Monday, February 07, 2005
‘What no westerns?’: Maine Man chimes in on the Greatest War Movies posts over the weekend:
“What no westerns? The Searchers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Cheyenne. Zulu is a great movie, but it is a western set in Africa. Breaker Morant, a great movie, is a western set in Australia and Egypt. Apocalypse Now was far and away the greatest, there is no comparison; but The Searchers is number 1 if you admit westerns, and Apocalypse Now is second. ... What about From Here to Eternity, one of very few movies that both guys and gals could watch and enjoy? Lawrence of Arabia has a lot of topical interest of course. It was a great movie and it introduced many of us to Islam and the Arabs. (BTW, i think that the Omar Sharif character in the movie was later put on the Iraqi throne by the Brits.) Hell, you could even argue that the Godfather trilogy is a war movie, the family versus the state. One of the hallmarks of a good war movie is that the hero is a guy you would want in the foxhole next to you, but not someone whom you would trust in civilian life, and the movie is good enough to point that out. Rummy, who never served, is like that, isn't he?”
Hub Blog’s response -- Agree From Here to Eternity should have at least gotten a mention/acceptance/rejection. ... As for westerners and the Godfather, I totally disagree. Should we also include cop and gangster movies?
'What, no mention of Patton?’: And Sol jumps into the Greatest War Movies fray:
“What, no mention of Patton?! And don't forget to check out the oft-overlooked Howard Hughes directed Hell's Angels.”
Hub Blog’s response -- I know, I know. Read Armchair Gen. Savin Hill’s anti-Patton rant from yesterday. Patton was definitely on my list.
“What no westerns? The Searchers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Cheyenne. Zulu is a great movie, but it is a western set in Africa. Breaker Morant, a great movie, is a western set in Australia and Egypt. Apocalypse Now was far and away the greatest, there is no comparison; but The Searchers is number 1 if you admit westerns, and Apocalypse Now is second. ... What about From Here to Eternity, one of very few movies that both guys and gals could watch and enjoy? Lawrence of Arabia has a lot of topical interest of course. It was a great movie and it introduced many of us to Islam and the Arabs. (BTW, i think that the Omar Sharif character in the movie was later put on the Iraqi throne by the Brits.) Hell, you could even argue that the Godfather trilogy is a war movie, the family versus the state. One of the hallmarks of a good war movie is that the hero is a guy you would want in the foxhole next to you, but not someone whom you would trust in civilian life, and the movie is good enough to point that out. Rummy, who never served, is like that, isn't he?”
Hub Blog’s response -- Agree From Here to Eternity should have at least gotten a mention/acceptance/rejection. ... As for westerners and the Godfather, I totally disagree. Should we also include cop and gangster movies?
'What, no mention of Patton?’: And Sol jumps into the Greatest War Movies fray:
“What, no mention of Patton?! And don't forget to check out the oft-overlooked Howard Hughes directed Hell's Angels.”
Hub Blog’s response -- I know, I know. Read Armchair Gen. Savin Hill’s anti-Patton rant from yesterday. Patton was definitely on my list.
