Some interesting WW II films include Armando crispino's _Commandos_ (1968, Lee van Cleef, Jack Kelly) and Umberto Lenzi's _La Legione dei Dannati_ (Battle of the Commandos, 1969, Jack Palance, Curt Jurgens). These are cynical anti-war films co-written by Dario Argento. Scott =============================================================================== Scott Andrew Hutchins http://php.iupui.edu/~sahutchi Oz, Monsters, Kamillions, and More! "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."--K, Barry Sonnenfeld's _Men in Black_. "The reason most folk songs are so atrocious is because they were written by THE PEOPLE."--Tom Lehrer On Thu, 22 Apr 1999, Peter Warren wrote: > Re World War Two films, it's not my intention to get into a "best list" > situation, but to offer some ideas. It's important to discriminate among > films made during the war, many of which were patriotic/propaganda pieces > for the home front, and those made after the war with hindsight and usually > with the box office in mind. THE LONGEST DAY is a good example of this. > These days there is a longer historical perspective, leading to German > movies such as STALINGRAD and DAS BOOT which show Nazi defeats rather than > victories. Re American films, it's also necessary to compare those made by > Hollywood between the start of the War in Europe and the bombing of Pearl > Harbour (eg: BUCK PRIVATES in 1941 versus GUADALCANAL DIARY in 1943). On a > personal note, I lived in London, England during World War Two, and I can > remember how important and influential the cinema was during that period. > This led to my setting up a course at Sheridan College in Oakville on The > Cinema of World War Two, and I'd be pleased to enter into a dialogue on > this subject if you so wish. > > ---------- > > From: American Cotton Museum <[log in to unmask]> > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: World War II Films > > Date: Wednesday, April 21, 1999 11:52 PM > > > > List members: > > > > > > A year or so ago, AFI came out with their list of the best 100 films of > > all time. Earlier this year, Forbes American Heritage Magazine came out > > with a list of the ten best movies of World War II. Recently, while > doing > > some searching on the WOrld Wide Web, I located a site that listed at > > least 150 World War II films. > > > > I am curious as to what our list members think makes a good World War II > > film? Certianly, Saving Private Ryan and The THin Red Line are far > > advanced in many areas over their earlier counterparts like Sands of Iwo > > Jima, To Hell and Back, and The Naked and The Dead, but are they > > necessarily better? Sure, Saving Private Ryan depicts scenes more like > > they should have been in To Hell and Back, (which Audie Murphy himself > > felt was too sanatized) but other modern war films such as Memphis Belle > > have actually taken history and changed it on screen. > > > > What part does an accurate depiction of violence in a World War II film > > play in how he film is viewed by the public. Are "James Ryan" and the > > other characters in SPR more beliavible, heroic, or real than Audie > Murphy > > (who played himself), characters played by John Wayne, etc. and other > > earlier WW II film stars/characters, simply because > > their films were made in eras of great difference in technology and taste > > (with regards to violence, etc.? > > > > Thoughts? > > > > Vince Leibowitz, > > Executive Director > > American Cotton Museum > > "Where Cotton Is Still King" > > http://www.cottonmuseum.com > > 600 Interstate 30 East > > P.O. Box 347 > > Greenville, Texas 75403 > > (903) 454-1990 > > (903) 450-4502 > > President > > Northeast Texas Museum Association > > http://www.cottonmuseum.com/ntma.htm > > > > ---- > > Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the > > University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu ---- Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu