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So you can talk about Master & Commander at your heart's content.

I'm including XXth century wars in this one, because I couldn't come up with that many great examples. Let's define "naval battle" as having naval vessels on each side deploying armament or other assets to attempt to sink or seize control of each other. So stuff like Pearl Harbor is in (because the target was the Pacific fleet), D-Day is out (ships only on one side).

I admit ship movies are a bit of a blind spot for me outside of the famous ones, so I'm probably missing many good examples and I probably have way too many submarine movies. However, I *refuse* to list Bay's Pearl Harbor or Emmerich's Midway.

My votes are for Master & Commander (duh), Das Boot (duh), and Captain Blood - namely for being one of my favorite pirate movies as a kid. I just rewatched the scene and it still rocks in that Old Hollywood swashbuckling way. Although I should probably vote Cruel Sea as my third because it's amazing.

So I've already gushed all over Master and Commander.

Tora Tora Tora! is pretty great.

Red October and  Das Boot are also good, although I haven't seen either in awhile (yes, curiously, I think I saw Tora Tora Tora! more recently).

No love for The Final Countdown? :p

No "The Enemy Below"?  :(

Quote from: Barrister on December 10, 2023, 07:53:32 PMNo love for The Final Countdown? :p

The only battle in that film was purely an air battle.  :nerd: 

Maybe "best battle that never was"...  But I also expect it would not have been very dramatic if it happened though.

Was puzzling for a sec about POTC. "Pacific ... Operations ... Theater ... what??"  :blush:

Also, I feel The Enemy Below deserves a mention: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050356/

(Not to mention it inspied one of the best Star Trek TOS episodes.)

Quote from: Tonitrus on December 10, 2023, 08:46:11 PMNo "The Enemy Below"?  :(

 :hug:

I gave my third vote to Ben Hur. It's maybe not the most realistic of the list, but it's epic, tense, and offering a pretty unique view point from the rowing decks.

The Enemy Below got discarded because I thought I had way too many submarine movies.

Also, the only guy I know that has served in the Navy always said that "Mister Roberts" is his favorite movie depicting life in the Navy. But I have never seen it.

Greyhound had a lot of good stuff.

Goonies v. Fratellis (The Goonies)  :pirate



 :P

I'd add some other British war films like In Which We Serve, written by and starring Noel Coward, and The Battle of the River Plate, Powell and Pressburger and (for some baffling reason) loads of real warships.

Both also fairly strong on sympathetic good Germans - as you'd expect. 

Love The Cruel Sea though.

One of the things that surprises me is that we never got a "big" movie about Trafalgar. I feel like somebody would have done it during the 1960s-1970s, when we seemingly got the entire history of the British Empire dumped into movie form  :P

Only the cheap bits of the British Empire's history :contract: :P

"Can we plausibly do this on one set built in Surrey? Is Peter Cushing available?"

Quote from: Sheilbh on December 11, 2023, 09:28:14 AMOnly the cheap bits of the British Empire's history :contract: :P

"Can we plausibly do this on one set built in Surrey? Is Peter Cushing available?"

Incidentally, the British Film Institute created a top ten list:

https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-battle-sea-films

(Only one film from the 70s, though, Tora! Tora! Tora! :P )

Quote from: Syt on December 11, 2023, 09:39:47 AM

Quote from: Sheilbh on December 11, 2023, 09:28:14 AMOnly the cheap bits of the British Empire's history :contract: :P

"Can we plausibly do this on one set built in Surrey? Is Peter Cushing available?"

Incidentally, the British Film Institute created a top ten list:

https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-battle-sea-films

(Only one film from the 70s, though, Tora! Tora! Tora! :P )

That silent film about the campaign against Von Spee seems like something I need to see.

Quote from: celedhring on December 11, 2023, 05:00:00 AMThe Enemy Below got discarded because I thought I had way too many submarine movies.

