Movie recomendations

[wiking]

Looking for any movie displaying the British army in a real historic battle or incident. Any time period, from the Roman occupation of the British isles up untill today.

[Fenna]

Zulu p-)

[Backwoodshunter]

Definitely zulu, The Desert Rats as well

[XASA]

The aforementioned "Zulu," it's lesser known sequel, "Zulu Dawn" (which is about the Battle of Isandhlwana and is really a prequel to the Roarke's Drift "Zulu" battle), "The Charge of the Light Brigade," "Gunga Din," three films with an Aussie point of view, "Breaker Morant," "Gallipoli" and "The Desert Rats," "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Hill," with Sean Connery as a stockade prisoner in WWII North Africa, "Tobruk," "The Great Escape," "Cockleshell Heroes," "The Bridge on the River Kwai," "King Rat," "Commandos Strike at Dawn," "Night Ambush" and "A Bridge Too Far" are a few that come immediately to mind ;)

[Fenna]

Oh yes a bridge too far definitely

[wiking]

I've seen ZULU, A Bridge To Far (bloody great movie), The Great escape and Lawrence of Arabia.

Now i've just got to get a hold of the rest of them.

[Fenna]

The Battle of Britain is good, that's about the RAF rather than the Army though

[wiking]

The Battle of Britain is good, that's about the RAF rather than the Army though

Have it. :D Great movie, but then again, anything with Michael Caine is.

[OregonNonComm]

Braveheart :P

[Para]

Braveheart is a good bit of fiction.

[Para]

There is the Red Beret, with Alan Ladd which covers several of the raids the Para's carried out. This film went under the title of the Paratrooper as Americans did not know what a Beret was in those days. Another good one is called Theirs Is Glory this was about the airborne assualt at Arnhem made duriing the battle and finished just after it had happened by those that were there, not an actor to be seen.

[Knutsen]

XASA mentioned Tobruk. I watched it some years ago but i didn't enjoy it especially. If i remember correctly it had lots of mistakes ( i think i saw some M46 tanks with the germans!! :cantbeli: ) .

It's more an action movie based in ww2 events than a historic movie.
Btw, if anyone can confirm the M46 thing i'd be very grateful.

EDIT: Enigma is not strictly related to British army but interesting nevertheless. It's about the the codebreakers at Bletchley park , mixed with a love story and a bit of espionage. You know, producers have to sell their movies ;) , but the part about code breaking and all the stuff is interesting.

[mudbunny]

How about Gandhi? the Limey's might not like that one.

[charlie]

The Longest Day. British troops capturing key bridges in France.

[wiking]

The Longest Day. British troops capturing key bridges in France.

Got it. Brilliant movie.

[digrar]

Wild Geese. ;)

[foxtrot023]

The longest day

[mountainbear]

I’ve seen a good movie about British troop in Bosnia and the horrors they had to face without being able to do anything, but I don’t remember the name.

[Fenna]

Warrior I think that's called, it had the guy who played Dick Winters in it

[Freibier]

Captain Horatio Hornblower (not the 1990ies version, the 1951 original)
Btw,
there was a movie about the US war of independance that had a lot of battle scenes and besides the Englisch troops you could also see the Hessians in battle. I watched this as a kid but forgot the name of the movie - anyone know about that movie?

[demotivater]

The Four Feathers (the original, not the new one)

[wiking]

The Four Feathers (the original, not the new one)

seen it.

Saw Dog Soldiers yesterday, not the best movie (and it doesn't fit into my criteria, historical) but i liked it.

[mountainbear]

Warrior I think that's called, it had the guy who played Dick Winters in it

That’s it, thanks.
I watched it whit some Bosnian friends. I could se the movie was affecting them, the sister of one of them was wounded in Sebrenitsa. :(

[ogukuo72]

How about "Who Dares Wins"?

The part when two SAS soldiers blows a hole in the wall to shoot dead two terrorists, and the final part when the SAS storms the Embassy, are the most authentic combat sequence I've seen in a movie.

[gaijinsamurai]

The Sharpe's Rifles series.

