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puszysty at 01:05pm on 31/05/2010
puszysty at 01:05pm on 31/05/2010You know, I think today is the perfect day to post my giant list of WWII movie reviews, even if I'm not done yet. You'll get the rest as I go along.
I should note that I'm posting this dually on facebook, so you may get some repeats of what I've posted here previously. These are reviews of every WWII movie I ever watched, going back to about my freshman year of high school. I really wasn't into war movies before then, and it's a bit too far back to remember anyway. There are 3 German films on here, the rest are either American or British (I'm watching Life is Beautiful later today, so that will be an Italian one).
First, an intro:
You may have gathered that I am on a quest to watch as many WWII movies as I can handle. It started when I realized that I had seen a lot this spring, and I decided I may as well keep going with it. Yes, I'm a girl who likes war movies. Get over it.
Why WWII, besides the random factor? I've found that for whatever reason, most major WWII movies are of high quality. I think the event is so ingrained in the American conscience, and that our nation still to this day has great respect for the soldiers that fought in it, that most directors really want to do them justice. Also, you can't really get away with bad war movies with your audience. A comedy can be bad and people will still watch it. I don't think the same applies to war movies. Why, I don't know, but I think it'd be an interesting study.
WWII also creates much more of a playground of sorts for filmmakers, because so much was going on. Two fronts, multiple nations, multiple out there personalities, the holocaust, life at home...the story possibilities are endless. Not to mention a lot of these people are still alive and we can get fairly accurate source material. All with the audience for them. The appeal lies in first the fact that we won, and secondly that it doesn't seem too far in the past that it's not relatable. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there are more movies about WWII than any other war.
Not to knock other war movies. I liked Apocolypse Now until they met General Kurtz (then I felt it was just too weird), I think All Quiet on the Western Front was a great movie, Gettysburg was good, and I own a copy of The Patriot on dvd (Australians playing American heroes, ftw!). But for now, I'm sticking to WWII alone.
Now, on with the reviews!
The Giant WWII Movie Review!
Patton
Quick summary: the WWII career of General George S. Patton
Starring: George C. Scott
This movie starts with that iconic scene of Patton giving a speech in front of the flag. Honestly I thought the movie would have been just as good without it as it was with it. But it did provide a nice intro to the character you were about to explore.
One of those Best Picture winners that was actually good. (I sat through Driving Miss Daisy, I don’t trust the Academy’s tastes.) You can tell it was made in the 60’s due to the stylistic aspects (1969 specifically), and the battle scenes leave a little something to be desired, but it's really more of a character driven movie. Go watch something else if you want fighting. Patton was slightly insane, which makes the movie interesting.
One criticism: the translation for the German stinks. It got pared down for whatever reason. One example that jumped out at me was when the subtitles said “I’m optimistic,” and the guy actually said something like “my current outlook is very optimistic, Sir.”
The Thin Red Line
Quick summary: Jesus, Danny Zucco, Lloyd Dobler, Billy Ocean, and that guy who kissed Halle Berry all go to fight at Guadalcanal together!
Starring: Jim Caviezel, John Travolta, Nick Nolte, John Cusack, George Clooney, Adrien Brody, Woody Harrelson, and a hell of a lot of other people. Except for JC, none of whom get more than 15 minutes to screen time.
In case you can’t tell already, I hated this movie. I quit watching this movie halfway through. It was just that bad. This movie features the most incompetent group of soldiers EVER, who spend more time philosophizing in poetic language (yes, because that's realistic of the everyday soldier.) than they do actually fighting.
The first 15-20 minutes of this movie isJesus Jim Caviezel cavorting with the natives. Then we get Nick Nolte (who I can't stand), a captain who doesn't like obeying orders that might get his men killed even though half of them die in like, the first hour of battle (who all announce "I'm dying" before they do, as well), and a guy who has a serious obsession with his wife.
Not to mention countless POV changes, lots of pretty shots of trees, and casting that doesn't make much sense (John Cusack???). Not even the all-star cast can save this movie.
There is a reason people remember Saving Private Ryan and not this movie (released the same year). SPR is MUCH BETTER.
Bent
Quick summary: A man gets arrested by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp because he is gay.
Starring: Clive Owen, with appearances by Ian McKellan and Mick Jagger (Yes, that Mick Jagger)
If you enjoy movies that are heavy on imagery, I think you'll like this one. I didn't so much. I'm more into character development, and I felt that was missing here, particularly at the beginning of the movie. I warmed up to it at the end, when we got the developing relationship between Max and Horst. But still not one of my favorites.
