What five (or more?) military movies, in chronological order, would you recommend to "document" WWII?

COL Thomas F. — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 23:11:18 -0500

I was watching "Longest Day" on Veterans Day and thought, this would be great with "Bridge Too Far" immediately after it. Maybe show Patton before this and indicate the move across Africa and Italy before the landings. Although there probably be time overlap, what are your thoughts? Maybe even for the Pacific theater?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2018 11:13 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 23:13:04 -0500

https://youtu.be/MW8tQ_6dqS8

John Ford's "The Battle of Midway" (1942) Digitally Restored Color

This stirring documentary was directed & produced by four time Oscar winner John Ford during the intense June 4th Japanese carrier plane attacks on Midway Is...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2018 11:14 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 23:14:48 -0500

For the Italian campaign, try Thunderbolt a real 16 mm movie from actual P-47 Thunderbolts that were attacking German and Italian supply lines. Lloyd Bridges narrates. What a time to stop sniffing glue? You may not get this last line unless you watch the movie Airplane.

https://youtu.be/kR6lWSIWUOA

Thunderbolt - Italy World War II, P-47 Thunderbolt, Jimmy Stewart 21130

Thunderbolt shows footage of the air war over Italy during World War II, focusing on the life and death struggle of a P-47 Thunderbolt squadron. In addition ...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2018 11:16 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 Nov 2018 23:16:46 -0500

Though this documentary had some reenactments, much of it did have actual combat footage. Some of these reenactments for done by the actual soldiers who fought a day or two earlier.

https://youtu.be/1o2EjI1NKtk

World War II documentary - The Battle of San Pietro - full movie

The Battle of San Pietro is a documentary film directed by John Huston about the Battle of San Pietro Infine sixty miles from Naples during World War II. It ...

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made Nov 12 at 2018 5:14 AM

SSG Robert Perrotto — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 05:14:19 -0500

1. Saving PVT Ryan
2. A Bridge too Far (Operation market Garden)
3. Bridge over the the River Kwai
4. Midway
5. The Longest Day
6. Das Boot (The Boat)
7. The African Queen (was pointed out that this film was a WW 1 film) - I submit Stulag 17 in its place
8. The Flying Tigers (depicts American Pilots in the Chinese theater)
9. PT 109 ( depicts Kennedy during his tour on a patrol boat during the pacific theater)
10.1 The Sands of Iwo Jima (Island Hopping)
10.2 Battle of the Bulge ( depicts Germanies last great offensive, and how Allied forces overcame hardships and being outnumbered)

Response by SSG Robert Perrotto made Nov 12 at 2018 5:56 AM

SSG Robert Perrotto — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 05:56:42 -0500

I will say that the Cornelious Ryan books (The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far) have an unusual perspective, that being the viewpoint from the German perspective of the operations, provides an insight not common to the time periods Hollywood depictions of WW2. Not many realize how close events could have gone in the opposite direction, as the Battles in Algiers and the Normandy landings, Rommel was overruled by 1. Germany diverting needed resources from the Africa campaign to the Russian campaign, 2. Italy failing to neutralize Malta, and Germany deciding to blockade instead of invading, and 3. Rommel cracked the resistances code, he knew exactly when and where 3 days prior to the ships on the horizon, would the Panzer divisions he requested made a difference, not sure, because at that time the allies had unchallenged superiority in the air.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Nov 12 at 2018 7:52 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 07:52:46 -0500

Patton,
Midway,
A Bridge Too Far
The Longest Day
12 O' Clock High
To Hell and Back
Heroes of Telemark
(from the German Side)
Das Boot
Cross of Iron
(Series)
Band of Brothers
The Pacific
(Non Historical)
In Harm's Way
Sands of Iwo Jima

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 12 at 2018 8:56 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 08:56:51 -0500

1. Band of Brothers
2. Saving Private Ryan
3. Schindler's List
4. 1941
5. The Desert Fox

Response by PVT Mark Zehner made Nov 12 at 2018 1:05 PM

PVT Mark Zehner — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 13:05:18 -0500

Band of Brothers
Midway
Longest Day
A bridge to far
The flying tigers

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Nov 12 at 2018 2:02 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 14:02:56 -0500

Don't forget Clint Eastwood directed movies.