Also, the only guy I know that has served in the Navy always said that "Mister Roberts" is his favorite movie depicting life in the Navy. But I have never seen it.

Mister Roberts is good...but I don't remember any battles?.  Same with the Caine Mutiny (technically has a "battle", but not really...and only to serve a greater non-battle plot point).

Quote from: Syt on December 11, 2023, 09:39:47 AMIncidentally, the British Film Institute created a top ten list:

https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-battle-sea-films

(Only one film from the 70s, though, Tora! Tora! Tora! :P )

Of those The Cruel Sea, In Which We Serve and The Battle of the River Plate are the absolute classic, 1940s-50s, Sunday afternoon naval war films.

Apparently The Cruel Sea is still very popular in the Royal Navy and they still have Cruel Sea nights (with drinking games) on ships :lol:

I think I saw Battle of the River Plate (German title: Panzerschiff Graf Spee) on TV once or thrice when I was a kid. :)

QuoteWhat Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger don't reveal, however, is that Captain Hans Langsdorff (Peter Finch) would shoot himself just days after scuttling his ship after being trapped in Montevideo harbour and bidding a fond farewell to former prisoner, Captain Patrick Dove (Bernard Lee).

According to German wiki, the German version has this mentioned at the end of the movie by an off screen narrator:

"Für ihren Kommandanten, Hans Langsdorff, gab es nur eines: Die Seemannsehre gebot ihm, das Ende seines Schiffes nicht zu überleben. Während der Gegner heimwärts lief, hallte im Quartier des Marinearsenals in Buenos Aires der Schuss, der dem Leben dieses von Freund und Feind hochgeachteten Mannes ein Ende setzte. Dieses Mannes, der ein Seemann war – und ein Gentleman."

"For their commander, Hans Langsdorff, there was only one thing: sailor's honor dictated that he not survive the end of his ship. While the enemy was heading home, a shot rang out in the naval arsenal quarters in Buenos Aires, ending the life of this man, highly respected by friends and foes alike. This man who was a sailor - and a gentleman."

Both of these polls have made me realise my consumption of war films is basically entirely Sunday/bank holiday afternoon war films on TV - so almost all mid-century British films that I assume the BBC just always has the license too :lol:

For me in the 80s/90s, on holidays/Sundays it was more stuff like Dr Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, El Cid, The Commandments, The Robe, .... Probably not a small reason I got interested in history :D

War movies were mostly on in the evenings, with few exceptions.

I've been having a hankering to watch some of those classic war films again - Guns of Navarone and so on - but I'm not sure what the best source is. Any suggestions?

Quote from: Jacob on December 15, 2023, 12:48:10 PMI've been having a hankering to watch some of those classic war films again - Guns of Navarone and so on - but I'm not sure what the best source is. Any suggestions?

That's a frustrating thing about this streaming age we're in - nobody seems to bother to license classic movies.

Googling Guns of Navarone - it looks like you can rent it on Apple or Prime, but can't find anywhere else.

I suspect that because they're so old they're probably easier to find on file sharing services (the rights holders being less interested in enforcing their rights), but honestly I don't know how to use those.

We do have a great local streaming service for classic movies. They have Navarone indeed.

But I never understood how, say, HBO Max, doesn't have all the million classic Warner movies.

Quote from: celedhring on December 10, 2023, 06:25:51 PMSo you can talk about Master & Commander at your heart's content.

I'm including XXth century wars in this one, because I couldn't come up with that many great examples. Let's define "naval battle" as having naval vessels on each side deploying armament or other assets to attempt to sink or seize control of each other. So stuff like Pearl Harbor is in (because the target was the Pacific fleet), D-Day is out (ships only on one side).

I admit ship movies are a bit of a blind spot for me outside of the famous ones, so I'm probably missing many good examples and I probably have way too many submarine movies. However, I *refuse* to list Bay's Pearl Harbor or Emmerich's Midway.

