Looks like Many WW2 Movies Coming!

[noob]

and the first thing out of a wargamers mouth is "!@#$in Tiger tank doesn't look exactly like it in '44 ... the whole thing's crap!"

That's obviously a reference to me, so i just want to say that your comment is a travesty of the truth, the first words out of me were " The White Tiger is an absurd premise, and the main attraction, the Tiger, has an incorrect hull, which i am sure will annoy a lot of CM players."

Actually what i should of said was "The White Tiger has an absurd premise", but i digress, i want to know is where i said the whole thing is crap "because" of the inaccuracies of the Tiger ?

[thejetset]

Love stories are put in to attract a wider demographic of viewers. In this case, generally speaking, women. In general, most people don't think war is cool. You gotta put something in to attract viewers that aren't particularly into shooting and fighting.

But movies based on war history can be profitable and also focused on the history/story. ... without having a worried producer JAM a Love Story into it.

- Letters from Iwo Jima

- Band of Brothers (not a movie I know ... but even better!)

- Saving Private Ryan ... maybe left some things to be desired .. but at least it stayed focused.

- A Bridge Too Far

- Platoon ... lots of drama sure ... but again focusing on the situation at hand

- A Piece of Cake (BBC Series ... fantastic BTW) ... focuses on the pilots in a Hurricane/Spitfire Squadron in the Battle of Britain ... a little love, but not a distraction.

All I'm saying is that you can do GREAT movies and have drama that is related to the context of the situation ... that can still jerk a tear ... without forcing a love story into it.

[noob]

But movies based on war history can be profitable and also focused on the history/story. ... without having a worried producer JAM a Love Story into it.

- Letters from Iwo Jima

- Band of Brothers (not a movie I know ... but even better!)

- Saving Private Ryan ... maybe left some things to be desired .. but at least it stayed focused.

- A Bridge Too Far

- Platoon ... lots of drama sure ... but again focusing on the situation at hand

- A Piece of Cake (BBC Series ... fantastic BTW) ... focuses on the pilots in a Hurricane/Spitfire Squadron in the Battle of Britain ... a little love, but not a distraction.

All I'm saying is that you can do GREAT movies and have drama that is related to the context of the situation ... that can still jerk a tear ... without forcing a love story into it.

OMG Eric, i can't believe you missed out Cross of Iron !!!

Also in the TV series category there is "Foyle's War", a detective series set in wartime England.

[thejetset]

OMG Eric, i can't believe you missed out Cross of Iron !!!

Also in the TV series category there is "Foyle's War", a detective series set in wartime England.

Crap Andy! ... Yes! Cross of Iron is great!!!

I will have to check out "Foyle's War". On par with "Piece of Cake"?? .... That was a British Mini-Series that would be pretty hard to top.

... But the Battle of Britain just drips of drama (the story rich and history rich varieties) And as for vehicles ... wow ... every one of those shots was REAL! .... Even the British Mosquito fighter was the real-deal. Just incredible.

[umlaut]

I believe there is one important reason for jamming love stories into war movies that has been overlooked in this discussion so far: Identification.

Indentification is a fundamental ingredient in storytelling because you need to know and feel for the characters in the movie in order to care about what is happening to them. You need to have some background info on the characters or they will be of no interest to the viewer.

One of the things that has always puzzled me about the Band of Brothers series is the lack of exactly that background story on the GIs. This meant to me personally that I could not maintain an interest in many of the characters when watching the series - and I had a hard time telling them from each other.

For this reason I think The Pacific was a much better series: Fewer - but more developed - characters that also had a life before (and during) war. This made a lot of difference to me - even though I´m really not that interested in the Pacific theatre. Of course Spielberg and Hanks didn´t leave of the background stories in BoB by mistake - I just can´t figure out why they did it.

That said, I agree that in most war films the love stories seem to be pasted into the script at the last minute by the "human interest" writing team.

[noob]

Crap Andy! ... Yes! Cross of Iron is great!!!

I will have to check out "Foyle's War". On par with "Piece of Cake"?? .... That was a British Mini-Series that would be pretty hard to top.

... But the Battle of Britain just drips of drama (the story rich and history rich varieties) And as for vehicles ... wow ... every one of those shots was REAL! .... Even the British Mosquito fighter was the real-deal. Just incredible.

CoI is probably my favourite, and it was unique for having the hero as a German, it really brought home the class divisions in war, that makes one realise that the soldiers of opposing forces had more in common with each other than their own officers.

I'm downloading an episode of POC now, i can't believe i've never heard of it before !!!

