Best Brit WWII Film? - Britmovie

Paul E · 01-10-2004, 10:18 AM

Just been reading the Dambusters thread - I can't agree its the archetypal Brit WW2 movie so here's my sixpennorth worth, a top ten, in a loose- ish order.

Went The Day Well?
The Way Ahead
In Which We Serve
A Canterbury Tale
The Small Back Room
Ice Cold in Alex
A Matter of Life and Death
One of Our Aircraft is Missing
Johnny Frenchman
The Foreman Went to France (and no apologies for this!)

Would love to see other lists especially as there may be gems I've overlooked or don't know......

MrDrakesDuck · 01-10-2004, 11:37 AM

General

Dunkirk
The Malta Story
A Canterbury Tale
The Small Back Room
Ice Cold in Alex
Colonel Blimp

Air

Dambusters
Angels One Five
Battle of Britain

Naval

In Which We Serve
We Dive At Dawn
The Cruel Sea
The Sea Shall Not Have Them

Special Forces

Ill Met By Moonlight
They Who Dare
Sea of Sand

Spy/Resistance

Odette
Adventures of Tartu
Carve Her Name With Pride
Conspiracy of Hearts
Pimpernel Smith
Night Train to Munich
Contraband

Pow

Two Thousand Woman
Colditz
A Town Like Alice
The Wooden Horse

Hackett · 01-10-2004, 02:23 PM

"NEXT OF KIN" 1942
"THE INTRUDER" 1954
"THE CRUEL SEA" 1953
"I WAS MONTYS DOUBLE" 1958
"ABOVE US THE WAVES" 1955
"WE DIVE AT DAWN" 1943
"THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS" 1956
"THE SILENT ENEMY" 1958
"YANKS" 1979
"HOPE AND GLORY" 1987
"THE COCKLESHELL HEROES" 1955

Paul E · 01-10-2004, 03:27 PM

Some cracking stuff here plus a good few I don't know - yet! I'd forgotten 'Next of Kin' as its been so long since I saw it but a terrific film(is it available anywhere?) I'd put up 'The Captive Heart' as a particular favourite PoW film - not nearly as mawkish as some critics suggest. With 'Colditz' I guess you're referring to 'The Colditz Story' and not the TV series?

The_Late_Peter_Cook · 01-10-2004, 04:04 PM

A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH
ICE COLD IN ALEX
THE CRUEL SEA
THE SMALL BACK ROOM
SINK THE BISMARK!
AGAINST THE WIND
DANGER WITHIN
REACH FOR THE SKY
A BRIDGE TOO FAR
THE CAPTIVE HEART
WENT THE DAY WELL?
DAD'S ARMY (MOVIE)

pictureshow · 01-10-2004, 08:42 PM

Most of these have been mentioned before but:

Went the Day Well?
Canterbury Tale
Pimpernel Smith
The Wooden Horse
Colditz Story

and slightly more recently...well 1969...Battle of Britain.

pictureshow · 01-10-2004, 08:45 PM

Forgot to add probably my fave war film:

The One That Got Away.

Hardy Kruger is fantastic in it.

DB7 · 01-10-2004, 09:09 PM

The Day Will Dawn
The McKenzie Break
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Eye of the Needle
Hope and Glory
Fires Were Started
The Hill
The Stars Look Down
King Rat

Paul E · 02-10-2004, 02:12 PM

Great that The Small Back Room appears so often - anybody else read the book? (is it OK to mention books on here!?) Funny that Nigel Balchin is almost totally forgotten now - he was enormously popular up until the 60s, and Darkness Falls From the Air is perhaps ( along with 'Caught' by Henry Green)the definitive Blitz novel....

Steve Crook · 02-10-2004, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Paul E:
Great that The Small Back Room appears so often - anybody else read the book? (is it OK to mention books on here!?) Funny that Nigel Balchin is almost totally forgotten now - he was enormously popular up until the 60s, and Darkness Falls From the Air is perhaps ( along with 'Caught' by Henry Green)the definitive Blitz novel...

