Good candidates for movies

Slater · Post by **Slater** » 26 Dec 2002 16:42

War movies seem to be getting better and more realistic as time goes on ("Band of Brothers", "Saving Private Ryan"). What battles/campaigns would make good topics for modern moviemaking, that haven't been done yet, or at least not recently? I'd like to see movies made about:

(1) The US Marines' assault on Tarawa and Iwo Jima

(2) The Dieppe Raid

(3) Luftwaffe Paratroops assaults on Crete and the Belgian (?) fortresses.

(4) The Battle of Kursk

Any other suggestions?

Billy Bishop · Post by **Billy Bishop** » 26 Dec 2002 20:00

Although it never happened, a movie about Operation Sealion would be amazing!

Alex Vasilewsky · Post by **Alex Vasilewsky** » 26 Dec 2002 21:00

Hmmmm....

It'd be nice to see the battle for Berlin.

Mike K. · Post by **Mike K.** » 26 Dec 2002 21:07

Otto Skorzeny's rescue of Mussolini.

tobbe · Post by **tobbe** » 26 Dec 2002 22:14

I want to see more from the German side and no english actors with a ugly accent as the germans.

Logan Hartke · Post by **Logan Hartke** » 27 Dec 2002 03:51

Operation Chariot

http://www.combinedops.com/St%20Nazaire.htm

Logan Hartke

Dan W. · Post by **Dan W.** » 28 Dec 2002 07:08

I have read from Doug Nash (author of "Hells Gate") that Mel Gibson attempted to buy the movie rights to Forgotten Soldier from Guy Sajer and was refused.

I still think that movie could easily be the finest WWII movie ever made, and the ending could be exacxtly what Hollywood craves, bittersweet but the hero lives and the anti-war message is obvious.

Angelo · Post by **Angelo** » 28 Dec 2002 07:57

The Italian "Folgore" Para Division during the Battle of El Elamein and
their retreat.
At times, even retreats can leave both the enemy and the allied astonished. No chauvinism meant of course.

The heroic "Demiansk" pocket hold-out by the Germans, in Russia. A page too often left aside, in my opinion.

The everyday's life of the Lenigradese people throughout the almost
unending siege of their city.

The German "Green Devils" resistance and delaying actions at Montecassino.

Only a few of course, and the nationalities not appearing were not
left out for lack of interest.

Angelo

Panzerrat · Post by **Panzerrat** » 29 Dec 2002 17:49

The story of "Micheal Wittmann" would be a great movie......
Correction....that would be a great series....say 10 parts like BOB

U99 · Post by **U99** » 30 Dec 2002 04:42

Of most WWII movies I've seen set in the Pacific/Asia, movies about the camps (Bridge on the River Kwai, Paradise Road, Empire of the Sun) or Pearl Harbour get the lionshare. I'd like to see a story about the International Safety Zone in Nanking. If they make a movie about Oskar Schindler, why can't they make one about John Rabe (also acknowledging the many other Western missionaries, scholars, doctors and businessmen involved), who helped the city of Nanking in it's weeks of need?

And I agree with Angelo in that a movie about the siege of Leningrad would be a great movie to see.

And I want to see a Western produced movie about anywhere on the Eastern front that doesn't comment on the greatness/messed up nature of communism. I mean, something like at the end of Enemy at the Gates where the political commissar convinced of Marxism's greatness finally concludes communism just doesn't work is ludicrous.

Angelo · Post by **Angelo** » 30 Dec 2002 13:23

U99 wrote:Of most WWII movies I've seen set in the Pacific/Asia, movies about the camps (Bridge on the River Kwai, Paradise Road, Empire of the Sun) or Pearl Harbour get the lionshare. I'd like to see a story about the International Safety Zone in Nanking. If they make a movie about Oskar Schindler, why can't they make one about John Rabe (also acknowledging the many other Western missionaries, scholars, doctors and businessmen involved), who helped the city of Nanking in it's weeks of need?.....................

Hi U99,

I too do agree and chances are our wishes will come true.

It looks like Chinese director Xie Jin was working on a movie about the
John Rabe's experience in Nanking, according a report from China Daily
of 09/09/1999. Whether he finished that work or not I don't know, but here's that report (just a section):

Xie's most eye-catching and expensive movie ever made in China is the "Opium War," which describes how China was bullied by Western allies during the mid-19th century. Xie said the war of 1840 signalled the collapse of a splendid civilization.

It seems that Xie, similar to other older intellectuals, harbours great care about the destiny of the motherland.

He is currently working on a new movie, "Diary of John Rabe," based on the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. Rabe was a German social activist who witnessed the Japanese atrocities, recorded them in a diary and helped save a great number of people in the city. The film has been called "China's Schindler's List."

Source:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndydb/199 ... e.909.html

Another confirmation about the film making, indicating it was slated for
premiere show in the year 2000 comes from "Muzi News" and here's an
excerpt of their report about it:

LatelineNews: 1999-1-12] NANJING, China - The diary of John Rabe, a German living in China who witnessed the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese troops in December 1937, will be made into a film, organizers of the film project said Monday.
Shooting for the film, to be directed by Xie Jin, will begin in September, with screenings in China and overseas slated for May 2000, the organizers said at a news conference.

Please check the following for the full report.
Source:http://news.1chinastar.com/ll/english/12436.shtml

Regards

Angelo

Marcel1975 · Post by **Marcel1975** » 01 Jan 2003 01:10

my personal preferences would be (for motion pictures, not documentaries):

"Battle of Berlin" - possibly to be based on Cornelius Ryan's book

"A blitzkrieg too far" - about the plight of the 'ordinary' German soldier, not enough good stuff available on that

"Rommel" - Patton style but then with the german field marshal

"All blitz on the western front" - Germany overruns western Europe

peter_suciu · Post by **peter_suciu** » 05 Jan 2003 04:25

I'm in agreement about Monte Cassino, but I'd love to see a movie that showed both sides.

The German Fallshcrimjager hardly are ever represented on screen. There are very few examples I can even think of including The Eagle Has Landed and a brief bit in Soldier of Orange.

Demosthenes · Post by **Demosthenes** » 09 Jan 2003 13:18

tobbe wrote:

I want to see more from the German side and no english actors with a ugly accent as the germans.

If you haven't already seen them, I would suggest the German movies "Stalingrad" and "U-571" (the latter with artist Herbert Grönemeyer in a minor role!)

There are not enough movies about the eastern front (Cross of Iron, Stalingrad and Enemy at the Gates are the only ones I've seen), though I would love a polish drama about the girl who during the siege of Leningrad was forced to eat her parents (although I do not know if this has any truth to it, I read it in a book once. This is not a war move, but more of a "during te war-movie"). In addition to those already mentioned, The battle of the outskirts of Moscow would also be interesting.

I would love anything on the siege of Tobruk as well.

Bill Medland · Post by **Bill Medland** » 10 Jan 2003 11:21

There are a lot of war films produced in Germany in the 1960s which may, or may not be available in English, they are all black and white, but do a search on the names, perhaps they are also in English.

1. Jokehnen
2.08/15.
3.Luftwaffenhelfer.
4.Die Brücke.
5.Haie und kleine Fische.
6.Am Grünen Strand der Spree.
7.Hunde,wollt ihr ewig leben?
8.Die Grünen Teufel von Monte Cassino.
9.Aufstand gegen Adolf Hitler.

Regards,Bill.