My votes are for Master & Commander (duh), Das Boot (duh), and Captain Blood - namely for being one of my favorite pirate movies as a kid. I just rewatched the scene and it still rocks in that Old Hollywood swashbuckling way. Although I should probably vote Cruel Sea as my third because it's amazing.

Pirates of the Carribean has some great scene.

My vote is for M&C, great Hollywood rendition of the Age of Sail, and kind of a weird project in that I am surprised it got greenlit with the budget it did, and sadly a film like that would never get funded in the current entertainment industry for a big budget release. (It could maybe get funded as a lower budget, overly-long Netflix series.)

Quote from: OttoVonBismarck on December 15, 2023, 03:06:50 PMMy vote is for M&C, great Hollywood rendition of the Age of Sail, and kind of a weird project in that I am surprised it got greenlit with the budget it did, and sadly a film like that would never get funded in the current entertainment industry for a big budget release. (It could maybe get funded as a lower budget, overly-long Netflix series.)

It was a combo of huge star (Crowe had just won an Oscar and was at the peak of his stardom) and a very respected director (Peter Weir was fresh off Truman Show). This still happens (see tee Scorsese and Di Caprio projects).

Quote from: viper37 on December 15, 2023, 02:51:34 PMPirates of the Carribean has some great scene.

They are but they are also ridiculous by design.

Quote from: Valmy on December 15, 2023, 03:31:57 PM

Quote from: viper37 on December 15, 2023, 02:51:34 PMPirates of the Carribean has some great scene.

They are but they are also ridiculous by design.

That is what makes their charm, imho. :)

I did not apprecitate Master and Commander in the theaters.  Maybe I should give it a second try.  Too much British anti-Napoleon rethoric, like they were facing Hitler.

Quote from: viper37 on December 15, 2023, 05:19:39 PM

Quote from: Valmy on December 15, 2023, 03:31:57 PM

Quote from: viper37 on December 15, 2023, 02:51:34 PMPirates of the Carribean has some great scene.

They are but they are also ridiculous by design.

That is what makes their charm, imho. :)

I did not apprecitate Master and Commander in the theaters.  Maybe I should give it a second try.  Too much British anti-Napoleon rethoric, like they were facing Hitler.

So there were 20 Aubrey and Maturin novels.  The movie picks up scenes and elements from several different books, but the primary story is from book 10.

If you ever wondered why a French frigate would be wandering around the Pacific wonder no further - in the original novel the enemy frigate is the USS Norfolk.

I guess the studio figured a French opponent would be more marketable than an American one.  :ph34r:

Quote from: Barrister on December 15, 2023, 05:46:03 PMI guess the studio figured a French opponent would be more marketable than an American one. 

Ah.  Now I understand. :)

In the movie they even keep the fact that the ship was built in the US. But somehow it's French :D

M&C imho is the last great classic adventure movie. Such good craftmanship, attention to detail, and character building. Sometimes it seems a movie straight from the Hollywood Golden Age, but with modern technology.

Quote from: Jacob on December 15, 2023, 12:48:10 PMI've been having a hankering to watch some of those classic war films again - Guns of Navarone and so on - but I'm not sure what the best source is. Any suggestions?

Rent it on youtube.

Thanks!

Quote from: Syt on December 15, 2023, 11:24:48 AMFor me in the 80s/90s, on holidays/Sundays it was more stuff like Dr Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, El Cid, The Commandments, The Robe, .... Probably not a small reason I got interested in history :D

War movies were mostly on in the evenings, with few exceptions.

So I just looked at the iPlayer's film selection - and was delighted to see they're still keeping this trend going. El Cid, Fall of the Roman Empire, Clash of the Titans, a few early Hitchcocks, some Fred Astaire.

Obviously no kids aree watching linear TV but, still, made me happy and slightly nostalgic.

