Greatest War Movie of All Time - Round One [Archive]

swede123

09-20-2005, 01:06 PM

Time for another poll to determine the greatest. This is one of my favorite genres and I'm excited what will happen. In order to get down to 64 I weeded out all comedies (Dr. Strangelove and MASH to name two) and movies that just happen to occur during wars (War and Peace, From Here to Eternity etc.). I ranked the 64 based on IMDBs average user rating, so don't blame me if the rankings are F'd up. Look for especially tough match-ups in group four, lots of solid choices there. Anyway, here's round one!

Slow Play Ray

09-20-2005, 01:10 PM

Heartbreak Ridge is a 15-seed? That's horrible, it's an awesome flick, but doesn't stand a chance vs. Full Metal Jacket!

Boo to the seeding - booooo!

*Edit* Ditto for Hamburger Hill. You're killing me here.

swede123

09-20-2005, 01:13 PM

I agree this one hurt, as I personally love Heartbreak Ridge. However, this was the rating at IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091187/ratings). Note that only two movies out of 64 got less than a 5 point average, which is pretty decent. This poll overall has much higher rated movies than my previous ones.

Swede

MonkeeMan

09-20-2005, 01:45 PM

Johnny Got His Gun is the greatest anti-war movie ever made, and therefore is bound to flunk this test.

FWIW, my picks:
1. Johnny Got His Gun
2. Platoon
3. Saving Pvt. Ryan
4. Black Hawk Down
5. All Quiet On The Western Front
...
64. Green Berets

Wes ManTooth

09-20-2005, 01:45 PM

excellent poll, good job setting this up

steelcmg

09-20-2005, 01:46 PM

My votes are inaccurate because about 1/2 the movies i have never heard of or never saw.

wh1t3bread

09-20-2005, 01:50 PM

Zulu is a great movie. Much, much better than Enemy At The Gates. I am sad to see it losing this early in the poll. Don't just vote for Enemy at The Gates (with arguably the WORST sex scene ever) because you have seen it and not Zulu.

MrWookie47

09-20-2005, 01:58 PM

Great poll. I just wish I could vote in more matchups. Looks like I've got some movies to see.

jakethebake

09-20-2005, 01:59 PM

This seeding sucks!

jakethebake

09-20-2005, 02:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Heartbreak Ridge is a 15-seed? That's horrible, it's an awesome flick

[/ QUOTE ]

Bwahahahaha...Heartbreak ridge was a comedy right?

samjjones

09-20-2005, 02:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I agree this one hurt, as I personally love Heartbreak Ridge. However, this was the rating at IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091187/ratings). Note that only two movies out of 64 got less than a 5 point average, which is pretty decent. This poll overall has much higher rated movies than my previous ones.

Swede

[/ QUOTE ]

"SWEDE! SWEDE! SWEDE! SWEDE!..."

Uston

09-20-2005, 02:13 PM

Nice work including Idi I Smotri. It's going to get destroyed despite being the best war movie ever made, simply because no one has seen it. There's just no way a 1985 product of the USSR could ever be marketed effectively in the US.

RunDownHouse

09-20-2005, 02:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Zulu is a great movie. Much, much better than Enemy At The Gates. I am sad to see it losing this early in the poll. Don't just vote for Enemy at The Gates (with arguably the WORST sex scene ever) because you have seen it and not Zulu.

[/ QUOTE ]
I can't believe Enemy at the Gates is getting this many votes at all, much less up against an epic like Zulu.

Shajen

09-20-2005, 02:35 PM

I really dislike Apocalypse Now.

4_2_it

09-20-2005, 03:14 PM

Patton only a 3 seed? Bring me the coward who approved that so I can slap him silly.

captZEEbo1

09-20-2005, 03:21 PM

this poll is too long, I think there's just a bunch you could do without as they have no chance on winning.

ddss6_99

09-20-2005, 03:22 PM

What about Operation Dumbo Drop?!?!?! /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

swede123

09-20-2005, 03:23 PM

Just ignore it until the third or fourth round. By then it should be narrowed down to the more commonly known movies.

Swede

Sykes

09-20-2005, 05:21 PM

Why no war comedies like Pentagon wars (which should be up in the poll regardless) and down periscope)?

MonkeeMan

09-20-2005, 05:47 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Why no war comedies like Pentagon wars (which should be up in the poll regardless) and down periscope)?

[/ QUOTE ]

War is no joke. (But if it was...Stripes)

quinn

09-20-2005, 05:58 PM

[ QUOTE ]
excellent poll, good job setting this up

[/ QUOTE ]

Colonel Kataffy

09-20-2005, 06:02 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What about Operation Dumbo Drop?!?!?!

