The Great Dictator

The Great Dictator

Director: Charles Chaplin

Year: 1940

Starring: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakie

     There is a lot of significance surrounding The Great Dictator. Not only was it Chaplin's first "talkie" (a full 13 years after sound was introduced), and it became one of the most controversial films of Chaplin's career. Starting with his previous film, Modern Times, Chaplin became very political in his film making, and many consider it to be the greatest contributor to his eventual decline in popularity, and subsequent exile from the United States. Nevertheless, the film is still one of Chaplin's best works. 

     The film is a very thinly disguised satire of the Nazi Regime, and Adolff Hitler. Chaplin's character, Adenoid Hynkel, is a caricature of Hitler, and it helps that the two sported the same toothbrush mustache.   Germany is replaced with Tomania in the film, and Italy is replaced with Bacteria. Even Benito Mussolini gets ridiculed, and is played by a very talented Jack Oakie. 

     The film also sees Chaplin playing the role of a Jewish Barber, who had lost his memory following the First World War. There are many that believe this character to be Chaplin's Tramp character he played in his silent films, but Chaplin himself stated on many occasions that the Tramp would not appear in a talkie, and this was a completely different character. Whether or not it is the Tramp character is really up to the viewer. The film follows the barber as he returns to the Ghetto, unaware of Hynkel's regime, and the treatment of Jewish citizens of Tomania. Chaplin was unaware of the horrors of the holocaust at the time, and even said had he know, he would have never made the film. He believed these conditions were the worst the Jewish citizens were going through, but in his defense, so did the rest of the world. 

     The film has all the characteristics of a typical Chaplin silent comedy. There is plenty of slapstick moments, and it all feels familiar, yet fresh. Chaplin was worried that adopting sound would ruin the magic of his film making, but the many humorous scenes show that he could have had a thriving career in the sound era. Chaplin's gags always relied on the physical side, and it's proven during these many scenes when the Jewish Barber character doesn't talk during the funny moments. It leaves you wondering what could have happened had Chaplin kept his career going. 

     The film, while controversial in it's time, has become a classic of Chaplin's career. It is a genius satire at the Nazi regime, and it still holds up today. The final six-minute monologue given by Chaplin's Jewish Barber character (who is mistaken for Hynkel) is one of the most powerful monologues in film, and it's rather ironic it comes from a man who made a career not making a sound on camera. 

Flyboys

Flyboys

Director: Tony Bill

Year: 2006

Starring: James Franco, Jean Reno and Martin Henderson

     Flyboys depicts something that many forget was a part of the First World War: the bi-planes, and their legendary dogfights. There was a lot going on in the European skies, and not many films have been made on the subject. The first winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, Wings, was a silent film about combat aces. The Blue Max was a British film about German fighter pilots, and Hell's Angels is another film about the subject. Needless to say, very few films cover this part of the First World War.
     Flyboys is based on the true story of the LaFayette Escadrille air squadron, a French flying unit that had many Americans join their ranks. Each character is based heavily on a real-life figure, and their stories come to life on the big screen. Leading the ranks is James Franco, an American Rancher who becomes intrigued by the idea of flying in combat, and becomes a very talented pilot at that. Martin Henderson plays a veteran pilot with a troubled past, and clashes with Franco's character at various points in the film. Jean Reno is the real star of the film as the commanding officer of LaFayette, Captain Thenault (the only character to retain the real name of the person he was based on).
     The areal scenes in the film is really impressive, and while it was all done digitally, it still has a sense of weight, meaning you get a feeling that these are real, and you forget they were all created digitally. The dogfight scenes is where the research shows as well, as it's very clear the filmmakers did their homework. There wasn't much video footage of bi-planes for obvious reasons, so the filmmakers had to rely on written descriptions of what these might have looked like. The grand scale of these scenes gives you a sense of awe and wonder, and if the entire film had just been bi-planes shooting each other down, it wouldn't have been a bad thing.
     The only major downside to this film is the pointless romance subplot. Franco's character falls in love with a local French girl, and he is constantly meeting up with her at different times. These scenes are boring, and they don't go anywhere. It really feels like filler, and these scenes could have been removed from the final cut. They really don't have any bearing on the film's plot. There is absolutely no character development, with the female character blatantly telling Franco's character that it isn't going anywhere, and that he should stop what he's doing. It really makes you miss the flying scenes, or any scene with Jean Reno.
     Flyboys, although it had a terrible run at the box-office, and was given a negative reception by many critics, it still a good film. There are times when the film feels cheesy, and a lot of the actors in the film really shouldn't quit their day-job, but overall, the effects on the airplanes themselves, and Franco and Reno's acting, really make up for it. If anything, it reminds you that the First World War wasn't just fought in the trenches.  

