Must see war films?
Discussion
yellowjack said:
Interestingly, both Michael Caine and Stanley Baker had served in the British Army during National Service, and Caine had seen combat in Korea. So both would have been familiar with British Army command structures, and had a familiarity with handling weapons. Which is why, I think, that the 1950s to the 1970s was a 'golden age' for making war movies. By necessity the directors had to focus on human elements and character development, because model work and effects were limited. Now, movie directors/producers seem to think that high body counts, and lots of CGI equipment and effects can cover a thin script with characters about who we care very little.
In Caine's autobiog he talks of how he was roped into going to Korea, in conscription they were offered a shorter run if they signed up to go, so he did. He ended up with some horrible form of malaria which stuck him in hospital. Not read it for some years but I recall he was given treatment and it made his blood 'heavy.' He was told not to move but he sat up and knocked himself out giving himself two black eyes.His first feature film was A Hill in Korea which he got because of his service (I think), he then got the second fiddle role in Zulu as the nob, he had gone for the dirty cockney.
Pesty said:
Didn’t David Nivens many stories turn out to be mostly true? Seem to remember him doing all kinds of crazy s
t.
His old mate Trubshaw was mentioned in many of his films, so that much is true.t.He supposedly went to a regimental fancy dress ball as a goat, along with Trubshaw. They wore filthy smelly goatskins and dropped currants at intervals as faux goat-sh*t. Didn't go down well with his commanding officer.
Not sure how factual that story was.
Pesty said:
Wacky Racer said:
Paths of Glory
That film sucks in a good way I suppose but it’s really hard to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gyyGHHXfck
The execution scene was harrowing...….
nicanary said:
Pesty said:
Didn’t David Nivens many stories turn out to be mostly true? Seem to remember him doing all kinds of crazy st.
His old mate Trubshaw was mentioned in many of his films, so that much is true.t.He supposedly went to a regimental fancy dress ball as a goat, along with Trubshaw. They wore filthy smelly goatskins and dropped currants at intervals as faux goat-sh*t. Didn't go down well with his commanding officer.
Not sure how factual that story was.
Ayahuasca said:
Beati Dogu said:
Ayahuasca said:
Saw ‘T-34’ on a flight. Russian film about a tank. Similar to Fury. We need more Russian WWII films.
You'd probably like "White Tiger" then.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myXbhGvObh8
Although I suggest you find the subtitled Russian language version on Youtube, not the lame dubbed one.
Great (albeit slightly bat-s
t-mental) story! But I do love a good tank film.And I've no its taken a bit of a slating in this thread already - but another vote for Fury Great tank based film - Some great field action film work.
Halb said:
yellowjack said:
Interestingly, both Michael Caine and Stanley Baker had served in the British Army during National Service, and Caine had seen combat in Korea. So both would have been familiar with British Army command structures, and had a familiarity with handling weapons. Which is why, I think, that the 1950s to the 1970s was a 'golden age' for making war movies. By necessity the directors had to focus on human elements and character development, because model work and effects were limited. Now, movie directors/producers seem to think that high body counts, and lots of CGI equipment and effects can cover a thin script with characters about who we care very little.
In Caine's autobiog he talks of how he was roped into going to Korea, in conscription they were offered a shorter run if they signed up to go, so he did. He ended up with some horrible form of malaria which stuck him in hospital. Not read it for some years but I recall he was given treatment and it made his blood 'heavy.' He was told not to move but he sat up and knocked himself out giving himself two black eyes.His first feature film was A Hill in Korea which he got because of his service (I think), he then got the second fiddle role in Zulu as the nob, he had gone for the dirty cockney.
Steamer said:
And I've no its taken a bit of a slating in this thread already - but another vote for Fury Great tank based film - Some great field action film work.
