cheers 30. Casualties of War (1989) 29. Paths of Glory (1957) 28. The Hurt Locker (2008) 27. Jarhead (2005) 26. Breaker Morant (1980) 25. Hell in the Pacific (1968) 24. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) 23. The Thin Red Line (1998) 22. Red Dawn (1984) 21. Inglourious Basterds (2009) 20. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) 19. The Big Red One (1980) 18. The Wild Geese (1978) 17. Three Kings (1999) 16. Saving Private Ryan (1998) 15. Seven Samurai (1954) 14. Platoon (1986) 13. Tigerland (2000) 12. Starship Troopers (1997) 11. Uncommon Valor (1983) 10. Where Eagles Dare (1968) 09. The Hidden Fortress (1958) 08. The Terminator (1984) 07. Full Metal Jacket (1987) 06. First Blood (1982) 05. Aliens (1986) 04. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 03. The Dirty Dozen (1967) 02. Apocalypse Now (1979) 01. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
@@jocaerbannog9052 Definitely more of a study, of human condition than action packed, so viewer's mood has probably a lot to do with how it's perceived.
There are so many movies I was expecting but didn't make your top 30: A bridge too far Downfall Das Boot Dam Busters Letters from Iwo Jima Black Hawk Down The Great Escape All Quiet on the western front The Deer Hunter The longest day We were Soldiers Hamburger Hill Enemy at the Gates Born on the 4th of july Lawrence of Arabia Kelly's Hero's Tora Tora Tora Empire of the Sun Flags of our Fathers Waterloo
The Longest Day is so fucking awesome. Shows the allies preparing for the invasion, the axis knowing something is happening and preparing for "something", military from multiple countries and languages being displayed, no one is shown as "good" or "bad", just men performing their duty in the best way they can. And then that invasion scene...
Kelly's Heroes, The Dirty Dozen, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, and especially Von Ryan's Express should all be on the list, and frankly they're all better than the Vietnam entrees.
Mad Max 2 is a war film too, imo. If Terminator counts as a war film, then The Road WARrior definitely does. It's a war film on roads! And the plot is very similar to Seven Samurai.
Good list but I really feel like The Deer Hunter should be on here. It’s a fascinating critique of the Vietnam war as an unnecessary gamble of human life (which is a fancy way of saying Russian roulette). But on an even deeper level I feel it is a beautiful look at how war affects the relationships between people.
Another one, like that, is, Birdy. Directed by Alan Parker and stars Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage. Great film. In the film, you don't see actual warfare. You see prior to the war and the aftermath.
Kelly's Heroes, The Dirty Dozen, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, and especially Von Ryan's Express should all be on the list, and frankly they're all better than the Vietnam entrees.
I agree with vault dweller, no Come and See? If you haven't seen it, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Other notable exceptions include Lawrence of Arabia, M.A.S.H, battle of Algiers, Underground, Das Boat, Soldier of Orange, Salvador, Patton and my guilty pleasure would have been Force 10 from Naverone. I mean Harrison Ford, Robert Shaw and Carl Weather's, what's not to love.
I just had to give you a hat tip sir . I love reading the comments section in Rob's Channel, it's so full of knowledgeable people of various topics of things I didn't even know about . I certainly will look into not only your movie list but the various others ! 👍❤
Great list. Couple of FYIs. "Big Red One" director Sam Fuller actually served in that unit during WWII. It is a deeply personal film. "The Hidden Fortress" was the inspiration for "Star Wars." "Bridge on the River Kwai" takes place in Burma during WWII. I can't remember the last time I saw "The Wild Geese." Looking forward to seeing it again.
Rob have you seen "Come and See". Its incredibly hard hitting but also blends realism and arthouse elements really well. It shows the horrors of war and what the nazi's did in Eastern Europe. Definitely one of the more brutal war films
Has Rob not seen Come and See? I have a feeling he would really like that film. It conveys a lot of things visually and I feel he may be able to do a great analysis of it.
Not on the list, but "Operation: Daybreak (1975)", directed by Lewis Gilbert is worth an alert. The movie follows a plot to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich in occupied Czechoslovakia during WWII. This movie does not get the recognition it deserves for some unknown reason. The soundtrack is great too.
Agreed! His list is pretty British, which makes sense! I'd also add: Blackhawk down Munich Syriana Odd angry shot Boys in company C Apocalypse now redux
@@mfoley2378 Malick really gets the great modern actors and draws the best performances. I really like Sean Penn in it, and I'm not usually his biggest fan.
