World War One movies in general...

World War one recieves a good movie every few years, I have two personal favorites, Legends of the Fall and The Dawn Patrol. In your opinions what is the greatest WWI movie filmed to date. I am one of the few who have not seen Blue Max for the simple fact that no video stores where live carry it. I am alway however on the look out for good movies on the subject. Another I would recommend is Love and War with Chris O'Donnell as Ernest Hemingway. Not to much of the war in it but it has a good story line. What is your opinions.

The 1930 version of All quiet on the Western Front is also a very good one, much better then the 1960's or was it 70's version.

VBR
Johan

I was much moved by a very recent French film "The captain Conan" set in the Balkan front. Very tough, not for the weak of heart, no romanticism and no ax to grind (like Kubrik's Paths of Glory") but very meaningful. I wonder if it ever got to America, though. In Italy it was shown, but only briefly.

'The Blue Max' and the late 70's version of 'All Quiet on the Western Front' w/ Richard Thomas and Ernest Borgnine.

[Shooter]

I agree with Johan, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is one of the best. I, however, find little difference between the version starring Lew Ayers and that which starred Richard Thomas (except for the fact that I still cannot imagine John-Boy Walton in feldgrau!).

Honorable mention goes to "Galipoli" with Mel "Braveheart" Gibson and "Sergeant York" with Gary Cooper. The second WAS hoakey, but the combat scenes were pretty good for "before FX" movies.

There are no aviation flicks that really get my vote except for "Dawn Patrol" with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone (sp?). I never saw the first version and I don't dig silent movies (so I don't endorse "WINGS" either).

[Barrett]

"Zeppelin" was an outstanding motion picture. It had Elke Sommer. (No towel though)
Two of my faves: "ANZACs" and "The Light Horsemen."

Gallipoli was the first ww1 movie I can remember seeing and it is still one of my favourites.

And as Barrett mentioned, Anzacs as well as the Lighthorsemen.
Anzacs the Mini series was shown in it's entirity in the UK and Australia but unfortunately only a bastardised version which turned the mini series into a movie length episode made it to the US.
The whole 5 part mini series came out for sale on video last year.

One other movie rarely heard of or seen is the Kiwi production of Chunuk Bair.

Cheers

Barrett and Andrew beat me to it but my two favourite WW1 movies (or series) are 'The Lighthorsemen' and the mini-series 'ANZACS'. Gallipoli is pretty good too.

While all are dramatizations of actual events Lighthorsemen is pretty close to the facts. Even the hero the character named Sloan Bolton was a real person. ANZACS is BASED on the exploits of a particular battalion (the 8th I think!). The bloke who gets a VC is based on Lt. Donovan Joynt.

I know I'm an Aussie but I do it is a little strange that the best ones of the last 15 years or so were made in Australia.

I'm sorry but I think 'The Blue Max' is rubbish!

[Billy_Bishop]

Hey!!! You guys forgot "Hell's Angels". One of the best WWI movies to come out of the between wars years.

And, could someone tell me what "axe" Kubrick was grinding with "Paths of Glory", which by the way, I think was an excellent movie.

As for Sgt. York, considering when it was made, I don't think it was "hokey". Just a side note, when the movie was being made, Gary Cooper was picked to play Sgt. York, BY Sgt. York. I understand it was one of the few conditions he had about making the movie.

VBR,

Al Lowe

I'm suprised Regeneration has not been mentioned, although it deals with the health treatment of British officers during the war (Wilfred Owen, Siegreid Sassoon). It deals with the unique horrors that war inficts on the on mind,with sensitivity and brutal realism.