Foyle's War is awesome, apart from a brilliant central performance by Michael Kitchen and a great supporting cast, it really gives one a sense of the times, whilst avoiding being too sentimental, and being a detective series, it looks at some of the unique crimes and indiscretions during that period, like Funk holes, which were houses in the country that were rented to rich people so they could escape the Blitz, like some sort of spa for the terrified

[umlaut]

The new Stalingrad movie seems to be the most interesting, IMHO. Though I fear that the story will drown in russian patriotic pathos. I have a similar problem with many american films and their shed-a-tear-and-salute-the-flag moments.

I my opinion the best WW2 movies have been made by the germans. Stories like:

Stalingrad, Das Boot/The Boat, Der Untergang/Downfall and Die Brücke/The Bridge.

[eltorrente]

It's funny to hear historic movie snobs get upset over small details. It's a movie, not a documentary.

I'm an ex-submariner and I can watch submarine movies and enjoy them. Heck, we used to watch Hunt For Red October while we were actually out to sea on specop missions.. you can't have a better atmosphere than that! That movie was just plain ridiculous as far as realism goes, but it's still a great movie.

We also were HUGE fans of Das Boot (still am) - which is the greatest sub movie ever made. By a long shot.

Hunt For Red October was so bad in terms of life on board a sub, the interaction of officers and crew, the pinpoint accuracy of their sonar systems, the tactics, basically everything.. but it's still a good, fun movie. Tom Clancy knows zero about submarines, despite how he talks so eloquently about them.

Crimson Tide was the worst in terms of how life on a sub is. An officer tells an enlisted man to drop and give him pushups. Seriously wtf. No enlisted guy would ever be forced to do something like that, and he wouldn't have to do it either - not in the sub force, at least. That movie did, in fact, suck though.

[thejetset]

The new Stalingrad movie seems to be the most interesting, IMHO. Though I fear that the story will drown in russian patriotic pathos. I have a similar problem with many american films and their shed-a-tear-and-salute-the-flag moments.

I my opinion the best WW2 movies have been made by the germans. Stories like:

Stalingrad, Das Boot/The Boat, Der Untergang/Downfall and Die Brücke/The Bridge.

Hi Umlaut. Yes! I forgot about Das Boot! .... That is a PERFECT example of how drama and tension can be heaped on in MAJOR quantities without stuffing some girl into the sub with those guys!!

Actually, I think Das Boot might be my favorite all-time WWII movie. Let's just hope the producers of "Pearl Harbor" don't decide to do a "Das Boot" remake! .... Revised plot might go something like this:

Captain KaLue (played by Brad Pit) must take his U-boat through the Gibraltar Straight. However, his fiance (played by Jessica Simpson) has stowed on board. .... Now, torn between his mission for the Home Land and the safety of his fiance ... he must make a choice.

[thejetset]

I'm downloading an episode of POC now, i can't believe i've never heard of it before !!!

And I am now downloading Series 01 of Foyle's War! .. and yes, I can't believe I've never heard of it before!! hahaha!

[umlaut]

Captain KaLue (played by Brad Pit) must take his U-boat through the Gibraltar Straight. However, his fiance (played by Jessica Simpson) has stowed on board. .... Now, torn between his mission for the Home Land and the safety of his fiance ... he must make a choice.

LOL

She is of course disguised as one of the crew, right?

[gunnergoz]

LOL

She is of course disguised as one of the crew, right?

Well, if she disguised herself as the periscope, it might get X-rated pretty quick! :eek::D

While we're talking about good WW2 movies, I have to add to the list the fabulous (IMHO) Bridge Over the River Kwai.

And while we are mentioning all-time-stinkers, let me tip my hat (and the garbage pail lid) to Battle of the Bulge.

That is all.

[noob]

And I am now downloading Series 01 of Foyle's War! .. and yes, I can't believe I've never heard of it before!! hahaha!

lol..........

[noob]

It's funny to hear historic movie snobs get upset over small details.

Isn't that the point of being a historic movie snob ?

[eltorrente]

Isn't that the point of being a historic movie snob ?

Yes.. which is why it's funny.

[umlaut]

And while we are mentioning all-time-stinkers, let me tip my hat (and the garbage pail lid) to Battle of the Bulge.

Well, I haven´t seen Battle of the Bulge, but I think I can pull an even fouler stinker out from under that garbage pail: Terror on Wheels (from Sven Hassel´s novel).

