MovieChat Forums > All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Discussion > More World War 1 movies

More World War 1 movies

posted 16 years ago by Rasputin_Phoenix
17 replies | jump to latest

There are not nearly enough movies set during world war 1...anyone agree?

[–] hdm93050 15 years ago

Its not so much that no WWI movies exist, its just that WWI was followed by an even more dreadful and destructive war 20 years later in WWII. However, there are several WWI films, but these are mostly from the silent era 1910s and 1920s as well as some talkies from the 1930s. However, there are plenty of decent WWI films.

Hell's Angels
Wings
The Parade
Seargent York
The Dawn Patrol
All Quiet on the Western Front
End of St. Petersburg
October
What Price Glory

The 1950s and 1960s gave us

The Blue Max
Lawrence of Arabia
The African Queen

More recently we had

Flyboys
All the Kings Men
Gallipoli

One of the reasons I think relatively few WWI war films survive is because many of the western nations had excessive guilt about WWI and did not want to promote another war. So there was a great attempt to forget the war.

[–] Squonkamatic 15 years ago

I was actually just watching something called DEATHWATCH that I thought was pretty decent. It's considered more of a horror film but the production design was amazing.

[–] sideburnmikeguitar 15 years ago

I haven't seen "All Quiet..." but I read the book about 2-3 years ago. It was all that it was hyped to be. Definitely one of the best books of its type (mostly non-fiction to my understanding). I'm probably too spoiled with modern movies to appreciate the film as much as I should, but I will seek out a copy.

If you haven't seen "Johnny Got his gun" then I recommend it for a WWI or really more of an anti-War movie. It is easily one of the most effective movies I've ever seen, probably the most effective. I was never a pacifist...and still I'm not a peace under any circumstances type, but absolutely against war in all but the most extreme times.

All Quiet was a great book for more than just the anti-war message. Johnny Got His Gun, however, was mostly about that and the psychological effect of being witness to those horrific events and suffering the worst of consequences. I would recommend you NOT see that movie, however, if you are in any sort of fragile emotional or depressed state. I mean that very seriously. Movies almost never effect me deeply beyond a few hours of seeing them (aside from just remembering "man, that was good" some time down the road). Johnny Got His Gun tortured me for hours after I saw it and made it difficult to sleep the next few nights past a week!! It made me appreciate even more the sacrifices made by vets though, and the importance of avoiding war whenever possible (aside from times where a person's liberty and country might truly be threatened...but I guess that's for everyone to decide for themselves wh en that point comes).

Hope that recommendation helps.

[–] soue37-1 15 years ago

There isn't much World War One films in comparison with the Second World War. But in recent years though we've had:

The Lost Battalion (2001, US) TV movie based on the true story of the US led Argonne Offensive in 1918. Surprisingly well made for its low production values.

Joyeux Noel (2007, France) A multi language French film about the Christmas Truce of 1914. Not so historically accurate but a great, moving film nonetheless.

My Boy Jack (2007, UK) The true story of Jack Kipling. This hasn't got much battle scenes, (it's a tv movie) but it's worth checking out.

Flyboys (2006, US) Speial FX laden film about the Lafayette Escadrille pilots of the air war over France.

A Very Long Engagement (2004, France) A big budget French film about a girl who spends years searching for her fiance, believed to have been killed in No Man's Land.

Red Baron (2008, Germany) a English language German film (the most expensive in the country's history) telling the fictionalised story of real life WW1 Fighter Ace, Manfred Von Richthofen. I haven't seen this one.