Last night I finally found time to watch this Danish/German movie titled Land of Mine (original title: Under sandet) from 2015. I was blown away. You see, from time to time you stumble on a movie that leaves a deep impression on you. Sometimes the experience is so deep, It'll stay with you almost forever. For me, this was one of them. Highly, highly recommended!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3841424/?ref_=tt_urv

Hi AP

I saw this trailer a while back and have been looking out for it in the UK, I recently had to purchase a film called Kajaki about a British Parachute platoon in Afghanistan and is based on a true story about what happened to them in a minefield whilst operating from a forward operating base.

I generally only collect stuff about the Napoleonic and collect old war movies period but the film stuck with me so much that I went straight out and bought it.

Other films that have stuck with me are the light horsemen, Gallipoli, Eighty four charlie mopic and of course Saving Private Ryan, a common theme is the bond between men in battle.

oops I Nearly forgot Band of Brothers which was fantastic also

Strangely the Thin Red Line I couldn't get into at all despite all the great reviews

Another war movie that I've seen in recent time and that stuck with me was The Captain (original title: Der Hauptmann) from 2017. It's a German movie based on true story/events. I've only learned that it was based on a true story after I've watched the movie and is probably something, that in the end made an even stronger impact on me.

If you like black/white photography as a stylistic approach in movies, bits of surrealism mixed with subtle glimpses of black comedy, packaged in a gritty and at times disturbing imagery... then you'll enjoy this one immensely. Don't know why exactly, but at times it gave me flashbacks on another great war movie - Come and See (original title: Idi i smotri) from 1985. So probably if you liked that movie, you'll like this one too.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6763252/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

On Malik's "Thin Red Line" I always said there's a great war movie in there if you could edit out about 45 minutes to an hour of navel gazing.

My absolute favourite war movie is The Cruel Sea, as I really think it brings home the loneliness of command, the slog that the Atlantic convoy duty was and terrible demands that war makes upon men. Another favourite is the 1958 version of Dunkirk, apart from showing newsreel of Tiger tanks, I think it knocks the recent version into a cocked hat.I'm probably biased as I much prefer the early war to the late war, having said that A Bridge Too Far and The Longest Day are crackers, if a bit silly at times. A couple of movies I would recommend are Go Tell The Spartans, a much more believable representation of what the Americans were up against in Vietnam and, lastly, The Beast - unusual because it is set at the time of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan which you don't see much and has a really tense atmosphere. There are lots more I like but these would be my choices.

Navel gazing are they looking at belly buttons ?
Joking aside I too think that band of brothers is great & saving private Ryan & although it's in black & white the longest day is pretty good as well.
But my two most watched are the battle of Britain & waterloo the casting of Napoleon & wellington (Christopher Plummer & rod Steiger) is sublime.

Interesting how they change the titles for the UK etc:
Under sandet -under the sand
Just to prove me wrong the Danish film 9.April translates as 9th April and is sold as such in the UK. It is a film about the Danish experience of war at the start of WWII- April 1940. I presume April 9th is a date etched in Danish memories like the 6th June and needs no subtitle. Maybe it is also safe to say that is one of the only/few films to have the Danish Army portrayed in their M23 helmets.

So Many good films for so many reasons, Battle of Britain, Waterloo, Zulu because my Dad took me and they are still to this day my top three, but as already said Cruel sea, watched it again only this week, Sea of Sand, and the Desert war has been under done at the movies, modern films /TV Band of Brothers and Pacific were superb, Private Ryan, I liked Thin Red line, yes the start is dragged out , but war is 99% boredom and 1% terror, Cross of Iron was good , Das boot , 633 squadron because it was entertaining and I worked with the son of the guy who wrote the book. I could go on and on , there are so many that have left a mark, I am a sucker for a half decent war film.

Saw my first war movie 60 years ago and I think its still one of the better. Not mentioned in the previous posts so I give you the 1949 B/W movie Battle ground.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleground_(film)

A lot of films would be higher on my list of favourite war movies but one that really made a lasting impression on me was "Paths To glory". It explores some very weighty themes, but the scene that really sticks in my head is where the French Generals planning an attack casually calculate the number of their men that will be killed by their own artillery.

Agree entirely about the unnescessary 'navel gazing' at the beginning of "The Thin Red Line" it was worse for me due to my partial deafness and modern actor's panchant for mumbling. I thought the title was an odd choice too.

"Ice Cold in Alex"

Cant think of a new war movie that I've watched recently except perhaps "Hacksaw Ridge" which was rather better than I expected..

I also thought the HBO Series "The Pacific" really good as well....

:wink: