Filmsane

Yes Dunkirk turned out to be an excellent movie and yet another classic from Christopher Nolan. To be honest were you expecting any less from Nolan? I think not.

The movie portrayed a lesser known event in world history, had a great assemble cast (ranging from Academy award winners, screen legends to barely recognizable newcomers) and was received with critical acclaim both with the critics and audience.

Not to mention that Dunkirk ruled on the Box office last weekend and it’s an early Oscar contender for the next year’s Oscar race. Which is also great.

But Dunkirk is the last one. What other Great War movies are out there?

Apocalypse Now – 1979

Directed by: Francis Coppola
War portrayed in the movie: Vietnam War
Fun fact about it: Laurence Fishburne was fourteen years old when production began in 1976; he lied about his age.

Empire of the Sun – 1987

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
War portrayed in the movie: WW2
Fun fact about it: Christian Bale was picked for the role of Jim out of more than 4,000 who auditioned. Steven Spielberg had seen Bale in the miniseries Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986) and Amy Irving, who starred in it, personally recommended Bale to Spielberg, her husband at the time. Spielberg had not thought much of Bale in “Anastasia”, but cast him in the role of Jim after he auditioned.

The Hurt Locker- 2008

Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
War portrayed in the movie: Iraq War
Fun fact about it: Director Kathryn Bigelow had the rare luxury of final cut on the film.

The Deer Hunter – 1978

Directed by: Michael Cimino
War portrayed in the movie: Vietnam War
Fun Fact about it: Christopher Walken achieved the withdrawn, hollow look of his character by consuming nothing but water, rice and bananas.

The Quiet American – 2002

Directed by: Phillip Noyce
War portrayed in the movie: First Indochina War
Fun fact about it: The film was released forty-seven years after the source novel had been published in 1955.

Saving Private Ryan – 1998

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
War portrayed in the movie: WW2
Fun fact about it: Many veterans of D-Day congratulated director Steven Spielberg for the film’s authenticity, as well as actor James Doohan, who is best known for playing Scotty in Star Trek (1966). Doohan lost the middle finger of his right hand and was wounded in the leg during the war. Also, he participated in the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, at Juno Beach, where the 3rd Canadian infantry division led the attack. He commended Spielberg for not leaving out any gory details.

Full Metal Jacket – 1987

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
War portrayed in the movie: Vietnam War
Fun fact about it: This was Stanley Kubrick’s first film edited by computer rather than linearly spliced film.