[Yosy]

Wild Geese. ;)

lol

Dont forget Bravo Two Zero p-)

[wiking]

Wild Geese. ;)

lol

Dont forget Bravo Two Zero p-)

seen it like 10 times :D brilliant movie

[PeterG]

Wild Geese. ;)

lol

Dont forget Bravo Two Zero p-)

seen it like 10 times :D brilliant movie

But it's all bollocks! it never happened that way. Otherwise great entertainment.The best quote is from one of the blackadder episodes where he reminiscs about the good old days in africa: "everytime we saw a man in a skirt, we shot him and nicked his country"

[stateofequilibrium]

Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail

[wiking]

Wild Geese. ;)

lol

Dont forget Bravo Two Zero p-)

seen it like 10 times :D brilliant movie

But it's all bollocks! it never happened that way. Otherwise great entertainment.The best quote is from one of the blackadder episodes where he reminiscs about the good old days in africa: "everytime we saw a man in a skirt, we shot him and nicked his country"

Oh, the WW1 Black adder is great, just remembered that. :lol:

It's all good, but i really love that last WW1 setting.

When he shoots and eats the Generals pigeon rofl rofl and then he's court marshaled for it.

[Yosy]

Wild Geese. ;)

lol

Dont forget Bravo Two Zero p-)

seen it like 10 times :D brilliant movie

But it's all bollocks! it never happened that way. Otherwise great entertainment.The best quote is from one of the blackadder episodes where he reminiscs about the good old days in africa: "everytime we saw a man in a skirt, we shot him and nicked his country"

Oh, the WW1 Black adder is great, just remembered that. :lol:

It's all good, but i really love that last WW1 setting.

When he shoots and eats the Generals pigeon rofl rofl and then he's court marshaled for it.

rofl Blackadder is awsome. The firing squad that will shoot him in that episode: "We AIM to please." rofl

[TheBelgian]

'Waterloo' maybe?

[wiking]

'Waterloo' maybe?

Heard alot of bad about it, incluing the soldiers being portrayed with bolt action rifles :slap: :cantbeli:

[Mark Sman]

Haha, maybe I watched a different version, or was hammered, but one bolt gun and it is stop the movie time.

Strictly army? Has to be army? OK.

The Way Ahead http://imdb.com/title/tt0037449/
Listed as 1944 on IMDB, but I think that is a mistake. Earlier I think.
Definitely propoganda though. Not bad really as a movie. UK title is something else I can't remember, and again IMDB doesn't list that either.

Taping the same vein
The Charge of the Light Brigade http://imdb.com/title/tt0027438/
Olivia de Havilland, hubba hubba. And you get to watch a Mexican play part of the peerage. Whatever.

A bit of fun
The Guns of Navarone http://imdb.com/title/tt0054953/
Meh, more Niven.

Raymond Massey plays the heavy, before he was good at it. Couldn't be less PC either.
The Drum http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0030082/

Fun One, military is just kind of background but . . .
The Duellists http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0075968/

Not strictly regulation, but
The Man Who Would Be King http://imdb.com/title/tt0073341/
Lord Jim http://imdb.com/title/tt0059399/
Barry Lyndon http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0072684/

[wiking]

doesn't strictly have to be army.

But anyways, i've got serious troubles finding any of these movies on .torrent sites :( anyone got any links?

[Mark Sman]

Sadly enough, torrent sites seem to focus on the worthless trash that is pissed off as film these days. Though most of it shouldn't even be shot with digi or .303.

But I will thank such torrential avenues for preventing me from wasting actual Valuta.

[Name Taken]

The Sharpe's Rifles series.

[OldRecon]

Contact - About a platoon of paras in South Armagh is about the best fiction movie related the British army I've ever seen and also one of the best war fiction movies I've ever seen.

Then there was a movie based on the story of an officer in the Scots guards who got severely wounded by a hit in the head from an Argentine bullet during the storming of Mount Tumbledown on the Falklands.

There was also a movie about a squad of Welsh guards and how they were affected by the sinking of the landing ship Sir Galahad during the Falklands war.

Then there was some SAS movie in the wake of the Princess Gate craze with Tom Collins (aka Bodie in the tv-series "The Professionals"?) in the main role.

Then there was a Hollywood movie about a mixed force of commonwealth troops and some yank tankies with a Grant tank retreating from the Afrika corps. Interesting thing about that movie was that the Jerrys used Austrian WW-1 vintage Schwarzlose medium mg's

[plodey]

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Awesome movie.

The books are even better.

[coughybean]

Here's a video . . . . :)

British military incident (http://media2.dumpalink.com/media/LPzJkhi68DUZ/q5G0LY4aKGFa.wmv)

[stateofequilibrium]

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Awesome movie.

The books are even better.

Definitely agree. One of my favorite movies of all time. Unfortunately, every single one of my friends hates it.

[Mark Sman]

every single one of my friends hates it.

Clap them in irons and take them below. Mast at 8 bells. Fetch the whip.


