The Movieforums Top 100 War Movies Countdown

Whoops, missed these. I bolded the ones I've watched:

Beau Travail: I love Denis Lavant's narration and it has its impactful moments, but throughout the few times I've seen it, I've yet to warm up to the middle section and the film still leaves me cold. I just wish I could feel the weight of what Lavant's character was going through better.

Zulu: Though it has its rough moments, the battle scenes are the clear highlight of this one and are far ahead of their time. I don't like them enough for it to make my ballot, but I'm glad it came close to making the countdown.

Barefoot Gen: I watched it in the Group Watch thread and enjoyed it. Here's what I wrote on it: Just finished Barefoot Gen, and I really enjoyed it. It's very dark, but powerful and the subject matter is important. In regards to the child characters being annoying, I remember having that issue with Grave of the Fireflies, but I think the voice acting in this film was easier to sit through. That acting style is normal for anime though, to my understanding.

King Rat: Another film I watched in the Group Watch thread. I thought it was alright: Just finished King Rat. While I somewhat admired certain elements about it like King and Grey vying for power and King's and Marlowe's friendship, I didn't feel like either of these elements added up to much I found interesting and I found myself deeply unengaged throughout much of the runtime. Showing so little of the Japanese guards was an interesting touch though. I'm curious to read what the rest of you have to say about this film.

The Imitation Game: It's been too long since I've seen this one. I just remember thinking the acting was good. Don't have much of an interest in revisiting it anytime soon though.

Quo Vadis, Aida?: Yet another Group Watch thread nomination. Here's what I wrote on the film: Also, just finished Quo Vadis, Aida?, and I really enjoyed it. I liked how it came from the perspective of someone who isn't any significant danger from the troops, yet her family is and she has to figure out a way to protect them. It made for a good point of view, especially as the UN troops are slowly shown to be at the mercy of the Serbian troops. It won't make my ballot, but I'm glad I was able to watch it.

The Last Samurai: It was one of my favorites growing up, but I haven't thought about it in a while. Not sure how I'd respond to it now.

Europa Europa: I wrote a pretty extensive review for this one earlier this year. I have my issues with it, but it's still a good film. https://letterboxd.com/popcornreview...ropa-europa/1/

Kagemusha: Not nearly as epic as it tries to be, but it's still worth watching as Takeda makes for a decently interesting character given the tough situation he finds himself in all throughout the film. He can remain a formidable character, but is always at risk of his true colors being exposed. I think Kurosawa would go on to direct the film he intended this one to be five years later with Ran though.

Anyways, none of them made my ballot.

__________________
IMDb
Letterboxd

LOL! Honorable discharge #101 The Dam Busters was my #1.

10. Full Metal Jacket
9. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
8. Come & See
7. Das Boot
6. Paths of Glory
5. The Bridge on the River Kwai
4. Lawrence of Arabia
3. Shaving Ryans Private Parts
2. Apocalypse Now
1. Dr. Strangelove

__________________
Entertainment Log
Letterboxd profile

Fireflies was my #8. It's just beautifully made and so moving.



I've cooled on Schindler's List over the years. It didn't make my list but might make a top 50 war films. Maybe I'm due a rewatch.

Was my #25

Another two from my ballot - two all-time greats, and two movies that can move me to tears.

12. Grave of the Fireflies - A friend took a group of friends including me to a cinema to see this - I had no idea what I was in for. I don't think I even knew what it was about when I went. I certainly didn't know I'd be completely emotionally destroyed by the end of it - and I think I can confidently say that it was the first time an animated film had such a wrenching effect on me. No kids should ever have to rely on themselves alone to survive - and no kid should have the responsibility of a little sister or brother rest on their shoulders. War, however, makes necessities of things that should never happen, and inside each war there are hundreds, thousands, and millions of stories that are each heartbreaking and awful. This one features a Japan that has been bombarded, where many orphans walk the streets trying to survive. Such a special kind of movie. I had it at #9.