Waterloo, Tora Tora Tora, Dunkirk 1958, Ice Cold in Alex, A Bridge too Far, the Diary of Anne Frank and a film I really loved...The Final Days of Sophie Scholl.
I normally really appreciate Rob Ager's insight on film but as a war veteran and movie junkie I really feel like he's kind of out of his element on this one. Ranking Red Dawn and Rambo over Paths of Glory is just ridiculous. The order of films here is just kinda' jacked and it's missing some really important pictures like "Come and See".
Paths of Glory isn't that good. I love kubrick, but it's a very basic film. I don't see it as a great work of art and find it dull to watch. War movies don't always have to be intellectual explorations - they can be crazy, entertaining and unrealistic. I like both and there are a ton of smart ones on the list too.
@@robag555 Agreed! Paths of Glory is a solid film, but Red Dawn and Rambo are solid AND thoroughly entertaining. In particular Red Dawn had the courage to have a not-happy ending. Extremely rare! That takes guts for any filmmaker to do, and I found that it made it just that much more awesome.
As a big history buff and even bigger WW2 buff, the one historically accurate part out of all of these movies that completely blew me away (after I found out what was said because Spieleberg left out subtitles, and brilliantly so) was when the U.S. soldiers shoot the 2 German troops who have given up outside one of the bunkers in Normandy. In fact they are Czech conscripts who were forced to fight. And no they did not say "Look, I have washed for supper" , the actually are saying "I am Czech, I did not kill anyone".... Just that attention to historically accurate detail was just incredible!
Surprised you didnt include All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). The last shot of that movie was probably the most impactful war movie moment ive ever seen
That charge for the Anthill was solid but rest of the movie isn’t really a war movie. Very high quality in everything else but not a war movie in my book.
@@cinartitiz hummmm, i kindly disagree.. it's about the consequences of war... still a war movie, in my concept. But different from Platoon or Saving Private Ryan, for instance. It's more of an art war movie.
I'm a big fan of your videos, Rob, and wouldn't want to criticize any of your choices - or omissions, (so I'm not going to!), but I am surprised at your hesitancy at putting Bridge on The River Kwai on your list.. And the lack of another Lean epic, Lawrence of Arabia. I was waiting with baited breath to see Zulu as well! For some reason, I thought for sure that'd be there! Good stuff though! Looking forward to more lists.
"Tora, Tora, Tora" would have been a nice add. As well as "Patton" and "A Bridge Too Far". Even "The Longest Day" resonates far more than a sizable portion of your selections. Cheers!
Interesting list! Some of the questionables could be easily replaced with any of the following: - Das Boot - Downfall (!) - Lawrence of Arabia - A Very Long Engagement - Born on the Fourth of July - Glory - Patton - 1941 (guilty pleasure) - Commando (better than Rambo II) - Attack Force Z
Interesting take on SPR. I always noticed how when the Germans died they had a robotic look to them. I see that a lot in depictions of German soldiers.
My favourite war movie is the comedy Kelly's Heroes. I would also include Patton, Enemy at the Gates, Stalag 17,The Great Escape, Glory, ZULU!, M*A*S*H, and Casablanca as among the best ever.
One of my all-time faves sadly didn’t make the list, and that’s ‘Kelly’s Heroes’ with Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, and Telly Savalas. Superb combination of war and humour, plus a magnificent soundtrack hit, ‘Burning Bridges’. Highly recommended for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
Great Video Rob! A difficult genre to categorize, indeed. Platoon, i thought would be higher. Who would you have said would have been a better fit for the lead if not sheen? just curious. You seem to hold starship troopers in high regard, perhaps i should watch that again, i was much younger when i saw it first. Overall, i think you covered what i would have thought of (even the sci fi / fantasy inclusions), would Schindler's list be included?
I’d really recommend more of Samuel Fuller’s works. Specifically, The Steel Helmet and Fixed Bayonets. As you stated, this is a man that lived this stuff and did not melodramatize the reality of war. I hope you enjoy these oft forgotten film gems.
@@rameyzamora1018 Given how celebrities of that particular political slant are quick to disregard opposing perspectives, I certainly don't see that as an issue.
I caught that too. I'm also a big fan of both 'ices'. In fact it'd be AWESOME to see an 'Ice' Trilogy... Ice Cube, Ice-T and Vanilla Ice, in the same movie.