I'm told this started as a play, and having watched the movie, I can see it working very well on stage. I think I'd rather enjoy it as a play, actually.
The film is rated NC-17, but don’t let that stop you. It really deserves little more than PG-13. A bit of racy dialouge perhaps. If descriptions of gay sex bother you, keep your fast forward button handy. I was thinking the rating was for Holocaust nastiness, but there's really nothing in that regard.
It's definitely not a Holocaust movie in the same way that Schindler's List and The Pianist are. Nothing really stomach churning. It’s more about one guy’s experience with the Holocaust than a general portrayal. Think of it more as a gay man figuring himself out in the midst of tragedy.
And as an aside, I think Mick Jagger is much better looking as a woman than a man.
Flags of Our Fathers
Quick summary: The guys who are in that famous flag raising photo from Iwo Jima.
Starring: Ryan Phillipe, Adam Beach
All I’d heard about this movie was that it was about Iwo Jima. Thus, it turned out to be not what I was expecting, but good nonetheless. It follows the three guys who made it off Iwo Jima (from the six in the picture) as they go around the United States promoting the purchase of war bonds. Explores the effect of war on guys once they’ve gotten home and away from the frontlines. The only major critique I have of it is that you can't tell who the narrator is. Mainly because the narrator changes- at one point he's the photographer, another a soldier, and finally the son of Ryan Phillipe's character. It's not pivotal to the plot though, knowing who's speaking, so don't let it deter you.
Letters from Iwo Jima
Quick summary: Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese side
Starring: Ken Watanabe (aka Hollywood’s go-to Japanese actor)
This is the companion film to Flags of our Fathers. Both were directed by Clint Eastwood. Unlike Flags, this one focuses solely on the battle. I have to say, I liked this one better. We got to know the characters a little better here. The main thing I have to say is this: when you find yourself rooting for the Japanese in a WWII movie, you know it's well made.
I like that Clint Eastwood chose to make this movie entirely in Japanese, with actual Japanese actors (not Chinese actors pretending to be Japanese: I’m looking at you, Memoirs of a Geisha.). It really feels like we’re getting their perspective, instead of the American version of what we view as their perspective.
Der Untergang (Downfall)
Quick summary: The end of WWII in Hitler’s bunker
Starring: Bruno Ganz
This is a German movie, and it really has to be in order for it to work. I don’t think anyone but the Germans could have pulled this off without people crying outrage. It’s a no frills look at the last days of the war in Berlin. It doesn’t get preachy, it doesn’t try to portray Hitler as the ultimate evil, it just shows you as is, and lets you use your knowledge of history to make your judgment, as opposed to trying to force one on you. As a result, it makes for a really interesting film.
It’s also one I can’t possibly spoil you for. Guess what, Hitler dies! (Movie doesn’t end there though, and it’s important that it doesn’t.)
Das Boot
Quick summary: We all live in ayellow german submarine
Starring: Jurgen Prochnow
The first thing I will say about this movie is that it’s ridiculously long. All Blockbuster had was the director’s cut, which was 3 ½ hours. I, not realizing that the movie ran on both sides of the disc, accidently watched the entire second half first. I got on imdb afterwards and realized I’d skipped the entire first half of the movie, then went back and watched it. I wasn’t confused though, the plot is simple enough to follow wherever you jump in. Basically, the plot is “we all gonna diiiiie!” They get themselves into some sticky situations.
You don’t get the idea that these are the bad guys, because they’re just generally normal guys. I love that their attitude toward Hitler was just “pffft, whatever.”
I’d say this is far and away the most famous German movie ever made. But I think it’s deserving of that, it’s a really good movie. 3 ½ hours and I never ended up getting bored.
Valkyrie
Quick summary: the failed plot to kill Hitler
Starring: Tom Cruise
Another movie I can’t spoil you for. :D Guess what, they fail.
I went into this expecting not to like it. It’s Tom Cruise, playing a turncoat Nazi. But I thought the plot would be interesting, so I gave it a try anyway. I ended up really enjoying it. I’d see it again in fact. This is because they got a stellar supporting cast. They picked some really great British actors (Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, for example) to play the other Nazi officers in on the plot. Tom Cruise doesn’t overpower them, and you end up with a movie is in fact historically accurate. And the story really is interesting.
