The Movieforums Top 100 War Movies Countdown

We did it! Nicely done, Keyser. I'd go to war for this guy.

Here's my ballot. I bolded the ones that didn't make the list, which is a whopping...3. How basic am I?

1. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
2. Come and See (1985)
3. The Great Dictator (1940)
4. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
5. Apocalypse Now (1979)
6. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
8. Das Boot (1981)
9. Patton (1970)
10. The Deer Hunter (1978)
11. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
12. Ballad of a Soldier (1959)
13. Cold War (2018)
14. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
15. The Killing Fields (1984)
16. Paths of Glory (1957)
17. Army of Shadows (1969)
18. The Tin Drum (1979)
19. The Hurt Locker (2008)
20. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
21. Platoon (1986)
22. Dunkirk (2017)
23. Fires on the Plain (1959)
24. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
25. The Wind Rises (2013)

Captain Spaulding's War Ballot

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Yeah, I'll have to go back and look but that's about as big as we've ever had, I think. Just an absolutely clear #1. Wow.

Thank you everyone for participating, and obviously a huge extra special thanks to @KeyserCorleone for all his fine work! Other than the ballots themselves, the hosts are what really make these work, and he did a great job.

This was a great countdown, thanks to all participants! Special thanks to Keyser, Yoda, Holden, and Thief! See ya'll on the next countdown!

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Entertainment Log
Letterboxd profile

This is the only one I've seen from that list. I considered it for my list. It was entertaining and thrilling, with high production values and solid performances (especially Burt Lancaster).

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Yes, that's not quite how I meant it. Bloody speech software. Because it doesn't always pick up exactly what I say sometimes I have to do a little bit of editing and, when I do, sometimes things get lost.

And, after all that, it turns out I did put Paths of Glory on my list (talking of speech software it copied that as 'part of Gloria' rather than paths of glory which I've had to go back and edit). So I guess ,in the end, I did feel as worth a place. Maybe mark f was on my shoulder going Go on! Do it! Do it do it now.

Anyway, should you wish to know what somebody who doesn't like War Films put for their top 25 war films here you go.

I had three films taken off because they were ineligible and so films I didn't think made my list, did.

1. Battle of Britain (1969)
2. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
3. The Cruel Sea (1953)
4. The Boat (1981)
5. Platoon (1986)
6. Downfall (2004)
7. Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005)
8. Ran (1985)
9. Apocalypse Now (1979)
10. Red Dawn (1984)
11. Soldier of Orange (1977)
12. Hamburger Hill (1987)
13. Night and Fog (1956)
14. The Battle of the Somme (1916)
15. Gone with the Wind (1939)
16. Top Gun (1986)
17. First Blood (1982)
18. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
19. Glory (1989)
20. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
21. Schindler's List (1993)
22. Went the Day Well? (1942)
23. Inglorious Bastards (1978)
24. The Imitation Game
25. Paths of glory

Thanks to KC for running it, as well as everyone else whether helping out with data, facts and figures or just turning up and posting.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Apologies for not engaging with this countdown more than I did, which was barely at all. Thanks to Keyser for running it, and all the other folks that helped pull it off, as well. I have popped in now and then to check the progress and jot down a few films on my watchlist, but I didn't get to participate anywhere near as much I wanted to.

Anyway - good job MoFos, and 'grats to Apocalypse Now for a dominating win.

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Most of my list got on there, with African Queen being the only surprise absence.

1. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
3. Dunkirk (2017)
4. The Deer Hunter (1978)
5. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
6. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
7. Downfall (2004)
8. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
9. The Great Escape (1963)
10. The Hurt Locker (2008)
11. 1917 (2019)
12. The Boat (1981)
13. Black Hawk Down (2001)
14. Casablanca (1942)
15. Apocalypse Now (1979)
16. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
17. Schindler's List (1993)
18. Paths of Glory (1957)
19. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
20. The African Queen (1951)
21. The Longest Day (1962)
22. Conspiracy (2001)
23. Eye in the Sky (2015)
24. Fury (2014)
25. Overlord (2018)

These two made my ballot. What can I say? I like hills! That said, I still have The Hill on my DVR to watch. I like some on your list: King Rat is very good but it's been too long since I've seen it. Zulu is epic but I didn't put it on my list because I thought of it as "The Battle of Roarke's Drift" without realizing there was an actual Anglo/Zulu War. My bad. Still love that movie. Run Silent Run Deep and The Enemy Below are two I want to see because I really like submarine movies. Destination Tokyo (1943) with Cary Grant and John Garfield is a fine submarine movie that I thought about putting on my list but cut fairly early. I recommend it though. Sahara is one my brother loves and always wanted me to see but I've still yet to view it. The Siege of Firebase Gloria is one I need to see. Some good ones there, @Citizen Rules!

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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

My List:

1. From Here to Eternity (1953)
2. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
3. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
5. Come and See (1985)
6. The Longest Day (1962)
7. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
8. The Great Escape (1963)
9. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
10. Passchendaele (2008)
11. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
12. Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
13. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
14. Breaker Morant (1980)
15. The Deer Hunter (1978)
16. The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969)
17. Wings (1927)
18. Army of Shadows (1969)
19. MASH (1970)
20. The Last Command (1928)
21. In the Fog (2012)
22. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
23. A Hidden Life (2019)
24. Apocalypse Now (1979)
25. The Ascent (1977)

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[ J ] - [ S ] - [ F ]

My Ballot, for the record.