Mine would be 1. The Human Condition [the whole trilogy] (Kobayashi) 2. Come and See (Klimov) 3. Ran (Kurosawa) 4. Apocalypse Now (Coppola) 5. La grande illusion (Renoir) 6. Dr. Strangelove (Kubrick) 7. The Fifth Seal (Fábri) 8. Napoleon (Gance) 9. All Quiet on the Western Front (Milestone) 10. La battaglia di Algeri (Pontecorvo) 11. L'armée des ombres (Melville) 12. Paths of Glory (Kubrick) 13. Ivan's Childhood (Tarkovsky) 14. To Be or Not to Be (Lubitsch) 15. Throne of Blood (Kurosawa) 16. Battleship Potemkin (Eisenstein) 17. Grave of the Fireflies (Takahata) 18. Lawrence of Arabia (Lean) 19. The Ascent (Shepitko) 20. Roma, citta aperta (Rossellini) 21. Skammen (Bergman) 22. Kagemusha (Kurosawa) 23. The Great Dictator (Chaplin) 24. Underground (Kusturica) 25. Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick) 26. The Cranes Are Flying (Kalatozov) 27. The Bridge on the River Kwai (Lean) 28. Threads (Jackson) 29. The General (Keaton) 30. Das Boot (Petersen)
I love Apocalypse Now Redux, it would definitely make my top 5. Perhaps oddly, I love the discussion at the dinner table about the history of France and such in Vietnam. Fascinating dialogue. I guess it stands to reason why I enjoy the Lincoln film so much, as it's nothing but two hours of that. I was mesmerized.
Mr. Ager, I'm a little surprised you haven't bothered to see Seven Samurai more than once. You know how good it is, surely you can agree it's worth the trouble of seeing it more than once, especially if you saw it years ago. It is an essential film for any true film lover to see. Surely you agree? That moment when the comic character sees something that breaks his heart is just off the charts.
Whilst I enjoy your lists of your favourite films, please could you not spoil the endings when you are describing them. Some of these films we will not have seen and will watch because you recommend them so telling us what happens at the end kinda ruins it for some people. Even though you are vague, saying that the soldiers end up being executed is a spoiler. Even if it is based on a true story. Thank you for this video and I really like your content.
Rob, I am curious what your thoughts are on the 78 Superman movie and the 89 Batman movie. I ask because these films not only started the superhero trend in films but feel a lot more stand alone and detailed than most of the films in the genre today.
A few good ones you might consider watching if you haven’t: Stalingrad Come and See The Great Raid When Trumpets Fade The Guns of Navarrone Cross of Iron The Eagle Has Landed Firefox Ran Kagemusha U571 The Great Raid Von Ryan’s Express Hart’s War Downfall Zulu
Starship Troopers was on cable TV all the time when I was younger but I'd never seen the whole thing until the recent lockdowns. At the end I stood up in my living room and applauded! I love Robocop but can't believe I never bothered to commit the time to watch this even more biting satire until now.
Some interesting choices here. I can't imagine making a list of top 30 war movies that didn't include Zulu, Waterloo, The Longest Day, Glory, Johnny Got His Gun, All Quiet On The Western Front, The Charge Of The Light Brigade (1968), The Lost Battalion, Das Boot, The Red Badge Of Courage...
Rob, I would suggest for you to check out the Serbian (anti) war movie "Pretty village pretty flame". It is not only insanely good but it was also filmed during the very real Bosnian war. cheers
I am surprised that a few were not on the list but I understand it's a personal list. For myself I might have had The Deer Hunter, The Great Escape and The Wages Of Fear. Great stuff, looking forward to the next list!
No Born on the 4th of July!? It's one of the greatest 10 for sure! No Schindler's List, no Deer Hunter... Really!? No way some of the stuff you've put on that list is above these 3. No way!!
cheers
30. Casualties of War (1989)
29. Paths of Glory (1957)
28. The Hurt Locker (2008)
27. Jarhead (2005)
26. Breaker Morant (1980)
25. Hell in the Pacific (1968)
24. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
23. The Thin Red Line (1998)
22. Red Dawn (1984)
21. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
20. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
19. The Big Red One (1980)
18. The Wild Geese (1978)
17. Three Kings (1999)
16. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
15. Seven Samurai (1954)
14. Platoon (1986)
13. Tigerland (2000)
12. Starship Troopers (1997)
11. Uncommon Valor (1983)
10. Where Eagles Dare (1968)
09. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
08. The Terminator (1984)
07. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
06. First Blood (1982)
05. Aliens (1986)
04. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
03. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
02. Apocalypse Now (1979)
01. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Thanks for the listing of films. It's very useful to have this for the video
@@Jb991-q9x, get real alex, this man did a lot of people a solid. to shit on him says a lot about you.