Defiance
Quick summary: Jews hiding in the woods to escape the holocaust
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber
This is the story of the Bielski brothers, who did in fact start a commune in the forest in Belarus to hide from the Nazis. Basically they were just like “fuck no, you’re not taking us to the ghetto!” I watched this shortly after Valkyrie. I had expected this to be the one I liked better. I didn’t. This movie can’t decide what it wants to be: a biopic, a heroic tale of Jewish saviors, a docu-drama, a romance, or an action movie. As a result, it falls flat.
I’d had the book lying around my house for ages, and never got around to reading it until after the movie. Reading the book afterwords make me dislike the movie even more. The movie makes no attempts at historical accuracy. The ages of the brothers are all switched around, the younger brother (who was not the younger brother in real life) did not meet his wife the way they depicted, and most notably, the events did not happen in the order the way they were depicted in the film. The changes they made certainly weren’t for plot improvement or out of necessity. Frankly I think the plot would have been better if they’d kept things in the right order.
Windtalkers
Quick summary: Navajo codetalkers in WWII. Sort of
Starring: Nicolas Cage
This movie really requires the right mindset going into it. You can’t approach this expecting it to do justice to the Native Americans who served in WWII. Hollywood hasn’t figured out how to do justice to Native Americans yet, and it will be a while before they do. However, if you approach this as a Nicolas Cage movie, I think you’ll enjoy it. I did. Cage is good in this movie, and Christian Slater was even better.
As for the Navajo characters, Adam Beach (Hollywood’s go-to “Native American” actor. He’s not actually Navajo. Nor is he American for that matter. But I guess First Nation is close enough.) is the counter to Cage’s character. I like Beach’s work, except for Law and Order: SVU, but only because he broke up the partnership of Munch and Fin. If you’ve watched Flags of Our Fathers before this, you may be inclined to agree.
The other Navajo character is played by a guy who really is Navajo. This is his first acting gig, though you’d never know it. He’s the counter to Slater, and I found their relationship more interesting than Cage and Beach’s.
It’s not a grand sweeping war epic, but for what it was, I really liked it.
Saving Private Ryan
Quick summary: Tom Hanks and gang try to find Private Ryan
Starring: Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel
This is a big sweeping war epic.lls_mutant told me that I should have watched this before Band of Brothers, because I’d end up finding this a little underwhelming in comparison. I think she was right. But I’m not saying it’s a bad movie, quite the opposite in fact.
Let’s start with the most famous part of this film: D-Day. I’d been avoiding this movie for years because all I heard was how graphic this was. Yes, it’s graphic, but I wasn’t sick to my stomach after watching it or anything. I felt that D-Day was the best part of this movie. It’s a great battle sequence, definitely one of the best I’ve seen on my mission, if not the best.
The middle, still good, though maybe not quite as good as the beginning.
I didn’t care for the final battle of this movie, as I thought it was a bit unrealistic. Unrealistic battles aren’t entirely uncommon in film, but after the effort that was put in to make the D-Day sequences as realistic as possible, the final battle left me dissapointed.
As an aside, I didn’t recognize Vin Diesel at all in this movie. I thought he was someone else.
My general opinion is that when this movie is good, it’s really good, but I also feel it may be a bit overrated.
Swing Kids
Quick summary: Teenagers determined to swing! Even though Hitler banned swing music.
Starring: Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale
This is a lighthearted movie about Nazi Germany, if you will. It’s put out by Disney, you know it’s not going to be like Schindler’s List or anything. But this group of kids, as they really existed, weren’t out to make big political statements, they just liked their swing and Hitler was not about to take away what they liked, dammit.
The two leads in this movie are great (you’ve probably all seen Batman and Dead Poets Society, so you’re no doubt fmiliar with both) and carry it well. The story centers on them, and though it does get into the broad picture a little, it does so through the characters and what they witness. The music is good as well, as is the dancing. It’s not your average war or Holocaust movie, and I like that.
Pearl Harbor
Quick summary: Two guys join the air force, one goes to Britain and gets presumed dead, second guy steals his girl, first guy comes back and Peal Harbor happens
Starring: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett
I saw this movie in theaters. Twice. That was two times too many. Do yourself a favor and just avoid this one.
Die Weisse Rose
Quick summary: College kids question what the Nazis are up to
Starring: More german actors
It’s been a while since I’ve seen this, so I’m really working off memory here. This movie is the true story of The White Rose, a student resistance movement in Nazi Germany. As college kids, they worked primarily through paper, distributing pamphlets and such. Things didn’t work out so well for them- they were executed for their endeavors.
