Patton

Patton

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

Year: 1970

Starring: George C. Scott and Karl Malden

     If there is any biopic that is truly flawless in it's execution, it's Patton. The film depicts the World War II exploits of the titular American General, played by George C. Scott in what I would call his defining role. He would win the Academy Award for Best Actor, but famously refused the award, becoming the first person to ever decline an Academy Award. The film was co-written by Francis Ford Coppola, who would direct The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now!, Bram Stoker's Dracula and a whole bunch of other films. Patton, in effect, launched his career (The only other actor who declined their Academy Award was Marlon Brando for The Godfather, another film written by Coppola). 

     The opening monologue of the film, now a famous scene in itself, sets the tone for the entire film. It perfectly gives you an idea of what kind of character you'll be seeing throughout the entire length of the film. His speech is no-nonsense, and to the point, exactly like the film. We're then thrust into the aftermath of a battle, and Patton takes over, basically restructuring the command so they won't be defeated again. We learn bits and pieces of Patton as a commander, but also as a person, and it's spread out enough that there is genuine character development. You get to know the character like a soldier in the field would have. 

     The film also shows the story from the German perspective (albeit, very briefly, considering this is a film about General Patton). Erwin Rommel is a character in the film as well, and was considered one of the greatest Generals of the German army, and Patton's equal on the field. What I like about these scenes, is the dialogue is in German with English subtitles. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it adds to the authenticity, which would have been destroyed had the actors spoken English with a German accent.

     The film is also not short, clocking in at just about three hours, so it's again, not for the easily distracted. the film is easily a classic, and I would consider one of the greatest war movies ever made. It was even Richard Nixon's favourite movie, who would watch it before having to make tough military decisions in the White House. The film stands up today, and is the definition of timeless. The production value is very high and delivers, and the combat scenes, while spread apart, are engaging and very well shot. Definitely worth giving a look, especially if you're a war movie fan. 

Kelly's Heroes

Kelly's Heroes

Director: Brian G. Hutton

Year: 1970

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles and Donald Sutherland

     When I think of Kelly's Heroes, I think of two things: First, I realize that Clint Eastwood, given the length of his career, has done a handful of war movies at best. It's a type of film you don't see him in very often, so it's a nice to see him doing his thing in a World War II setting. The other though that comes to mind is the word "unexpected", and I'll explain why. 

     Kelly's Heroes may be a war movie, but the entire plot of the film revolves around a gold heist in a German-occupied town. You heard me right. It's a heist film set in World War II. Surprisingly, the film's premise works. Eastwood plays the titular character, Pvt. Kelly who has a trouble past with the army (it's later discovered that he was busted to private because of a failed assault) and learns from a captured German commander that there is a bank vault filled with millions of dollars worth of gold. He decided to plan a mission to take the gold for himself. The actions would require going AWOL, and Kelly slowly convinces many others to join the heist, even his tough-as-nails commanding officer (who was ready to court-martial him) played Telly Savalas.

     Eastwood does the thing he does best, which is playing badassery only Clint Eastwood knows how. His tough exterior and somewhat rebellious nature creates interesting screen chemistry with Telly Savalas' character, "Big Joe", his superior. The two characters are complete opposites from each other, with Big Joe being by the book and a rule follower, and Private Kelly pretty much living by his own rules and standards. The cast is rounded out by Don Rickles (whom you may know as Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story films) as "Hustler", the sarcastic supply sergeant, and Donald Sutherland as "Oddball", the incredibly laid-back, hippie-like Sherman tank commander. The four actors create an even balance of comedy and seriousness, and when the two personalities clash, it's really entertaining.

     There's really not much more to say about this one, other than it's entertaining and never has a dull scene. Every line of dialogue keeps you hooked as you want to know what happens to these characters, whether it's Big Joe getting annoyed with his foolhardy platoon, or wondering if Oddball will ever follow through on his part, the film keeps you hooked. The AWOL'd platoon even gets chased by their commanding general, who interprets their actions as a patriotic assault, and scrambles to put a stop to it, not knowing their true intentions. The film does end on a humorous not, which is very odd for a film starring Clint Eastwood, but worth checking out.  

     

