List good war movies...

Has anyone mentioned Hot Shots Part Deux? A Rambo parody and pretty funny. Jim Abrahams wrote it--he was with the Zucker Brothers, the 3 of them did Airplane. No serious commentary on war, but pretty funny.
 
That's exactly why Goebbels enlarged Germany's film industry during WW II and was keen to accelerate the invention of TV [Germany had the first (few, experimental) TV sets at the end of WW II], because he knew, people believe what they see in movies.
For what it's worth, Sieg im Westen ("Victory in the West") is outstanding. It's documentary propaganda, not film, but it is arguably "entertaining." Apparently Goebbels had issues with it because the Army took credit instead of giving it all to Hitler.
 
Zero action, most chilling.
Completely free of any action at all in deed. More than a dozen german officers sitting in one room and having a discussion for one and a half hours.

I only saw the german movie made on that topic
Die Wannseekonferenz, D 1984
which is almost exactly what was said by the original transcript (only german, of course)
And there are other movies about that stuff I cannot judge. Seen it once was enough for me, since that's not really entertaining, but for sure very recommendable to be seen (or read. the transscipts are also available as books.) at least once.
So, I cannot judge any other makings of that stuff, but maybe it's a good thing when there is also an english version, since just because this happened in Germany eighty years ago does neither mean it cannot happen again, nor it can happen only in Germany.

One interesting thing I've learned is, that in the early 20ths century Fascism was openly discussed really to be considered as a serious alternative to democracy. Everywhere: In Great Britain also like in France, or Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, ... even the Netherlands and the USA - everywhere there have been not small minorities of serious followers to that idea. Especially after 1929 (Great Depression) people have been disappointed by democracy, and thought some kind of dictorship was a neat idea that brings wealth quickly to everybody again. History told us, the exact opposite was the case. Because the cause for the Great Depression wasn't the fault of democracy, but the fault of capitalism and greed, and the rich didn't allow the democracy to control capitalism enough, which also contains the solution: New Deal
While dictatorships are hypercapitalism in its purest form, which proves: If you want to prevent a nation from the bad results of capitalism, then the most stupid thing one can do is to replace democracy by dictatorship.
In four countries the idea was realized to become form of government: Spain, Austria, Italy and Germany, while to be correct: In Germany it was an even worse special kind adapted from Fascism what was created: National Socialism, short Nazism. Today this is often put equally to Fascism, but this is simply not true. Fascism is for sure no good thing, but it differs from Nazism in crucial points, which makes Nazism even worse. For example Fascism still grounds on some constituion. A really bad, unfair and highhandedly selecting and excluding constitution, but at least there is one. While Nazism destroyed that all. All there was the "Führer's" orders only. That's quite a crucial difference - one difference. And one better not saying Nazism was the same as Fascism, because that's whitewashing Nazism.
Anyway, in those four countries this form of dictorship scorning anybody not fitting into the hillbilly simple poor, narrow minded Babbitt's picture of the "own race = nation" - I really hate to dig in that swamp of stinking humans scorning mental diarrhoea, but I feel the urge to educate, particulary at current times *sigh* - became offical form of government. About "how great those countries become again" because of that, and above all all the suffering, pain, cruelty and destruction it brought over the world, I think we don't need elaborate here in detail again. That's not the point I want to make here.
The point is:
Everywhere where the Nazis invaded there was not only resistance. There were also some welcomed them with open arms, and helped them to suppress their own people.
But after WW II it was simplified. It was just those evil Fascist/Nazi nations, not seldom simplified even more to just Germany.
The danger of that simplification is to forget that this can happen to anybody, to any democracy, any nation, again, not Germany only, because the causes for that are not genetically but mentally: Anybody one can be teached to become an Fascist/Nazi. So it also can be unlearned again - not easy, but possible.