I’d probably say you can skip this one, unless you’re really itching to see it. The quality of low-budget German cinema back in the early 80’s was a little lacking (no offense). If you can find a copy of the book in English, I’d say it’s worth reading.
The Pianist
Summary: The true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman during the Holocaust
Starring: Adrien Brody
Forget for a moment who the director is. Or maybe don’t, considering he’s a Holocaust survivor himself. I think that really comes into play here. Adrien Brody won the oscar for Best Actor for this movie, and it was, in my opinion, well deserved. His performance of Szpilman (now there’s a fitting name for a musician), a pianist who does whatever he can to stay alive during the Holocaust, is phenomenal.
The film doesn’t make it to the concentration camps, since the real Szpilman didn’t either, but don’t think it won’t churn your stomach to watch. Life in the ghetto could be pretty appalling too.
If you’re not afraid of Holocaust movies, I highly recommend this one. Don’t stop after Schindler’s List.
Schindler’s List
Summary: Oskar Schindler saves over 1,000 Jews by putting them to work in his factory
Starring: Liam Neeson
Admittedly, I feel it’s a little bit pointless to review Schindler’s List. Is there anyone out there (reading this) that hasn’t seen this movie? I feel like it’s required viewing nowadays. Not that I dispute that. It is the Holocaust movie for a reason.
I will say this: I really expected the factory in the ghetto to be bigger than it actually was. The movie makes it look huge. What I saw of it (in a not that nice area of Krakow) didn’t look all that big. I didn’t get a snapshot of the whole thing, but here’s part of it: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v13/206/54/11400148/n11400148_30112678_7373.jpg
Honestly, if you haven’t seen Schindler’s List, you might be living under a rock.
The Great Escape
Summary: American POWs attempt to escape from a German prison camp.
Starring: Steve McQueen
First a note: this did actually happen, perhaps not entirely the way depicted (Steve McQueen’s I know was stylized), but yes, this is a true story. This movie starts out slow. The first half of the movie is the plot that leads up to the escape. I think they spent a little too much time here and probably could have cut it down. I was bored after a while.
Once you get past the first part, however, this movie gets really good. The second half is the escape, and it’s a thrill to watch. Beyond the initial escape from the camp, the POWs try to make it out of Germany by their own various means. As a result, they all fare differently. You find youself rooting for them all to make it out alive, so it either hits your hard when they don’t, or you want to cheer when they do.
In short: this movie takes a while to get going, but once it does, it’s definitely worth watching.
Inglorious Basterds
Summary: American (and a French) Jews take on the Nazis
Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz
I don’t consider this a WWII movie, but some people do, so it’s here. Now you can’t yell at me for not including it.
Honestly, the best way I can describe this movie is “Rambo meets Hitler.” I believe my immediate reaction after watching this was “what the fuck was that?” I won’t say that I didn’t like it, but I can’t say I did either. It was just weird. That’s what you get with Tarantino, I guess.
So, yes, there are Nazis, and there are soldiers, but this is more of a bizarre killfest than an actual war movie.
Kelly’s Heroes
Summary: Americans steal gold from the Nazis
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savales, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, Carroll O’Connor
This might be another one that might be a stretch to call it a WWII movie. It’s definitely a “guy movie”. It’s classic Clint Eastwood, what else would you expect? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, so I don’t remember terribly much, but I do remember that Donald Sutherland’s character is completely nuts. Over-the-top may be a good way to describe this one in general. If old school action-adventure is your kind of movie, this is a good one, but if you’re looking for an accurate portrayal of the war, you’re not going to find it here.
Band of Brothers
Summary: The story of Easy Company through the entire war
Starring: Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston (aka the guy from Office Space), Donnie Wahlberg
Ok, so, this isn’t actually a movie, but it’s so good I couldn’t not include it. It’s a joint project by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, so right off the bat, you know it’s going to be good. And it definitely doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.
Band of Brothers is a six-part mini-series that aired on HBO a few years back. Each episode starts with a narration by some of the actual members of Easy Company, a company of paratroopers in WWII. Then we follow the group from basic training through the end of the war. At first it’s a little tough to keep the NCOs straight, but after we start getting to know the characters, it’s not so bad. And we really do get to know these characters well, especially Winters, the company leader.