[nik mond]

.... Revised plot might go something like this:

Captain KaLue (played by Brad Pit) must take his U-boat through the Gibraltar Straight. However, his fiance (played by Jessica Simpson) has stowed on board. .... Now, torn between his mission for the Home Land and the safety of his fiance ... he must make a choice.

Until she recognizes one of the Ensigns is actually Bon Jovi and then you have your love triangle. But don't worry he gets killed off pretty early.

[poesel]

Hi Umlaut. Yes! I forgot about Das Boot! .... That is a PERFECT example of how drama and tension can be heaped on in MAJOR quantities without stuffing some girl into the sub with those guys!!

You forgot the banana dance scene. Not strictly speaking with girls but hey - do what you can with what you have...

But I can really recommend the TV version of 'Das Boot'. Roughly 5h but worth it.

[JonS]

IMO...

SPR had some great scenes. The story was a bit naff, but basically ok. What really peeved me was the political barrow that Speilburg chose to push.

Basterds, on the other hand, I thought was amazing. It was a tight, well told story, with some standout scenes - the opening section in the farmhouse, the scene in the restaurant, and the scene in the beer cellar immediately spring to mind. Long scenes, all of them, with great dialogue and acting, and compelling character development. The overarching story (and the universe in which it was set) was, of course, mostly fantasy, but so what?

FWIW, I own the DVDs to BoB, and Basterds. SPR I have no interest in.

(and I don't care that the Tiger in SPR was based on a T34, or that their chinstraps were wrong, or really any of that minutiae )

[noob]

Yes.. which is why it's funny.

Sorry, you will have to explain to me why it is funny that some people are intolerant to historical inaccuracies ?

[Baneman]

I believe there is one important reason for jamming love stories into war movies that has been overlooked in this discussion so far: Identification.

Indentification is a fundamental ingredient in storytelling because you need to know and feel for the characters in the movie in order to care about what is happening to them. You need to have some background info on the characters or they will be of no interest to the viewer.

One of the things that has always puzzled me about the Band of Brothers series is the lack of exactly that background story on the GIs. This meant to me personally that I could not maintain an interest in many of the characters when watching the series - and I had a hard time telling them from each other.

For this reason I think The Pacific was a much better series: Fewer - but more developed - characters that also had a life before (and during) war. This made a lot of difference to me - ...

Interesting, I preferred Band of Brothers for exactly the opposite reason, I felt I knew the bulk of the platoon and empathised with them, whereas in The Pacific, only knowing 1 character made all the others "nameless cannon fodder" and I drifted away - all the action that didn't involve the central character was just "stuff happening".

[Nidan1]

At the end of the trailer for the Arnhem flick it said, "Coming Summer 2012", summer is nearly over in the Northern Hemispere. Is it an Australian film?

[JonS]

Interesting, I preferred Band of Brothers for exactly the opposite reason, I felt I knew the bulk of the platoon and empathised with them, whereas in The Pacific, only knowing 1 character made all the others "nameless cannon fodder" and I drifted away - all the action that didn't involve the central character was just "stuff happening".

I agree, for a slightly different reason.

I felt that because BoB followed - roughly - the same group of guys across ~11 months that I got to know them and their interpersonal relationships better. With Pacific, though, there were ... three(?) main guys, in totally different divisions, fighting totally different battles. It seemed to consist of three (or four?) completely seperate stories whose only unifying theme was that they all coincidentally occurred in the Pacific.

The individual storys in Pacific were very well told, I just didn't find it anywhere near as compelling - as a series - as BoB.

[JonS]

At the end of the trailer for the Arnhem flick it said, "Coming Summer 2012", summer is nearly over in the Northern Hemispere. Is it an Australian film?

It's NOT Arnhem.

[eltorrente]

Sorry, you will have to explain to me why it is funny that some people are intolerant to historical inaccuracies ?

Because they're just movies, not documentaries. Made just to entertain and tell a story. Nothing more.

I'm not going to avoid seeing a movie because its budget wasn't high enough to pay for all the CGI needed, or to restore old equipment, or build perfect replicas for every single thing. Maybe they could have paid all the actors to starve and not take showers for several months before they started shooting, to ensure they look realistic. They tell a story with the tools they have on-hand, and they're usually fun movies to watch - despite some wacky things that are in most of them.

A lot of it is that when people know a lot about a subject, they can let it take over and can't enjoy watching shows, movies, or even novels because of it.

Despite a movie being about the subject matter they like the most, they won't watch it, or will be filled with disgust, because some guy wore his hat the wrong way, or they used footage of an F-15, and it's supposed to be an F-14.