The only way to protect democracy by any kind of dictatorship is sophisticated education. Education in learning we are a large team. We have to sail this ship named Earth together. There is no other way.
Learning that nobody is worth more or less than others, especially not by sex, orientation, nationality, color, religion or anything else. Many problems are way more complex than one single aspect. It seems convincing to pick one single true point from a large whole picture, focus on that and bang with a hammer on it. This solves nothing, but cause even more problems only. And blaming others do not even solve anything at all.

This to grasp seems to be hard at first glance, but actually is not. It's quite easy really. All you have to do is relax and accept. And it's so much more fun to live.
While on the other hand, the dark side is so tempting at the first glance, especially for the less educated and the stupid ones. All problems seem so easy, so much quicker to solve. While it's actually not. The whole thing is going to be even more and more complex, producing even more problems only.
And it's no fun to live that at all. It only seems that it will be so one day, but actually it's not, it's all permanent bad temper, always grumping, even become frequently outraged. And also that is getting worse. Well, yeah, what did you expect when decide for the dark side? Fun is where the lights and colors are!

There is a pretty simple experiment to prove that everybody can do anytime:
Next time you meet somebody, observe not only the mood of the other person, but watch your own: Being grumpy to somebody, and that persom reacts grumpy to you. So, you get the impression, 'only grumpy assholes around me.' This makes you grumpy again. Vicious circle closed.
This also works the exact opposite way: Be authentic kind, gentle and friendly to somebody, and that kindness is reflected back on you again. Positive circle closed.

The already advanced ones, who are really good at this, are capable to bring a smile on a grumpy person having a bad day. Those get friends automatically, because who wants to listen to complaints, grump and lamentation?
But careful! It must be really authentic. Not that affected la-di-lah pseudo Walmart "kindness". Because people are not stupid. People don't like to be lied to. And if you smile but not being actually happy, not reflecting your true feelings, people recognize that. They see the lie. And for yourself it's also not good, if you have to play what you don't feel.
Try it! 😎
 
Has anyone mentioned Hot Shots Part Deux?
I was about to do that, but I thought with "Dr. Strangelove", "MASH" and "Mars Attacks" I already mentioned enough comedy on that topic (I'm not quite sure what Alain De Vos had in mind.)
Actually I find the first one better - but of course, before somebody feels personally attacked again: Good Movie! 😁😎

Ooooh, when we start on comedy on that topic, there are some others to be mentioned. "Kelly's Heros" was already mentioned at least twice - with the great Telly Savalas!

But thanks scottro, to start some lighter points of view here. 🙏☺️
 
The only way to protect democracy by any kind of dictatorship is sophisticated education.
... and also on some form of control on the fake news and lies the political parties tell us. Otherwise you simply vote who is lying better. Democracy cannot be fully meritocratic, because it captures the votes of the average, but at least we can pretend that it is not idiocratic. 2+2 should be 4 also during elections.

The 2028's Oscar for the most creative fictional election campaign goes to Elon Musk and his "Make Mars Near Again"
:)
 
For what it's worth, Sieg im Westen ("Victory in the West") is outstanding. It's documentary propaganda, not film, but it is arguably "entertaining." Apparently Goebbels had issues with it because the Army took credit instead of giving it all to Hitler.
Oooh, such things are pretty difficult.
Those need to be taken with many, many grains of salt, if even at all.

There are a lot many of such movies made, especially in Germany: Snippets taken from old Wochenschau- and propaganda movies, glued together and disguised as some documentary, while in fact the documentary part is rather pro-Nazi Germany and the Wehrmacht than being actually neutral. So they are transporting the feeling of the german soldiers not had been beaten in battle if some circumstances had been otherwise.

What you may learn by such are some details about single operations, or technical features - the famous german "wonder weapons" or something like that. And above all you get a lot many original pictures to watch. But I cannot recommend to watch such without any solid independent neutral education in history.
Such are pretty popular among Neo-Nazis for having a "comrades evening", and dealt as some "proof of the truth", which they are actually not really.

