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red dog 1

(32,427 posts)
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:00 PM 19 hrs ago

What are your five favorite WW2 movies?

1) Saving Private Ryan
2) Full Metal Jacket
3) Windtalkers
4) Hacksaw Ridge
5) Kelly's Heroes

42 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
What are your five favorite WW2 movies? (Original Post) red dog 1 19 hrs ago OP
Casa Blanca ret5hd 19 hrs ago #1
The Great Escape. Easterncedar 19 hrs ago #2
Mine too. LoisB 17 hrs ago #17
Here are mine: Paladin 19 hrs ago #3
I'll play. justaprogressive 19 hrs ago #4
don't forget "Das Boot" Shellback Squid 19 hrs ago #5
Battle of Britain 4K on the way Omaha Steve 12 hrs ago #25
"Das Boot" was the first one that I thought of. Big expensive production of a great story. FadedMullet 11 hrs ago #36
pink submarines lapfog_1 19 hrs ago #6
;-{) Enemy at the Gates Goonch 19 hrs ago #7
I was listening to a hockey game on the radio, maybe a couple years back... Harker 17 hrs ago #16
Here: Chasstev365 19 hrs ago #8
Bridge Over the River Kwai. From Here to Eternity. The Great Escape. Stalag 13. Casablanca debm55 19 hrs ago #9
Bridge Over the River Kwai, Casablanca, Stalag 17 we have in common, Deb! Coventina 12 hrs ago #33
Uhhhh...Full Metal Jacket is Vietnam Zorro 19 hrs ago #10
Full Metal Jacket is Vietnam Shambala 19 hrs ago #11
2 dweller 19 hrs ago #12
The Great Raid LogDog75 18 hrs ago #13
Great movie! red dog 1 16 hrs ago #23
To Be or Not to Be both versions mucifer 17 hrs ago #14
Sound of Music GreatGazoo 17 hrs ago #15
In no order, and subject to revision... Harker 17 hrs ago #18
No order: Aristus 16 hrs ago #19
Add to the others mentioned GP6971 16 hrs ago #20
Dirty Dozen is my favorite Skittles 16 hrs ago #21
Five favorites displacedvermoter 16 hrs ago #22
Allowing for artistic license, I found The Monuments Men... 3catwoman3 13 hrs ago #24
12 o'clock high Historic NY 12 hrs ago #26
A lot of great movies mentioned. I would add The Thin Red Line. Borogove 12 hrs ago #27
My Fav Is Stalag 17. BBbats 12 hrs ago #28
I would add Mrs. Miniver Lulu KC 12 hrs ago #29
"Mrs. Miniver" was "worth a hundred battleships." Paladin 2 hrs ago #40
Casablanca. greatauntoftriplets 12 hrs ago #30
Let's say the ones i saw with my WWIi vet dad. dem4decades 12 hrs ago #31
I got an in person autograph from PT 109 Omaha Steve 12 hrs ago #32
Squadron 303 - of course 303squadron 11 hrs ago #34
I like all the movies you listed, but Charlie Chapulin 11 hrs ago #35
Your two suggestions are great. I almost posted "The Thin Blue Line" so thanks for saving me the embarassment. FadedMullet 11 hrs ago #37
Red Dog - Do you believe all the great suggestions that folks are coming up with? FadedMullet 11 hrs ago #38
Cross of Iron Sewa 9 hrs ago #39
I have always thought PCB66 2 hrs ago #41
Hard to say. Most blockbuster WW2 movies are crap, especially if they're American malthaussen 20 min ago #42

Easterncedar

(5,468 posts)
2. The Great Escape.
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:06 PM
19 hrs ago

I have watched it more times than I can count.

Das Boot I watched only once, but it has stayed with me through the decades ever since.

