That AFI missed (via Althouse). A pretty good list:
10. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
9. The Dirty Dozen (1967)
8. The Great Escape (1963)
7. Top Gun (1986)
6. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
5. The Caine Mutiny (1954)
4. Glory (1989)
3. Black Hawk Down (2001)
2. Patton (1970)
1. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
The author of the list (don't miss his description at the bottom) includes reasons for his choices and also makes distinctions between what was put on the 400 movie ballot and what wasn't. I'd quibble with including 'Top Gun' and would probably put 'Tora Tora Tora' on here somewhere. I know 'Midway' is one of my Dad's favorites, but it didn't make it either.
How about it from the war movie fans (Hans)? What did they miss and what did they do well with?
3 comments:
Saving Private Ryan?
I personally would put Glory #1.. but I haven't seen all of them.
I think they were only picking movies that AFI missed so Saving Private Ryan was already covered.
The Longest Day is better than most of these. Gettysburg is very long, but better than Top Gun, for instance. Black Hawk Down would be #1 on my list since Saving Private Ryan is already on the AFI list. Black Hawk Down was a much better movie than A Beautiful Mind and should have at least been nominated for best picture that year. Let's see... 12 O'Clock High should be on here. Sands of Iwo Jima was better than The Dirty Dozen. Force Z with Mel Gibson (early 80s movie) was better than Letters From Iwo Jima. Letters From Iwo Jima is worse and worse in my mind the more I think about it. Very disappointing.
Hmmm...what else. Courage Under Fire was supposed to win Meg Ryan an Oscar nomination, but I don't see it anywhere on anyone's list. Red Dawn? Better movie than most people give it credit for. Platoon should be pulled from these lists completely. Caine Muntiny and Patton are great movies so I can't really complain about them.
It's too bad that Band of Brothers can't be recognized on any of the AFI lists because it is some of the best media out there - period. I'd much rather watch ten episodes of BoB than at least eight of this list. I can't say enough about it.
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