Your favourite anti-war movies.

[iJohnHenry]

Kudos to Kashchei for the inspiration, namely Peter Sellers.

OK, have at it, and please, no PRSI crap, eh?

Thanks.

Mine.

All's Quiet On The Western Front
Dr. Strangelove
7 Days In May
Fail-Safe
*The Americanization of Emily

Given time* I believe I will think of a few more.

[twietee]

Originally Posted by iJohnHenry

Kudos to twietee for the inspiration, namely Peter Sellers.

Errr, what? Thank's for fawning, but credit where credit's due: Kashchei.

I'll think of something worth adding though...Paths of Glory?

Edit: definitely adding Grave of the Fireflies here, which, like Paths of Glory, doesn't even show any battle scenes - everybody suffers painfully including the viewer, very existentialist, some hope is left or restored, no happy end.

[Happybunny]

Mine are

Dr Strangelove
7 Days in May
MASH
Gardens of Stone

I will in time think of more

[Signal-11]

Originally Posted by obeygiant

Full Metal Jacket

The problem with Full Metal Jacket is that it's also a recruiting movie. If you watch FMJ any decent sized group of young soldiers or marines, you probably won't be able to hear most of the movie because everyone is reciting half the lines. FMJ might well be the most quoted military movie amongst soldiers, period. Maybe it's a Jungian thing.

Originally Posted by twietee

definitely adding Grave of the Fireflies here, which, like Paths of Glory, doesn't even show any battle scenes - everybody suffers painfully including the viewer, very existentialist, some hope is left or restored, no happy end.

Grave of the Fireflies is one of the greatest movies ever made, and one of the most effective. Certainly, it is among the saddest movies I've ever seen.

[Mr. Retrofire]

Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie

and

The Fog of War

Both in Blu-ray versions. I count these movies as anti-war movies.

[dXTC]

My fave anti-war "movie" is The Day After, an early '80s made-for-TV feature starring Steve Guttenberg and Jason Robards.

Well, well, well... it just so happens that YouTube has the full movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2B7sdLPMfc
Skip forward to about 54 minutes into the video to see the "stuff hit the fan".

[monokakata]

There's the Australian film "Gallipoli," that's excellent.

And I'd also add "The Thin Red Line," which is maybe more "thinking about the horrors of war" than "anti-war" per se.

[chown33]

Originally Posted by dXTC

My fave anti-war "movie" is The Day After, an early '80s made-for-TV feature starring Steve Guttenberg and Jason Robards.

Well, well, well... it just so happens that YouTube has the full movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2B7sdLPMfc
Skip forward to about 54 minutes into the video to see the "stuff hit the fan".

Meh. I didn't care for it. I thought it was shallow and special-effects driven.

I think a much better film is Testament, with Jane Alexander and William Devane. It's contemporaneous with "The Day After", but could not be more different. Warning: link contains plot summary, i.e. spoilers.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by iJohnHenry

Kudos to twietee for the inspiration, namely Peter Sellers.

OK, have at it, and please, no PRSI crap, eh?

Thanks.

Mine.

All's Quiet On The Western Front
Dr. Strangelove
7 Days In May
Fail-Safe
*The Americanization of Emily

Given time* I believe I will think of a few more.

I like all of these, however I'd submit that 7 Days in May is not an anti-war movie. Would Forrest Gump qualify? I like it too.

[iJohnHenry]

Originally Posted by twietee

I'll think of something worth adding though...Paths of Glory?

Yes, this is the one I meant for All's Quiet. Chilling movie, reflecting the military mind at the time.

And that's as far as I will go with that thought.

Originally Posted by Huntn

I like all of these, however I'd submit that 7 Days in May is not an anti-war movie.

You would be correct, more anti-military junta actually.

Originally Posted by Huntn

Would Forrest Gump qualify? I like it too.

Perhaps, it's your choice remember.

Certainly Finding Private Ryan would, and Apocalypse Now too.

EDIT: Add Sargent York to my list. Loved the Coop in that one.

[Happybunny]

Originally Posted by Huntn

I like all of these, however I'd submit that 7 Days in May is not an anti-war movie. Would Forrest Gump qualify? I like it too.

In the Netherlands anti war/anti militaristic are seen as the same thing.

[ucfgrad93]

Another vote for MASH.

[Bug-Creator]

Das Boot


Even if the novel it's based on wasn't really "anti"

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by Happybunny

In the Netherlands anti war/anti militaristic are seen as the same thing.

Here is my perspective- Although there was a group of bad military people, the hero was a Marine Officer. You can't hold any organization as entirely bad, due to a few bad apples.