Here's a video . . . . Smile

British military incident

10 quatloos for you. (Thats good)

[wiking]

every single one of my friends hates it.

Clap them in irons and take them below. Mast at 8 bells. Fetch the whip.


:lol: :lol: "ALL HANDS TO WITNESS PUNISHMENT!"

[zellerbach]

Çäåñü Âû íàéäåòå ñïèñêè ïðîêñè ñåðâåðîâ: http://www.proxyservers.ru

[Eddie T Head]

An Ungentlemanly Act - Royal Marines defending Government House during the opening hours of the Argentine invasion of The Falklands, well worth a look
Amazon page (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000A1M2J/qid=1127168158/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_26_1/202-6216859-7986227)
IMDB Page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134178/)

Also
Tumbledown - About taking Mt Tumbledown during The Falklands I presume, haven't seen this though
IMDB Page (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098533/)

[RSKKnin]

"""I’ve seen a good movie about British troop in Bosnia and the horrors they had to face without being able to do anything, but I don’t remember the name."""


TRICK ME ONES - SHAME ON U
TRICK ME TWICE - SHAME ON U
TRICK ME THIRD TIME - SHAME ON ME

when u forgive someone twice and then he sticks u the knife in the back the first chance he gets........
it is too bad u were never interested to look what "innocent" muslims did to Serbs.......
well

[Rammy]

BAND OF BROTHERS

[gaijinsamurai]

Band of Brothers was a great series, but how does that relate to the British Army?

[Yosy]

BAND OF BROTHERS

Great series, but the portray of the british is nothing short of ridiculous.

[wiking]

BAND OF BROTHERS

Great series, but the portray of the british is nothing short of ridiculous.

agreed. Worst part is, majority of the actors were brits!

[M1A2U2]

Warriors is a Spanish movie about the spanish troops in Kosovo. Is there another one about the brits?

[wiking]

Warriors is a Spanish movie about the spanish troops in Kosovo. Is there another one about the brits?

I've heard there is one, but don't know the title.

[M1A2U2]

where can i get the movie tumbledown from?

[XASA]

Another oldie but goody, "A Hill in Korea" (1956). Don't blink or you might miss a very young Michael Caine.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049302/

[Delta Niner]

Dogs Of War, It stars a very young Christopher Walken. In the book by Frederick Forsythe they used MP-40 Schmeisser but in the movie the used Uzis. :)

[Yosy]

Dogs Of War, It stars a very young Christopher Walken. In the book by Frederick Forsythe they used MP-40 Schmeisser but in the movie the used Uzis. :)

The book is awsome, packed with tons of information about mercenaries (the actual operation only happens in the final chapters). The book is very different from the movie (a good thing).

[Delta Niner]

Dogs Of War, It stars a very young Christopher Walken. In the book by Frederick Forsythe they used MP-40 Schmeisser but in the movie the used Uzis. :)

The book is awsome, packed with tons of information about mercenaries (the actual operation only happens in the final chapters). The book is very different from the movie (a good thing).

Plus side of the movie was that used a Semi-auto grenade launcher, I forgot what they call it. That was very cool. Do you remember what kind of grenade launcher was that Yosy? :)

[baboon6]

Another oldie but goody, "A Hill in Korea" (1956). Don't blink or you might miss a very young Michael Caine.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049302/

Michael Caine (then known as Fusilier Maurice Micklewhite) actually served as an infantryman in the Korean War (1st Bn Royal Fusliers 1952-53) . Not many people know that!

[Yosy]

Dogs Of War, It stars a very young Christopher Walken. In the book by Frederick Forsythe they used MP-40 Schmeisser but in the movie the used Uzis. :)

The book is awsome, packed with tons of information about mercenaries (the actual operation only happens in the final chapters). The book is very different from the movie (a good thing).

Plus side of the movie was that used a Semi-auto grenade launcher, I forgot what they call it. That was very cool. Do you remember what kind of grenade launcher was that Yosy? :)

Got it from imdb:

According to Dlask Arms: "The Dogs of War, starring Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger, required a special assault weapon for the commando team. Dlask Arms helped to create the unforgettable 12-gauge combat shotgun with a 20-round rotary magazine that perfectly met the movie's needs."

http://web.archive.org/web/20040208025728/dlask.com/movie.htm


Another oldie but goody, "A Hill in Korea" (1956). Don't blink or you might miss a very young Michael Caine.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049302/

Michael Caine (then known as Fusilier Maurice Micklewhite) actually served as an infantryman in the Korean War (1st Bn Royal Fusliers 1952-53) . Not many people know that!