Giving you a virtual hug n kiss. Thanks.
Thanks so much!
Have you ever seen Soldier of orange? Where is The Deer hunter?
Petersen's 1981 "Das Boot" and long time nothing after.
Best War movie ever. I saw it in 1980 aa a kid.
Liked it on first viewing, but felt pale to me second time around. I might be in the wrong mood.
@@jocaerbannog9052 Definitely more of a study, of human condition than action packed, so viewer's mood has probably a lot to do with how it's perceived.
if u rewatch it, check out the extended version/mini-series version @@jocaerbannog9052
Das Boot is awesome, and great OST.
No Come and See? That's probably my favourite war movie.
come and see is my favourite too, more people should see it.. its harrowing!
Maybe Rob did not come and see it.
Yes I am also very surprised that Come and See isn´t like number one! -How come?
uhuih hojhk Exactly! That last thirty minutes with the Germans eradicating that village was unforgettable.
thats the best war /anti war movie ever made ...so hard to watch , so deep and profound emotional masterpiece
There are so many movies I was expecting but didn't make your top 30:
A bridge too far
Downfall
Das Boot
Dam Busters
Letters from Iwo Jima
Black Hawk Down
The Great Escape
All Quiet on the western front
The Deer Hunter
The longest day
We were Soldiers
Hamburger Hill
Enemy at the Gates
Born on the 4th of july
Lawrence of Arabia
Kelly's Hero's
Tora Tora Tora
Empire of the Sun
Flags of our Fathers
Waterloo
some classics there
The Longest Day is so fucking awesome. Shows the allies preparing for the invasion, the axis knowing something is happening and preparing for "something", military from multiple countries and languages being displayed, no one is shown as "good" or "bad", just men performing their duty in the best way they can. And then that invasion scene...
Enemy at the gates wasn't that great, really. Black Hawk Down too.
Rob must not have seen Kelly's Heroes or The Deer Hunter. And where's Run Silent, Run Deep?
aside from some famouse scenes, Deer Hunter is trash
Patton and Lawrence of Arabia really should have been on there.
I also really liked Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn."
Rescue Dawn is a great movie!!
Kelly's Heroes, The Dirty Dozen, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, and especially Von Ryan's Express should all be on the list, and frankly they're all better than the Vietnam entrees.
Sam Peckinpah's "Cross Of Iron".
Being an Australian I'll have to throw in Gallipoli starring Mel Gibson.
Great flick from the 80s.
Mad Max 2 is a war film too, imo. If Terminator counts as a war film, then The Road WARrior definitely does. It's a war film on roads! And the plot is very similar to Seven Samurai.
Not to mention the Year of living dangerously, Air America , Braveheart and Chicken Run
Peter Weir, one of the best film directors ever
@@system-error War of the Roses
Good list but I really feel like The Deer Hunter should be on here. It’s a fascinating critique of the Vietnam war as an unnecessary gamble of human life (which is a fancy way of saying Russian roulette). But on an even deeper level I feel it is a beautiful look at how war affects the relationships between people.
Another one, like that, is, Birdy. Directed by Alan Parker and stars Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage. Great film. In the film, you don't see actual warfare. You see prior to the war and the aftermath.
Kelly's Heroes, The Dirty Dozen, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, and especially Von Ryan's Express should all be on the list, and frankly they're all better than the Vietnam entrees.
For no Waterloo, Das Boot and Downfall I cannot take your list seriously.
Yeah, the guy is really erratic with his picks. Some of the picks are laughable. Das Boot is a masterpiece.
@@johnbrowne3950 It's his personal list, dummy.
@@ryancalhoun2540 And it's my personal opinion, dummy.
@@johnbrowne3950 You were misunderstanding the point of the video. Get lost.
@@ryancalhoun2540 Boo!
Full Metal Jacket will always be #1 for me.
I don't see any 'war' movie beating it.
that scene the fat guy went mental just so damn memorable.
@@lylehimself9287 yeah, that was private pile. The music in that scene is so haunting.
An Ager favourite. It's so rich with symbolism and meaning
I do think Full Metal Jacket should be a bit higher, somewhere just on par with Dirty Dozen. Can't beat Apocalypse Now or Dr. Strangelove.
