War Films

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Thanks Nos, that's very kind but it's disc 2 of the 2022 StudioCanal Blu-ray

I bought the stand-alone R1 American DVD before the StudioCanal Blu-ray set was released. It has an anamorphic picture and commentary, and if you want to watch it on a 'try before you buy' basis, I am happy to lend it to you.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

I bought the stand-alone R1 American DVD before the StudioCanal Blu-ray set was released. It has an anamorphic picture and commentary, and if you want to watch it on a 'try before you buy' basis, I am happy to lend it to you.

I watched the Blu-ray release, i already have the doc and second disc of extras, thanks though.

I bought the Final Cut on 4k restored dvd and then last year on Blu-ray both from StudioCanal.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I watched the Blu-ray release, i already have the doc and second disc of extras, thanks though.

I bought the Final Cut on 4k restored dvd and then last year on Blu-ray both from StudioCanal.

Okay, that makes sense. As you already have Hearts of Darkness, I highly recommend you watch the documentary – it's brilliant and will probably make you want to rewatch the film.

As I recall, Frances Ford Coppola provides an excellent commentary on the Redux version of Apocalypse Now, though it is cut for the theoretical version, an informative and well-delivered commentary that is with your time and attention.

[MrBarlow]

The Last Hunter. 1980.

Antonio Margheriti's Vietnam war that was made not for propaganda but maybe a little exploitation and entertainment for his audience. David Warbeck plays the G.I. with Tony King to go behind enemy lines and take down a radio transmitor and avoid being killed and tagging along is photo journalist Tisa Farrow. The start shows how bad things are with the soldiers who are happy and relaxing in a bar with a few women and then turns nasty to the point two soldiers die and then we are thrown to the battlefield with plenty of kills that aren't really hidden and can be bloody. There is a few hidden booby traps that can make a cannibal tribe proud that the Vietnamese have copied and the usual women being decoys with explosive wrapped in a baby blanket. I had a very bad copy of this that the picture quality was a bit shit and badly cut , the new release shows everything in its glory on how it should have been properly released before now. My not be for everyone's taste but it is worth a watch.

THE-LAST-HUNTER-GH.jpg

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

They Were Expendable (1945)

A film which follows the struggles of two officers (Robert Montgomery and John Wayne) in persuading the Naval chiefs that Motor Torpedo Boats could play a more than useful role in the war against the Japanese.

Made at the tail end of the war director John Ford was pretty much asked to make this film as a boost to the US Navy and received extensive help from them whilst making it. Robert Montgomery actually commanded one of these craft during the war so was the perfect fit for his role here.

Thanks to this help the action scenes are superbly realistic and look fantastic however the rest of the film is sadly a bit dull and seems to drift along without really engaging the viewer with any sort of interesting story line. Wayne's relationship with nurse Donna Reed simply fizzles out as if the script had no idea how to let it play out.

[MrBarlow]

Sergeant York. 1941.

A good mellow drama with Gary Cooper starring as Alvin C. York who is a pacifist and good marksman that is drafted to the army and struggles with his religious beliefs and becomes one of the biggest decorated soldier.

The first hour of the film looks into the York homestead with some decent character building and having a shooting competition that Alvin wins when shooting a turkey and how he manages to get the turkey's attention which is done again during a battle is comical.

It was somewhat surprising yet gratifying at the same time to learn that the real Alvin York shunned all attempts to cash in on his name and hero status in order to get back to his home and family responsibilities and gives a great small speech as to why he is rejecting a lot which is admirable. This is one film is never thought of watching or even enjoying but I was wrong. Recommended.

Sergeant_York_(1941_poster).jpg

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Sergeant York. 1941.

A good mellow drama with Gary Cooper starring as Alvin C. York who is a pacifist and good marksman that is drafted to the army and struggles with his religious beliefs and becomes one of the biggest decorated soldier.

The first hour of the film looks into the York homestead with some decent character building and having a shooting competition that Alvin wins when shooting a turkey and how he manages to get the turkey's attention which is done again during a battle is comical.

It was somewhat surprising yet gratifying at the same time to learn that the real Alvin York shunned all attempts to cash in on his name and hero status in order to get back to his home and family responsibilities and gives a great small speech as to why he is rejecting a lot which is admirable. This is one film is never thought of watching or even enjoying but I was wrong. Recommended.

Attachment 247173

I've never seen this either. Sounds good.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've never seen this either. Sounds good.

I only heard about it on A.F.I. top hero and villains list from 2002...I think, and from what clips were shown peaked my interest in it

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Mel Gibson's riveting biopic of Desmond Doss, who served as a medic at the Battle of Okinawa and became the first man in history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Brit Andrew Garfield is excellent as Doss especially during the first hour which deals with military training and the army's attempts to make Doss quit.

Gibson comes into his own during the second hour with lengthy battle scenes of blistering ferocity and bloodshed. The battles were what made his Braveheart stand out from the pack and Gibson continues in that vein but brings so much more to the proceedings as he gives Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan a run for it's money when it comes to depicting the horrors of war.

Hacksaw Ridge is a gripping, intense emotional experience about an extraordinary man, especially when watching it on Blu-ray with it's 7:1 Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Excellent!

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

I completely agree with you about Hacksaw Ridge. It was amazing to watch at the cinema because it's incredibly loud – when those battleship guns fire, I felt it – and an immersive experience.

I've seen it at home a couple of times and it still stands up as a harrowing war film and a story of human courage. The romantic subplot feels real and interesting, not something that's been tacked on to make Doss more relatable.

I also thought Andrew Garfield was really good as Desmond Doss and I completely believed the relationship between him and Dorothy Shuttle (Terese Palmer), and the tensions with his parents (Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths), with his father a World War I veteran with PTSD and strong opinions on whether Americans should be involved in World War II.

Perhaps the biggest revelation was Sam Worthington, an actor who had always left me feeling slightly underwhelmed, but his portrayal of Capt Glover, someone who believed Doss was either a coward or mentally ill, and ended up serving with him during the Battle of Okinawa.

It is notable that a film about an American, born and bred in Virginia, has an English actor in the lead role, and his parents, love interest, and commanding officer are all played by Australians with, to my ears, convincing American accents.