Best WWII Films
 

So I thought it might be useful to put up a list of the best WWII films, and, maybe, TV shows that win SP WW2 players know (especially for new, perhaps younger, players).

I'm going to try to avoid the obvious ones -others can mention them- and go for:

'The Cruel Sea' (1953) closely based on a novel written by a escort warship RN officer.

'Das Boot' (1981) go to war in a German U-Boat.

'Tora! Tora! Tora!' (1970) a film about the Pearl Harbor attack, that is really a docu-drama, and vastly better than later efforts..

'Dunkirk' (1958) the reaction of the Brits to Germany overrunning France in a few weeks. Have no idea about the new one.

'Sea of Sand' (1958) A really great 'stiff upper lip' British war film, a type I'm very fond of. About the famous Long Range Desert Group.

'Hell in the Pacific' (1968) features Lee Marvin, a good actor who actually was USMC.

'The Longest Day' (1962) The fate of civilisation, and the world, rests on a single day of battle and many thousands of average men, mostly British, American and Canadian.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Die Brücke (The Bridge) (1959)

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Cross of Iron (1977) for another good German point of view film.

Fall of Berlin (USSR, 1950) mostly unknown in the West, but an excellent example of almost surreal Stalinist propaganda, to the point of unintended comedy.

Our Own (Russia, 2004) for a more serious and "different" Eastern Front movie.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Theirs is the Glory (aka Men of Arnhem) - 1946 - Filmed at Arnhem using people that were there and REAL kit including Panther and Tiger tanks!

which means i have to include:

A Bridge Too Far - 1977 - All star remake

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Thanks for that, a new one to me. Found it on YouTube.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

'Stalingrad' (1993) good German film.

'Downfall' (2004) Another very good German film about Hitler's last days in Berlin.

'The Flowers of War' (2011) A brilliant Chinese film about the Japanese attack on Nanking in 1937 and certainly Christian Bale's best ever film. I think this would even make my top 25 best ever films list.

'The Sand Pebbles' (1966) The late, great, Steve McQueen in a film set in China in late 1920's aboard a small USN Gunboat. (This film and the one above are set pre WWII, but you could make a fairly good case that WWII really started in China -and Abyssina/Ethiopia- before September 1939). This would also be close to making my top 25 films ever list.

'Above us the Waves' (1955) based, reasonably closely, on a Royal Navy midget submarine attack on the powerful German Battleship Tirpitz.

'Beach Red' (1967) A good film, starring and directed by Cornel Wilde (who also made one of my all time favorite films -'The Naked Prey'- in 1965) about the USMC in the Pacific.

'Cockleshell Heroes' (1955) based, fairly closely, on the true story of a British Royal Marines Commando raid on the German held French port of Bordeaux in 1942.

'Into the White' (2012) Crashed British RAF and German Luftwaffe crews in Norway early in WWII. A little like 'Hell in the Pacific' in some respects.

'Too Late the Hero' (1970) Anglo-American cooperation on a Pacific Island in WWII. Very good film.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Now a few classics. I think everyone will be familiar with these, but no list should be without them:

The Guns of Navarone (1961)

The Bridge over the River Kwai (1957)

The Great Escape (1963)

The Dirty Dozen (1957)

Re: Best WWII Films
 

It's Vietnam but the film the odd angry shot has a great squad attack in it.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Talvisota
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP9faqLBl9Y
Westerplatte
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62fX6fPyZnY
El Alamein: A linha de fogo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfSv87ZuJf4
la battaglia di el alamein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APQUBu9HlPw

Re: Best WWII Films
 

That one was shown on TV here in the early 60's. I would have been about 9 when I first saw it.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

I was thinking of starting a post WWII thread like this on MBT, that Aussie film would have made my list.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Tuntematon Sotilas ("The Unknown Soldier" in english) by director Edwin Laine. Especially original version (1955). Based into book of Väinö Linna. Describes Finnish mg platoon's warpath from 1941 into ending of Continuation war 1944.

Btw, newest version (3rd) of same film will be premiere (at least in Finland) 27.10. 2017

http://www.tuntematonsotilas2017.fi/en/

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Read the book (in English) and liked it, did not know there was a film.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

A bit lighter, nevertheless classic:

Kelly's Heroes (1970) ;)

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Hi.
Two Norwegian movies I like:
Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water (original title: Kampen om tungtvannet) is a Norwegian movie from 1948. Some of the commandos are playing themselves.