M. I. C. K. E. Y M. O. U. S. E
I am so glad you included the Wild Geese. One of the best endings I have seen in a war film ever. Amazing.
Yup, pleasantly surprised to see it included here.
Bridge on the River Kwai absolutely deserve to be in the top five. One film that I was surprised not to see was The Great Escape
I loved that movie...hopefully those Hollywood morons will never do a remake...
Guns of Navaronne deserves a mention.
The Deer Hunter and Born on the 4th of July should have made this list.
The Great Escape would be on my list
Instead we get starship troopers
Where’s Kelly’s Heroes?
Hello, do you plan to do anything on THX 1138 on your website?
Yes, great film
@@robag555 Excellent. I look forward to hearing your view of that film.
For me The Wind that Shakes the Barley is an amazing war film that really captures the struggle in society among classes.
I agree with vault dweller, no Come and See? If you haven't seen it, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Other notable exceptions include Lawrence of Arabia, M.A.S.H, battle of Algiers, Underground, Das Boat, Soldier of Orange, Salvador, Patton and my guilty pleasure would have been Force 10 from Naverone. I mean Harrison Ford, Robert Shaw and Carl Weather's, what's not to love.
I just had to give you a hat tip sir .
I love reading the comments section in Rob's Channel, it's so full of knowledgeable people of various topics of things I didn't even know about .
I certainly will look into not only your movie list but the various others ! 👍❤
@@bellvnv2000 thanks, happy to be of service :)
Great list. Couple of FYIs. "Big Red One" director Sam Fuller actually served in that unit during WWII. It is a deeply personal film. "The Hidden Fortress" was the inspiration for "Star Wars." "Bridge on the River Kwai" takes place in Burma during WWII. I can't remember the last time I saw "The Wild Geese." Looking forward to seeing it again.
Rob have you seen "Come and See". Its incredibly hard hitting but also blends realism and arthouse elements really well. It shows the horrors of war and what the nazi's did in Eastern Europe. Definitely one of the more brutal war films
Has Rob not seen Come and See? I have a feeling he would really like that film. It conveys a lot of things visually and I feel he may be able to do a great analysis of it.
Not on the list, but "Operation: Daybreak (1975)", directed by Lewis Gilbert is worth an alert. The movie follows a plot to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich in occupied Czechoslovakia during WWII. This movie does not get the recognition it deserves for some unknown reason. The soundtrack is great too.
I'm not even gonna read the comment section first because I already know that GLORY (1989) isn't on here.
Agreed! His list is pretty British, which makes sense! I'd also add:
Blackhawk down
Munich
Syriana
Odd angry shot
Boys in company C
Apocalypse now redux
Nick Nolte when he's spitting venom at Elias Koteas in Thin Red Line is probably his best acting ever
Scene with John Cusack is right up there as well.
@@billswindle8311 yeah everyone steps up with serious performances
@@billswindle8311 tbf Elias Koteas is as good as anyone in that. I liked how Jared Leto just got wasted without being in the movie really
The whole movie is great, it would be a bit further up my list
@@mfoley2378 Malick really gets the great modern actors and draws the best performances. I really like Sean Penn in it, and I'm not usually his biggest fan.
No... All Quiet on the Western Front, Cross of Iron, Battle of the Bulge and Zulu!!!!!!!
Waterloo, Tora Tora Tora, Dunkirk 1958, Ice Cold in Alex, A Bridge too Far, the Diary of Anne Frank and a film I really loved...The Final Days of Sophie Scholl.
Cross of Iron is a masterpiece. Sam Peckinpah was a genious.
@Michael Jagger not a war film
I normally really appreciate Rob Ager's insight on film but as a war veteran and movie junkie I really feel like he's kind of out of his element on this one. Ranking Red Dawn and Rambo over Paths of Glory is just ridiculous. The order of films here is just kinda' jacked and it's missing some really important pictures like "Come and See".
I love Rambo a lot but would never consider it a war movie , not even Inglorious Basterds
Paths of Glory isn't that good. I love kubrick, but it's a very basic film. I don't see it as a great work of art and find it dull to watch. War movies don't always have to be intellectual explorations - they can be crazy, entertaining and unrealistic. I like both and there are a ton of smart ones on the list too.