Enemy At The Gates

Enemy At the Gates

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud

Year: 2001

Starring: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz and Bob Hoskins

     When I think about this film, I'm reminded that most World War II movies are usually about American or British soldiers in their respective campaigns. War films about any other country's struggle are usually made abroad, and in a different language. This film shakes it up a bit, and offers a look into a side of World War II that isn't exploited on screen enough.
     The film revolves around the battle of Stalingrad in 1942, one of the most gruesome and bloody battles of the war. Stalingrad was a turning point in the war, and by the end of the ordeal in 1943 was the beginning of the end. Law portrays Russian sniper Vassili Zaitsev, a real-life figure in the war. It depicts his apparent sniper duel with German marksman, Major Erwin Konig, played by Ed Harris. While the battle of Stalingrad and Zaitsev were in fact real, the entire film is largely fictionalized. It is loosely based on  Zaitsev's own war stories, and a brief mention (roughly 2-3 pages) in the non-fiction book of the same name. That being said, the film is still a decent war movie.
     Jude Law does a great job at playing a character thrown into a conflict, and given a job, he doesn't necessarily want. The chemistry between Law and Fiennes is pretty good, and it's a shame these two don't share many scenes together. Ron Pearlman makes a brief appearance as a fellow sniper, and he steals every scene he's in. I can easily say the same for Bob Hoskins, who plays real-life Russian military leader Nikita Khrushchev. Rachel Weisz, however, doesn't do a good job comparatively, but I don't blame her for that. The character is pretty much only there to give Zaitsev a love interest, and to break up the sausage fest that is the cast (did any of the filmmakers see The Thing or The Descent? A film can still work with a one sided cast like that). Weisz just isn't given anything to do, really, and it puts her acting talents to waste.
     The set pieces are fantastic, and those showing a worn-torn Stalingrad in particular are above average. The film has a very urban feel to it, with a lot of the action taking place in abandoned buildings and war-torn city landscapes. The battle scenes, while surprisingly few, are enough to satisfy the craving. Most of the film revolves around a sniper, who's lifestyle on the battlefield was very different than that of an ordinary infantryman, so don't expect a lot of big action sequences, but smaller, intimate ones, usually one-on-one duels between the two marksmen.
     Enemy At The Gates is a good film, and it portrays a realistic look at what the Soviet Soldiers had to endure during this time. Law and Harris provide enough tension to keep the film interesting, and the film is just long enough that it doesn't start overstaying its welcome.

The Thin Red Line

The Thin Red Line

Director: Terrence Malick

Year: 1998

Starring: Adrien Brody, Jim Caveizel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas, and a lot more.

     The Thin Red Line was released the same year as Saving Private Ryan, and while it was competing with another World War II movie, what makes this film stand out (and the reason I think the film wasn't overshadowed by Private Ryan) is the fact that this film is completely different. The film is about the Battle of Mount Austin, a pacific theater campaign.

     The film sees the return of director Terrence Malick to after a 20 year absence, and sees him in both a directing and writing capacity. Malick was able to assemble a very large ensemble cast, many of whom did't end up in the final cut of the film, and many others' appearances were limited to nothing short of cameos. Nevertheless, Malick's direction is fantastic, and his approach to film making is one that I could even compare to Stanley Kubrick. Every scene is carefully executed and it's clear that every scene was painstakingly prepared. Malick's direction makes the film feel very orchestrated and structured. 

The only things I don't particularly like about this film is the way the cast is represented. As I mentioned earlier, the film has an ensemble cast of very recognizable actors. Unfortunately, most off them are reduced to cameo roles, with the majority of the film's screen time given to Jim Caveizel, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn and Elias Koteas. George Clooney, who gets top billing, doesn't actually appear until literally the last scene. John Travolta and Adrian Brody are given only about 5 minutes of screen time, and Viggo Mortensen, Gary Oldman, Bill Pullman and Martin Sheen are cut completely from the film, along with many others. Caveizel does a decent job, but I would have prefered Adrian Brody (who apparently was supposed to "carry the film" as he describes his role in the original script). Maybe it's just me, but it also seems like a sin to cut out Gary Oldman from any film whatsoever. 

     As well directed as the film it, it does run a little long. At 171 minutes, it's an endurance. Normally that wouldn't be a bad thing, but because the film takes it's time developing what it wants to say. There are many drawn out scenes that have virtually nothing happening, and these scenes appear quite frequently. It breaks up the pacing, creating a rather disjointed experience. The film is almost three hours long, and to many, it will feel a lot longer. A well edited film creates a viewing experience that keeps you hooked until the very end, regardless of the length. That's probably due to the constant changes to the script, and Malick employing two different editors at different times, and the incredibly lengthy time it took (about a year and a half). The final version of the film is apparently very different from Malick's original concept, so it's no wonder the film's editing is all over the place. 

     The Thin Red Line is a decent film, but it's not for everyone. The pacing and length will probably turn a lot of people away, but the combat scenes and numerous cameos by many big names might be enough to stick with it until the end. 

Passchendaele

Passchendaele

Director: Paul Gross

Year: 2008

Starring: Paul Gross, Caroline Dhavernas and Gil Bellows

     The first thing that came to my mind when I first found out about this film, was the fact that World War 1 films are few and far between. Very few have been made, and very few are remembered. I was happy to finally see a film like this made, especially right here in Canada. 

Written and directed, and starring veteran actor Paul Gross, the film, as the title suggests, revolves around the battle of Passchendaele in 1917. Interesting idea, considering that particular battle was one of the most grueling campaigns of the war. Considering that has never been portrayed on screen, it's interesting to see where it goes, and how Paul Gross decides to represent it. Unfortunately, all expectations are thrown out the window, as something completely different appears on screen.

