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Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 3:38:49 AM

Zap

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The movie(for me) which depicted the most realistic battle scenes had to be BRAVEHEART.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 3:44:03 AM

rhondabrwn

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I nominate "Tae Guk Gi" for realistic battle scenes.

I would also have a very soft place in my heart for "Gettysburg" (though it doesn't include all the "heads blown off by a cannonball" spectacular included in "The Patriot").

I would also submit "Gallipoli" for documenting the most horrendous waste of human life in a movie.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 3:51:45 AM

Black Mamba 1942

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Zulu
Hamburger Hill
All Quiet on the Western Front(the original)
Dawn Patrol
Sink the Bismarck
Twelve O'Clock High
Das Boot

< Message edited by Black Mamba 1942 -- 3/4/2006 3:52:18 AM >

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 4:45:37 AM

Sarge

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If your looking for realistic firefights put in the DVD

Black Hawk Down

But the most realistic scene I ever seen was ,believe or not the scene in Forest Gump.
The terror,violence and how it realistically showed the confusion a squad comes under was very realistic,hell to realistic.

You would be surprised how long 30 seconds is

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 6:45:24 AM

mogami

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Zap

The movie(for me) which depicted the most realistic battle scenes had to be BRAVEHEART.

Hi, Braveheart? Braveheart? The director said "I won't let history get in the way of the story" The battle scene for the Battle of Stirling Bridge didn't even have a bridge.
There was nothing historical or realitic about the movie Braveheart.

(among a number of things
1. There was already a scott King and it was a dispute among scotts that led to their inviting the english to arbitrate (The english did not trick the Scotts and then massacure them)
2. The French princess was under 12 year old
3. The forces at Stirling bridge were fairly even (6400 Scotts versus 6700 english) with the Scotts holding the better ground. They had 400 longbowman verus 350 english heavy cav. (compare this ratio to that at Crecy 50 years later)

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 9:48:19 AM

Raverdave

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Never having been in a two way fire fight I feel underqualified to even think about listing a movie. However having done lots of fire exs I think that I can put forward the following comments.
What you see on the screen is not what the average trooper on the ground sees. IRL all you see is your mates to the direct left and right of you (if your lucky) and a very narrow arc to your front. Generally you are sweating hard, thirsty, puffed and half deaf from all the ordance that is going off around you. While all that is happening you are trying as hard as possible to aim and fire your weapon while straining to hear what your section commander is yelling at you. You greatest fear (or at least mine was) was that you not fcuk up in front of your mates.

Now imagine all that with some one actually trying to shoot at you !

How could I ever claim to know what a realistic battle scene is?

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 1:08:08 PM

Black Mamba 1942

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mogami

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zap

The movie(for me) which depicted the most realistic battle scenes had to be BRAVEHEART.

Hi, Braveheart? Braveheart? The director said "I won't let history get in the way of the story"

2. The French princess was under 12 year old

Sophie Marceau looked good for a twelve year old!

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 1:08:41 PM

trojan58

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the depth charge sequence in 'Das Boot' is hard to beat for realism

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 1:56:03 PM

JudgeDredd

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Sorry - but Saving Private Ryan opening sequence.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 2:53:37 PM

wodin

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"Brotherhood" Korean film about the Korean War. My god the scenes beat everything hands down. When a mortor goes off you dont just see someone fly through the air, you see them being ripped apart on the spot!

"Thin Red Line"

Also the obvious "Saving Private Ryan" However lets not forget that the actual way it was filmed was pioneered in "Paths of Glory" which is a great film.

"We were soldiers" Thought I'd hate it but the fighting was very intense and chaotic.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 10:14:11 PM

madflava13

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The Band of Brothers series... I really enjoyed the Carentan episode as well as the mortar attack scenes in Bastogne...

I guess "enjoyed" isn't the right word, but you know what I mean...

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/4/2006 10:58:28 PM

iaidoka2

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The opening scenes of Enemy at the Gates were pretty good.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/5/2006 12:21:20 AM

Zap

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Mogami,

I guess I was referring to the sense of urgency in the actual battle scenes. I thought it gave an idea of the spirit and courage men had to use fighting with those weapons.