@@robag555 Agreed! Paths of Glory is a solid film, but Red Dawn and Rambo are solid AND thoroughly entertaining. In particular Red Dawn had the courage to have a not-happy ending. Extremely rare! That takes guts for any filmmaker to do, and I found that it made it just that much more awesome.
Hey rob can you do a whole video analyzing the genius that is Big Trouble in Little China?
We revisited First Blood not too long ago. It was way better than I had remembered. An important film, in it's way.
Whaaaaaat? No 'a bridge too far'?? That's gotta be the most WAR movie out there, aside from that omission, a good list!
No Kelly's Heroes either?
Not sure about that it takes place during war but not necessarily a war movie. Awesome movie though.
Hi Rob!
I love your videos and stuff (!) but
I am a little surprised you don’t have Elem Klimov’s Come and See (1985) on this top 30-list?
As a big history buff and even bigger WW2 buff, the one historically accurate part out of all of these movies that completely blew me away (after I found out what was said because Spieleberg left out subtitles, and brilliantly so) was when the U.S. soldiers shoot the 2 German troops who have given up outside one of the bunkers in Normandy. In fact they are Czech conscripts who were forced to fight. And no they did not say "Look, I have washed for supper" , the actually are saying "I am Czech, I did not kill anyone"....
Just that attention to historically accurate detail was just incredible!
Last of the Mohicans and Akira Kurosawa's Ran are my favorite a-typical war movies.
I hadn't even heard of a few of these movies, I'll have to check them out sometime soon!!
Surprised you didnt include All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). The last shot of that movie was probably the most impactful war movie moment ive ever seen
TV version is better for me, both of them can’t beat the book though
Paths of Glory = Amazing in everything; cinematography, story, cast, montage, everything... that last scene is just amazing, in the bar.
That charge for the Anthill was solid but rest of the movie isn’t really a war movie. Very high quality in everything else but not a war movie in my book.
@@cinartitiz hummmm, i kindly disagree.. it's about the consequences of war... still a war movie, in my concept. But different from Platoon or Saving Private Ryan, for instance. It's more of an art war movie.
Have you ever seen the movie or read the book of “A Midnight Clear?”
Hi Rob how can I get in touch with you to get an analysis on the movie 3 o'clock High?
I'm a big fan of your videos, Rob, and wouldn't want to criticize any of your choices - or omissions, (so I'm not going to!), but I am surprised at your hesitancy at putting Bridge on The River Kwai on your list.. And the lack of another Lean epic, Lawrence of Arabia. I was waiting with baited breath to see Zulu as well! For some reason, I thought for sure that'd be there!
Good stuff though! Looking forward to more lists.
"Tora, Tora, Tora" would have been a nice add. As well as "Patton" and "A Bridge Too Far". Even "The Longest Day" resonates far more than a sizable portion of your selections. Cheers!
Love these kinds of videos, actually I love all your content! Keep doing what you're doing Rob! Brilliant! :)
Rob's I'd be interested in your opinion of the war movies On The Beach (1959), Young Lions (1958), Tin Drum (1979), and Catch 22 (1970).
Great video. Here from Bill's channel. BTW You're a dead ringer Robert Ginty's John Eastland in The Exterminator!
Interesting list! Some of the questionables could be easily replaced with any of the following:
- Das Boot
- Downfall (!)
- Lawrence of Arabia
- A Very Long Engagement
- Born on the Fourth of July
- Glory
- Patton
- 1941 (guilty pleasure)
- Commando (better than Rambo II)
- Attack Force Z
1941 is hollywood gold. My Father saved the newspaper headlines of the Los Angeles for raid.
Downfall was absolutely incredible
One of the best cast's ever assembled, breath taking performances all round.
Interesting take on SPR. I always noticed how when the Germans died they had a robotic look to them. I see that a lot in depictions of German soldiers.
They Were Expendable, 1945, is very good. Joe August’s black and white photography is amazing. I also love Kelly’s Heroes, 1970.
Interesting! What are your thoughts on " Fury "?
Upham’s arc ends with him renouncing his pacifism by shooting an unarmed, surrendering man. Great message.
Rob, you need to watch The Deer Hunter again.
Star Wars A New Hope was based on The Hidden Fortress. I'm sure everybody already knows that, but I thought it bared saying.
I didn't know that. Thanks, I'm now going off to watch it.
@@mfoley2378 Phantom Menace also has shades of Hidden Fortress.
My favourite war movie is the comedy Kelly's Heroes. I would also include Patton, Enemy at the Gates, Stalag 17,The Great Escape, Glory, ZULU!, M*A*S*H, and Casablanca as among the best ever.