1. The Longest Day (#36)
2. Mrs. Miniver (#85)
3. The Bridge on the River Kwai (#3)
4. The Great Escape (#19)
5. Casablanca (#14)
6. Saving Private Ryan (#8)
7. Apocalypse Now (#1)
8. Schindler's List (#11)
9. La grande illusion (#44)
10. Battle of Britain (#72)
11. Exodus (DNP)
12. Empire of the Sun (#40)
13. The Dam Busters (#101)
14. The Train (#82)
15. Gunga Din (DNP)
16. Good Morning Vietnam (#86)
17. The Imitation Game (#107)
18. Zero Dark Thirty (#92)
19. The Hurt Locker (#58)
20. Darkest Hour (DNP)
21. Glory (#38)
22. Black Hawk down (#55)
23. Operation Mincemeat (DNP)
24. Midway (DNP)
25. La grande vadrouille (1 pointer)

Ooh, the war/horror film Overlord? That was a good one!
@Wigram, Gunga Din is an absolute classic! I'm ashamed that I didn't think of that one as much as I love it.

I love me some submarine films too, I seen a boat load of them...err, I mean 'sub full You have a whole lot of great war films on your ballot too. Seen most and love a whole lot of them.

It's been a long time since I seen The Sand Pebbles but I remember it being a good film. I watched four Steve McQueen war films in prep for the countdown, all quite different from each other: The Great Escape which made the countdown of course. Hell Is for Heroes a little uneven but an interesting cast. The War Lover which I thought was a psychological powerful film about personality types, Steve McQueen was born to play this role. Soldier in the Rain a comedy with McQueen playing against type he's a dappy-happy private who's always trying to come up with get rich schemes...the great one Jackie Gleason really shines in this under watched film.

Mister Roberts almost made my list, high reviewability and enjoyable.
Dawn Patrol, I assume you had the 1938 version with Errol Flynn, David Niven and Basil Rathbone. I really liked that one and watched it in prep for this countdown. Then the next night I watched the original 1930 version with Richard Barthelmess & Douglas Fairbanks Jr....Fairbanks was pretty good but it's hard to beat Flynn and Niven in the 38 version.

This was my ballot (from someone who doesn't like war movies):

1. Waltz with Bashir (2007)
2. Casualties of War (1989)
3. Glory (1989)
4. Cold Mountain (2003)
5. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
6. Tropic Thunder (2008)
7. Jojo Rabbit (2019)
8. Schindler's List (1993)
9. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
10. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
11. The Last Samurai (2003)
12. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
13. The General (1926)
14. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
15. Persepolis (2007)
16. Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
17. The Breadwinner (2017)
18. Grace is Gone (2007)
19. The Water Diviner (2014)
20. In This Corner of the World (2016)
21. The Eagle (2011)
22. King Arthur (2004)
23. The Messenger (2009)
24. The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
25. In the Army Now (1994)

Everything from my ballot that I expected to appear on the list made the cut, except Casualties of War.

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Yeah, I love Steve McQueen also and Soldier in the Rain is excellent although it's been a few years. Oh yeah, I put the Flynn/Niven, and Rathbone version on my list. I loved the camaraderie between Flynn and Niven in it. I need to watch the original.

No alarms and no surprises. I had Apocalypse Now at #1 and Come and See at #4. I don't have much to add on them that either I or anyone else hasn't said already. Here's my full ballot with the ones that missed out highlighted in red.

1. Apocalypse Now (1979)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
3. Barry Lyndon (1975)
4. Come and See (1985)
5. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961)
6. The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)
7. The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959)
8. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
9. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
10. The Boat (1981)
11. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
12. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
13. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
14. Paths of Glory (1957)
15. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
16. Night and Fog (1956)
17. Army of Shadows (1969)
18. The Big Red One (1980)
19. Bullet in the Head (1990)
20. The Duellists (1977)
21. Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
22. Platoon (1986)
23. Cross of Iron (1977)
24. The Tin Drum (1979)
25. War and Peace, Part I: Andrei Bolkonsky (1965)

I'd seen Samuel Fuller films before and thought they were good and all, but The Big Red One was one that really made me sit up and really pay attention. Very much borne from his own wartime experiences and finding an appropriate avatar in fellow veteran Lee Marvin, it's a darkly comic series of ventures through World War II that definitely speak to the absurdity of war

Bullet in the Head is basically John Woo doing his own take on The Deer Hunter, though it still largely plays like the rest of the Hong Kong gangster films on which he built his name. Even so, he still finds room for the same sense of personal conflict between the men who find themselves trapped in this war and the damage that lasts long after they get out of it.

Ridley Scott got a fair bit of representation on this list already, but The Duellists stands out to me in a way that most of his other wartime pictures don't. It is admittedly an early feature of his that clearly owes a debt to Barry Lyndon with its emphasis on the Napoleonic Wars and, well, duelling. That being said, he finds enough to distinguish his own take and make a mission statement that has carried him through the subsequent fifty years (especially when his late films include the likes of The Last Duel and Napoleon).

Cross of Iron - it's Peckinpah doing a war film, that seems like enough.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Keyser today...

LOL. There is a bit of a "the circus has left town" vibe when a countdown ends, isn't there?