Be careful with such! Those could subtle convince you, the Wehrmacht soldiers had been in fact decent men, only seduced by an evil regime, and WW II was more kind of some large boy scouts adventure with lots of action.
That's simply not the truth.
 
Oooh, such things are pretty difficult.
Those need to be taken with many, many grains of salt, if even at all.

There are a lot many of such movies made, especially in Germany: Snippets taken from old Wochenschau- and propaganda movies, glued together and disguised as some documentary, while in fact the documentary part is rather pro-Nazi Germany and the Wehrmacht than being actually neutral. So they are transporting the feeling of the german soldiers not had been beaten in battle if some circumstances had been otherwise.

What you may learn by such are some details about single operations, or technical features - the famous german "wonder weapons" or something like that. And above all you get a lot many original pictures to watch. But I cannot recommend to watch such without any solid independent neutral education in history.
Such are pretty popular among Neo-Nazis for having a "comrades evening", and dealt as some "proof of the truth", which they are actually not really.

Be careful with such! Those could subtle convince you, the Wehrmacht soldiers had been in fact decent men, only seduced by an evil regime, and WW II was more kind of some large boy scouts adventure with lots of action.
That's simply not the truth.

I think they're a valuable part of the historical record. To hell with Axis Germany. I've studied history since I could read and German in school and college. From my POV, the rare HD gun cam footage is worth the views. The Germans had good media production capabilities for the circumstances and put a lot of work into their propaganda. They made good film across many genres. I've seen probably over a hundred episodes of Die Deutsche Wochenschau over the years. It all provides great insights into what Goebbels wanted you to see and think about Germany and the war. As with everything, the key to understanding, for me, is to digest much data/information as you can and take the time to synthesize it into a complete macro-level picture. I watch it all, Soviet, French, Italian, whether I can understand the language or not.

I don't think saw it mentioned here, but Battleship Potempkin is another great propaganda war film. That's up there on my list. The Odessa Staircase scene is unforgettable.
 
I don't think anyone's mentioned Catch-22 yet, or I didn't spot it anyway. I'm sure someone must have said M.A.S.H by now.
Also from WW2, The Colditz Story https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Colditz_Story

Apologies if some of these have already been mentioned.

War of the worlds - the 1953 original movie is the best version (and the radio play with Orson Wells, broadcast in 1938!)

The day the earth stood still, again the 1951 original is by far the best version. While not strictly a war movie, it was made in the context of the early H-bomb tests and warned about the destruction of life on earth; very definitely a cold-war movie.

Also from the cold war...
The day after.
Damnation alleyway.
Threads.
Dr Strangelove.
Dark star.
Planet of the Apes.
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lj5yuIWJJbU


Many others but so many have already been mentioned in this thread.

The whole of "The world at war" documentary series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_at_War

The present day British historian Mark Felton has posted many interesting WW2 videos on his channel, for example
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K04r34Zj_KI

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD3JWVSkDuU
What does it remind you of? Can you say 'B2'? Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Check out his channel for a long list of interesting videos, particularly on WW2 subjects.
 
I don't think saw it mentioned here, but Battleship Potempkin is another great propaganda war film. That's up there on my list. The Odessa Staircase scene is unforgettable.
If we are talking about WW2 propaganda, the work of Leni Riefenstahl must be mentioned. Of course this is veering towards the dark side of the force, however, she was widely recognised as a ground-breaking, master film maker at the time.
 
And ofc Full Metal Jacket. A movie whose production had to be halted for the rest of a day because one of the battle scenes had blown up a rabbit and the director was emotional about that.
And he refused to leave Britain, so the outdoor scenes were shot in England, with derelict and semi-demolished buildings in the old London docklands standing-in for Nam.
 
Grow up and stop being an ass.
I don’t give a damn if you dislike my choice of a movie.

I think your long winded diatribes are gauche and display a distinct lack of manners.

I kept my opinion to myself as you should have done but you launched into the long winded attack.

Give it a rest.
 
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