Re: Re: Re war movies
Originally posted by Lance Williams
Some of the examples you cite are fine depictions of what I would consider to be a good war movie.
I think accuracy in clothing, weaponry, tactics, terrain and culture are all things I look for in a good war movie.
I also tend to dislike movies that take too much liberty with history. I realize some changes are inevitable, but ones that would materially alter what really happened (ie, no Stamford bridge in "Braveheart") tend to turn me off.
My tastes are much simpler.
I want to see the people I don't like get their heads caved in (or shot, or thrown to wolves, or blown up) by the people I do like.
Oh, and the costumes and reality should be there, too.
Message? No thanks. Just add more violence.
The alternative (after all, the people I like can't win all the time) should show great acts of heroism by the people I do like, for example:
The Jarl* jumps to the wolves in THE VIKINGS
William Wallace kicks huge butt in BRAVEHEART
"Stonewall" Jackson ditto in GODS AND GENERALS
Even better is when RE Lee looks over my hometown and gives a great silliloqy (spelled that like crap) or in GETTYSBURG when "Lothario" Armistead gives a great speech on Virginians.
I'll think of more examples later tonight when I'm on bed, and forget them all by morning.
I also think you can have a good war movie without historical accuracy (everything by John Wayne, for example) -- you just have to remember that it's not history -- it's just a movie.
JS
*Played very well by Ernest Borgnine, of "McHale's Navy" fame.