It’s got the action of a war movie, and the character development of a good drama. I read the book afterwords, and it stayed faithful to the actual events. I think bringing in the actual men to talk about it was really fantastic too, and the extra feature where they just interview the guys is worth watching along with the series.
An absolute must-see if you’re into WWII history.
I should note that I'm posting this dually on facebook, so you may get some repeats of what I've posted here previously. These are reviews of every WWII movie I ever watched, going back to about my freshman year of high school. I really wasn't into war movies before then, and it's a bit too far back to remember anyway. There are 3 German films on here, the rest are either American or British (I'm watching Life is Beautiful later today, so that will be an Italian one).
First, an intro:
You may have gathered that I am on a quest to watch as many WWII movies as I can handle. It started when I realized that I had seen a lot this spring, and I decided I may as well keep going with it. Yes, I'm a girl who likes war movies. Get over it.
Why WWII, besides the random factor? I've found that for whatever reason, most major WWII movies are of high quality. I think the event is so ingrained in the American conscience, and that our nation still to this day has great respect for the soldiers that fought in it, that most directors really want to do them justice. Also, you can't really get away with bad war movies with your audience. A comedy can be bad and people will still watch it. I don't think the same applies to war movies. Why, I don't know, but I think it'd be an interesting study.
WWII also creates much more of a playground of sorts for filmmakers, because so much was going on. Two fronts, multiple nations, multiple out there personalities, the holocaust, life at home...the story possibilities are endless. Not to mention a lot of these people are still alive and we can get fairly accurate source material. All with the audience for them. The appeal lies in first the fact that we won, and secondly that it doesn't seem too far in the past that it's not relatable. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there are more movies about WWII than any other war.
Not to knock other war movies. I liked Apocolypse Now until they met General Kurtz (then I felt it was just too weird), I think All Quiet on the Western Front was a great movie, Gettysburg was good, and I own a copy of The Patriot on dvd (Australians playing American heroes, ftw!). But for now, I'm sticking to WWII alone.
Now, on with the reviews!
The Giant WWII Movie Review!
Patton
Quick summary: the WWII career of General George S. Patton
Starring: George C. Scott
This movie starts with that iconic scene of Patton giving a speech in front of the flag. Honestly I thought the movie would have been just as good without it as it was with it. But it did provide a nice intro to the character you were about to explore.
One of those Best Picture winners that was actually good. (I sat through Driving Miss Daisy, I don’t trust the Academy’s tastes.) You can tell it was made in the 60’s due to the stylistic aspects (1969 specifically), and the battle scenes leave a little something to be desired, but it's really more of a character driven movie. Go watch something else if you want fighting. Patton was slightly insane, which makes the movie interesting.
One criticism: the translation for the German stinks. It got pared down for whatever reason. One example that jumped out at me was when the subtitles said “I’m optimistic,” and the guy actually said something like “my current outlook is very optimistic, Sir.”
The Thin Red Line
Quick summary: Jesus, Danny Zucco, Lloyd Dobler, Billy Ocean, and that guy who kissed Halle Berry all go to fight at Guadalcanal together!
Starring: Jim Caviezel, John Travolta, Nick Nolte, John Cusack, George Clooney, Adrien Brody, Woody Harrelson, and a hell of a lot of other people. Except for JC, none of whom get more than 15 minutes to screen time.
In case you can’t tell already, I hated this movie. I quit watching this movie halfway through. It was just that bad. This movie features the most incompetent group of soldiers EVER, who spend more time philosophizing in poetic language (yes, because that's realistic of the everyday soldier.) than they do actually fighting.
The first 15-20 minutes of this movie is
Not to mention countless POV changes, lots of pretty shots of trees, and casting that doesn't make much sense (John Cusack???). Not even the all-star cast can save this movie.
There is a reason people remember Saving Private Ryan and not this movie (released the same year). SPR is MUCH BETTER.
Bent
Quick summary: A man gets arrested by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp because he is gay.
Starring: Clive Owen, with appearances by Ian McKellan and Mick Jagger (Yes, that Mick Jagger)
If you enjoy movies that are heavy on imagery, I think you'll like this one. I didn't so much. I'm more into character development, and I felt that was missing here, particularly at the beginning of the movie. I warmed up to it at the end, when we got the developing relationship between Max and Horst. But still not one of my favorites.
I'm told this started as a play, and having watched the movie, I can see it working very well on stage. I think I'd rather enjoy it as a play, actually.
