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Grunt's Point of View by Joe Everyman
Now here is the conclusion to my Top 10 list of best military themed movies of my lifetime. (see below for 6-10)
5. U-571 - This movie is about an American submarine crew who is given the mission of boarding and capturing a German submarine in order to obtain a decoding device, all without the Germans discovering that their secure communications capability has been compromised. What makes this movie so powerful is the way that it deals with the issue of command. The skipper of the crew, Captain Mike Dahlgren, (played by Bill Paxton), has serious doubts about the ability of his XO, Lt. Andrew Tyler, (played by Matthew McConaughey) and has thus recommended that the XO be passed over for command. During the mission the skipper is killed and Lt. Tyler assumes command of the mission. The audience is given insight into the difficulties and responsibilities of command during a time of war. Other notable cast members are Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi and David Keith.
Memorable line: This movie did not have one real memorable line but is powerful because of Lt. Tyler’s decision making process.
4. We Were Soldiers - This movie is based on the first half of the book We Were Soldiers Once, and Young. The movie follows the book very closely and gives a gripping account of the 7th Cavalry’s courageous action in the Battle of Ia Drang. This soldier also gives an intense look into the lives of the spouses of these brave men, and the ordeals that they went through to support each other in their times of need. This story also tells the real reason that men fight wars, not for their country, but for each other. This theme is echoed by many an American combat veteran.
Memorable line: "How do you know what kind of Goddammed day it is?"
3. Black Hawk Down - This movie is based on the book that chronicles Task Force Rangers attempt to capture a Mogadishu war lord Mohammed Farah Aidid during Operation Restore Hope on October 3 and 4 of 1993. This movie is a fitting testament to the brave Americans who lost their lives on those two days. The action sequences were intense and historically accurate, and the film down plays the political aspects and ramifications of this event and highlights the courage of the American soldier as he fights for his buddy. (Told you that this was a common theme).
Memorable line: "This is my safety." (A Delta operator referring to his trigger finger)
2. Patton - This is an epic masterpiece in which George C. Scott accurately portrays one of the greatest fighting generals in American military history. The movie deals with Patton’s alternately abusive yet compassionate personality. He was loved by his men and respected and feared by his foes. This movie is historically accurate, from Patton’s infamous slapping of a shell shocked soldier to his grasp of the threat that communism posed to the rest of the world. Karl Malden is also superb in his portrayal of GEN Omar Bradley, Americas last Five-Star General.
Memorable line: "Then let’s drink, one son-of-a-bitch to another."
1. Saving Private Ryan -This is the story of a the remnants of a Ranger Company that survived the D-Day landing that is now tasked with the mission of finding one James Francis Ryan. This private Ryan is the sole surviving son, whose four other brothers have been killed in action. This story deals heavily with the concepts of duty, loyalty and the difficult choices that have to be made in war. Tom Hanks gives a perfect portrayal of a commanding officer, balancing his compassion for his men with the aloofness needed to make the difficult, potentially fatal decisions.
Memorable line: "It’s like looking for a needle in a stack of needles."
Grunt's Point of View by Joe Everyman
The following is part one of The Ranger newspaper's list of Best Military Movies, written by Joe Everyman, our columnist who remains incognito. He is a soldier serving on Fort Lewis.
American soldiers are huge pop culture junkies. We spend many hours watching Hollywood movies, and some times, they get us right. Here is the first installment of my personal 10 best military themed movies of all time. Now keep in mind, I come from a younger generation and may have left many of the classics out. These movies are not necessarily war movies either. Some are comedies that are light hearted spoofs. However, all are entertaining and generally portray the military in a favorable light.
Additionally, I would like to mention Band of Brothers. This is not on my list because it is a cable television mini-series and not a Hollywood feature film.
10. Major Payne - This is the story of Major Benson Winifred Payne, a Marine Corp Force Reconnaissance officer who has killed his way out of a job. He has killed every last enemy of the United States and now has to adjust to civilian life. He ends up taking a job as a JROTC instructor and hi-jinx ensue. While this movie has the stereotypical ex-warrior having a difficult time adjusting to civilian life, it is done with a sense of absurd, though not disrespectful humor, and it is downright funny. Payne also displays a keen interest in his charges and gives each one of them something that they were lacking before he took charge of their lives. Good leaders tend to do that.
Memorable line: "What we have here is a failure to communicate."
9. Hamburger Hill - This story is about the 3d Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment’s assault on a well-fortified position on the Ap Bia Mountain near the Laotian border during the Vietnam War. This movie has several very good actors, including Dylan McDermott, Steven Weber, Courtney B. Vance, and Don Cheadle. What makes this movie special is the focus that it puts on the brotherhood of the men that made up the unit. While this movie did not receive the fanfare due to its release shortly after that of Platoon, it gives a much more accurate portrayal of the lives and hardships that the soldiers faced, both in theater and at home.
Memorable line: Pass the F@#*&g mashed potatoes.
8. The Green Berets - What list of military movies would be complete without the Duke. To many of the Vietnam War critics this movie is nothing more than a propaganda piece used to glorify the effort in Vietnam. What they don’t talk about is how the movie portrays the American soldier. The men in the film are loyal, trustworthy, compassionate, and brave. Critics also miss the fact that many Vietnamese were dedicated to fighting communism as well, and they ignore the compassion that SGT Peterson showed in adopting the orphan. They also ignore the plight of the local villagers, who were often caught between a rock and a hard place. This film captures all of that and then some.
Memorable line: "Out here due process comes with a bullet."
7. SGT Bilko - This is the movie version of the famous 1950’s character that was created by the legendary Phil Silvers. This is another light hearted spoof of military life. SGT Bilko is a schemer and con artist always trying to make a fast buck. What makes this movie so entertaining is its contrived absurdity. It allows us to laugh at ourselves and not take ourselves too seriously.
Memorable line: "Make the bad man stop."
6. Full Metal Jacket - This is a classic film that is set in two pieces. One piece is set in Marine Corps boot camp and the other is set in combat in Vietnam. This movie brings some serious heat, due in large part to the inspired performance of R. Lee Ermey (himself a real life Marine Corp DI and combat veteran). This movie deals with the bonds that combat warriors build as well. More importantly though, this movie deals with the dark absurdities of combat and the black humor that we develop to deal with being “in the shit.”
Memorable line: "SGT Joker, “How can you shoot women and children?” Door Gunner, “Easy, you don’t lead ‘em as much”.
To be continued next week...
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