Here is a different example- When Avatar came out, it was described by a certain group of people as anti-human and anti-Christian because it describes a future where people had trashed the Earth, and anti-Christian because the locals believed in their God who made itself known through a tree. The movie was no such thing. It was just science fiction, not anti-anything.

[Michael383]

My favorite is MASH.

[Happybunny]

Originally Posted by Huntn

Here is my perspective- Although there was a group of bad military people, the hero was a Marine Officer. You can't hold any organization as entirely bad, due to a few bad apples.

Here is a different example- When Avatar came out, it was described by a certain group of people as anti-human and anti-Christian because it describes a future where people had trashed the Earth, and anti-Christian because the locals believed in their God who made itself known through a tree. The movie was no such thing. It was just science fiction, not anti-anything.

I think that reason for the Anti-war/anti-militaristic coupling here in this part of Europe, is that we were occupied during the early 40's.

[leekohler]

Johnny Got His Gun. If this doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz6dAxRIwBY

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067277/

[Scepticalscribe]

Very good idea for a thread.

'King and Country' - and underrated - and sobering - British movie from the mid sixties directed by the late, great Joseph Losey, (and featuring Tom Courtenay and Dirk Bogarde among others).

The adaptation (but characteristically, while actually rather good, not anything like as good as the original, superlative book by the excellent Pat Barker on which it was based), of 'Regeneration'.

Dr Strangelove (obviously - sheer class - and utterly brilliant).

Paths of Glory, certainly, excellent and intelligent movie.

I agree with the inclusion of MASH as an anti-war movie, but I don't think Das Boot (while an excellent movie) is a classical anti-war movie, as much as it is an attempt to show that not all Germans were fanatical Nazis, and that one could be a brave, patriotic, if clear-eyed soldier without necessarily supporting the war aims of own's own (loathsome) Government.

Catch-22 certainly; and, again, another case where the book it was based on is light years better than the movie.

The Accident - a thoughtful and very well-made Dutch movie (based on an excellent book of the same title by the Dutch writer Harry Mulisch).

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - a lovely, thoughtful, intelligent, nuanced British movie made during the Second World War; Winston Churchill loathed it, apparently, and attempted (unsuccessfully) to have it banned.

There are others which come to mind....Apocalypse Now, yes, most certainly, I'd include that on a list of anti-war movies, but I'd argue that Saving Private Ryan, and Avatar belong to other categories.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by Michael383

My favorite is MASH.

I love that movie.

Originally Posted by Happybunny

I think that reason for the Anti-war/anti-militaristic coupling here in this part of Europe, is that we were occupied during the early 40's.

I guess this can apply to any genre, but war movies, can be "anti", showing the harm war does to society and to individuals and not just physical harm, I'd say Saving Private Ryan. Or it can be satirized as in Dr. Strange Love. Pro-war or propaganda = The Green Berets. And it can be more neutral attempt to document an event, maybe something like The Longest Day which my impression does a pretty good job of showing perspectives on both sides of the conflict.

BTW, I loved George C Scott as General Buck Turgidson and Slim Pickens as Maj. Kong in Dr. Strangelove. I would call it and Fail Safe the ultimate anti-war movies. I was 10 when my Dad took me to see Fail Safe in the theater. It made me feel ill. Of course back then we were doing the hide under the desk and kiss your ass goodbye drill in school.

[rocknblogger]

Catch-22
MASH
Platoon
Born on the 4th of July
All Quiet...

[jeremy h]

Has Apocalypse Now been mentioned?

I agree about Das Boot - I read the original book which was written by Bucheim (?). I believe he wasn't too happy about the adaption - he didn't like the indiscipline shown.


Edit - ah, I see it has - still it deserves two mentions. Also mention of Das Boot has put me in mind of the Cruel Sea - an absolute classic.

[obeygiant]

Full Metal Jacket

[twietee]

A disturbing German movie called The Bridge from '59. Saw it as a child and will never forget it. I'm sure it lost nothing in the course of time. It's quite well known over here, but I'm not so sure about overseas, although it got nominated for an Oscar. Heavily recommended.

[Happybunny]

Originally Posted by twietee

A disturbing German movie called The Bridge from '59. Saw it as a child and will never forget it. I'm sure it lost nothing in the course of time. It's quite well known over here, but I'm not so sure about overseas, although it got nominated for an Oscar. Heavily recommended.

Die Brücke yes thanks for the reminder, saw in 1959.

[olup]

Originally Posted by twietee

A disturbing German movie called The Bridge from '59. Saw it as a child and will never forget it. I'm sure it lost nothing in the course of time. It's quite well known over here, but I'm not so sure about overseas, although it got nominated for an Oscar. Heavily recommended.

another vote for that one, although I only watched it once.