The twenty best war movies, according to the Torygraph

[Berkut]

Well... I dunno how accurate the movie is, but IIRC the soldiers of 54th really did refuse to accept their pay because it was lower than that of 'regular' regiments, as depicted in the film.

I am glad you mentioned that becuase, that scene is one of the ones that made me think the director or editor kind of sucked.

The refusing their pay things was fine. But you have this emotional crescnedo of anger that builds through it, then culminatesd in Shaw saying "If you men will not take pay, then neither will we!". You feel all righteously indignant and such.

Then, 2 seconds later, literally the same scene, its all "Yeah, our new uniforms have arrived!" and you forget all about being pissed that they are getting fucked out of their fair pay, because now they have nice blue uniforms!

WTF?

[Berkut]

Apparantly, Shaw was kind of like that though - a walking idealist at times filled with cheesey notions.  He came from such stock too, his father said about the mass burial:

We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers....We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company – what a body-guard he has!

edit - he did indeed lead the boycott for pay, and some of his lines do come from the letters he wrote...I suspect he may have been really cheesey to know...

Yeah, but if that is the case, the mark of good film-making and storytelling is to make his cheesiness not seem so cheesy - to make it instead come across as epic and visionary.

Part of the problem is Mathew Broderick, I think. Hard to take him very seriously.

[Caliga]

That kinda reminds me of Roger Ebert's comment about Walk The Line, where he said the one thing he really disliked about the movie was the scene where Johnny proposed to June onstage at some concert, because he felt it was so sappy and unrealistic... only to find out later Johnny did exactly that and the scene was a very accurate recreation of the event as eyewitnesses remembered it (IIRC it was a concert in Ontario someplace).

[Caliga]

Part of the problem is Mathew Broderick, I think. Hard to take him very seriously.

I assumed that Broderick's casting was an intentional attempt to make Shaw seem like a thoughtful, sensitive anti-Patton.... but he mainly ends up coming across as a giant pussy.

[Berkut]

Part of the problem is Mathew Broderick, I think. Hard to take him very seriously.

I assumed that Broderick's casting was an intentional attempt to make Shaw seem like a thoughtful, sensitive anti-Patton.... but he mainly ends up coming across as a giant pussy.

Indeed - I agree that they wanted someone who was NOT Mel Gibson - rather Shaw was a idealist, young, maybe even a bit naive. Which is fine (although I have no idea if it is accurate or not), but Broderick, like you said, often just comes across like a chump.

[saskganesh]

a very narrow definition: how about "movies set in the 20th century that include scenes of  soldiers fighting?"

this outs Glory, Zulu, Schindler, Great Escape, Wannasee Conference and many others.

I think Zulu is one of the all time greats.

A movie that would probably make my top 10 that may not have been mentioned (I haven't read the whole thread) was Master and Commander. Maybe a bit slow in parts and silly in others, but a great depiction of day to day life in the british navy.

Zulu is in my top 10 of all time for sure.

M&C. damn . I loved that flick. as answers to future trivia questions it is also likely 1) the movie with the most rope  in a  feature role and ... related 2) the movie with the most hemp in it.

[saskganesh]

Part of the problem is Mathew Broderick, I think. Hard to take him very seriously.

yes.

[Admiral Yi]

I vote present on Glory vs. Schindler.

[saskganesh]

if that's the choice, Schindler.

[Berkut]

if that's the choice, Schindler.

It isn't, because Schindler isn't a war movie.

[The Brain]

That kinda reminds me of Roger Ebert's comment about Walk The Line, where he said the one thing he really disliked about the movie was the scene where Johnny proposed to June onstage at some concert, because he felt it was so sappy and unrealistic... only to find out later Johnny did exactly that and the scene was a very accurate recreation of the event as eyewitnesses remembered it (IIRC it was a concert in Ontario someplace).

Things can be sappy and unrealistic and still true. See: Japan.

[saskganesh]

if that's the choice, Schindler.

It isn't, because Schindler isn't a war movie.

then what is Yi on about? what is the accepted definition?

[Berkut]

if that's the choice, Schindler.

It isn't, because Schindler isn't a war movie.

then what is Yi on about? what is the accepted definition?

I already went over that.

[The Brain]

if that's the choice, Schindler.

It isn't, because Schindler isn't a war movie.

then what is Yi on about? what is the accepted definition?

I dunno. Is Thin Red Line a war movie or a pile of stinking goo?

[Berkut]

if that's the choice, Schindler.

It isn't, because Schindler isn't a war movie.

then what is Yi on about? what is the accepted definition?

I dunno. Is Thin Red Line a war movie or a pile of stinking goo?

Yes.