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| I am very
selective about movies, so only the really good ones are listed here. All worth
watching, either for generally accurate portrayal of conflicts or – even
more commendably – for historical and technical accuracy. |
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Band of Brothers (DVD)
Possibly the best
series of war movies ever made, Band of Brothers chronicles the story of the
506th Airborne Infantry Regiment as seen through the eyes of Easy Company. From
training in the U.S. to the final days of the war in Germany, Easy Company sees
action in Normandy, Holland, Belgium and Germany. Truly an astonishing piece of
movie-making, it would be difficult to heap enough praise on this excellent
work.
Black Hawk Down (Blue-ray)
Black Hawk Down (DVD - 3 Disc Set)
Black Hawk Down (DVD - Unrated Extended)
There is
one word you should keep in mind when watching Black Hawk Down: fatigue. This
excellent movie will wear you down, just like it should. By the end, when the
Pakistanis bring trays of water glasses to the last utterly famished Americans,
you will be grasping for one yourself. The attention to detail and accuracy is
admirable, and earns this movie a top rating by any consideration. Only a few
minor acts of "sanitizing" occurred in order to get the cooperation of the US
Army to help with effects, but the overall realism gained was probably worth
the trade-off.
Battleground (DVD)
Made in 1949, this is probably
one of the first truly accurate movies about the Second War War, and remains a
vivid and moving precursor to more recent hits.
The Duellists (DVD)
Excellent atmosphere which
catches the flavor of military living at the time of the French Revolution and
Empire. The modest quality of the acting is more than compensated by the story
and excellent production quality.
Das Boot: (DVD - Director's Cut)
This outstanding
German film covers some of the true aspects of the Battle for the Atlantic;
cold, wet, boredom, fear and death.
Enemy at the Gates (DVD)
This movie deserves great
credit at the very least for its vivid (and pretty accurate) portrayal of WWII
era Red Army troops in action. While the story line is somewhat watered down by
the love interest, watchers should keep in mind that most period eyewitness
accounts attest to the fact that a soldier's top priority when even remotely
close to civilians was to keep an eye out for girls. Considering that the
Stalingrad battles were fought in a city still full of people, this makes such
an inclusion in Enemy at the Gates at least believable. The portrayal of
snipers and their tactics is more accurate than in other recent hits, although
viewers should keep in mind that the real-life final encounter between the
protagonists resolved itself somewhat differently. Overall, definitely worth
having on your shelf.
Gunner Palace (DVD)
This is a documentary about an
artillery unit serving in Iraq circa 2003, not a movie, but it's current
content recommends it to all categories.
Glory (DVD)
The story of the first all colored
infantry regiment in the United States Army. An excellent movie depicting some
of the no-nonsense aspects of training and fighting during the American Civil
War. Stirring soundtrack.
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Saints and Soldiers
The true story of a group of
Malmady Massacre survivors who rescue a downed British reconnaissance pilot and
bring him back through German lines at huge cost to themselves.
The movie credibly depicts the events and even manages
to make believable one of the greatest coincidences in cinema that I've
witnessed over the last decade - aided by the fact that the story is
nonfiction. Odd things really do happen, and sometimes they can be stranger
than fiction.
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