Were there any war movies made during WW2 that were well regarded by front-line American soldiers?
score:13
Of the war movies made during WWII, American veterans liked the realistic ones:
- The Battle of Midway (1942)
- At the Front (1943)
- Report from the Aleutians (1944)
- With the Marines at Tarawa (1944)
- The Memphis Belle (1944)
On the other hand, the "tough guys" of the time, notably John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart were not regarded at all among the veterans (this contradicts Tom Au's answer, vide Casablanca).
Source: Gambone The greatest generation comes home: the veteran in American society, 2005, pp. 159-160 http://books.google.pl/books?id=7SRZzJUf8cYC&pg=PA159
Upvote:-3
I might add the great documentary 'The War' made by Ken Burns in 2007. A truly magnificent researched piece of work of no less then 14 hours! The imagery is second to none. The stories are deeply moving. It's the ultimate praise for the American soldier who gave up everything to save the world.
Upvote:-2
There were plenty of British films (if they are any good to you) which were made during the war.e.g.
Went the Day well.
We dive at dawn.
In which we serve.
The Life & Death of Colonel Blimp.
A matter of Life and Death.
Millions Like Us.
Next of Kin.
One of our aircraft is missing.
The first of the few.
Cottage to let.
The Day will dawn
Pimpernel Smith.
The Foreman went to France.
Freedom Radio.
The Way Ahead.
Gasbags.
etc.
You can find a more complete list of war films, with dates of original release, at: https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=50&site=&source=hp&q=british+films+of+ww2&oq=british+films+of+ww2&gs_l=hp.3..0i22i30l5.2313.8755.0.9219.21.19.0.2.2.0.139.1725.17j2.19.0.msedr...0...1c.1.62.hp..1.20.1628.0.-j2McLf8fOQ
Upvote:1
There are so few relatively realistic American movies about WWII to choose from that it really doesn't make sense to require any hard poll data from veterans.
Saving Private Ryan - already mentioned, probably the most epic of all
When Trumpets Fade - very grim, people said it conveys the spirit of the Hurtgen forest battle
Letters from Iwo Jima - Japanese perspective on the battle
Flags of Our Fathers - American perspective on the Iwo Jima battle
The Great Raid - about the Raid at Cabanatuan
Thin Red Line - about the Guadalcanal battle
A Midnight Clear - probably not very realistic plot but still in a very historical context (before the Ardennes offensive)
Saints and Soldiers - also not very realistic plot but also very historical context (Ardennes again)
The Longest Day - D-Day (actually I need to yet see this one)
Memphis Belle - the one from 1990 (since my list focuses on more recent cinema)
As to TV, the choice is simple:
Band of Brothers - excellent, includes commentary from veterans
The Pacific - like the above, but in Pacific theater
This list may be expanded as long as I don't have to limit myself to American movies or to WWII.
Upvote:1
The "classic" movie of World War II was Casablanca. It was both a romance AND a war movie.
But mostly it was a "good versus evil" morality play, with the hero, Rick Blaine, "giving up" his former girlfriend (the Ingrid Bergman character) to a resistance fighter for the sake of the war effort, and receiving the friendship of the former "collaborationist," Captain Renault, in return.
Ironically, Hollywood had the same idea as the U.S. Army, that Casablanca was the focal point of World War II (and the movie was rushed into production when the American troops landed there). The Allied victory in North Africa allowed the invasion of the Axis' "soft underbelly" in Italy. An Axis victory there would have allowed them to invade America's "soft underbelly"--in Brazil.
Upvote:3
I found this panel interview discussion on PBS org. The panel included, Speilberg, actors, and a veteren by the name of Judge John Harrison. I will quote a few of his comments below but heres the link.
PHIL PONCE: As one who was at D-Day on Utah Beach, in your case, was the film's depiction of what it was like, was it accurate, to your mind?
JUDGE JOHN HARRISON: I was off the beach and, of course, the Utah Beach was a much easier beach as far as losses are concerned than Omaha. Omaha, from what I gathered, was a slaughterhouse, and it was beautifully or tragically shown in this picture.
PHIL PONCE: Judge, do you think the movie caught the character of what that experience was like for people at D-Day?
JUDGE JOHN HARRISON: I'm sure it did. It couldn't be more real.
Saving private ryan seems to pull at the emotions of veterens and some examples have been compiled into the book Now You Know : Reactions After Seeing Saving Private Ryan. If you are very curious you may want to check it out.
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