As we head into another long holiday weekend (yes, the blog will be closed on Monday), Memorial Day seems like a good opportunity to watch some classic war movies. In this week’s Roundtable, we’ll offer our suggestions for some of the best.
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Shannon Nutt<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n For me, the film that best embodies both the heroism and sacrifice of war is 1989’s ‘Glory<\/a>‘. The movie tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first all-black regiment of soldiers in both the Union Army and in American history. Unlike many other war movies, the men aren’t just fighting for their country; they’re fighting for their own personal liberty, which makes their story even more engaging. Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his portrayal of a Union private, and both Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick are great here as well. Although it only covers one small aspect of the Civil War, I can’t think of a better American film on the War between the States than ‘Glory’.<\/p>\n Mike Attebery<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n It’s more of a sidelines-of-war story, but ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai<\/a>‘ is hard to beat. So many great characters. A glimpse at the idiocy of war, and the ultimate folly of seemingly important work. That ending! They don’t get any better or more iconic than this one.<\/p>\n Junie Ray<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Made almost 70 years ago, ‘The Best Years of Our Lives<\/a>‘ explores the deep emotional and social challenges of veterans returning from WWII. This movie deservedly won 7 Academy Awards. As was the fashion of the time, the stories and dialog are direct without irony or sarcasm. Unspoken emotion and pain still found plenty of places to hide \u2013 in silence, in anger, in alcohol. The film is still amazingly relevant, as the challenges faced by the characters are the same faced by our veterans today. The technologies of war may change over time, but the hearts of men do not. <\/p>\n Daniel Hirshleifer<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n It doesn’t get mentioned as often as the heavy hitters of the genre, but a little piece of my heart will always belong to ‘The Guns of Navarone<\/a>‘. Fairly light for a war film, ‘The Guns of Navarone’ rides on the back of its memorable characterizations. Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn all shine in career-highlight performances. The film has more of an adventure feel, and doesn’t spend much time moralizing about the folly of war. Instead, it simply gives these characters a goal and lets them get to it. By keeping the scope small (which isn’t to say that the movie itself feels small), we’re allowed to sit back and enjoy the ride. <\/p>\n Luke Hickman<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n I was 17-years-old when ‘Saving Private Ryan<\/a>‘ opened, but even then I was aware of the necessity of large screens and loud top-notch sound for certain movies. A few days after it opened, I traveled 45 minutes from my desert hometown to see it at the biggest screen in the area, which happened to be the AMC 30 at the Ontario Mills mall in Southern California. A friend and I made the mid-week morning journey to see it together. When we got there, I was surprised to see that we were the only youngsters there. Without exaggeration, everyone else in the theater \u2013 of which there were probably 20 or 30 other couples \u2013 were old enough to remember World War II. <\/p>\n The film itself completely pulled me in. The opening beach sequence nearly put me into shock. Throughout the picture, I experienced the heavy emotions and loss that the characters went through. As the closing credits ran, nobody moved. Once all the tears had dried up, I mustered up the courage to look around the theater. I’ve never seen so many aged men sobbing in my life. Many of them were being tightly held in the arms of their wives. It was obvious that much of what they saw in the movie rang true. What an amazing and unforgettable moviegoing experience.<\/p>\n M. Enois Duarte<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n A long-time favorite war movie of mine is Oliver Stone’s ‘Platoon<\/a>‘. Although other movies dealing with Vietnam had been released prior to this 1980s classic, this particular masterpiece was the first told by an actual veteran of the war and loosely based on real-life experiences. Ingeniously, Stone structured the narrative like a modern-day Greek allegory, situating his main character \u2013 the innocent and inexperienced Chris Taylor \u2013 between the battle of good versus evil. The landscape serves not only as a literal war against the Viet Cong but also as a metaphorical battle for the psychological and emotional battle of one’s moral integrity. <\/p>\n