World War 2 Movies
Conflicts and battles are fodder for Hollywood scriptwriters and many true stories have been successfully turned into films. World War 2 movies have not only provided action but also some of the most moving human dramas. There is plenty of material to choose from. The Pacific war and the war in Europe produced many tales of human courage and endurance.
One of the most brutal events in the war was the treatment of Allied prisoners of war, held by the Japanese Army to build a railway bridge in Burma. This period inspired The Bridge on the River Kwai, released in 1957 and directed by the respected British director, David Lean. This World War 2 movie depicts harrowing scenes and stars William Holden, Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins. American and British troops are thrown together and try to survive the regime. The film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Alec Guinness.
One of the most often broadcast on television, 1963′s The Great Escape is another World War 2 movie based on real events. The story involves a Stalag German prisoner of war camp in which prisoners meticulously plan a daring mass escape. American and British prisoners join forces in constructing a secret tunnel out of the camp. Planning also involves how to survive once outside the camp and clothing and fake identities are made. The most remembered character is the Cooler King, played by Steve McQueen and his attempt to outride the German guards on a motorcycle went into movie legend. His co-stars were James Garner, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. The British contingency was led by Richard Attenborough and Donald Pleasance.
Richard Attenborough went on to direct another successful movie from World War 2, called A Bridge Too Far. This factual account of the Allied attempts to capture a series of bridges in Holland came out in 1977 and was notable for its long list of stars. The American part of the story was re-created by James Caan, Eliot Gould, Gene Hackman, Ryan O’Neal, and Robert Redford. They were joined by their British counterparts, Dirk Bogarde, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins and Lawrence Olivier.
More recent films have explored the subject and 1998 produced two exceptional World War 2 films. Steven Spielberg directed Saving Private Ryan, a fictionalized story with opening scenes of the Normandy D-Day landings, which were very realistic. The plot then involves the mission given to Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) and his men, which is to bring home paratrooper, Private Ryan (Matt Damon). Orders for this have been given because Ryan’s three brothers have all been killed in action and Ryan is to be relieved from duty as an act of compassion for his mother.
The other film of that year was Terence Malick’s The Thin Red Line. This told the story of the famous battle on the island of Guadalcanal against the Japanese in 1943. Again, there is an impressive cast and there are excellent performances in this thoughtful film. The stars include John Cusack, George Clooney, Sean Penn, John Travolta and Woody Harrelson.