Response by COL Thomas F. made Nov 12 at 2018 2:27 PM

COL Thomas F. — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 14:27:47 -0500

Great selections. I was personally looking at more of movies that were "historically accurate" and not made up with the war as the backdrop. If anyone said the 2001 "Pearl Harbor" I would have banned them for life. What a piece of crap that was... great action shots.. but still crap. Also, I left out movies/tv shows like "Patton" and "Band of Brothers" that overlapped large time periods as to have other movies being within the same time period. So with that said:

Darkest Hour (2017) May '40 Definitely a great film --- and the 2017 Dunkirk if you want to fill in the gaps.
Battle of Britain (1969) July - Oct '40
Das Boot (1981) Oct '41
Battle of El Alamein (1969) July/Oct-Nov 1942 (there were two battles of the same name). Been a while since I've seen it.
Go For Broke! (1951) Feb '43- Jun '44 Italian campaign
Twelve O'Clock High (1949) Apx Feb '44 but constitutes actions from Aug 1942 - April 1945
Longest Day (1962) D-Day June '44
Bridge too Far (1977) OP Market Garden Sept '44
Battle of the Bulge (1965) Dec '44 - Jan '45
Downfall (2004) Last 10 tens of Hitler

Honorable mentions
HBOs The Mighty Eighth - 1942-1944 -- to be released in 2019 --- looks awesome! too bad I don't subscribe.
Patton
Band of Brothers
Hell and Back
Fury

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Nov 12 at 2018 9:10 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 21:10:44 -0500

For the Pacific theater: The Great Raid. It is highly accurate tactically and factually. It's visually compelling and well done. Benjamin Bratt brought Mucie to life. While I have grown to not like him, James Franco, his portrayal of CPT Prince was well done. It hits several issues: Japanese maltreatment of prisoners, the fate of the Bataan Death March survivors, the end of Imperial Japan, (tangentially) Pacific amphibious operations, ad Hoc role of Ranger units, the pillaging of the Phillipines by imperial Japan, the plight of POWs, the fillipino Guerillas and their sacrifice and contribution, one of a few successful POW rescues. PS the Army fought in the Pacific too.

Response by LTC John Griscom made Nov 12 at 2018 10:28 PM

LTC John Griscom — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 22:28:20 -0500

I especially liked "Battleground" and the part where the chaplain is talking why are are fighting in Europe.
Tora, Tora, Tora; Midway; Hell to Eternity; Patton; Enemy at the Gates; A Time to Live and a Time to Die; The Devil's Brigade; Darby's Rangers; The Longest Day; A Bridge to Far; To Hell and Back; Hacksaw Ridge.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 12 at 2018 10:31 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 22:31:17 -0500

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoJMTYvqMuU

If you haven't watched this, it's quite good, rather different from the original, in several regards...most generally don't recall it now....

The Last Days of Patton | 1986 | Full Movie

Based on a true story, this film finds Gen. George S. Patton (George C. Scott) working a desk job for the U.S. military after World War II. In the midst of d...

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 12 at 2018 10:34 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 22:34:16 -0500

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5FWXe2vcn8

There was a later version of this, that was overshadowed by the Saving Private Ryan film, which, once I'd read the real story of what it was really based on, I rather lost interest in...I always found the remake of this quite good, I stumbled across this earlier version just now....

The Thin Red Line (1964) w/ Keir Dullea, Jack Warden & Kieron Moore.

The original 1964 film rendition of the best selling James Jones war novel. A private and his sergeant clash during the heat of battle as American G.I.s figh...

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Nov 12 at 2018 10:36 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 22:36:53 -0500

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do7TA8hN_mY&list=PLODV2vuGo-k-REsuHwAgjCboc879aRQ5k

I'm fairly certain the full remake is on here for free someplace, if I find it, I'll try to send it as well, however, these should be the major scenes from it...you might also want to read the novel by James Jones, along with From Here to Eternity and Whistle...Thin Red Line was the 2nd novel, Whistle, the 3rd, so far as I know, was never filmed yet....

The Thin Red Line Trailer #1 1998

Based on the graphic novel by James Jones, The Thin Red Line tells the story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffe...

Response by SPC Gary Welch made Nov 13 at 2018 12:23 AM

SPC Gary Welch — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 00:23:33 -0500

1.to hell and back
2.the longest day
3.tora tora tora
4.sands of Iwo Jima
5.midway
6.in harms way
7. Das boat
8.hacksaw ridge
9.day one
10.pearl harbor(2001) crappy storyline but excellent visualization of the attack
11.enemy at the gates
12.patton
13.the Ernie Pyle story
14.pt 109
15.the great escape
16. Bridge on the river kwai
17.windtalkers
18.operation petticoat
19.kellys heroes
20.fury
I could go on

Response by SCPO Jason McLaughlin made Nov 13 at 2018 5:58 AM

SCPO Jason McLaughlin — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 05:58:13 -0500

Schindler's List
Dunkirk
They Were Expendable
Patton
Saving Private Ryan

Response by CPT J B made Nov 13 at 2018 10:27 AM

CPT J B — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 10:27:44 -0500

Tora! Tora! Tora! followed by Midway would be my vote for the first two