My Favourite War Films

I am a huge fan of war films so I thought it was time to do a list of my favourite war films. Here it is in no particular order:

Tears of the Sun

I had no expectations when I first saw this film, but even if I had I know it would have exceeded them. This is a great tale of heroism and bravery, and the choices that have to be made in war. Starring Bruce Willis as Special Ops Commander Lt. Waters who leads a team into the incredibly hostile jungle of Nigeria to rescue a doctor (played by Monica Bellucci). The problem is that she won't leave without the 70 refugees she's been taking care of, and there's only room for one more on the helicopter. Waters then has to make a choice, force her to leave, or take a risk and try and save them all. There are some scenes that haunt me to this day, but I'm glad for them. This film opened my eyes to a brutality that the news really hasn't done justice to. 

Band of Brothers

I won't go into detail with this one as I've already written two blog entries dedicated to the miniseries here: Band of Brothers. All I can say is that this is a spectacular series and I highly recommend it. 

Jarhead

It's been called a war film without war and there were many critiques of the film, some stating it didn't have enough of a political standpoint, others claiming it to be anti-war. I think Mendes created a film that perfectly described the Gulf War: thousands of marines went to the desert to fight, for what, they didn't know, but they were trained to kill and they waited for their chance to finally get the pink mist. The film has such a strong political undercurrent, which makes a comment not only on the Gulf war, but also the Iraq and Vietnam wars. A great film for anyone who appreciates films that focus on the implications of war. 

Saving Private Ryan

There are those who think this film was too American, with an American focus. It's true, there is a significant lack of the other participants of the second World War. However, it's a brilliant film and tells a great story. The film is loosely based on the four Niland Brothers who served in WWII. It was believed that only one brother had survived and so he was sent back to the US. However they discovered that one of his brother's also lived and was a POW in Burma. I think the film is visually spectacular and has some of the most vivid and realistic war scenes I've seen in film. It's a great tale of heroism and camaraderie. 

Apocalypse Now

My first blog post was dedicated to this film. I was so surprised by how amazing it is. I knew it was a classic, had heard a lot about it but so many films are talked about that way and fall below expectation. This one surpassed mine, exceedingly. Check out my review here: Apocalypse Now.

Platoon

A classic, and one of Charlie Sheen's finest performances. This Oliver Stone film looks at the Vietnam war through the eyes of Chris (Sheen), a young and naive soldier who quits college and volunteers for Vietnam. He discovers the brutality of war, his fellow soldiers and the psychological effect this can have.  I love the final scene with Chris' VO when he says:  "I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. The enemy was in us." This reminds me a lot of Jarhead, and the message that film carries. A wonderful film that shows the true, brutal side of the Vietnam war, because let's be honest, that's the only side that war had. 

The Hurt Locker

I love this film for two reasons: it's an epic war film, and it's an epic war film made by a woman. Kathryn Bigelow, I salute you! What I enjoyed about this film is that it focusses on an Army bomb squad in the Iraq war. It shows the story of Sgt. First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) a soldier whose life is war. Even when he's away from the front line he can't wait to go back. A lot of war films focus on the reluctant hero, the struggle as they try to get home. This film focusses on a war junkie who is happy to place himself in the most dangerous situations. It's slow paced, which I enjoyed. This is not a war film focussed on fight scenes, this is a story of the psychological side of war and why, for some soldiers, war is where they're at their best. 

Three Kings

A wonderful, sometimes hilarious, look at the Gulf War. The film opens on Troy (Mark Wahlberg) who can't quite remember the rules of engagement. A pretty funny scene follows as he tries to figure out whether he should or should not shoot his opponent. When Troy, Archie Gates (George Clooney) and Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) go in search of stolen gold they end up finding a group of people who need their help. There are some moments in the film that are reminiscent of Tears of the Sun. Once again it's heroism and bravery that are the focus of this tale. Sometimes we are given the opportunity to be more than we think we're capable of, and sometimes in the search of materialism we discover what truly matters.