Paladin

(32,245 posts)
3. Here are mine:
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:08 PM
19 hrs ago

1. "Twelve O'clock High"

2. "Bridge On The River Kwai"

3. "In Which We Serve"

4. "Schindler's List"

5. "Saving Private Ryan"

justaprogressive

(6,285 posts)
4. I'll play.
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:08 PM
19 hrs ago

1) Is Paris Burning?
2) The Great Escape
3) 12 o'clock High
4) The Train
5) Run Silent, Run Deep

Shellback Squid

(9,858 posts)
5. don't forget "Das Boot"
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:14 PM
19 hrs ago

fab film

Dam Busters
Bridge over the River Kwai
Das Boot
Battle of Britain (except the dog)
Great Escape

Omaha Steve

(108,379 posts)
25. Battle of Britain 4K on the way
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 10:49 PM
12 hrs ago

Dear valued customer,

After our 2024 restoration and 4K release of A Bridge Too Far, we knew that following up with Battle Of Britain was the next logical step! It has been a joy watching this mammoth restoration come together, and we are very thankful for the work from the wonderful team at Fidelity In Motion for making it happen.

Our initial scan discovered a short two-minute section of the film was not present in the negative, instead replaced with white space in the middle of the reel. This, of course, sent us in hunt of the missing footage, to ensure our restoration is complete and uncompromised.

We are happy to say that a superior source for this two-minute section has now been found, and we are thrilled to see this scanned and built into the restoration.

While this means a disappointing further delay, we know that there is no other option for this key release - our proud #500 for Imprint Films.

Our new release date will be 18 February 2026. Your order, including any other titles, will be shipped together on or before this date.

Thank you for your patience and for your ongoing support of Imprint Films.

VIA VISION ENTERTAINMENT & IMPRINT FILMS

Harker

(17,394 posts)
16. I was listening to a hockey game on the radio, maybe a couple years back...
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 06:19 PM
17 hrs ago

and there were players involved named Zaitsev and Kulikov.

Chasstev365

(7,066 posts)
8. Here:
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:20 PM
19 hrs ago

The Longest Day
The Battle of Britain
A Bridge Too Far
Sink The Bismarck
Das Boot
Enemy at The Gates
Tora, Tora, Tora
Memphis Bell
Triump of the Spirt (Willem Dafoe Defoe Holocaust film)


debm55

(55,337 posts)
9. Bridge Over the River Kwai. From Here to Eternity. The Great Escape. Stalag 13. Casablanca
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:22 PM
19 hrs ago

Coventina

(29,091 posts)
33. Bridge Over the River Kwai, Casablanca, Stalag 17 we have in common, Deb!
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 11:40 PM
12 hrs ago

South Pacific

The Monuments Men (I'm an Art Historian, it's not a great movie, but I'm a sucker for the subject matter)

Zorro

(18,339 posts)
10. Uhhhh...Full Metal Jacket is Vietnam
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:29 PM
19 hrs ago

Here's a few I like:

Fury
The Guns of Navarone
The Hill
Father Goose
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison

Shambala

(257 posts)
11. Full Metal Jacket is Vietnam
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:36 PM
19 hrs ago

My choices from the Pacific Theater.

From Here To Eternity
24 Eyes
Grave of the Fireflies
Tora Tora Tora
Unbroken


LogDog75

(1,080 posts)
13. The Great Raid
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 04:55 PM
18 hrs ago

Based on the true story of Allied Forces attacking a Japanese prisoner of war camp holding over 500 Allied prisoners in occupied Philippines. The surprise raid in January of 1945 inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese while Allied Forces had minimal losses. The successful raid freed over 500 prisoners.

GreatGazoo

(4,449 posts)
15. Sound of Music
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 06:12 PM
17 hrs ago

Casablanca
Star Wars: New Hope (WW2 disguised as Sci-fi)
Wizard of Oz (preceded WW2 but uncannily prescient)
Hope and Glory

Harker

(17,394 posts)
18. In no order, and subject to revision...
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 06:25 PM
17 hrs ago

"Fires on the Plain"

"Das Boot"

"The Burmese Harp"

"The Bridge on the River Kwai"

"The Dirty Dozen"

Ultimately for me, the only good war movie is an anti-war movie.

