Top 10 Wartime Movies
BY DANI FAITH LEONARD
Although war movies and mini-series aren’t usually viewed as female-friendly fare, I watched an entire Band of Brothers marathon a few months ago and I never missed an episode of The Pacific. I have always loved war movies and I though in these times of recent turmoil, this list was appropriate. Here are my TOP 10 WARTIME MOVIES:
10 - Life is Beautiful - I’m not sure what I remember more about this film - the actual film or Roberto Benigni climbing over the seats at the Oscars.
9 - G.I. Jane - Supposedly a serious female-driven flick, I can’t help but laugh out loud when Demi Moore shouts, “Suck my dick!”
8 - Braveheart - I, like many others, am not a fan of Mel. I’ve stated this in my Top 10 lists before. But one can’t deny that Braveheart is a great movie. Remember when that guy gets an arrow in the ass? Remember how these people in 13th Century Scotland take the time and energy to make blue war paint? Freedom!!!
7 - The Deer Hunter - De Niro, Walken, Streep, 5 Oscars including Best Picture, on most people’s lists of the best films ever...
6 - The Shop on Main Street - A Czech film from 1965 about Slovakia during WWII, The Shop on Main Street explores humanity during war time. Most people probably haven’t seen it, but I’m related to Ida Kaminska, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film (it won for Best Foreign Language Film), so of course, my mother made me see it (and I didn’t regret it).
5 - M*A*S*H* - Finding humor during wartime is always necessary.
4 - Saving Private Ryan / The Thin Red Line - In the battle of WWII flicks in 1998 (Saving Private Ryan focused on Normandy and The Thin Red Line focused on Guadalcanal), it is hard to say who came out on top.
3 - Letters from Iwo Jima - If there is something that Clint Eastwood does well, it is creating a haunting masterpiece.
2 - Schindler’s List / The Pianist - Unforgettable visuals and a story that most people didn’t know before the film came out, Schindler’s List was not the same old Holocaust film. Isolating the story of one individual (who was extremely isolated) during the Holocaust made The Painist different, and a story of triumph against the background of the Holocaust makes the film weighty but not hit-me-over-the-head-with-a-brick-heavy.
1 - Apocalypse Now - I know it’s a great film because I haven’t seen it since we had to watch it in high school (in a history class - best teacher ever?), but I still remember most of it. It’s no wonder Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack - I would too if I saw Brando looking like that.
For all of Dani's Top 10 lists, click here.