I watched Fury on 5 the other night - even with the TV cuts it was pretty graphic - I suspect the DVD warts and all will be very graphic.yellowjack said:
Interestingly, both Michael Caine and Stanley Baker had served in the British Army during National Service, and Caine had seen combat in Korea. So both would have been familiar with British Army command structures, and had a familiarity with handling weapons. Which is why, I think, that the 1950s to the 1970s was a 'golden age' for making war movies. By necessity the directors had to focus on human elements and character development, because model work and effects were limited. Now, movie directors/producers seem to think that high body counts, and lots of CGI equipment and effects can cover a thin script with characters about who we care very little.
I always think you can tell that 'Sink the Bismarck!' has a decent quota of ex-navy servicemen in it. It just lends a certain authenticity to the performances that is often missing from more outwardly realistic and 'naturalistic' films from later years. IIRC Kenneth More was a watchkeeping officer on HMS Victorious during the pursuit of the Bismarck. Esmond Knight was blinded by shrapnel from one of Bismarck's shells while on HMS Prince of Wales and plays his former commanding officer in the film. Jack Gwillim plays the c/o of HMS King George V and was in the RN for over 20 years, included WW2 as an officer.
Gwillim also played one of the captains in 'The Battle of the River Plate'. That film also had Patrick Macnee (ex-MTB officer) and John Gregson (ex-RN minesweeper crew) in it. Not to mention two of the original ships from the actual battle. That's something that all the research, set design, practicals and CGI can't replicate.
Same for More's performance in 'Night to Remember' - in the scenes where he's officer of the watch on Titanic's bridge the evening of the disaster come across very naturally; not only because he was a good actor but because he'd actually done it for real.
2xChevrons said:
yellowjack said:
Interestingly, both Michael Caine and Stanley Baker had served in the British Army during National Service, and Caine had seen combat in Korea. So both would have been familiar with British Army command structures, and had a familiarity with handling weapons. Which is why, I think, that the 1950s to the 1970s was a 'golden age' for making war movies. By necessity the directors had to focus on human elements and character development, because model work and effects were limited. Now, movie directors/producers seem to think that high body counts, and lots of CGI equipment and effects can cover a thin script with characters about who we care very little.
I always think you can tell that 'Sink the Bismarck!' has a decent quota of ex-navy servicemen in it. It just lends a certain authenticity to the performances that is often missing from more outwardly realistic and 'naturalistic' films from later years. IIRC Kenneth More was a watchkeeping officer on HMS Victorious during the pursuit of the Bismarck. Esmond Knight was blinded by shrapnel from one of Bismarck's shells while on HMS Prince of Wales and plays his former commanding officer in the film. Jack Gwillim plays the c/o of HMS King George V and was in the RN for over 20 years, included WW2 as an officer.
Gwillim also played one of the captains in 'The Battle of the River Plate'. That film also had Patrick Macnee (ex-MTB officer) and John Gregson (ex-RN minesweeper crew) in it. Not to mention two of the original ships from the actual battle. That's something that all the research, set design, practicals and CGI can't replicate.
Same for More's performance in 'Night to Remember' - in the scenes where he's officer of the watch on Titanic's bridge the evening of the disaster come across very naturally; not only because he was a good actor but because he'd actually done it for real.
A Winner Is You said:
Not a war film, but when Peter Jackson was trying to explain to Christopher Lee how to act out his death scene in LOTR, Lee responded that he'd been a Commando in WW2, so knew exactly what happened to a man after you'd stabbed him in the back.
Lee was well known as a fibber about his army career, he was never a commando, and never killed anyone.I had always assumed that the splendid "Guards parade" routine by Ian Carmichael and Richard Wattis in the film The Colditz Story was a reflection of their WW2 service, but my nose has been put out of joint. Carmichael was in the RAC as a tank commander, and Wattis was a small-arms penpusher at the SOE.
My post is therefore superfluous. I still enjoy that bit whenever I watch the film.
My post is therefore superfluous. I still enjoy that bit whenever I watch the film.
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