[/ QUOTE ]

This movie is far more deserving of a spot on the poll than the patriot.

private joker

09-20-2005, 06:08 PM

This is definitely going to be a painful poll when the favorites get cut. I'm already mourning that The Thin Red Line is losing in round friggin' one. Anyway, my favorites on the list in order:

1. The Thin Red Line
2. Full Metal Jacket
3. Gallipoli
4. Paths of Glory
5. Casualties of War
6. Glory
7. Apocalypse Now
8. A Midnight Clear
9. Tigerland
10. The Big Red One

All ten of those are masterpieces, and there's a few other solid ones on there. WTF is happening to Tigerland? Has no one seen Colin Farrell's best performance ever?

swede123

09-20-2005, 06:15 PM

Much like war, OOTers voting makes little sense. I've actually never seen Tigerland, but based on your recommendation I'll check it out this week.

Swede

MonkeeMan

09-20-2005, 06:19 PM

You're a disgrace to your screen name putting Full Metal Jacket @ 2.

Gallipoli just missed my top 5.

Mail Call!

09-20-2005, 06:30 PM

Rambo 2 and 3 were excellent. McArthur and Glory were good too.

Stoli7

09-20-2005, 07:14 PM

It's Idi i smotri, not Idi I Smotiri.
"Come and See" in english.
good movie, but haven't seen boys in company c.

daveymck

09-20-2005, 07:36 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Zulu is a great movie. Much, much better than Enemy At The Gates. I am sad to see it losing this early in the poll. Don't just vote for Enemy at The Gates (with arguably the WORST sex scene ever) because you have seen it and not Zulu.

[/ QUOTE ]

FFS I am going to be off on one already Zulu is a complete classic film, enemy at gates is a decent hollywood movie but isnt better.

For me the longest Day and a Bridge too far for older films Platoon is a decent film as well.

I see troubles ahead in this movie poll.

Dynasty

09-20-2005, 07:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Full Metal Jacket (2) 73 98%

Heartbreak Ridge (15) 1 01%

[/ QUOTE ]

Somebody voted against Full Metal Jacket?

I've got a question for you. (http://www.moviewavs.com/cgi-bin/moviewavs.cgi?Full_Metal_Jacket=whosaid.wav)

ScottyP431

09-20-2005, 07:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]

FFS I am going to be off on one already Zulu is a complete classic film, enemy at gates is a decent hollywood movie but isnt better.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not a hollywood movie

daveymck

09-20-2005, 07:52 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

FFS I am going to be off on one already Zulu is a complete classic film, enemy at gates is a decent hollywood movie but isnt better.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not a hollywood movie

[/ QUOTE ]

OK run of the mill mainstream blockbuster thriller type film whoever made it. Zulu is still a much better film.

IQ89

09-20-2005, 08:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Heartbreak Ridge is a 15-seed? That's horrible, it's an awesome flick

[/ QUOTE ] I personally love Heartbreak Ridge.

[/ QUOTE ]

You just like this movie because you're a fan of "The Swede!"

I haven't seen this movie in quite a few years. Was there any combat scenes in it, or did they just do simulated combat maneuvers? [I loved the scene where Clint effortlessly kicked the Swede's ass.]

Side Note: Does anybody remember the 1970 T.V. movie "Tribes" staring Jan-Michael Vincent? (decent flick, can be rented at Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee in North Hollywood 1-818-506-4242).

SackUp

09-20-2005, 08:19 PM

Full Metal Jacket

I have not seen 3/4 of the other movies.

And what about a lot of the westerns that would set during the war?? We need some John Wayne up in here!

AceHigh

09-20-2005, 08:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Zulu is a great movie.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, just awesome. Probably a lot more people have seen Enemy at the Gates than Zulu.

swede123

09-20-2005, 09:07 PM

[ QUOTE ]

I haven't seen this movie in quite a few years. Was there any combat scenes in it, or did they just do simulated combat maneuvers?

[/ QUOTE ]

Towards the end of Heartbreak Ridge they are all deployed, during the Grenada conflict, there are a few minutes of actual war action. Swede! Swede! Swede! Swede!

Swede

dcasper70

09-20-2005, 09:29 PM

hey you, yeah you morans who voted Missing in Action
better than The Bridge on the River Kwai, please shoot yourself.

PIIYM so you don't f*** that up too.

smokingrobot

09-20-2005, 11:09 PM

OMFG the thing red line is amazing!!

private joker

09-20-2005, 11:20 PM

Apparently OOT likes Charlie Sheen better than Sean Penn. Hoe does Casualties Of War have only 2 votes against that lame overrated dated piece of crap Platoon?

I bet if everyone watched both movies today and re-voted, there'd be different results.