One of my all-time faves sadly didn’t make the list, and that’s ‘Kelly’s Heroes’ with Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, and Telly Savalas. Superb combination of war and humour, plus a magnificent soundtrack hit, ‘Burning Bridges’. Highly recommended for anyone who hasn’t seen it.
Immediately after watching this list, I commenced throwing rotten tomatoes at my monitor.
Very good i really enjoy your videos much thanks.
I implore any war film enthusiast and/or historian to see The Killing Fields. Masterful. It belongs on the list.
Great Video Rob! A difficult genre to categorize, indeed. Platoon, i thought would be higher. Who would you have said would have been a better fit for the lead if not sheen? just curious. You seem to hold starship troopers in high regard, perhaps i should watch that again, i was much younger when i saw it first. Overall, i think you covered what i would have thought of (even the sci fi / fantasy inclusions), would Schindler's list be included?
Hey Rob, how would you rank Jacob's Ladder? I would love to hear your opinion about that one
Great except it reveals everything at the end and kills rewatch value ... well, it did for me.
Good list Rob, enjoyed hearing your thoughts .
I'm loving these "Top" videos. I hoping for the "Top ___ movies you must see"
I’d really recommend more of Samuel Fuller’s works. Specifically, The Steel Helmet and Fixed Bayonets. As you stated, this is a man that lived this stuff and did not melodramatize the reality of war. I hope you enjoy these oft forgotten film gems.
Deer Hunter?
Cross of Iron?
A Bridge to Far?
Blatantly better than many of the films on this list.
That's Ice Cube in Three Kings. Ice T would have been interesting as well, haha.
Not only that, I take issue with Ager judging an actor's political views.
@@rameyzamora1018 Given how celebrities of that particular political slant are quick to disregard opposing perspectives, I certainly don't see that as an issue.
@@rameyzamora1018 Why do actors keep telling us their political views anyway...and why are we supposed to give a shit?!
I caught that too. I'm also a big fan of both 'ices'. In fact it'd be AWESOME to see an 'Ice' Trilogy... Ice Cube, Ice-T and Vanilla Ice, in the same movie.
how do you feel about The Deer Hunter?
Mine would be
1. The Human Condition [the whole trilogy] (Kobayashi)
2. Come and See (Klimov)
3. Ran (Kurosawa)
4. Apocalypse Now (Coppola)
5. La grande illusion (Renoir)
6. Dr. Strangelove (Kubrick)
7. The Fifth Seal (Fábri)
8. Napoleon (Gance)
9. All Quiet on the Western Front (Milestone)
10. La battaglia di Algeri (Pontecorvo)
11. L'armée des ombres (Melville)
12. Paths of Glory (Kubrick)
13. Ivan's Childhood (Tarkovsky)
14. To Be or Not to Be (Lubitsch)
15. Throne of Blood (Kurosawa)
16. Battleship Potemkin (Eisenstein)
17. Grave of the Fireflies (Takahata)
18. Lawrence of Arabia (Lean)
19. The Ascent (Shepitko)
20. Roma, citta aperta (Rossellini)
21. Skammen (Bergman)
22. Kagemusha (Kurosawa)
23. The Great Dictator (Chaplin)
24. Underground (Kusturica)
25. Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick)
26. The Cranes Are Flying (Kalatozov)
27. The Bridge on the River Kwai (Lean)
28. Threads (Jackson)
29. The General (Keaton)
30. Das Boot (Petersen)
I always considered Three Kings to be an inferior version of Kelly's Heroes.
+1 for Kelly's Heroes
The 1930 German film "Westfront" deserves to be considered. For the time it was made, surely the best achievement of a war film.
love the channel - could you do a breakdown of RAN? one of kurosawas absolute best. thanks for all the great content.
What about The Bridges of Madison County?
LOL.
Thank you for mentioning Mifune Toshiro. One of the best actors of all time.
What did you think of Dunkirk?
Come and See is the most affecting war movie I have ever experienced. I'm surprised it did not make it on to your list.
If I say it's safe to surf this beach captain, it's safe to surf this beach
Would be very interested in Rob's opinion about Walter Hill's "Southern Comfort". A very underrated movie imho and largely forgotten today.
WHY HAS YOU GOT A ONE EYE ON THE SCREEN???
OMG!!!! HES BEHIND IT ALL!!!
Dont forget the Great Escape.