I'll admit, I never had a real sword fight, the closest I came was playing as a kid with wooden swords. I will also plead ignorance about the history. You made your point, I gueuss mine was not such a good choice for most realistic.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/5/2006 12:26:30 AM

Zap

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Raverdave,

I'll have to second your point. I'm unqualified. BUt I was asking also for an observers opion. I realize it means less then one who actually has fought in battle.

< Message edited by Zap -- 3/5/2006 1:04:35 AM >

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/5/2006 12:59:23 AM

Sarge

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quote:

ORIGINAL: wodin

"Brotherhood" Korean film about the Korean War. My god the scenes beat everything hands down. When a mortor goes off you dont just see someone fly through the air, you see them being ripped apart on the spot!

If your not making small with incomming mortor rounds the only thing your going to see is your maker

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/6/2006 3:56:40 AM

Rodak

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I am a combat veteran and I can tell you it's really a very personal experience. I don't know if it's different for everyone, but it certainly effects people some people differently. So the most realistic to me may not be the most realistic in another vets eyes.

The one that really struck me the first time I saw it was the opening scene in saving private ryan. I remember feeling very small and helpless under fire. I could relate to Tom Hanks character in the scene as he was overwhelmed by the whole experience.

My experience was different from his in that I did not witness americans getting butchered like that. It is easier I think to deal with death when it is the bad guys who are getting butchered I think because we tend to de-humanize them. Refering to Somali's as "skinnies" or vietnamese as "gooks" are good examples of that. You find a way to cope. Human nature I think.

I thank god I did not have to deal with watching americans get butchered the way Tom Hanks character did in that movie. I have ultimate respect from WW2 vets.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/6/2006 4:32:44 AM

KG Erwin

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Being a Pacific War fan, I've seen some amazing documentary footage, but, to my mind, the best "Hollywood" version of this up-close and personal carnage was in the hilltop assault sequence in "The Thin Red Line". The men represented were not marines, but regular Army. I have no problem with this -- Army troops fought alongside the Marines in the later stages of the Guadalcanal campaign.

You can trash the movie overall, but that sequence is very good, IMHO.

I have high hopes that the upcoming "Flags of Our Fathers", directed by Clint Eastwood, will raise the bar for depicting the reality of the war in the Pacific.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/6/2006 9:42:28 AM

JudgeDredd

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quote:

ORIGINAL: iaidoka2

The opening scenes of Enemy at the Gates were pretty good.

Ok...hectic, yes...but those Stukas fly like a cheap console flight sim!! They turn on a sixpence.

I found it hard to like anything about that film. They did the normal "love scene" thing and screwed it up, along with many, many, many factual errors. In fact, scrap the "factual errors" statement...it abviously wasn't meant to be, so I can't hold that against them. In my eyes, it was only just above Wind Talkers!!

< Message edited by JudgeDredd -- 3/6/2006 10:12:08 AM >

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/6/2006 5:34:17 PM

anarchyintheuk

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Ditto for Thin Red Line's hilltop assault. I wish they had recast Travolta and Nolte tho.

Edited for confusion

< Message edited by anarchyintheuk -- 3/7/2006 5:13:40 PM >

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/6/2006 5:52:07 PM

sol_invictus

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I would have to go with the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan or the Russian assault in Cross of Iron.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/6/2006 5:55:28 PM

Froonp

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quote:

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd
Sorry - but Saving Private Ryan opening sequence.

I'd also vote for this one as the most realistic battle scenes in a movie, even if I never battled anything (except pixels on a screen, or cardboard counters on a table), but just seeing it made me so uneasy that I felt that it must have been very close to what it can be for real.