11. Schindler's List - I watched Schindler's List one day and the full weight of it made this one of the most surprising rewatches of my life. I guess I was attuned somehow, or at least open to contemplating the bigger picture that this film represented. Steven Spielberg pulled it off - this was his Citizen Kane moment, and he'd waited a couple of decades until taking on the project he seemed destined for. Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley were up for it - as was the great John Williams (I can't hear that tune and not be moved now) and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński. I was a bit of a skeptic when this first came out - just because Spielberg was such a mainstream figure and commercial artist. I didn't think he'd have the right amount of restraint when needed, and I just didn't believe. But no - this is a freaking masterpiece. I'm surprised it's not higher, but perhaps some people don't think of it as a war film. #3 on my ballot.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seen : 68/90
I'd never even heard of :12/90
Movies that had been on my radar, but I haven't seen yet : 10/90
Films from my list : 15

#11 - My #3 - Schindler's List (1993)
#12 - My #9 - Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
#13 - My #12 - Downfall (2004)
#15 - My #21 - Inglourious Basterds (2009)
#17 - My #11 - The Thin Red Line (1998)
#20 - My #17 - The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
#27 - My #15 - The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959)
#31 - My #20 - 1917 (2019)
#33 - My #2 - The Ascent (1977)
#34 - My #4 - The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961)
#38 - My #23 - Glory (1989)
#49 - My #24 - The Guns of Navarone (1961)
#51 - My #7 - The Human Condition II : Road to Eternity (1959)
#70 - My #14 - The Caine Mutiny (1954)
#74 - My #16 - Shoah (1985)

Overlooked films : Breaker Morant, Fail-Safe, Night and Fog, Casablanca

__________________

From the last four, Casablanca was my #2 and Schindler's List was my #14. Casablanca is corny and at times illogical yet works perfectly--a film much greater than it seems it should be. There is some understandable complaint that Schindler's List is a survivors' story about a desecration defined by the mass destruction of human beings, but it is often the survivors who have to tell these stories.

Downfall is very good, but did not make my list. I have not seen Grave of the Fireflies, yet.

Anybody else gonna take a whack at ordering the Top Ten?

__________________
"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

Grave of the Fireflies was my #12.
I watched this a good number of times as a late teen, but I don't think I've returned to it much in the decades since. I always like the touch of the aunt being welcoming on arrival, but after time goes by, guests/family, even with tragic stories, start to be viewed as burdens. Which isn't to say she's at fault for what happened to the kids, the want for people of working age in dire times to pull their own weight is common. It's just Seita is at that age where he thinks he knows what he's doing, but doesn't.


Schindler's List - I haven't seen this since the 90s. With the exception of Jaws and probably Close Encounters (haven't seen it in forever), I don't seem to like Spielberg movies.


From the near misses, Catch-22 was my #25 (in retrospect, I should have fudged things and made it my 22).
The exchange between Yossarian and Mindbender about Nately's death and family is the one set of lines that Heller said he wish he thought of for the book.


[i]Beau-Travail[/b] - I have seen this movie and was unaware it was a war movie.

10. Paths of Glory
9. Bridge on the River Kwai
8. Das Boot
7. All Quiet on the Western Front
6. Full Metal Jacket
5. Come and See
4. Lawrence of Arabia
3. Saving Private Ryan
2. Apocalypse Now
1. Dr. Strangelove

10) Das Boot
9) Paths Of Glory
8) All Quiet Western Front
7) Bridge River Kwai
6) Full Metal Jacket
5) Apocalypse Now
4) Lawrence Of Arabia
3) Saving Private Ryan
2) Dr Strangelove
1) Come And See

Yes, I think the only thing Mofo loves more than Kubrick is Come And See, but damn, you all love you some Kubrick.

__________________
Letterboxd

10. Lawrence of Arabia
9. Paths of Glory
8. All Quiet on the Western Front
7. Bridge on River Kwai
6. Das Boot
5. Come and See
4. Dr Strangelove
3. Saving Private Ryan
2. Full Metal Jacket
1. Apocalypse Now

My Top 10 prediction...

10. Das Boot
9. All Quiet on the Western Front
8. The Bridge on the River Kwai
7. Paths of Glory
6. Lawrence of Arabia
5. Dr. Strangelove
4. Come and See
3. Full Metal Jacket
2. Saving Private Ryan
1. Apocalypse Now

__________________

10. All Quiet on the Western Front
9. Bridge on the River Kwai
8. Paths of Glory
7. Lawrence of Arabia
6. Saving Private Ryan
5. Full Metal Jacket
4. Das Boot
3. Come and See
2. Apocalypse Now
1. Dr Strangelove

So in roughly a half hour, our top ten will start. We'll carry on in the traditional format, one a day for eight days, and the final two on the ninth.

Before I post the reveal, I forgot to mention: Schindler's List was my number 12, right under Human Condition Part I. There's nothing I could really say about it's praise, so I'll stick to one criticism: it's slightly too long.