The film is rated NC-17, but don’t let that stop you. It really deserves little more than PG-13. A bit of racy dialouge perhaps. If descriptions of gay sex bother you, keep your fast forward button handy. I was thinking the rating was for Holocaust nastiness, but there's really nothing in that regard.
It's definitely not a Holocaust movie in the same way that Schindler's List and The Pianist are. Nothing really stomach churning. It’s more about one guy’s experience with the Holocaust than a general portrayal. Think of it more as a gay man figuring himself out in the midst of tragedy.
And as an aside, I think Mick Jagger is much better looking as a woman than a man.
Flags of Our Fathers
Quick summary: The guys who are in that famous flag raising photo from Iwo Jima.
Starring: Ryan Phillipe, Adam Beach
All I’d heard about this movie was that it was about Iwo Jima. Thus, it turned out to be not what I was expecting, but good nonetheless. It follows the three guys who made it off Iwo Jima (from the six in the picture) as they go around the United States promoting the purchase of war bonds. Explores the effect of war on guys once they’ve gotten home and away from the frontlines. The only major critique I have of it is that you can't tell who the narrator is. Mainly because the narrator changes- at one point he's the photographer, another a soldier, and finally the son of Ryan Phillipe's character. It's not pivotal to the plot though, knowing who's speaking, so don't let it deter you.
Letters from Iwo Jima
Quick summary: Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese side
Starring: Ken Watanabe (aka Hollywood’s go-to Japanese actor)
This is the companion film to Flags of our Fathers. Both were directed by Clint Eastwood. Unlike Flags, this one focuses solely on the battle. I have to say, I liked this one better. We got to know the characters a little better here. The main thing I have to say is this: when you find yourself rooting for the Japanese in a WWII movie, you know it's well made.
I like that Clint Eastwood chose to make this movie entirely in Japanese, with actual Japanese actors (not Chinese actors pretending to be Japanese: I’m looking at you, Memoirs of a Geisha.). It really feels like we’re getting their perspective, instead of the American version of what we view as their perspective.
Der Untergang (Downfall)
Quick summary: The end of WWII in Hitler’s bunker
Starring: Bruno Ganz
This is a German movie, and it really has to be in order for it to work. I don’t think anyone but the Germans could have pulled this off without people crying outrage. It’s a no frills look at the last days of the war in Berlin. It doesn’t get preachy, it doesn’t try to portray Hitler as the ultimate evil, it just shows you as is, and lets you use your knowledge of history to make your judgment, as opposed to trying to force one on you. As a result, it makes for a really interesting film.
It’s also one I can’t possibly spoil you for. Guess what, Hitler dies! (Movie doesn’t end there though, and it’s important that it doesn’t.)
Das Boot
Quick summary: We all live in a
Starring: Jurgen Prochnow
The first thing I will say about this movie is that it’s ridiculously long. All Blockbuster had was the director’s cut, which was 3 ½ hours. I, not realizing that the movie ran on both sides of the disc, accidently watched the entire second half first. I got on imdb afterwards and realized I’d skipped the entire first half of the movie, then went back and watched it. I wasn’t confused though, the plot is simple enough to follow wherever you jump in. Basically, the plot is “we all gonna diiiiie!” They get themselves into some sticky situations.
You don’t get the idea that these are the bad guys, because they’re just generally normal guys. I love that their attitude toward Hitler was just “pffft, whatever.”
I’d say this is far and away the most famous German movie ever made. But I think it’s deserving of that, it’s a really good movie. 3 ½ hours and I never ended up getting bored.
Valkyrie
Quick summary: the failed plot to kill Hitler
Starring: Tom Cruise
Another movie I can’t spoil you for. :D Guess what, they fail.
I went into this expecting not to like it. It’s Tom Cruise, playing a turncoat Nazi. But I thought the plot would be interesting, so I gave it a try anyway. I ended up really enjoying it. I’d see it again in fact. This is because they got a stellar supporting cast. They picked some really great British actors (Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, for example) to play the other Nazi officers in on the plot. Tom Cruise doesn’t overpower them, and you end up with a movie is in fact historically accurate. And the story really is interesting.
Defiance
Quick summary: Jews hiding in the woods to escape the holocaust
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber
This is the story of the Bielski brothers, who did in fact start a commune in the forest in Belarus to hide from the Nazis. Basically they were just like “fuck no, you’re not taking us to the ghetto!” I watched this shortly after Valkyrie. I had expected this to be the one I liked better. I didn’t. This movie can’t decide what it wants to be: a biopic, a heroic tale of Jewish saviors, a docu-drama, a romance, or an action movie. As a result, it falls flat.