Shetlandsgjengen, from 1954, about the "Shetland bus" SOE-operations between Shetland and occupied Norway.

Halstein.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Assault
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGHoSbtUh9E
Tank brigade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rui6iHC9Rms
Liberation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjj5TlIFsQs
White tiger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiGDJ5-dXaI
brick dictator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OHAvMgQHcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt7o1v9msA0

Re: Best WWII Films
 

'Letters from Iwo Jima' (2006) Japanese side of the Iwo Jima battle. A better film, in my view, than 'Flags of our Fathers' (2006) although that is certainly worth a watch too.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

'Ballad of a Soldier' (1959) Soviet film but, for once, not mainly propaganda...

Re: Best WWII Films
 

'Storming Juno' (2010). Very good Canadian Docu-Drama about the Canadian Army on D-Day June 1944. You can find it on the net...

Re: Best WWII Films
 

'Western Approaches' (1944) the thing about this film is all the 'actors' are not actors, but actually merchant marine, Royal Navy or air force, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT9-UquVvHE

The thing, to me, is that any and all, of them could have been my dads mates (mostly about 40-50 years old)) C. 1985. That was just how they all, without exception, really were.

I was a sailor for fun from in my late 20's. Later, when I gave up soldiering, I worked for the Torres Marine Pilots, in the Torres Strait on an Australian East Cost Prawn Trawler (89 days at sea first trip) and later on Whitsunday Sailboats. My ex wife's family were Royal Navy and my son is joining the Royal Navy...

This channel on YouTube has hours of great Royal Navy documentary film. Do subscribe...

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Three older movies:


Hunde, wollt ihr ewig Leben/Stalingrad: Dogs do you want to live forever (1959) - German movie, Stalingrad.

Oni srazhalis' za Rodinu/They Fought for their Country/the Motherland (1975) - Soviet era but worth a watch.

Battleground (1949) - Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

There are two movies - one filmed 1955 and another version from 1985. Most prefer the 1955 one but the one from 1985 is sometimes given cred for its camerawork, example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5ovHyqEOY0

In 2017 there will be a thrid version, but this one I belive will draw on Sotaromaani ("War Novel"), Linnas uncensored version of Unknown Soldier.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Here are some of my favorite TV Shows (and some that are not!)

===============================================
WWII Dramatic Series (not all encompassing)
===============================================
(1957-US) The Silent Service (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.6)(PTO - Recreations of actual events)

(1962-US) Combat! (5 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.5)(ETO - "Caje, take the point")

(1962-US) The Gallant Men (1 Season)(IMDB Rating: 8.4)(MTO - Spaghetti, anyone?)

(1964-US) Twelve O'Clock High (3 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.3)(ETO - Like the movie continued on)

(1966-US) The Rat Patrol (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.6)(Fun & games with Jeeps in North Africa)

(1966-US) Jericho (1 Season)(IMDB Rating: 7.8)(ETO - Allied Sabateur Team)

(1966-US) Blue Light (1 Season)(IMDB Rating: 7.6)(Robert Goulet as a spy in Germany)

(1969-UK) Manhunt (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.1)(Brit Flyer with the French Resistance)

(1972-UK) Colditz (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.5)(German POW Camp for previous escapees)

(1976-US) Baa Baa Black Sheep (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.7)(PTO - "Pappy" Boyington & Pals)

(1977-UK) Secret Army (3 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.8)(Belgian escape line for allied flyers)

(1978-UK) Enemy at the Door (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.0)(Occupation of the channel islands)

(1979-UK) Danger UXB (1 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.7)(Early EOD days in Britain)

(1981-UK) Tenko (3 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.8)(Japanese POW camp for civilian women)

(1987-UK) Wish Me Luck (3 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.9)(Spies & Resistance in France)

(2002-UK) Foyle's War (9 "Seasons")(IMDB Rating: 8.4)(Civilian murder investigations during WWII)

===============================================
WWII Sitcoms (not all encompassing)
===============================================
(1957-UK) Army Game (5 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.9)(Victim of INFAMOUS "BBC Wipe")

(1962-US) McHale's Navy (4 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.5)(PTO PTs)

(1965-US) Hogan's Heroes (6 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.9)("I know NOTHING!")

(1968-UK) Dad's Army (9 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.1)("They don't like it up 'em!" ...in the Home guard!)