Quote from: Syt on December 15, 2023, 11:24:48 AMFor me in the 80s/90s, on holidays/Sundays it was more stuff like Dr Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, El Cid, The Commandments, The Robe, .... Probably not a small reason I got interested in history :D

War movies were mostly on in the evenings, with few exceptions.

So this came into my head today - I don't know why (maybe an advert) but I thought I'll probably watch LOTR over the holidays because that's something I often do at long weekend/bank holiday weekends - especially if I go see family.

It's very non-challenging, enjoyable, easy film. And I know a few other people who have it in the same way.

Suddenly struck me, maybe that's my generation's veresion of a war film or an El Cid etc :hmm:

Quote from: Sheilbh on December 21, 2023, 11:59:34 AMSo this came into my head today - I don't know why (maybe an advert) but I thought I'll probably watch LOTR over the holidays because that's something I often do at long weekend/bank holiday weekends - especially if I go see family.

It's a generation thing, possibly older than mine, but there was a screening of Conan the Barbarian on a Christmas or New Year's Réveillon (I think it was Christmas vague memories so not certain) which left quite a mark on viewers' minds, since Christmas movies were more likely to be epics à la Ben Hur the Ten Commandments.  :P

Quote from: Sheilbh on December 21, 2023, 11:59:34 AM

Quote from: Syt on December 15, 2023, 11:24:48 AMFor me in the 80s/90s, on holidays/Sundays it was more stuff like Dr Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, El Cid, The Commandments, The Robe, .... Probably not a small reason I got interested in history :D

War movies were mostly on in the evenings, with few exceptions.

So this came into my head today - I don't know why (maybe an advert) but I thought I'll probably watch LOTR over the holidays because that's something I often do at long weekend/bank holiday weekends - especially if I go see family.

It's very non-challenging, enjoyable, easy film. And I know a few other people who have it in the same way.

Suddenly struck me, maybe that's my generation's veresion of a war film or an El Cid etc :hmm:

Yeah, the LOTR films have become some of my staple comfort movies. In fact I think they've replaced Star Wars in that respect.

Sam's speech at the end of The Two Towers ("there's still good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for"  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:) always gets me.

The sea battle in the Popeye movie. Popeye! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a-JcraSl84&ab_channel=essexboi1993)

Quote from: FunkMonk on December 21, 2023, 12:44:46 PM

Quote from: Sheilbh on December 21, 2023, 11:59:34 AM

Quote from: Syt on December 15, 2023, 11:24:48 AMFor me in the 80s/90s, on holidays/Sundays it was more stuff like Dr Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, El Cid, The Commandments, The Robe, .... Probably not a small reason I got interested in history :D

War movies were mostly on in the evenings, with few exceptions.

So this came into my head today - I don't know why (maybe an advert) but I thought I'll probably watch LOTR over the holidays because that's something I often do at long weekend/bank holiday weekends - especially if I go see family.

It's very non-challenging, enjoyable, easy film. And I know a few other people who have it in the same way.

Suddenly struck me, maybe that's my generation's veresion of a war film or an El Cid etc :hmm:

Yeah, the LOTR films have become some of my staple comfort movies. In fact I think they've replaced Star Wars in that respect.

Sam's speech at the end of The Two Towers ("there's still good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for"  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:) always gets me.

I think I've gotten soft in old age, I saw all the LOTR in theaters, loved them all but none hit me in the FEELS or anything. But now when I rewatch it a few scenes do--Sam's, "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you" scene; and when Sam / Frodo are in Minas Tirith and Aragon tells them "You bow to no one" gets me every time now.

Would Jaws count for this poll? :hmm:

Quote from: Syt on December 15, 2023, 11:24:48 AMFor me in the 80s/90s, on holidays/Sundays it was more stuff like Dr Zhivago, Ben Hur, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, El Cid, The Commandments, The Robe, .... Probably not a small reason I got interested in history :D

War movies were mostly on in the evenings, with few exceptions.

As a matter of fact, the Great Escape is broadcasted right now on one of the main state-owned channels.