     The most disappointing thing about this film, is the fact that they give you the impression that this is going to be the World War 1 equivalent of Saving Private Ryan. The opening scene gets your attention as a couple Canadian soldiers are fighting in a town, not unlike the climax in Private Ryan. It's engaging, and actually very well shot, but it's over as quickly as it starts. That's it for the majority of the film, and Gross' character (who is largely based off of his own grandfather) doesn't return to the front lines for almost an hour and a half. 
     Instead, the film follows Gross' character as he returns to Canada, all while beginning a romantic relationship with the nurse that tended to his wounds. I have no problem with character development, and a plot like this, but it's all incredibly unnecessary. Romantic subplots don't belong in war movies, because that's not what it's about. It feels incredibly melodramatic when Gross' character returns to the front line, and Caroline Dhavernas re-enlists herself so she could be near Micheal Dunne (Paul Gross) on the front lines. 
The film wastes a lot of time talking about the war, but not actually showing any of it. You actually forget sometimes that this is a war movie. The only redeeming quality this film has, are the battle scenes themselves.
The scenes that take place during the actual battle of Passendaele are above average, and are on par with many Hollywood war movies. The last 30 minutes or so (give or take) delivers what the film did in the opening scene, and then actually stretches it out a decent amount this time. The set pieces are fantastic, and the production value is very evident.
     All in all, this film is sub-par at best, only because 2/3rds of it are basically filler. Paul Gross really does try, and I give him credit for that. 

Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down

Director: Ridley Scott

Year: 2001

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Sam Shepard, Eric Bana and William Fichtner

     Black Hawk Down is the beginning of the modern war movie era, and this is the perfect film to usher in said era. War movies taking place during other times, like World War 2 and Vietnam are still made, but they become less frequent as the interest has moved to a modern setting. This film paved the way for other war films like The Hurt Locker, Jarhead and Zero Dark Thirty. 

     The film was directed by veteran filmmaker Ridley Scott (who also released Hannibal the same year) and depicts the American attempt to stop the Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in 1993. What makes this film stand out is the fact that the entire operation isn't glamourized in the typical Hollywood-style. In fact, it ends rather unhappily. The mission ultimately failed, and the filmmakers didn't hide that fact, something that American war movies don't usually do. Don't let that take your experience away, it is still a very well made movie.

     The film features a rather large ensemble cast, many of whom weren't box-office draws or big name stars at the time. Orlando Bloom, Ioan Gruffudd, Tom Hardy, Ron Eldard and Sons of Anarchy star Kim Coates all make appearances in the film. That's one of the strongest elements the film has: the cast. Every major character gets enough screen time that you feel like you know them before the mission, and as a result, it hits you harder when the supposed "30 minute mission" goes south, and all hell breaks loose. When soldiers start getting injured or killed, you really sympathize with them and root for their survival. It's a surprisingly 

emotional film. 

     The battle sequences are above average, and Ridley Scott's effects team works their magic. The first half of the film builds up to the inevitable mission break down, and it makes the combat scenes unexpected and uneasy, something the soldiers themselves must have felt. The combat is both tight in small areas and wide open, and every edit cuts to a different set of characters that are part of a different unit, giving out many different perspectives on the action taking place. 

     Black Hawk Down is a well made modern war film. The characters stay with you, the story is both tragic and emotional, and the combat scenes deliver on what the film promises. 

Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan

Director: Steven Spielberg

Year: 1998

Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper and Vin Diesel

     Saving Private Ryan was the first war movie I remember watching, so it's natural I kick off the month with this one. The film's popularity has made it something of a quintessential World War II movie, and it deserves that title. While there have been many World War II movies before, and there have been a few since, this one definitely stands out. 

     Tom Hanks plays Capatin Miller, a United States Ranger tasked with finding one specific soldier, the namesake Private Ryan (played by Matt Damon) and making sure he gets home safe. 

The film opens with the D-Day landing at Omaha beach, and like any opening scene, it grabs you. The tension builds as you wait with the soldiers themselves as they wait for the unprecedented landing on the beach. The second those platforms drop, it's nothing but a massacre. Soldiers drop like flies as the main characters struggle to survive the onslaught. What makes this opening scene effective is the main characters we will eventually follow on this mission are slowly introduced one by one, and we get a sense of who they are before they finally meet up on the beach. When the invasion is over, the main unit of character is already established and as the viewer, you already feel like you know them. 

     Tom Hanks gives one of the best performances of his career as Captain Miller. Unlike his other roles he's had in the past, this character is very mysterious. It's a running gag that his soldiers don't know anything about him, and even have a large bet going on to entice them to find out anything they can. It's effective because the image of his character is built up until he finally opens up to his squad, and it shows that looks can be deceiving. Hank's talent takes center stage during these scenes, as you actually feel like there is a real character coming out, but at the same time you feel a little disappointed, as your perceived image of him was not what you expected.  

     The end battle scene is the biggest standout in the film. It's not enough that Miller and his squad lost two men and almost tore themselves apart finding Private Ryan, but now they have to fend off an entire German platoon. The set pieces and battle sequences are fantastic, with some editing that blends one scene into the next, creating an almost seamless experience. 

     All in all, Saving Private Ryan is one of the last great films about World War II. Around this time, World War II films kind of fell out of style, and while some would be made in the coming years, very few would reach the popularity of this one in particular. It may be an over-glamorized Hollywood war movie, but it's one that deserves a spot as a classic.