Also, I then looked at the same sequence (invasion) in the old "The longest day" 1963 movie, and the difference was so striking !! I though that at the time (sixties), we may have felt that the Invasion sequences of "The Longest Day" were realistic. If reality is as far away as "Saving Private Ryan" as "Saving Private Ryan" was far away from "The Longest Day" this must be a horrible experience and I hope of never having to know.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/7/2006 2:47:48 PM

Rodak

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quote:

I found it hard to like anything about that film. They did the normal "love scene" thing and screwed it up, along with many, many, many factual errors. In fact, scrap the "factual errors" statement...it abviously wasn't meant to be, so I can't hold that against them. In my eyes, it was only just above Wind Talkers!!

I thought Enemy at the Gates was a decent movie too until I read the book. Since then the only part I can sit through is the opening scene, which I still enjoy.

I'm suprised no one mentioned the opening scene of Gladiator. You guys didn't like that?

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/7/2006 3:12:46 PM

Error in 0

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We probably automatically associate war with WW2 in most cases? But I agree, that was a very cool scene. I also remember a scene from a Finnish movie about the finnish winter war. The scene was very vivid, but I cannot remember the film.

The scene that was most "personal" is from Saving Private Ryan, where the nazi and the jude is fighting with a knife, and the nazi get the upper hand. I got all cold, and had to turn away. It had nothing to do with them being a nazi and jude, tough.

JT

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/8/2006 1:55:50 AM

joesph32

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Hey there all im new here,been a guest for far to long,so decieded to finally sign up and try to join in,as millitary history is obviously a fav subject of mine for years.
Ok any way i would like to add a few films to this post myself,ive seen hundreds of war films,and gotta say there are loads to pick from really.
I love the ones talked about already,like zulu,SPR,THRL all good films,i also loved braveheart, though not at all accurate (where the damn bridge mel!) but still a rip roaring all action film,even if the brits are so one dimensional in it.
Some other mel gibson films which are good also-We were soldiers,which i loved the first part with the french was very interesting,would love to see a big budget film made on the french in vietnam.
Gallipoli-another very cool film,with maybe the saddest ending of a film ive ever seen,shows the human waste that wars really are,fighting over pointless bits of land for little if any real gain or value.
Any way other films i loved are-
Zulu dawn,to me a far better film then zulu,always love that battle,and though pretty slow till the end,and badly cut in parts,the way the camp is shown being over run was heart breaking,the suffering of the wounded and the massacre of even the cooks and non combatents was very well done,also with no cgi,it just looked way better then say something like troy,which to me any way was pretty poor.
I also loved the battle of agincourt scene out of the brannagh remake of henry v ?,that was a real suprise but really gritty and probaly far better and more relistic then say braveheart.
God there so many to pick out,i watched the alamo remake today,which i liked.As for ww2 films ive always liked the longest day,a bridge to far,kellys heros(cool flick),And the band of brother battles are good to.
Any way best stop now,could be here all night other wise.But just also thinking though im not a huge fan of cgi,its should make some of the real epic battles from history work now,i mean i could of added the lord of the rings battles as they are some of the best,though obviously fantasy so dont count,but with the likes of 300 coming out,war films may be enetering a new golden age,at least in looks if not acting or directing.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/8/2006 2:15:29 AM

wodin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

quote:

ORIGINAL: iaidoka2

The opening scenes of Enemy at the Gates were pretty good.

Ok...hectic, yes...but those Stukas fly like a cheap console flight sim!! They turn on a sixpence.

I found it hard to like anything about that film. They did the normal "love scene" thing and screwed it up, along with many, many, many factual errors. In fact, scrap the "factual errors" statement...it abviously wasn't meant to be, so I can't hold that against them. In my eyes, it was only just above Wind Talkers!!

And the accents!

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/8/2006 3:34:29 AM

ShermanM4

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quote:

I'm suprised no one mentioned the opening scene of Gladiator. You guys didn't like that?

I have to agree. As a RTW fan, I thought it was exsquisite showing the Roman Legionnaries in battle. To further the Russel Crowe mania, I think the opening scene to Master and Commander was good also. Though does anybody know, did they have explosive ordinance yet? It seemed good all the same. Everybody was running around frantically "beating to quarters" while trying to deal with the surprise attack.

quote:

And the accents!

