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Best Nazi War film?


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Das Boot is excellent, it looks like a long one to sit through but once you start watching you're compelled to continue. Also, one of the most emotionally confusing endings i've seen in a film (are we supposed to be happy or sad!?).

 

Lots of me time.

 

I like Inglorious Bastards and Life is Beautiful.

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Das Boot is an astoundingly good film. It is incredibly tense, yet the characters are real enough that you forget which side of the war they were on. You root for them from the first ten minutes. The films genius is its portrayal of ordinary men in extraordinary times. There are numerous versions out there. I caught a 4 1/2 version while on a ferry trip. Take a day off and watch the longest version you can.

 

Downfall, mentioned here before, will haunt you. Where Das Boot features normal men on the front line, Downfall represents a snapshot of the inner circle of the Nazi movement at the point it all falls apart. No jumps, no shocks,yet terrifying on a small scale.

 

Moving away from movies, watch Band of Brothers.

 

And, as a couple of posters have mentioned before, check out the stuff that relates to the Pacific conflict.

 

Finally, if you are into this time period, read The Road To War. Very concise book - each chapter represents the stuff that was going on in the lead up to WW2 in the respective countries that particpated in it.

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Surprised (unless I missed it) that no-one has mentioned "Saving Private Ryan". The visceral portayal of the landings on Omaha in the first 20 minutes or so make it compulsive viewing.

 

The problem is that after those 20 minutes it gets all mawkish and dull. Band of Brothers makes a much more satisfying watch IMO.

 

Downfall

Ice Cold In Alex

The Pianist

The Thin Red Line

 

Those are my favourites.

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The problem is that after those 20 minutes it gets all mawkish and dull. Band of Brothers makes a much more satisfying watch IMO.

 

Downfall

Ice Cold In Alex

The Pianist

The Thin Red Line

 

Those are my favourites.

 

Why not include the 'Cross of Iron' which starred James Coburn about German infantry on the Eastern front.

or; 'The Bridge at Remagen, (George Seagal) or even' Enemy at the Gates', based on the life of Valery Sierszov a Russian sniper operating in Stalingrad, (Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Ed Harris)

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Why not include the 'Cross of Iron' which starred James Coburn about German infantry on the Eastern front.

or; 'The Bridge at Remagen, (George Seagal) or even' Enemy at the Gates', based on the life of Valery Sierszov a Russian sniper operating in Stalingrad, (Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Ed Harris)

 

Chiefly because I haven't seen any of those... ;)

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Surely 'Bridge on the River Kwai' isn't a NAZI war film ?

 

Battle of the River Plate is a typical Brit flick, Das Boot & Downfall are superb portayals of what war is really like, ( and as with Downfall, try watching Boot in german with subtitles - it's much better ).

Any old b&w film with John Mills - Dunkirk, Ice Cold in Alex, Above Us the Waves, etc.

Battle of Britain / Angels One Five.

The Cruel Sea

Von Ryan's Express

Casablanca ( ? )

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Surely 'Bridge on the River Kwai' isn't a NAZI war film ?

 

 

Well, I thought about that, but the OP does say in his message, "What about WW2", which opens it up to any film about the war, right? If you want to restrict it to "NAZI war film" - well, what does that mean? Films made by the Nazis (e.g., Triumph of the Will)? Or films focused on the rise and fall of the Nazi party?

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Well, I thought about that, but the OP does say in his message, "What about WW2", which opens it up to any film about the war, right? If you want to restrict it to "NAZI war film" - well, what does that mean? Films made by the Nazis (e.g., Triumph of the Will)? Or films focused on the rise and fall of the Nazi party?

 

Films made by the Nazis might be quite a short thread. Not that they didn't make hundreds of them - I just don't think they played at the Odeon much. Triumph of the Will is interesting though, as an artfully composed glimpse into a mass psychosis.

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Saving Private Ryan, The Great Excape and The Dambusters were all great.

 

Eascape to Victory was good, partly for the cameos.

The Guns of Navarone is a Classic

The Heroes of Telemark

Battle of the Bulge

 

The Guns of Navarone is a good action film, but much of the script and acting is terrible. Having said that, I still give it a watch once every few years.

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