Full Metal Jacket

Full Metal Jacket

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Year: 1987

Starring: Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin and R. Lee Ermey

     Stanley Kubrick makes the list again with another war movie, this time set in the Vietnam war.  Full Metal Jacket was Kubrick's first film since The Shinning, leaving a gap of seven years. It became common for Kubrick to spend a lot of time on one film, and it pays off in this one.

     The film is presented in two parts. The first half of the film is the training at Parris Island where we meet the main character, who's nickname is Private Joker. We follow him through a rigorous training regime, and encounter other soldiers as well, most notably a character nicknamed Private Pyle who is played by the incredibly underrated Vincent D'Onofrio. 

     Pyle plays an important role in the first half of the film, as he takes most of the demeaning abuse from Drill Instructor Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey in what is probably his greatest performance of his entire career. Through these two characters, Kubrick explores his recurring theme of dehumanization, something he used in his earlier war movie Paths of Glory. Pyle clearly can't accomplish as much as the other soldiers-in-training, and Hartman does nothing but harass him. His mental abuse gets so intense that he finally stops being a person, and completes the transformation by literally going insane. A violent confrontation between Hartman and Pyle concludes the first half of the film, and we are shipped off to Vietnam where we follow Private Joker, the only character to appear in both parts of the film (apart from Joker's friend Cowboy who we see later on). 

     The film has a dramatic shift in tone as it makes the transition. It's here Kubrick shows his genius as a filmmaker. The training portions of the film were emotionally and physically exhausting, intense and even dangerous at points. In Vietnam, where the war is taking place, it's more of a laid back, relaxed attitude. It's a brilliant juxtaposition that Kubrick uses to illustrate how the military itself is the dehumanizing factor, and not necessarily the war. 

     What makes this film stand out even more, is the urban settings it has in Vietnam. The majority of films set during this conflict are usually set in dense jungles. The combat is guerrilla-style, and it feels claustrophobic at times. Kubrick opted to place the combat scenes in a war-torn city which looks like the aftermath of an apocalypse. It's these scenes we are introduced to Adam Baldwin's character Animal Mother, who is one badass you wouldn't want to mess with. Baldwin would later play a toned down version of this character in Firefly years later. 

     Stanley Kubrick does it again and creates another masterpiece, one I would consider his best film, if not one of his best. It's another excellent film to add to the already large number made during the period, and it remains a classic, and it still holds up today.

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

Director: Robert Aldrich

Year: 1967

Starring: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas and Donald Sutherland 

     Badass. That's the only word that comes to mind when this film is mentioned. A World War II movie featuring some of the biggest movie star badasses at the time, we'll it's very hard to disappoint. If I can simply sum it up, imagine taking The Expendables, setting it during the War, and replace mercenaries with convicted felons, you've got the basic idea of The Dirty Dozen.

     Lee Marvin plays Major John Reisman, a man who is given a dangerous mission behind enemy lines. The catch, he has to train 12 prisoners, most of whom are sentenced to death or hard labor, for this mission. The film's entire plot is the execution of this mission, but surprisingly, it doesn't focus on that part very much. It spends it's time introducing each character. their experiences during the training, and how they get along during this entire time. Marvin is as badass as he ever is, and it only begs the question why he doesn't have some sort of cult following like Chuck Norris. He's not really remembered for much these days, and this film is one of many that reminds you how unstoppable the guy was. 

     The supporting cast is just as good as Marvin. Ernest Borgnine plays the General how assigns Reisman with the mission, and while he disapears for a while, he plays a larger role later in the film. Borgnine was a very talent actor, because while he doesn't really do much in the film, you always want to know what he's going to say next. His presence was that commanding. Rounding out the cast was Charles Bronson, who has earlier success in the previous war movie The Great Escape. This time, he's got balls of steel, and he almost matches Marvin's level of intensity. Telly Savalas, (who would appear with Clint Eastwood in Kelly's Heroes) plays a more lighthearted role. A lot of the humor comes from his character, who is constantly saying something sarcastic, and even a bit racist. The badassery is still a force to be reckoned with, as he finds a delicate balance between the two. Donald Sutherland is the real comic relief, playing a somewhat dimwitted character who doesn't intimidate at all. His standout scene is when Reisman has him  pretend to be a general, and he goes about inspecting a military unit, and is very funny in doing so. 