Another cool bit of trivia: Christopher Lee was a WW2 british commando. From imdb:

While filming Saruman's death scene (now on the extended DVD), Peter Jackson tried to tell Christopher Lee how to react and breath after he was stabbed in the back. Lee, a WWII veteran with British special forces, assured the director that he knew what a man sounded like when stabbed in the back.

p-)

[wiking]

While filming Saruman's death scene (now on the extended DVD), Peter Jackson tried to tell Christopher Lee how to react and breath after he was stabbed in the back. Lee, a WWII veteran with British special forces, assured the director that he knew what a man sounded like when stabbed in the back.

:lol: fvcking hell p-) anyone got any more info on this?

[Jakkech]

IIRC Lee volunteered for winter-war during 1939... He was in intelligence section in british forces.

[gregb]

In no specific order. Ive also included movies centered around navy and airforce. By the way ive left out the films that have been already mentioned .I shoud also mention that some are not historic accounts etc as requested by the thread author but by reading some of the posts prior to this one , i dont think it will be a problem.

1, Cromwell, 1970

Boasting lavish sets, costumes and a British cast to die for, this biopic of the Protestant leader who caused the downfall of Charles I and ruled the country briefly between monarchs takes some liberties with historical accuracy, but is so well made that it gets away with it. Unusually, Richard Harris' Cromwell comes across as la fanatical God-botherer, ultimately leaving audience sympathy to rest with Alec Guinness as the doomed king whose head is destined for the block. As long as you don't rely on the film for your history essay you'll be in for a treat.

2, The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, 1943

Powell and Pressburger's fifth film, a masterwork (made despite prime minister Winston Churchill's wishes) focuses on the life of Clive Candy V.C., a heroic character rooted in the values of Edwardian England, leading up to and during the Second World War. Candy believes that any fight can be fought and settled by maintaining gentlemanly principles. It lies with his best friend, a German, to make Candy realise how different things are, since the advent of Nazism.

3, Oh! What A Lovely War, 1969

An anti-war musical satire with an all-star cast including John Mills, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier, Oh! What A Lovely War movingly conveys the horror of the First World War through the popular, jingoistic songs of the time. The indomitable sentiments expressed in the soldiers' songs stand in terrible contrast to the slaughter at the front - which did away with most of a generation of young British men.

4, Went The Day Well?, 1942

A patriotic Second World War thriller based on a discomforting Graham Greene story that asks: what would happen if the Nazis took over a small English village? Although the fil m was primarily a morale boosting piece of German bashing, it makes an effective piece of wartime propaganda with a strikingly dark interpretation of what happens when strangers enter an English pastoral paradise.

5, A Matter Of Life And Death, 1962

Originally commissioned by the wartime Ministry of Information to bolster relations between Britain and the US, Powell's compassionate and technically superb film about a pilot who cheats death has come to be regarded as a masterpiece in its own right. David Niven is Peter Carter, an RAF pilot (and poet) who bails out of his plane over the Channel. By a clerical error on the part of the angel (Marins Goring) due to escort him to heaven, Peter survives long enough to meet and fall in love with a young US woman (Kim Hunter), with whom he had been in radio contact in his fateful, fatal flight. As his life hangs in the balance, Peter appears before a celestial court to plea for another shot at life.

6, Master And Commander, 2003

Russell Crowe stars as the captain of a British warship, obsessively hunting down a superior French vessel in this nautical 19th century adventure directed by Peter Weir. Russell Crowe stars as "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, captain of HMS Surprise, a Royal Navy ship patrolling off the coast of Brazil. Her orders are to "intercept French Privateer Acheron", which has been harrying British interests in the area. Weir and his special effects team have done wonders with the battle sequences, which are terrifying, tense and evocative.

7, 633 Squadron, 1964

A later version of The Dam Busters featuring a catchy theme tune, perilous mission, wooden acting, posh accents and plenty of entertainment. The brave 633 Squadron have enjoyed many successful sorties, but they are now assigned a seemingly suicidal mission - to bomb a water plant in occupied Norway, which is shielded by mountain terrain and guarded by heavy, anti-aircraft artillery.

8, The Cruel Sea, 1953

Based on Nicholas Monsarrat's best selling novel derived from his experiences on the North Sea convoys, The Cruel Sea is set during 'the battle of the Atlantic', as the U-boats attempted to destroy British shipping lanes and starve the country into surrender. The film follows the men of the Compass Rose, a small corvette protecting the merchant shipping, as they deal with the unseen menace of the submarines.