MonkeeMan

09-20-2005, 11:38 PM

Wrong.

I love the smell of Cambodian Red, diesel, and fried crap.

ChipWrecked

09-21-2005, 03:00 AM

Maybe I should see Casualties of War again. I saw it in the theater and thought it was a waste of time piece of crap... then.

Dynasty

09-21-2005, 03:58 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I should see Casualties of War again. I saw it in the theater and thought it was a waste of time piece of crap... then.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was good. I think IMDB's ratings are usually reliable and it has a 6.8/10 there.

TheCroShow

09-21-2005, 04:43 AM

i've only seen a handful of these movies, kill me, i'm not 1209320197 years old =P jk jk i'll watch what i can when visiting with my dad.

private joker

09-21-2005, 04:52 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe I should see Casualties of War again. I saw it in the theater and thought it was a waste of time piece of crap... then.

[/ QUOTE ]

It was good. I think IMDB's ratings are usually reliable and it has a 6.8/10 there.

[/ QUOTE ]

It holds up really well, unlike a lot of these dated war flicks. It also helps if you like Brian De Palma -- the guy is probably the best living visual storyteller in the world, with the possible exception of Zhang Yimou. Just as he did in Scarface, The Untouchables, and Mission: Impossible, there are sequences that place you perfectly in a space and time, orienting you to surroundings and then infusing that space with intense drama.

I think of the Miami hotel + the final shootout in Scarface, the baby carriage/train station in Untouchables (echoed by DePalma again in the awesome Carlito's Way), and the CIA break-in in M:I. Just as memorable is the elevated train tracks in Casualties of War (and also the grenade in the bathroom).

Absolutely flawless filmmaking. DePalma is a god.

dutchbrodymoss

09-21-2005, 05:10 AM

The Thin Red Line should at least be like a 2-4 seed, if not a one seed.

But The Thin Red Line as an 11 seed? Horrible. I disagree.

But asides from that, pretty solid seeding.

I think it would've been cooler if we could determine the seedings too haha.

Other comments with regards to seeding:

Saving Private Ryan: too high. too hollywood. this should be like a 3, 4 seed.

hamburger hill at 15 is somewhat low. I think it should be like a 10, 11 seed.

Tae Guk Gi as a 3 seed, nice.

We Were Soldiers at 12? That was too jingoistic, too... American. haha.

Battle of the bulge at 14? perhaps as an 11, 12 seed?

BLACK HAWK DOWN AT SIX?! A BRIDGE TOO FAR AT 11?!

that should be reversed.

One movie that's missing, that I would add, would be "stalingrad."

Probably the 2nd best German war movie flick after Das Boot.

Stalingrad could be an easy 14-16 seed I feel.

And tigerland... Great movie, but I wouldn't consider it a "war movie" per-se, cause it's set mainly in training camp.

But regardless. mad props for setting up this poll man.

swede123

09-21-2005, 07:02 PM

Bumping in case anyone missed round 1.

Swede

rohjoh

09-21-2005, 07:11 PM

When does round 2 start?

chuddo

09-21-2005, 07:44 PM

people shouldn't have voted unless they had seen both of the movies in question. at least i didn't.

would make for a cleaner tourney.

Blarg

09-21-2005, 07:44 PM

Das Boot vs. Flight of the Intruder?

I think my brain resents me for trying that one on and is sulking now. I hope it doesn't give me the silent treatment.

flatline

09-22-2005, 01:41 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Zulu is a great movie. Much, much better than Enemy At The Gates. I am sad to see it losing this early in the poll. Don't just vote for Enemy at The Gates (with arguably the WORST sex scene ever) because you have seen it and not Zulu.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, I haven't seen Zulu, but I just assumed it couldn't be worse than Enemy. Did anyone really like that movie?

whiskeytown

09-22-2005, 01:47 AM

worst part of this poll is knowing I'm gonna see Tae Guk Gi lose probably to some halfassed p.o.s. and the people that vote aren't even gonna know what the movie is - I refrained from voting for categories where I hadn't seen either movie -

RB

daveymck

09-22-2005, 05:55 AM

I hated thin red line when I saw it at the cinema but as it is getting rave reviews here I'll add it to my screenselect que and watch it again.

Its a pity Band of Broithers cant be in the poll as well cos it is one of the better modern war shows. The trouble with Saving Private Ryan and other modern day ww2 films is they become too Americanized as if only the US were there on dday or whatever, but the opening beach scene on SPR is probably one of the most awesome movie scenes of all time and many veterans agree the most relaistic potrayal of the landings put on film.

For those that havent watched Zulu track it down the scene when the Zulus first come is again among one of the most memorable as is the end of the battle as well, obviously it doesnt have modern effects but it still stands up well.