hunter, it's been a gooood while since I saw it. To be honest, I barely remember it.

Seen: 30/76

My ballot:

Holden Pike

One Ornery Sumbitch

09-18-23

Originally Posted by Holden Pike

Four. You forgot Mrs. Miniver.

Many more coming in the Top 50, too: Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge Over the River Kwai, Schindler's List, Platoon, Braveheart, The Deer Hunter, The Best Years of Our Lives, Patton, From Here to Eternity, All Quiet on the Western Front. The only winner I think is going to miss the list is The English Patient. Or maybe I just hope it is?

Three of the last four reveals won the Best Picture Oscar. Other than The English Patient, which happily looks like it will NOT make the cut, all of the other eligible Academy Award winners gots to be in the Top 24: the original All Quiet on the Western Front, Casablanca, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Platoon, and Schindler's List.

Thief

Master of None

09-18-23

Mel Gibson joins the group of directors with two or more entries (Hacksaw Ridge and Braveheart), while Masaki Kobayashi added a third one yesterday, putting all three Human Condition films in the countdown.

Also, the point gaps start getting bigger with 18 between Patton and The Human Condition I, and 12 between Braveheart and The Deer Hunter. Both are the biggest point gaps between two films so far in the countdown.

cricket

Registered User

09-18-23

The Deer Hunter is a weird one for me because it's a childhood favorite, and at least for me it's not at all the kind of movie I normally liked at that age. A few short years after it was released, it was shown on regular TV uncut, and that's when I first saw it. The beginning is when I recall noticing cinematography for the first time, and although it's part of so many war films, it was the first time I realized that it was normal everyday people who went off to war. I must've been around 11. I think it's one of De Niro's best and most underrated performances, and Walken rules. It gets it's share of hate but it's a long time favorite for me.

Braveheart is awesome but I think of these types of film differently than I view most conventional war films.

2. Ballad of a Soldier (#68)
8. From Here to Eternity (#30)
9. The Deer Hunter (#25)
14. Red Angel (#100)
16. Waltz with Bashir (#45)
17. Underground (#43)
20. Johnny Got His Gun (#97)
24. Wings (#79)

Wyldesyde19

The trick is not minding

09-18-23

I like Braveheart, but it�s a very flawed take on the War for Scottish Independence. Still, those battle scenes are very bloody and pull no punches.

Deer Hunter is quite good as well, once you get past the first 45 minutes which is intentionally slow to introduce us to all the main characters and have an idea of their bonds between them.

seanc