9, Henry V, 1944

Laurence Olivier's definitive screen version of Shakespeare's most patriotic work tells the story of the medieval English King's famous victory over the French on the battlefield of Agincourt. Remarkably, Olivier somehow fitted directing and producing duties around his sensational leading turn. So impressive is the extent of Olivier's overall contribution that, rather as with Welles in Citizen Kane, you almost forget how breathtaking his central performance is. The battle scenes are enough to stir the blood of even the calmest Englishman.

10, Ice Cold In Alex, 1958

Fondly remembered as a Sunday TV fixture, this Second World War yarn about the crew of an army ambulance stuck in the desert achieves classic status through its powerfully straightforward storytelling and a quality supporting cast. John Mills is dying for a beer and allows a mysterious passenger (Anthony Quayle) onboard their lost vehicle simply because he's carrying a case of gin. The combination of an increasingly irrational Mills, the chance to Quayle might be a spy and the presence of the German army all around them makes for a tense war classic.


Hope some of you might get the pleasure to view these movies.

[wiking]

633 Squadron, seen it and i liked it to. Being a Norwegian, anything that mentions Norway (except for the horrible Hollywood cockup called 'Heroes of Telemark') is OK by my standards.

[Delta Niner]

Dogs Of War, It stars a very young Christopher Walken. In the book by Frederick Forsythe they used MP-40 Schmeisser but in the movie the used Uzis. :)

The book is awsome, packed with tons of information about mercenaries (the actual operation only happens in the final chapters). The book is very different from the movie (a good thing).

Plus side of the movie was that used a Semi-auto grenade launcher, I forgot what they call it. That was very cool. Do you remember what kind of grenade launcher was that Yosy? :)

Got it from imdb:

According to Dlask Arms: "The Dogs of War, starring Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger, required a special assault weapon for the commando team. Dlask Arms helped to create the unforgettable 12-gauge combat shotgun with a 20-round rotary magazine that perfectly met the movie's needs."

http://web.archive.org/web/20040208025728/dlask.com/movie.htm


Another oldie but goody, "A Hill in Korea" (1956). Don't blink or you might miss a very young Michael Caine.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049302/

Michael Caine (then known as Fusilier Maurice Micklewhite) actually served as an infantryman in the Korean War (1st Bn Royal Fusliers 1952-53) . Not many people know that!

Another cool bit of trivia: Christopher Lee was a WW2 british commando. From imdb:

While filming Saruman's death scene (now on the extended DVD), Peter Jackson tried to tell Christopher Lee how to react and breath after he was stabbed in the back. Lee, a WWII veteran with British special forces, assured the director that he knew what a man sounded like when stabbed in the back.

p-)

Thanks for the info Yosy, I thought that that weapon was an advance prototype of a real grenade launcher. :)

[a_very_ex_STAB]

There was a made for TV film called 'Contact' about NI. It was on TV years ago which I thought was rather good.

It was based on a book by an officer from the Parachute Regiment.

'Tumbledown' and 'Resurrection' (?) (about the Falkands were also quite good too IIRC and 'Warriors'. I think they were all made for TV as well.

[Atlantic Friend]

Looking for any movie displaying the British army in a real historic battle or incident. Any time period, from the Roman occupation of the British isles up untill today.

Er... OK, here are a few.

- "Michael Collins", about the use of WW1 vets in the "Black and Tan" regiments sent to restore imperial order in Ireland

- "Zulu" about the battle of Rorke's drift

- "A Bridge too Far" about the failure of operation Market-Garden to secure a bridge across the Rhine in autumn 1944.

- "The Longest Day", with the British landings at Sword and Juno, and the assault by glider-borne troops over the Orne bridge

- "Warriors", a recent BBC flick about the British Blue Helmets sent to ex-Yugoslavia

[Laconian]

There is the Red Beret, with Alan Ladd which covers several of the raids the Para's carried out. This film went under the title of the Paratrooper as Americans did not know what a Beret was in those days. Another good one is called Theirs Is Glory this was about the airborne assualt at Arnhem made duriing the battle and finished just after it had happened by those that were there, not an actor to be seen.

I immediately thought of those two films as well. I think I remember reading/hearing that the actor Dirk Bogarde, was in "Theirs is the Glory" because he was with the 1st Airborne at Arnhem. Also, the version I saw was made in Arnhem, but right after the war and was made with those who had survived the battle.