I’d had the book lying around my house for ages, and never got around to reading it until after the movie. Reading the book afterwords make me dislike the movie even more. The movie makes no attempts at historical accuracy. The ages of the brothers are all switched around, the younger brother (who was not the younger brother in real life) did not meet his wife the way they depicted, and most notably, the events did not happen in the order the way they were depicted in the film. The changes they made certainly weren’t for plot improvement or out of necessity. Frankly I think the plot would have been better if they’d kept things in the right order.
Windtalkers
Quick summary: Navajo codetalkers in WWII. Sort of
Starring: Nicolas Cage
This movie really requires the right mindset going into it. You can’t approach this expecting it to do justice to the Native Americans who served in WWII. Hollywood hasn’t figured out how to do justice to Native Americans yet, and it will be a while before they do. However, if you approach this as a Nicolas Cage movie, I think you’ll enjoy it. I did. Cage is good in this movie, and Christian Slater was even better.
As for the Navajo characters, Adam Beach (Hollywood’s go-to “Native American” actor. He’s not actually Navajo. Nor is he American for that matter. But I guess First Nation is close enough.) is the counter to Cage’s character. I like Beach’s work, except for Law and Order: SVU, but only because he broke up the partnership of Munch and Fin. If you’ve watched Flags of Our Fathers before this, you may be inclined to agree.
The other Navajo character is played by a guy who really is Navajo. This is his first acting gig, though you’d never know it. He’s the counter to Slater, and I found their relationship more interesting than Cage and Beach’s.
It’s not a grand sweeping war epic, but for what it was, I really liked it.
Saving Private Ryan
Quick summary: Tom Hanks and gang try to find Private Ryan
Starring: Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel
This is a big sweeping war epic.
lls_mutant told me that I should have watched this before Band of Brothers, because I’d end up finding this a little underwhelming in comparison. I think she was right. But I’m not saying it’s a bad movie, quite the opposite in fact.Let’s start with the most famous part of this film: D-Day. I’d been avoiding this movie for years because all I heard was how graphic this was. Yes, it’s graphic, but I wasn’t sick to my stomach after watching it or anything. I felt that D-Day was the best part of this movie. It’s a great battle sequence, definitely one of the best I’ve seen on my mission, if not the best.
The middle, still good, though maybe not quite as good as the beginning.
I didn’t care for the final battle of this movie, as I thought it was a bit unrealistic. Unrealistic battles aren’t entirely uncommon in film, but after the effort that was put in to make the D-Day sequences as realistic as possible, the final battle left me dissapointed.
As an aside, I didn’t recognize Vin Diesel at all in this movie. I thought he was someone else.
My general opinion is that when this movie is good, it’s really good, but I also feel it may be a bit overrated.
Swing Kids
Quick summary: Teenagers determined to swing! Even though Hitler banned swing music.
Starring: Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale
This is a lighthearted movie about Nazi Germany, if you will. It’s put out by Disney, you know it’s not going to be like Schindler’s List or anything. But this group of kids, as they really existed, weren’t out to make big political statements, they just liked their swing and Hitler was not about to take away what they liked, dammit.
The two leads in this movie are great (you’ve probably all seen Batman and Dead Poets Society, so you’re no doubt fmiliar with both) and carry it well. The story centers on them, and though it does get into the broad picture a little, it does so through the characters and what they witness. The music is good as well, as is the dancing. It’s not your average war or Holocaust movie, and I like that.
Pearl Harbor
Quick summary: Two guys join the air force, one goes to Britain and gets presumed dead, second guy steals his girl, first guy comes back and Peal Harbor happens
Starring: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett
I saw this movie in theaters. Twice. That was two times too many. Do yourself a favor and just avoid this one.
Die Weisse Rose
Quick summary: College kids question what the Nazis are up to
Starring: More german actors
It’s been a while since I’ve seen this, so I’m really working off memory here. This movie is the true story of The White Rose, a student resistance movement in Nazi Germany. As college kids, they worked primarily through paper, distributing pamphlets and such. Things didn’t work out so well for them- they were executed for their endeavors.
I’d probably say you can skip this one, unless you’re really itching to see it. The quality of low-budget German cinema back in the early 80’s was a little lacking (no offense). If you can find a copy of the book in English, I’d say it’s worth reading.