Aristus

(71,605 posts)
19. No order:
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 06:48 PM
16 hrs ago

Saving Private Ryan.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.
Casablanca.
The Winter War.
White Tiger.

Skittles

(169,398 posts)
21. Dirty Dozen is my favorite
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 07:07 PM
16 hrs ago

I don't think I could name five

I love Full Metal Jacket but that ain't no WWII

displacedvermoter

(4,110 posts)
22. Five favorites
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 07:27 PM
16 hrs ago

Midway (Henry Fonda version)
The Longest Day
Tora, Tora, Tora
Sink the Bismarck
Night of the Generals

Lulu KC

(8,471 posts)
29. I would add Mrs. Miniver
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 11:10 PM
12 hrs ago

I need to rewatch it for the zillionth time. I'm a sucker for the part with Dunkirk and what happened while Mr. Miniver was gone.

Paladin

(32,245 posts)
40. "Mrs. Miniver" was "worth a hundred battleships."
Fri Jan 2, 2026, 09:23 AM
2 hrs ago

That was what Winston Churchill said about the profound effect of "Mrs. Miniver" on the allied war effort. No slap in cinematic history had more influence than the one Mrs. Miniver laid on that arrogant downed Luftwaffe pilot.

dem4decades

(13,645 posts)
31. Let's say the ones i saw with my WWIi vet dad.
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 11:16 PM
12 hrs ago

Longest Day
Guns of Naverone
PT 109
Dirty Dozen
The Great Escape

Were these the best, no but seeing them with him was special.

303squadron

(769 posts)
34. Squadron 303 - of course
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 11:51 PM
11 hrs ago

Squadron 303
Zone of Interest
The Imitation Game
Hacksaw Ridge
Churchill

Casablanca is the greatest movie ever made!

Charlie Chapulin

(372 posts)
35. I like all the movies you listed, but
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 11:59 PM
11 hrs ago

Full Metal Jacket is about Vietnam.

I would add The Thin Red Line to your list. And Letters From Iwo Jima.

FadedMullet

(678 posts)
37. Your two suggestions are great. I almost posted "The Thin Blue Line" so thanks for saving me the embarassment.
Fri Jan 2, 2026, 12:21 AM
11 hrs ago

malthaussen

(18,385 posts)
42. Hard to say. Most blockbuster WW2 movies are crap, especially if they're American
Fri Jan 2, 2026, 11:20 AM
20 min ago

Possibilities include:

"A Time to Love and a Time to Die," based on Erich Marie Remarque's novel and featuring a cameo by Remarque
"Western Approaches," a British wartime flick that is a virtual forerunner of Reality TV, as it employs no actors, but just working sailors
"The Way Forward," one of David Niven's propaganda pieces
"The North Star" (aka "Armored Attack" ) because of its chequered propaganda history: it is the story of plucky Ukrainian partisans fighting off the Blitzkrieg in 1941, but after 1945 was edited for Cold War purposes to remind the viewer that those plucky Ukrainians were Commies and thus the evil bad guys after all
"Kelly's Heroes," because it is one of the better anti-war films I've seen
"The Fighting Lady," a docudrama about USS Yorktown (CV-10)
"Stalag 17," because it is just a good POW movie without the kind of bullshit in "The Great Escape."
"In Which We Serve," another British wartime flick about the Atlantic convoys
"Mr Roberts," because it features some great acting by Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon, to say nothing of Jimmy Cagney and William Powell
"Operation Mad Ball," because it stars Jack Lemmon and is actually hilarious
"Red Ball Express," because it deals with a vital part of the war virtually ignored by film

Honorable mention to "Teahouse of the August Moon," because while it deals with the Occupation of Okinawa and not directly with WW2, it features Marlon Brando playing an Okinawan houseboy, and you can't get funnier than that.

Others may come to mind. I tend towards the relatively obscure and older films, made either during or immediately after the war when memory was still fresh. There are a number already recommended that I am not including in this list.

-- Mal

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