5. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) It wasn't until a year ago that I finally and fully watched this film. A film that I had never taken the time to watch in its entirety and fully appreciated. Often filing them under heartfelt regret for not doing so much earlier in my life. An exception to the rule, I do believe my appreciation of not only the film but the full course of the story of T.E. Lawrence and what transpires affects and draws me in far more now than when I was a far younger man—making for ideal viewing and now, to witness this on the big screen somewhere, someday to witness it all in an old-time movie theater, seeing the gorgeous landscape traversing the usual dunes and exploring the desert's colors, vegetation, and mountains. These impeccable shots represent why Lawrence fell in love with the desert. It is a very deserving win for cinematography and stands out amongst its peers. This says a lot coming from someone who rates his enjoyment of any given film by how captured I am by camera work. Just. F@ckin. Beautiful.
4. Paths of Glory (1957) Another film that took until a year or so ago to finally check out and very much enjoy, and now I just need to revisit it to thoroughly appreciate it.
Coming in at #10 3. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1954) One more from my youth that I've watched multiple times through the years and would find more and more appreciation for... well, everything. A guaranteed spot on my list, even though it has been a few years since my last viewing. A truly excellent film that deserves its place at #3.
Coming in at #16 Everyone gets everything he wants.
I wanted a mission, and for my sins, they gave me one. It is said that the very idea of War is, in itself, insanity. To the mind, the heart, to the very core of one's soul. To inflict horror, murder for the supposed Greater Good? WTF?
To experience the nightmare from the mindset of said insanity. We embark on a sojourn of contradictions and absurdities that only a nightmare could fathom.
Francis Ford Coppola's visually hallucinogenic demonstration kicks in from the very opening of slow whirring choppers, jungles exploding, and the upside-down close-up of Martin Sheen's character, accompanied by The Doors' "The End." To the actions of all involved and the continual narration,
charging a man with murder in this place was like handing out speeding tickets in the Indy 500. as well as Brando's dialogues
We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write "f@ck" on their airplanes because it's obscene! An added layer of authenticity is how Coppola's vision of chaos and insanity birthed from the chaos and insanity of the filming process itself.
And for the Proud, the Left Behind, my Missing In Action... 7. Under Sandet aka Land of Mine (2015) From the group watch for this Countdown, it became one of the heartbreakers I added to my list. Set in post-WWII Denmark, German youth are forced to remove a beach filled with landmines to remove them with zero prior knowledge. A harsh, moving, and extraordinary film that held me captured from the get-go to its heartbreaking conclusion. Amazing film
8. Hell's Angels (1930) With the sultry Jean Harlowe intoxicating a pair of brothers (and anyone else she encounters), a chunk of this film centers around this. But the REAL film is the aerial combat and the grit of the action, as well as some key scenes that made my jaw drop. Some intriguing filming, such as the night flying, was done in a blue monochrome, and the party that the three leading characters are at was in color. Which I really did appreciate when viewing this.
24. The Dawn Patrol (1938) Set during WWI with a strong cast: Basil Rathbone, David Niven, Errol Flynn, along with Donald Crisp and keep an eye out for Barry Fitzgerald. The film focuses on a very small division of flyers whose ranks are constantly refilled on a daily basis. A run isn't made that doesn't lose at least a few men, and the replacements get younger and more fresh out of flying school. Along with some rather good "live-action" flights of these biplanes. Especially the final flight that mixes models and staged sets surprisingly well.
Countdown List Watched 57 out of 100 (57%) 1. The Great Escape (1963) (#28) 2. Rome, Open City aka Roma città aperta (1945) (1945) (#37) 3. Stalag 17 (1953) (#35) 4. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) (#66) 5. Patton (1970) (#28) 6. Grave of Fireflies (1988) (#12) 7. Under Sandet aka Land of Mine (2015) (MIA) 8. Hell's Angels (1930) (MIA) 9. l'armee des ombres aka Army of Shadows (1969) (#29) 10. Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957) (#3) 11. M*A*S*H (1970) (#39) 12. The Dirty Dozen (1967) (#32) 13. Glory (1989))
(#38) 14. Johnny Got His Gun (1971) (#97) 15. Platoon (1986) (#16) 16. Apocalypse Now (1979) (#2) 17. Braveheart (1995) (#25) 18. Henry V (1989) (MIA) 19. Saving Private Ryan (1988) (#8) 20. Downfall (2004) (#13) 21. Das Boot aka The Boat (1981) (#9) 22. 1917 (2019) (#31) 23. Mrs. Miniver (1942) (#85) 24. The Dawn Patrol (1938) (MIA) 25. Shoulders Arms (1918) (MIA) One-Pointers Watched 5 out of 24 (20.83%)