Today is Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor those who sacrificed much if not all to keep our country free until America was overrun by the forces of stupidity and the dummy invasion that has swarmed our defenses. Many will also be watching war movies so please feel free to comment on which is your favorite.
It’s impossible to list all of the greats but here are a few that I personally like.
Saving Private Ryan: This 1997 epic wastes no time in putting viewers directly in the line of fire with the most graphic depiction ever filmed of the D-Day invasion and culminates in one of the greatest battle sequences ever filmed, taking place in a French town as the Germans roll in against the overmatched Americans. Despite the leading roles going to flaming liberals Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, the movie is exceptionally made and packs a serious emotional punch. It was critically acclaimed when it came out in the late 1990s but back then it was still permissible to portray America in a positive light before the dictatorship of the “woke” reared its head and imposed a period of vicious repression just like their historical counterparts the Nazis did.
Patton: George C. Scott has never been better than in this portrayal of the ass-kicking Army general whose fighting spirit was as legendary as his uncompromising personality. An epic, sweeping tale that could never be made today in a pussified nation where maternity flight suits and transgenderism has replaced kicking ass and taking names as the mission in a feminized military. The only complaint with the movie is that Patton’s opening speech was diluted from the original version where the general told troops that “We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy’s balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time.” Today’s military under the Biden regime with his “diverse” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would be made into mincemeat by a determined, well-trained military like the one that China has.
Apocalypse Now: The 1979 movie’s backstory is almost as interesting as what appears on screen as the cast and crew were plagued by typhoons, cost overruns, the near-death of its star, and a grotesquely obese Marlon Brando but this one came together as one of the greatest epics ever. It’s a retelling of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart Of Darkness” only set in Vietnam and boasts some of the most incredible scenes ever including the Air Cavalry flying into battle with Wagner’s “Ride Of The Valkyries” blaring over speakers mounted on helicopters. Like its literary inspiration, the movie gets darker as the patrol boat carrying Captain Willard travels “hundreds of miles up a river that snaked through the war like a main circuit cable and plugged straight into Kurtz.” Just an incredible movie, I’ve seen this thing dozens of times.
The Dirty Dozen: A bad-assed Army major played by tough guy Lee Marvin is selected by brass for a suicide mission in which he must recruit a group of military prisoners who can either swing from the end of a rope for their crimes or go out in a blaze of glory behind enemy lines where they are to take out top Nazi leaders at a French chateau prior to the D-Day invasion. The recruits are a star-studded bunch comprised of Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes, Clint Walker, NFL star Jim Brown, Donald Sutherland, and a pre-Kojak Telly Savalas as the appropriately named AJ Maggott. Also starring Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, and George Kennedy. This one never gets old.
The Bridge On The River Kwai: Classic 1957 epic of a British officer in a Japanese prisoner of war camp whose desire to survive causes him to inadvertently collaborate with the enemy in the building of a bridge. Alec Guinness plays the colonel and William Holden as the American escapee who goes back to hell on a mission to destroy the bridge. Filmed in tropical Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) the scenery is spectacular and unlike modern movies, did not rely on computer-generated imagery, it’s all real.
Full Metal Jacket: 1987 Vietnam movie that is probably best known for the star-making performance by recently deceased former Marine turned actor R. Lee Ermey. Ermey’s drill sergeant was a tour de force during the opening boot camp sequence where he molded “Private Gomer Pyle” into a killing machine. Unfortunately, he detonated in the latrine. The rest of movie moves onto Vietnam and is both sardonic and surreal with the climax being taking out a sniper in a sequence that shows that in war, anyone could be the enemy.
The Great Escape: This star-studded 1963 movie has withstood the test of time and to this day remains one of the all-time classics. Steve McQueen, James Garner, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson are among the cast as allied prisoners who are sent to an inescapable German prisoner of war camp that doesn’t live up its billing once the tunnels start getting dug. Still one of my favorites after all these years.
Where Eagles Dare: Great action in this 1968 film featuring Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton leading a team that infiltrates a Nazi mountain fortress accessible only by helicopter or cable car. Awesome action sequences, especially involving the cable cars and high-altitude fights to the death. Drags a bit at times but well worth the time spent watching.
The Thin Red Line: This one probably doesn’t end up on too many people’s top lists because it is long, often boring, and saturated with liberalism but it is beautifully filmed and has some outstanding performances including Nick Nolte’s Colonel Gordon Tall who has to overcome a pacifist and insubordinate captain who refuses to send his men to take out a critical Japanese bunker. The movie is set during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
The Patriot: Before Hollywood crucified him and left him for dead, Mel Gibson was an A-list actor and this Revolutionary War epic is among his best.
Band Of Brothers: Not really a movie but an HBO miniseries that follows the members of an Army Airborne company as they go from D-Day until the end of the war. This is one of the best television series of all time in my opinion and one of the greatest ever war films and it’s based on a true story of real American heroes.
When Trumpets Fade: This 1998 HBO movie is even more graphic than “Saving Private Ryan” and grim as hell. The action takes place during the WW II Battle of Hurtgen Forest which doesn’t get the historical treatment of other more famous battles. This movie exemplifies the saying “War Is Hell” and is a must-see.
There are just too many greats to do them justice but here are some that deserve honorable mention: The Green Berets, Kelly’s Heroes, Platoon, The Longest Day, Hacksaw Ridge, The Big Red One, Enemy at The Gates, Cross Of Iron, Dunkirk, The Sands Of Iwo Jima, Flags Of Our Fathers, Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, Hamburger Hill, Midway or what is your favorite?
