Good war movies from the enemy's perspective

[MaDuce]

We all love a good American and/or allied war movie and there's plenty to choose from.

But now and then it's a little refreshing to get a look at things on the other side. Most developed countries we've been to war with in the past are our allies now, so there's no real propaganda struggle and some of them have chosen to do what we did with Saving Private Ryan and make realistic war movies, honoring their fallen. And it's perhaps no surprise that they have a tendency to do so without disrespecting the USA.

I generally prefer to see stuff made by the country it's about as this gives some inside perspective that you're not going to get otherwise.

I've only seen a couple but the ones I have seen were well done and address allot of the things we; on the other side often wonder, including but not limited to that big question, "what were they thinking?"

Overall, they give the impression that the average soldier is still the average Joe no matter what side he's on and shares the same likes, dislikes and basic moral values and; even on the other side, the average soldier seamed to have handled their situation just like any of us would.

Anyway, I'll recommend the two I've seen and request recommendations of any good ones any of you might have seen.

.....

OTOKOTACHI NO YAMATO (Men of Yamato)

Movie trailer:

Made by the Japanese from their perspective of the war. Directed by Junya Sato, a culture enthusiast and peace lover who is best known for making "The Silk Road" documentaries.

The movie is about a 15 year old kid who goes in to the Japanese navy late in the war and stationed on the battleship IJN Yamato - the largest and most heavily armed battleship ever built. He ends up making a bunch of good friends on the ship who fight for different reasons. One cook for example is caught up in the fear that the US Marines were planning to rape and pillage, and; in his mind was fighting to protect his loved ones. Another guy is just a career soldier obsessed with the battleship's might and doesn't seem concerned with the politics of the war, though it is mentioned that he adopted and raised many of the children of fallen soldiers after the war.

I will not be the first to compare the movie to a cross between Titanic and Blackhawk down.

Like in Titanic, they built a life-size replica of the battleship to make the movie on.

STALINGRAD

Movie trailer:

Made by the Germans from their perspective of the war. It's about a small group of German soldiers caught up in the Stalingrad disaster. The movie reminds me of Enemy at the Gates, not because it's about the same battle, but because it gives off the impression that the sort of treatment German troops got from their superiors was fairly similar to they way the Russian COs were portrayed in Enemy at the Gates. For instance, there is a part where German troops are trying to get med-evaced and troops with minor injuries were being accused of self-inflicting to get out of Stalingrad, tossed in to a body pile and shot. Another part where a German troop is ordered to execute a Russian kid he's grown fond of. When he refused, his CO told him that if he didn't, next time it's going be him, and his fellow troops try to comfort him by reminding him how miserable the situation is and that he's just putting the poor kid out of his misery. At the same time, there's the overall atmosphere that the German troops overall seamed to be disgusted with the Nazi's. At one point, the group the movie is about actually execute a Nazi when they catch him alone.

It DOES show the dark side of the German army, both among the high-ups and among the ground troops. Sort of like that movie, "Windtalkers", where some of the marines were hostile bigots who treated the natives like garbage. You see similar in Stalingrad, with the moral values and intellect of the German troops varying greatly from person to person. Anywhere from a strong sense of justice to what we might think of as your "white trash" types.

The one thing I didn't like about it (apart from the sad ending) is the English voice override reminds me of an old Kung Fu movie. Great film no less.

[planeflyer21]

MaDuce, I was right there with you...

until you dissed the Kung Fu movies!  >:(

Jon

[MaDuce]

LOL. HAY!! A kung fu movie is not a real kung fu movie without that voice overriding. It's a hallmark of a good martial arts flick.

Allot less fitting for a realistic war movie though.