The book is great as well, the film sticks quite closely to it. They just drop the piece about the brother who's a fighter pilot and the little girl who's sister picked up one of the booby-trapped devices but the little girl is too young to explain what happened. Very well written.

When I first saw the film I admired some of the sparse dialogue thinking that was typical Pressburger. Exchanges like:
Susan: Where were you going Sammy?
Sammy: I don't know.
Susan: A woman?
Sammy: Maybe.
Susan: How about me?
- but it's straight out of the book.

Balchin also helped to script Mandy (1952) and The Man Who Never Was (1956)

Steve

dylan · 02-10-2004, 05:21 PM

While not the best, Ealing's San Demetrio London is the most interesting. A damaged tanker is taken to its destination, not by the officers who have left the vessel, but by Anglo-American seamen (and one token officer who does not impose authority). A brilliant propaganda film promoting Balcon's views of a democratic UK - Ealing's version of Battleship Potemkin.

Steve Crook · 02-10-2004, 07:20 PM

Quote:

dylan:
While not the best, Ealing's San Demetrio London is the most interesting. A damaged tanker is taken to its destination, not by the officers who have left the vessel, but by Anglo-American seamen (and one token officer who does not impose authority). A brilliant propaganda film promoting Balcon's views of a democratic UK - Ealing's version of Battleship Potemkin.

Was it propaganda? It was based quite closely on a true story. No sign of any prams rolling down the steps :)

Luckily the crew refused the offer of a tow into harbour so they were rewarded very handsomely as salvors.

Steve

deckard · 02-10-2004, 08:03 PM

"A Caterbury Tale" for example, if we're thinking archetypal, is it a war film or a story filmed in wartime?....just a thought. Decks.

DB7 · 02-10-2004, 10:12 PM

A story that, like many, used the war as a backdrop Decks.

One of my favourites is Sam Peckinpah's European epic co-production Cross of Iron. It's still criminally ignored compared to his other works but it's an auithentic anti-war film looking at trench warfare from the opponents angle.

And David Warner is always fantastic:

deckard · 02-10-2004, 10:29 PM

I totally concur! A supurbly accurate film, showing, although not regarded as even then as what should be correct in a war film, the Germans being "human" with all the frailties that should be seen in by far and away the biggest theatre(the Russian front)of WW2. The casting was inspired and I was particularly impressed with James Coburn going against his usual grain.

01-10-2004, 10:18 AM	#1
Paul E has no status. Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 50 iTrader: (0)	Best Brit WWII Film? Just been reading the Dambusters thread - I can't agree its the archetypal Brit WW2 movie so here's my sixpennorth worth, a top ten, in a loose- ish order. Went The Day Well? The Way Ahead In Which We Serve A Canterbury Tale The Small Back Room Ice Cold in Alex A Matter of Life and Death One of Our Aircraft is Missing Johnny Frenchman The Foreman Went to France (and no apologies for this!) Would love to see other lists especially as there may be gems I've overlooked or don't know......

01-10-2004, 11:37 AM	#2
MrDrakesDuck has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: - Posts: 350 Country: iTrader: (0)	General Dunkirk The Malta Story A Canterbury Tale The Small Back Room Ice Cold in Alex Colonel Blimp Air Dambusters Angels One Five Battle of Britain Naval In Which We Serve We Dive At Dawn The Cruel Sea The Sea Shall Not Have Them Special Forces Ill Met By Moonlight They Who Dare Sea of Sand Spy/Resistance Odette Adventures of Tartu Carve Her Name With Pride Conspiracy of Hearts Pimpernel Smith Night Train to Munich Contraband Pow Two Thousand Woman Colditz A Town Like Alice The Wooden Horse __________________ "I thought I had to shoot Germans, not chew 'em"

02-10-2004, 08:03 PM	#13
deckard has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cornwall Posts: 478 Country: iTrader: (0)	"A Caterbury Tale" for example, if we're thinking archetypal, is it a war film or a story filmed in wartime?....just a thought. Decks. __________________ "and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

