[New Movies] Flags of Our Fathers & Flyboys

[jon_j_rambo]

This one is on my radar.

Release Date: October 20th, 2006

February 1945. Even as victory in Europe was finally within reach, the war in the Pacific raged on. One of the most crucial and bloodiest battles of the war was the struggle for the island of Iwo Jima, which culminated with what would become one of the most iconic images in history: five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. The inspiring photo capturing that moment became a symbol of victory to a nation that had grown weary of war and made instant heroes of the six American soldiers at the base of the flag, some of whom would die soon after, never knowing that they had been immortalized. But the surviving flag raisers had no interest in being held up as symbols and did not consider themselves heroes; they wanted only to stay on the front with their brothers in arms who were fighting and dying without fanfare or glory. 'Flags of Our Fathers' is based on the bestselling book by James Bradley with Ron Powers, which chronicled the battle of Iwo Jima and the fates of the flag raisers and some of their brothers in Easy Company.

[jon_j_rambo]

Anybody see Flyboys, yet? Any good?

In 1914, "The Great War" --WWI--began in Europe. By 1917, the Allied powers of France, England, Italy and others were on the ropes against the German juggernaut. Some altruistic young Americans disagreed with the war. They volunteered to fight alongside their counterparts in France; some in the infantry, some in the Ambulance Corps. A handful of others had a different idea: they decided to learn how to fly. The first of them--a squadron of only 38-- became known as the Lafayette Escadrille. This is their story. Forced to abandon his family's ranch, Blaine Rawlings finds his future in a newsreel chronicling the adventures of young aviators in France. At a small train station in rural Nebraska, William Jensen promises to make his family proud. In New York, spoiled Briggs Lowry embarks on a trans-Atlantic passage. Meanwhile, in France, black expatriate boxer, Eugene Skinner, vows to repay his debt to his adopted racially tolerant country. Together, these American boys arrive at an aerodrome in France, eager to learn how to fly. What they didn't realize was that they were about to embark on a great, romantic adventure, becoming the world's first combat pilots.

[Canuck_para]

A good Pacific War movie is needed. Windtalkers was mediocre at best. Fly Boys looks good but we all know the Canadians were the best pilots on the Allied side.

[JerseyJohn]

I was going to see Flyboys last weekend. Read two reviews. They were both bad but one of them said the dog fight scenes were great. One comment turned me off ot the movie, it was that nothing in it rang true. So, I put it on a list of films I want to see when it gets to cable.

Don't know about the other one.

-- I didn't care for Wind Talkers either. Saw several of the actual marines interviewed and they had much more interesting things to say than anything I saw in the movie. Also, they all agreed that they were misrepresented in the movie and acted much more on their own than was portrayed in the film.

[Canuck_para]

I feel the best war movies are about the battle not some higher moral. A great movie can make you care about the characters regardless of what side they are on. Cross of Iron, A Bridge Too Far, Das Boot, The Odd Angry Shot, Saving Private Ryan. I guess we are very of topic for SC2.

[Retributar]

YEP!!!...time to slam the 'LOCK ON'!. Deviation to an off-topic discussion [that is not SC2 Related]...is a 'Zero-Tolerance-Offence'!.

[JerseyJohn]

Another war movie I liked, for the reasons Canuck-Para mentions, is Downfall. I don't think The Pianist can be considered a war movie, but if it is, I'd put it up there too. Some other good war movies I like, along the lines of those mentioned above are, The Eagle Has Landed, Bridge at Remaggen and A Walk in the Sun.

Retributar calls for a paddlock and the SC Moderators search for the right size -- a small thread, this one is too big for it.

[Canuck_para]

This is a thread that some enjoy. No need to shut down until it becomes beligerant.

[n0kn0k]

We had a thread like this some time ago also With some very nice movie suggestions. Maybe someone can dig that one up.

[Canuck_para]

Originally posted by n0kn0k:

We had a thread like this some time ago also With some very nice movie suggestions. Maybe someone can dig that one up.

It will happen every once in awhile. It will lose interest before it should be locked.

[Timskorn]

Flags sounds like it should be a good film. Heard Flyboys stunk, plus I was bummed to find out they weren't representing Eddie Rickenbacker in the film.

[J P Wagner]

Some of the gritty war movies from the 50's early 60's that I enjoy....ATTACK, DECISION BEFORE DAWN, HELL IS FOR HEROES, THE TRAIN, IS PARIS BURNING? and THE LONGEST DAY, are just a few....

For escapist fare, nothing beats VON RYAN's EXPRESS!

[Scook]

My mother was 12 at the time the photo from Iwo Jima was published in America. She remembers it bringing much relief and happiness here in the States, the Allies were winning and the war would be over. One photo like this has a very poignant effect on the morale of a nation. One film remains vividly in her mind, it was a color film (one of the 1st at the time) of the invasion of Tarawa. She remembers the bodies stacked up on the beaches, and the water running red. It was real war footage, not a movie.

One thing she is wondering about, there are so many movies being made about WWII, she thinks it might be cheapening the sacrifice the men who fought made, making the whole thing as real as say, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have no opinion either way, just an interesting thought.

I, for one, am looking forward to the release of the above movie. The cast, the director, and all the people behind it speak quality to me. Oh, and who cares what critics think, I enjoyed Flyboys, thought the aerial scenes were overly dramatic but fun.