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Antony Beevor's view on War Films


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On 6/27/2018 at 12:48 AM, MikeyD said:

One thing that war movies taught me is if you're faced with a German machinegunner behind a sandbag wall eventually he will stand up, clutch his chest and fall forward, the sandbags collapsing beneath him. My source: SPR, The Dirty Dozen, and innumerable episodes of ''Combat' and 'Rat Patrol'. Wouldn't it be funny if the most 'factually accurate' war film turned out the be 'Catch-22'? ^_^

'Reenactor' type movies tend to be deadly dull. The war (whichever war) is meant to be the backdrop to a proper human story, not the story itself. Technical accuracy, whether in U-boats, tanks, aircraft, or swordplay is the added spice that flavors the dish.

 

 

Amen to that :)

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Cross of Iron, Stalingrad (German film), Downfall (German film), Aces High, Thin Red Line (controversial choice), Das Boot (suppose a series  not film), Waterloo, Zulu, We were soldiers once and young, Apocalypse Now (cliche yawn choice, but amazing), Regeneration, Birdsong(two part  series), BBC Our War series esp first episode set at Mons (easy best WW1 dramatization out there) are my favourite films, the recent film about the pacifist medal winner was cool.

 

some decent Russian films recently like the Brest Fortress one, but expect propaganda with Germans being evil useless cannon fodder. Decent film about Warsaw Uprising recently too.

When Trumpets Fade is good for a lower budget film.

 

not about fighting but WW2 you can't ignore Shindliers List

Edited by Wodin
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I'm just beginning to watch NatGeo's "The Long Road Home" on HULU but also available at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/the-long-road-home/

Some things seem off (like the flimsiness of "impassable" roadblocks in a few places)  but I'm willing to attribute them to film making limitations.  I'm three episodes in and look forward to watching it all.

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On 6/26/2018 at 11:48 PM, MikeyD said:

One thing that war movies taught me is if you're faced with a German machinegunner behind a sandbag wall eventually he will stand up, clutch his chest and fall forward, the sandbags collapsing beneath him.

From American Civil War movies, I learned than any discarded musket or abandoned cannon is always loaded and ready to fire. Also, infantry instantly become qualified artillerymen just by shouting the order "Turn the guns on them, boys!"

And of course, in any period, any soldier who sows a picture of or talks about his wife or girlfriend back home is already being eyeballed meaningfully by a cowled figure carrying a scythe...

 

Edited by Holdit
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On 6/16/2018 at 5:32 PM, Aragorn2002 said:

War is dirty rotten business. My wife's from Afghanistan and she experienced it first hand. Saw her schoolmates hanging in the trees in pieces after an unexpected artillery barrage. She thinks people like me (like us) who are interested in war, are completely bonkers and she's right. But by God, it's an addiction hard to get rid of.

It is possible, though, to be into wargaming and fundamentally anti-war. Wargamers are likely to be better informed about what wars horrors and chaos than less-informed but more jingoistic compatriots. For example..

http://leadnobleed.blogspot.com/2009/11/10-introductory-rant-ethics-of.html

 

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11 hours ago, Badger73 said:

It's the understanding of war.  Ignorance is not remedy.

Si vis pacem, para bellum. Trump certainly has a point there against NATO. Time to wake up.

For me there's a lot of symbolism in war/military history that helps to make me the man I am and that defines my ideals and actions. Perhaps for some of us war is symbolic for the struggle in life, as we experience it. Victories, defeats, frustration, treason, losing what you love, sacrifice, duty, fighting for what you hold dear, resisting against the evil in this world, punishing those who seek to do evil etc. It may all be naive and typical macho behaviour, but for me it is how a man should think. On many a bad day my 'hobby' has helped me to stand up, do what has to be done and 'fight' through the day, with all that as inspiration.

For me war has to do with love. Protecting the good, the beauty and the noble in this world. And the wading through the blood of our enemies while doing all that. 😀

Apart from that as Danfrodo said, the strategy, the tactics, the history, the remarkable men, the battles, the weapons and so much more. And the fascination of fire arms, of using them and knowing that you can protect the ones you love. Well, time for a  psychologist, I guess. 🙂

Edited by Aragorn2002
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“Men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing, sooner than war.”
― Homer

Enthusiasm for the study of war is not love of war, itself a phenomena as old as humanity.  Human conflict is entwined with our nature and requires self-examination to comprehend.

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1 hour ago, Badger73 said:

“Men grow tired of sleep, love, singing and dancing, sooner than war.”
― Homer

Enthusiasm for the study of war is not love of war, itself a phenomena as old as humanity.  Human conflict is entwined with our nature and requires self-examination to comprehend.

Well said, Sir.

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Agreed. I never wanted to sign up when I was younger. And throughout my life I've always had the most profound interest in military technology. 

Everyday I feel more and more compelled to sign up as a BUD/S trainee. I'm definitely training for it now than later. I'm getting really fed up with how boring my days are. Whatever it may be. Video games, work, musical instruments.. nothing seems to cut it anymore.

Odd.

+1

Edited by Artkin
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Genetically we (esp men) have been bred for survival (=combat) since we were basic cells in the primeval oceans.  With our western world being relatively peaceful now for many decades, our young men are turning to increasingly angry activities, violent games, sports, violent political demonstrations etc. as a way to burn off the energy.  It's unfortunate, but if one looks at history, it seems like we as a society need wars every now and then, to burn that angst off.  

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