I love Apocalypse Now Redux, it would definitely make my top 5. Perhaps oddly, I love the discussion at the dinner table about the history of France and such in Vietnam. Fascinating dialogue. I guess it stands to reason why I enjoy the Lincoln film so much, as it's nothing but two hours of that. I was mesmerized.
Big Red One? Theatrical or Reconstructed cut?
Hmmm, not sure. I always like to see the extra material, though 4 hrs is a bit heavy.
Do a video on your top thirty comedy movies?
Now do top 30 anime mr Rob Ager. You know you want too.
I'd struggle to find 5 anime movies I like. I'm not into them.
@@robag555 not even akira, princess mononoke, chihiro or grave of the fireflies?
Mr. Ager, I'm a little surprised you haven't bothered to see Seven Samurai more than once. You know how good it is, surely you can agree it's worth the trouble of seeing it more than once, especially if you saw it years ago. It is an essential film for any true film lover to see. Surely you agree? That moment when the comic character sees something that breaks his heart is just off the charts.
Cross of Iron another one that I really like :)
One of the greatest movies ever made...There will never be another Sam Peckinpah....
Demarcation!
We will not allowed Mine shaft-gap what is one of the multiplayer interpretation of bloody elevator (shaft) scene in Shining.
Whilst I enjoy your lists of your favourite films, please could you not spoil the endings when you are describing them. Some of these films we will not have seen and will watch because you recommend them so telling us what happens at the end kinda ruins it for some people. Even though you are vague, saying that the soldiers end up being executed is a spoiler. Even if it is based on a true story. Thank you for this video and I really like your content.
Placing Hurt Locker above Paths of Glory is the first truly unforgivable take I've seen from Mr. Ager!
Anyone looking for a good WW2 film from the German soldiers perspective, watch Stalingrad from the 1990s
Stalag 17, Patton, A Bridge Too Far, Zulu and Midway should have made this list.
Yeah Stalag 17 is brilliant. I’d have Das Boot in the number slot.
Rob, I am curious what your thoughts are on the 78 Superman movie and the 89 Batman movie. I ask because these films not only started the superhero trend in films but feel a lot more stand alone and detailed than most of the films in the genre today.
Well Superman 78 made it into Rob's top 5 "social message" movies so I'm assuming he rates it very highly
I was a teen in the 80s. The Big Red One is still one of my favorite war pics.
A few good ones you might consider watching if you haven’t:
Stalingrad
Come and See
The Great Raid
When Trumpets Fade
The Guns of Navarrone
Cross of Iron
The Eagle Has Landed
Firefox
Ran
Kagemusha
U571
The Great Raid
Von Ryan’s Express
Hart’s War
Downfall
Zulu
It' s a top 30 people .. Lots of war ,so lots of movies .. Hell, you could make a top 3000 of war movies .. Be inspired .. Make you' re own list ..
Have you seen The Hill? 1965
Patton with George C. Scott?, Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain!!!
Yes, Battle of Britain. :-) Hope you don't mean Harry Styles 'Dunkirk' :-(
Starship Troopers was on cable TV all the time when I was younger but I'd never seen the whole thing until the recent lockdowns. At the end I stood up in my living room and applauded! I love Robocop but can't believe I never bothered to commit the time to watch this even more biting satire until now.
Where is A Bridge Too Far ????
Some interesting choices here. I can't imagine making a list of top 30 war movies that didn't include Zulu, Waterloo, The Longest Day, Glory, Johnny Got His Gun, All Quiet On The Western Front, The Charge Of The Light Brigade (1968), The Lost Battalion, Das Boot, The Red Badge Of Courage...
Rob, I would suggest for you to check out the Serbian (anti) war movie "Pretty village pretty flame". It is not only insanely good but it was also filmed during the very real Bosnian war. cheers
An honourable mention would be ‘Brotherhood’ it’s based on the Korean war, brilliant war movie imo especially on a war that’s often forgotten about!
I am surprised that a few were not on the list but I understand it's a personal list. For myself I might have had The Deer Hunter, The Great Escape and The Wages Of Fear. Great stuff, looking forward to the next list!
Great solid list!
I liked Buffalo Soldiers over Jarhead, probably cuz it amused me
No Born on the 4th of July!? It's one of the greatest 10 for sure! No Schindler's List, no Deer Hunter... Really!? No way some of the stuff you've put on that list is above these 3. No way!!
Not everything is a war movie that's historically taking place at the time of war