CycleChat Investigates - War! What is it good for?

[Yellow Fang]

Can Zulu be regarded as a war film? Zulu used to be one of those rare opportunities to see bare breasts on the telly on a Sunday afternoon, but they don't show that scene any more.

 

[winjim]

I watched Dunkirk recently which was pretty good. The messing about with time and the use of very few extras gave it a weird eerie sort of quality. Apparently that's what they were aiming for when they filmed Catch-22 without extras but in that case I don't think it worked. Mind you, I don't know how you'd be able to capture the essence of that book on film anyway.

 

[RoubaixCube]

If you had to vote for one I'd go for Das Boot, but the 6 hour series that went out on the BBC in the mid 80's rather than the 2&1/2 hour film version (I know there are longer film versions and a 'directors' cut but the shortened version is the one released in cinemas and that gets shown on telly). In similar vein, Band of Brothers would be a close second.

But if you add that, then you have to add tv shows like Band Of Brothers and 'The Pacific' even though The Pacific differs greatly to how Band Of Brothers was delivered.

I though the main post was about movies only.

 

[swee'pea99]

thanks for the correction.
where did you see it?
your revised interpretation would still apply to a few in the politics bit though

I can't remember - I was on the sofa, but whether I was watching it on telly or from a recording I'm not sure. Apparently it was made for a total budget of £7,000, which even for the early '60s must have been stretching it a bit thin.

 

[Drago]

How true is it?
Am always wary of films "based on a true story" - I'd rather have a work of ficqtion that told a truth.
This is the reason I avoided the recent churchill film in the cinema - then saw it on telly more recently and my worst fears were confirmed.

True-ish. The mission it portrays is real, but doubtless all the colourful stuff during the training programme was fiction.

 

[sight-pin]

Can't think of any more. 'Lone Survivor' is a good film, It's based on a true story in Afghanistan.

 

[Blue Hills]

Celia also in This Happy Breed.
a great film tracing a family through war and peace - and an excellent performance by Robert Newton - have to pinch yourself after watching him in this to remind yoursel that he went on to play Long John Silver and so invented the Jim M Lad pirate impression/meme or whatever.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

We Were Soldiers - great film if you forget the fictional ending.

 

[Notafettler]

I am going with dambusters. Watch film at the kinema in the woods (can be pain finding it). Watch it on 40s weekend. Old style cinema with bloke coming out of the floor playing the organ (not naked, yes I have complained). About 30% of the audience wearing ww2 RAF uniform. 40s sing along before film. Break in the middle for the lady with ice-cream to sell her wears. I think she has been serving since the war(not sure which though). Then to the petwood hotel where 617 squadron lived. Very reasonable priced cask beer in exceptional wood paneled surrounding. Lots of people go to the village dressed in 40s clothing and there is loads of WW2 military vehicles driving round. Every year they ask that no one comes in German WW2 vehicles or clothing, sometimes ignored.

 

[MontyVeda]

not a fan of war films but Went The Day Well would get my vote. For those who haven't seen it... watch it

 

[Milkfloat]

I think everyone has missed the obvious - The Sound of Music.

 

[hobo]

das boot and From Here to Eternity ?

 

[Dwn]

Downfall
Paths of Glory
Zulu
1917
Saving Private Ryan

 

[stephec]

I am going with dambusters. Watch film at the kinema in the woods (can be pain finding it). Watch it on 40s weekend. Old style cinema with bloke coming out of the floor playing the organ (not naked, yes I have complained). About 30% of the audience wearing ww2 RAF uniform. 40s sing along before film. Break in the middle for the lady with ice-cream to sell her wears. I think she has been serving since the war(not sure which though). Then to the petwood hotel where 617 squadron lived. Very reasonable priced cask beer in exceptional wood paneled surrounding. Lots of people go to the village dressed in 40s clothing and there is loads of WW2 military vehicles driving round. Every year they ask that no one comes in German WW2 vehicles or clothing, sometimes ignored.

Is that Woodhall Spa, I've never been as it's always too close to Leyburn, but I've heard that it's a good weekend?

 

[Profpointy]

I think everyone has missed the obvious - The Sound of Music.

A mate had a story when years ago him and his flatmates were having a bored lazy sunday when one of them, knowing he loved classic war films, shouted to him "633 squadron is on the telly". He rushed into the sitting room and sat down for the opening sequence of flying up alpine valleys - then Julie Andrews came into shot and started singing - he'd been had !