     The film is lengthy, but it's about the unit itself than the actual war. The cast of characters is very colourful and memorable, and their exchanges between themselves is the real star of the movie. You follow the characters from their first roll call in the prison, to them building their own barracks, to the war games and finally to the final mission, you really feel like you get to know these characters. The final act is the film's only flaw. It's small-scale, and while that's that it was supposed to be from the start, it can be a little underwhelming at times. The entire film builds up to the big epic climactic finale, and it just doesn't feel like it delivers. This is probably due to the fact the book the film was based on, only had the mission as a footnote, so to be fair the filmmakers didn't have very much to go on. 

     The Dirty Dozen is a badass, testosterone-filled war movie that will make you fall in love with Lee Marvin, and forget about Chuck Norris. There was a sequel produced (although for television) in 1985 called The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission which reunited Marvin and Borgnine, and there were several other sequels made after that, with Savalas and Borgnine returning. The Dirty Dozen is one that will satisfy every craving you have, and is best enjoyed with the guys and a case of beer. 

A Bridge Too Far

A Bridge Too Far

Director: Richard Attenborough

Year: 1977

Starring: James Caan, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, and far too many to name.

     Many know Richard Attenborough as as John Hammond in the Jurassic Park films, but he has also had a prolific career behind the camera. A Bridge Too Far is one of those films. He would later win the Academy Award for directing Gandhi and would later direct the Charlie Chaplin biopic Chaplin with Robert Downy Jr. 

     The film itself is about Operation Market Garden, the failed attempt to end the war by Christmas 1944. It was a huge undertaking that initially seemed successful, but failed to end the war as early as the Allies had planned. The mission involved the co-operation between American and British units, and even the Canadian Engineers had a small part. The film is almost as big an undertaking as the mission itself. 

     The film is a war epic, so expect a long haul. It's worth it though, as the film has a very large cast with many well-known actors having major parts to small cameos. Gene Hackman, although you'd think he'd play an American, actually plays a Polish General, which is interesting because it defies the expectations (given the roles he's played up to that point) and it mixes it up a bit. It would have been cool, seeing as British actors played British soldiers and same for the Americans, if an actual Polish actor helmed this role. It's  nitpicking, and Hackman's performance makes up for it. 

     The diverse cast, and large scale scenes really makes this feel like a huge undertaking. it's got impressive visuals, and the combat scenes are above average. The scattering of the massive amounts of familiar faces throughout the film keep you hooked the entire 3-hour run time, because there's never a moment they don't use the actors they have. 

     What also makes this film different is they don't hide the fact that Operation Market Garden was a failure. It's not downplayed, but it's not played up either. It's just kind of, "well, that's how it happened" attitude, almost like a documentary. The final scenes address the failure in a clever way, as Lieutenant General Roy Browning is asked how he feels about it, he replies "I always felt we tried to go a bridge too far". You certainly won't feel this way when you see this film. A decent cast, a great director, and a production value that just makes you appreciate all the work that went into this film, you won't be disappointed.  

Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia

Director: David Lean

Year: 1962

Starring: Peter O'Tool, Alec Guiness. Claude Rains, Omar Shariff and Anthony Quinn

     The word "classic" best describes this film, as it has withstood the test of time, and is still beloved and hailed to this day, half a century later. Lawrence of Arabia tells a different story in the First World War, one that many may not realize even happened. When you think of World War I, the images that come to mind are the Western Front, and the British against the German army in the trenches. There was much more than that going on during the war, and Arabia is just one of those many stories.

     The film is the true story of T.E. Lawrence, a British officer who helped unite the Arab National Council against the invading Turks. Lawrence is sent in to gain a foothold in the middle east, and to help establish British Military operations in the area.  

     Peter O'Tool (in his film debut) gives an excellent performance as the originally naive T.E. Lawrence. His character grows through the entire course of the film, and O'Tool's performance creates a subtle transformation as he goes from a young, inexperienced officer to a hardened and wiser person. O'Tool's performance is crucial to the film, because the character's development is mirrored in the events surrounding him. Had O'Tool not pulled it off, the film would have been a lot less effective. 