Its funny how British English sounds nothing like Russian

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/8/2006 5:34:51 AM

Tankerace

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For me I'd have to say one of the most realistic to me would be the big first battle scene in The Battle of the Bulge.

Now, before I get flamed (I can alread here the "What the ****!")

The entire movie is unrealistic. Chaffees for Shermans, Pattons for Konigstigers. Snow at the beginning, a desert at the end. The movie is about as unrealistic as it gets (though its fun to watch).

That said...

I find that the first major battle captures the Hell the Americans faced pretty well. The underpowered tanks, unable to even ding the armor on the German tanks at point blank range (Like Guffy said, "It's like hitting 'em with tennis balls!") I think it also conveyed the absolute carnage and futility of trying to stop tanks with infantry. Bazookas that bounce off, rifle grenades that are useless, anti tank guns that are just as ineffective as the 75's on the Shermans/Chaffees, and the mass slaughter that could be wrought down on infantry in the open.

Like I said, I know the movie isn't realistic, and I know the only thing it has to do with the Battle of the Bulge is the word "Bastogne" is mentioned twice in the movie. But I do think it captures the sheer ineffectiveness of American armor one on one with German armor, and the heavy casualties incurred by using infantry to stop tanks.

Just my .02.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/8/2006 12:48:23 PM

JudgeDredd

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quote:

ORIGINAL: wodin

quote:

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

quote:

ORIGINAL: iaidoka2

The opening scenes of Enemy at the Gates were pretty good.

Ok...hectic, yes...but those Stukas fly like a cheap console flight sim!! They turn on a sixpence.

I found it hard to like anything about that film. They did the normal "love scene" thing and screwed it up, along with many, many, many factual errors. In fact, scrap the "factual errors" statement...it abviously wasn't meant to be, so I can't hold that against them. In my eyes, it was only just above Wind Talkers!!

And the accents!

Actually, Wodin...thanks for pointing that out because, when I left the cinema, the first thing I said to my wife about it was "WTF! I was expecting them to ask for a "cup o' rosie lee" all the way through that movie. It was my biggest pet hate.

I can forgive films for historical innacuracies if it's done for artistic licence (some) but love triangles and lack of accents - NO WAY. Not it this day and age. At least and accent...so don't make them learn Russian.

Saying that, would that be that hard? They don't have to know the intracacies of the language, just learn the damn line and pronunciation in the language required. Hell, we could all learn a a few lines of a language for a daily shoot, couldn't we?

Also, Hollywood has played the same old theme to death! :- Man in love with woman. Woman in love with man. Best friend is best friend to both. Man goes away to fight far away war. Man presumed dead Best friend consoles friends lover Best friend loves friends lover Man returns Best friends fall out. Best friends are best friend again.

I just described a shed load of Hollywood movies in a single paragraph!!!

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/9/2006 7:01:32 AM

ShermanM4

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For all the bad mouthing you can do about The Enemy at the Gates, I don't think any of you can deny that it had the most realistic looking sex scene of any war movie.

I mean the role Racheal Weisz played for a character long before the sexual revolution, she was quite amazing.

On that note, I think I am off to a cold shower.

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RE: Most realistic battle scenes in a movie - 3/9/2006 9:47:42 AM

JudgeDredd

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ShermanM4

For all the bad mouthing you can do about The Enemy at the Gates, I don't think any of you can deny that it had the most realistic looking sex scene of any war movie. I mean the role Racheal Weisz played for a character long before the sexual revolution, she was quite amazing. On that note, I think I am off to a cold shower.

LMAO! Absolutely. I can't think of a movie which did it better....so, at the Oscars...

The nominees for Most Realistic Sex Scene in a War Movie are:
Enemy At The Gates
From Here To Eternity
Pearl Harbour (2001)
M*A*S*H

and the winner is :

It's Enemy at the Gates ladies and gentlemen. War scenes were crap...but Rachel Weisz...Yowzer!!

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