(1974-UK) It Ain't Half Hot Mum (8 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.1)('SHUTTING UP' in India & Burma)

(1977-US) Operation Petticoat (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 7.0)(PTO)

(1982-UK) Allo Allo (9 Seasons) (IMDB Rating: 8.3)("Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once" Thees ease a Secrett Wahr paroh-dee)

===============================================
Not WWII Drama (but worth a look)
===============================================
(1956-US) West Point (1 Season)(IMDB Rating: 7.6)

(1981-UK) Kessler (1 Season)(IMDB Rating: 6.9)(IMDB Rating: )(Post WWII-Secret Army followup)

(1963-US) The Lieutenant (1 Season)(IMDB Rating: 8.6)(Pre Vietnam)

(1977-UK) Wings (2 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.1)(WWI)(_NOT_ the US sitcom and it Be-2c's instead of Camel's or SE5a's! Wow!)

(1978-UK) The Sandbaggers (3 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.9)(Cold War Spying)

(1987-US) Tour of Duty (3 Seasons)(IMDB Rating: 8.4)(Vietnam)

(1993-US) Sharpe (16 TV Movies)(IMDB Rating: 8.0 +/-)(Napoleonics in Spain)

(1998-US) Horatio Hornblower (8 TV Movies)(IMDB Rating: 8.0 +/-)(Naval Napoleonics)


(Yes, this is my first post since joining the forum 8 years ago)

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Not a WW2 movie, but a really beloved one of me is: "Flug durch die Hoelle" i think the real name is "Flight of the Intruder."
Vietnam Aera

Re: Best WWII Films
 

There is a thread for post WWII films over on MBT...

Re: Best WWII Films
 

The Longest Day in color. Only available on VHS, not on DVD (as far as I know). If someone knows where I can find it on DVD please tell me. In the middle 90's, a bunch of old vintage WWII movies where colorized, including Battleground, a sub movie, and this one. I think it was the 50th year anniversary of the end of WWII or something. Hard to find. Being in color makes them seem like entirely new movies. Cool stuff.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Anthropiod (2016) about the operation to kill leading SS man Reinhard Heydrich. Good film.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Operation Crossbow - German rockets with a touch of Sophia Loren.
Counterfeit Traitor - No combat but a spy movie set in Germany during the war. Lots of suspense.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

https://www.theguardian.com/film/201...es-i-cant-bear

There is NOTHING there I disagree with

Re: Best WWII Films
 

The counterfeiters.

The imitation game.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

I recently watched an interesting Russian movie called "White Tiger" (2012). While it has some nice tank combat, it's not really the focus. Instead, the movie is more like a metaphor or commentary on war itself. In other words, not so much a war movie as a movie about war.
p.s. it's not hard to find a version with English subtitles

Re: Best WWII Films
 

The Great Raid (2005). Mostly accurate account of the rescue of 500 allied prisoners from Japanese, very well done.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Here are two films that really moved me:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ala...e_Line_of_Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAuVhvbhb2U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzmTQNiWF4k

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Blue_World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjX4yW4i-rI

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Warning this first one doesnt shy away from the horrors of war one little bit, so be braced

https://archive.org/details/IdiISmot...ay.AVCMfcorrea

This is much more the traditional heroic view and brilliantly crafted. Most realistic depiction of an attack Ive ever seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iywz_C3TT1U

Re: Best WWII Films
 

A recent Russian movie, Panfilov's 28 was a great contemporary movie. While the incident it is based on probably is fictional (see wiki for details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panfil...ight_Guardsmen) the director sure did his research on how a WW2 battle would be fought. Highly recommended.

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Panfilov's 28 is also known as "Battle for Moscow" - good film, looks great !

Re: Best WWII Films
 

IMDB has a very good User Review about Panfilov's 28

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5207204/

Re: Best WWII Films
 

:fra
Don't forgot the French Kieffer's Commandos 1er bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos (1er BFMC) who are the first french soldiers to fight on the ground of their homeland.
They were few but great and brave!
And nothing can happen victoriously without the Shadow Army: the French Resistance. Thanks to their actions before and during the DDay, they disorganized the Nazi's troops.
:fra

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Slightly OT to this topic since its a 6 episode TV comedy, but fits the timeframe is Private Schulz starring Michael Elphick and Ian Richardson from 1978 or 1980. IMHO this is one of the best comedies ever. Fortunately available via Youtube. Concerns German counterfeiting of British 5 pound notes in WW2.
I cannot recommend this highly enough. Enjoy!

Regards, Warwick

Re: Best WWII Films
 

Try mark Felton production

Re: Best WWII Films
 

I finally found it! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+longe..._ts-doa-p_8_21