The Pianist
Summary: The true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman during the Holocaust
Starring: Adrien Brody
Forget for a moment who the director is. Or maybe don’t, considering he’s a Holocaust survivor himself. I think that really comes into play here. Adrien Brody won the oscar for Best Actor for this movie, and it was, in my opinion, well deserved. His performance of Szpilman (now there’s a fitting name for a musician), a pianist who does whatever he can to stay alive during the Holocaust, is phenomenal.
The film doesn’t make it to the concentration camps, since the real Szpilman didn’t either, but don’t think it won’t churn your stomach to watch. Life in the ghetto could be pretty appalling too.
If you’re not afraid of Holocaust movies, I highly recommend this one. Don’t stop after Schindler’s List.
Schindler’s List
Summary: Oskar Schindler saves over 1,000 Jews by putting them to work in his factory
Starring: Liam Neeson
Admittedly, I feel it’s a little bit pointless to review Schindler’s List. Is there anyone out there (reading this) that hasn’t seen this movie? I feel like it’s required viewing nowadays. Not that I dispute that. It is the Holocaust movie for a reason.
I will say this: I really expected the factory in the ghetto to be bigger than it actually was. The movie makes it look huge. What I saw of it (in a not that nice area of Krakow) didn’t look all that big. I didn’t get a snapshot of the whole thing, but here’s part of it: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v13/206/54/11400148/n11400148_30112678_7373.jpg
Honestly, if you haven’t seen Schindler’s List, you might be living under a rock.
The Great Escape
Summary: American POWs attempt to escape from a German prison camp.
Starring: Steve McQueen
First a note: this did actually happen, perhaps not entirely the way depicted (Steve McQueen’s I know was stylized), but yes, this is a true story. This movie starts out slow. The first half of the movie is the plot that leads up to the escape. I think they spent a little too much time here and probably could have cut it down. I was bored after a while.
Once you get past the first part, however, this movie gets really good. The second half is the escape, and it’s a thrill to watch. Beyond the initial escape from the camp, the POWs try to make it out of Germany by their own various means. As a result, they all fare differently. You find youself rooting for them all to make it out alive, so it either hits your hard when they don’t, or you want to cheer when they do.
In short: this movie takes a while to get going, but once it does, it’s definitely worth watching.
Inglorious Basterds
Summary: American (and a French) Jews take on the Nazis
Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz
I don’t consider this a WWII movie, but some people do, so it’s here. Now you can’t yell at me for not including it.
Honestly, the best way I can describe this movie is “Rambo meets Hitler.” I believe my immediate reaction after watching this was “what the fuck was that?” I won’t say that I didn’t like it, but I can’t say I did either. It was just weird. That’s what you get with Tarantino, I guess.
So, yes, there are Nazis, and there are soldiers, but this is more of a bizarre killfest than an actual war movie.
Kelly’s Heroes
Summary: Americans steal gold from the Nazis
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savales, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, Carroll O’Connor
This might be another one that might be a stretch to call it a WWII movie. It’s definitely a “guy movie”. It’s classic Clint Eastwood, what else would you expect? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, so I don’t remember terribly much, but I do remember that Donald Sutherland’s character is completely nuts. Over-the-top may be a good way to describe this one in general. If old school action-adventure is your kind of movie, this is a good one, but if you’re looking for an accurate portrayal of the war, you’re not going to find it here.
Band of Brothers
Summary: The story of Easy Company through the entire war
Starring: Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston (aka the guy from Office Space), Donnie Wahlberg
Ok, so, this isn’t actually a movie, but it’s so good I couldn’t not include it. It’s a joint project by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, so right off the bat, you know it’s going to be good. And it definitely doesn’t disappoint in the slightest.
Band of Brothers is a six-part mini-series that aired on HBO a few years back. Each episode starts with a narration by some of the actual members of Easy Company, a company of paratroopers in WWII. Then we follow the group from basic training through the end of the war. At first it’s a little tough to keep the NCOs straight, but after we start getting to know the characters, it’s not so bad. And we really do get to know these characters well, especially Winters, the company leader.
It’s got the action of a war movie, and the character development of a good drama. I read the book afterwords, and it stayed faithful to the actual events. I think bringing in the actual men to talk about it was really fantastic too, and the extra feature where they just interview the guys is worth watching along with the series.
An absolute must-see if you’re into WWII history.
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