02-10-2004, 10:29 PM	#15
deckard has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cornwall Posts: 478 Country: iTrader: (0)	I totally concur! A supurbly accurate film, showing, although not regarded as even then as what should be correct in a war film, the Germans being "human" with all the frailties that should be seen in by far and away the biggest theatre(the Russian front)of WW2. The casting was inspired and I was particularly impressed with James Coburn going against his usual grain. __________________ "and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

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01-10-2004, 02:23 PM	#3
Hackett has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: England Posts: 765 Country: iTrader: (0)	"NEXT OF KIN" 1942 "THE INTRUDER" 1954 "THE CRUEL SEA" 1953 "I WAS MONTYS DOUBLE" 1958 "ABOVE US THE WAVES" 1955 "WE DIVE AT DAWN" 1943 "THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS" 1956 "THE SILENT ENEMY" 1958 "YANKS" 1979 "HOPE AND GLORY" 1987 "THE COCKLESHELL HEROES" 1955

01-10-2004, 03:27 PM	#4
Paul E has no status. Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 50 iTrader: (0)	Some cracking stuff here plus a good few I don't know - yet! I'd forgotten 'Next of Kin' as its been so long since I saw it but a terrific film(is it available anywhere?) I'd put up 'The Captive Heart' as a particular favourite PoW film - not nearly as mawkish as some critics suggest. With 'Colditz' I guess you're referring to 'The Colditz Story' and not the TV series?

01-10-2004, 04:04 PM	#5
The_Late_Peter_Cook has no status. Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 227 iTrader: (0)	A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH ICE COLD IN ALEX THE CRUEL SEA THE SMALL BACK ROOM SINK THE BISMARK! AGAINST THE WIND DANGER WITHIN REACH FOR THE SKY A BRIDGE TOO FAR THE CAPTIVE HEART WENT THE DAY WELL? DAD'S ARMY (MOVIE)

01-10-2004, 08:42 PM	#6
pictureshow has no status. Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 6 iTrader: (0)	Most of these have been mentioned before but: Went the Day Well? Canterbury Tale Pimpernel Smith The Wooden Horse Colditz Story and slightly more recently...well 1969...Battle of Britain.

01-10-2004, 08:45 PM	#7
pictureshow has no status. Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 6 iTrader: (0)	Forgot to add probably my fave war film: The One That Got Away. Hardy Kruger is fantastic in it.

01-10-2004, 09:09 PM	#8
DB7 is scavenging through life's very constant lulls Administrator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Shrops Posts: 6,192 My Mood: Country: iTrader: (10)	The Day Will Dawn The McKenzie Break The Bridge on the River Kwai Eye of the Needle Hope and Glory Fires Were Started The Hill The Stars Look Down King Rat

02-10-2004, 02:12 PM	#9
Paul E has no status. Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 50 iTrader: (0)	Great that The Small Back Room appears so often - anybody else read the book? (is it OK to mention books on here!?) Funny that Nigel Balchin is almost totally forgotten now - he was enormously popular up until the 60s, and Darkness Falls From the Air is perhaps ( along with 'Caught' by Henry Green)the definitive Blitz novel....

02-10-2004, 05:21 PM	#11
dylan has no status. Moderator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: London Posts: 518 Country: iTrader: (0)	While not the best, Ealing's San Demetrio London is the most interesting. A damaged tanker is taken to its destination, not by the officers who have left the vessel, but by Anglo-American seamen (and one token officer who does not impose authority). A brilliant propaganda film promoting Balcon's views of a democratic UK - Ealing's version of Battleship Potemkin.

02-10-2004, 10:12 PM	#14
DB7 is scavenging through life's very constant lulls Administrator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Shrops Posts: 6,192 My Mood: Country: iTrader: (10)	A story that, like many, used the war as a backdrop Decks. One of my favourites is Sam Peckinpah's European epic co-production Cross of Iron. It's still criminally ignored compared to his other works but it's an auithentic anti-war film looking at trench warfare from the opponents angle. And David Warner is always fantastic: