Hopefully no one reading this has to be
told why today is important. 97 years
ago, Germany agreed to an Armistice to end the Great War. Around the world, we remember those who fought
with Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, or Veteran's Day.
In light of this, I wanted to shed some
light on movies depicting the Great War.
For some reason, this war has been largely overlooked, particularly when
compared to the Second World War.
Nevertheless, there are some good ones out there. I am looking at these as World War I movies,
not just as movies themselves. Hence,
the ranking here might not reflect how good they are in a general category of
movies.
1.
Paths of Glory (1957)
One
of only two Stanley Kubrick movies (Spartacus) that I recommend. It is a haunting look at some of the issues
that go on behind the scenes in war. As
a strictly anti-war film, it is almost more like a Vietnam movie, though it was
made well before Vietnam was a full-blown conflict for Americans.
2.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Based
on the quintessential World War I book, it also has a strong anti-war
bent. It is particularly adept at
showing the influence of propaganda.
3.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The
best movie on the list, it's a few notches down since it is only tangentially
connected to the greater war. Still, it
is a good look at an area of the war that is sometimes forgotten though perhaps
most relevant for us today, given the importance of Arabia and the former
Ottoman Empire.
4.
Sergeant York (1941)
Yes,
there is a bit of camp, but I still like this depiction of the war. It's the only truly pro-war movie on this
list (if you can't tell from the poster), so for that it is more like a World War II movie (which makes sense given
its release date). Surprisingly little
of the movie actually takes place during the war, which maybe is appropriate
given how little America played a role in it.
5.
War Horse (2011)
What
some people call overly sentimental, I call an interesting look at the war from
multiple angles. The horse charge is a
dramatic example of the changing modernity of war during this time.
6.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Perhaps
the movie on this list where the war is least important, but still it shows the
effect war can have on a family. A good
movie, despite Brad Pitt (I say that quite a bit). I might add that, as much as I love John Williams' score for War Horse, this has by far the best score on the list.
7.
Passchendaele (2010)
The
only truly bad movie on this list.
Poorly made, poorly acted, and few war scenes. At least Canada tried.
Of note:
I grew up loving The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, particularly the
episodes during the war, both in Europe and in Africa. For a TV show, it's still pretty good.
Movies I need to see:
Joyeaux Noel (heard many good things
about it)
Wings (the first Best Picture Oscar
winner)
Gallipoli (with Mad Max a movie that put
Mel Gibson on the map)