     Showing up in a supporting role is Alec Guiness doing what he does. He never gives a bad performance, and his role as Prince Faisal is on par with O'Tool's Lawrence.  The two play off each other rather effectively, showing a real relationship as the film progresses, which makes the ending even more emotional. 

     The only thing that would detract a lot of people from seeing the film, is the film's length. At 3 hours and 42 minutes, it is the longest film on this entire list, and probably the longest war movie ever made. It is definitely an endurance (it took me three sittings to get through the entire thing).The film is mostly dialogue as well, which makes the film feel slightly longer than it actually is, but given that this is a war movie, there are some combat scenes which are pretty impressive. The final battle near the end of the film is a grand-scale battle that almost reminds you of the battles in Lord of the Rings. 

    Lawrence of Arabia has certainly left it's mark in cinema history. It won the 1962 Best Picture Oscar, and O'Tool receiving a nomination for Best Actor (he lost of Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird). Ridley Scott even references the film several times in Prometheus, by making it the android David's favourite film, and even basing the character (right down to his hairstyle and mannerisms) on T.E. Lawrence. 

Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Year: 1979

Starring: Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Harrison Ford and 

Marlon Brando

     If there is a word I can use to describe Apocalypse Now, that word is "epic". It is my favourite of all the films on this list, so please excuse if I tend to over hype it. Apocalypse Now was released in 1979 and has gone down as one of the greatest films of the 1970s, one of the greatest Vietnam war movies, and one of the greatest films of the "New Hollywood" era. This film might not be flawless, but it deserves all the praise it gets. 

     The film is actually a loose adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, but updated to a Vietnam setting. The story has Martin Sheen as Captain Benjamin Willard, who is tasked to hunt down, and terminate Col. Walter E. Kurtz, a former officer who has gone completely insane. Marlon Brando plays Kurtz, and while he isn't seen until the very end of the film, his looming presence is constant over the entire course of the film. Kurtz is played up to being a very dangerous man who is worshiped like a god. It may have helped that Brando was already a legendary actor, and it helped that his status enforced this larger than life character. 

     Willard sets out on a military boat (which features a very young Laurence Fishburne. Seriously, he had to lie about his age to get the part) and begins his trek through the dense Vietnam jungles. Along the way he runs into Cavalryman Major William. Kilgore (Robert Duvall), a charismatic leader who might be a little insane. Duvall literally steals every scene he's in, and while he's only on screen for about 20 minutes, you tend to forget he's not the main character of the film. Willard takes a step back, and reappears when Kilgore's time is up (the role scored Duvall an Academy Award nomination). 

     As the characters venture deep into the jungle, the environment around them gets less civilized until finally they reach the last military outpost. From then on, it's no man's land, and literally anything can happen. When Willard finally reaches Kurtz, they spend time analyzing each other, building rapport, and just plain staring each other down. These scenes are actually kind of slow, but they're filled with an immense intensity that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Brando does a fantastic job, playing a somewhat sympathetic psychopath, but he does it in a way that you start to agree with some of his feelings and methods. Eventually, the film ends with a huge climax, with Willard and Kurtz facing each other one-on-one.

     Apocalypse Now reminds you why film is an art form. Every scene is carefully planned out, and Coppola's direction shows his true talent. It's a film about the duality of human nature, and the farther Willard travels upstream, the more insane he tends to become. Willard's confrontation with Kurtz is mirrored in the audience's feelings, as the two start to wonder if Kurtz is really insane. To stop Kurtz, Willard has to become Kurtz, which is what the film has been building up to from the start. 

     The film was re-edited and re-released in 2001 as Apocalypse Now Redux, which adds 49 minutes to the already long run time of 153 minutes. The film adds some new scenes, and even completely re-arranging some parts altogether. It slows the pace down a little bit near the end, which is the bulk of the new footage, but I personally feel that the Redux version is actually superior. It adds new scenes developing these characters that are on the journey with Willard, and it delves deeper into both Willard's character and Kurtz's character. 

     Whether it's the original cut, or the Redux version, this film will satisfy and leave you appreciating a lot more about the film medium as a whole. The Godfather and it's sequel may be masterpieces in their own right, but I would consider Apocalypse Now to be Coppola's magnum opus.