War and Peace??. Review on Five Best Hollywood War Movies

I don’t understand War in its fullest, why people fight, and what do they feel when they kill each other, I always ponder about these once in a while. What is the meaning of All is fair in love and war ?? But this review is about some of the great war movies ever made, I have not given the story or many details, but you can trust this list and pick up any of these movies and you will like it, rather it will affect you in someway.

Apocalypse now Francis Ford Coppola, of the famed Godfather films, had really tough time with this one. Apocalypse Now finally premiered in 1979 after lot of hustles and bustles, and stands out to be one of the greatest war movies ever made. This movies tries to bring out the fear and madness of the Vietnam war, and of course Martin Sheen was great in this one.

The Bridge over river Kwai

One of my favorites, a group of British soldiers ordered to build bridges over River Kwai, to move supplies for the Japanese troops. Its based on a true WWII story and shows how different Japanese are. Do you know that this movie was actually shot is Sri Lanka?? Quite a old movie, released in 1957 (But I saw it for the first time in 1990!!!). It shows how some people feel that personal dignity is most important thing one has. Why they want to do a good job even though they know it would be destroyed by themselves (if they got a change)??

Platoon

By another good director Oliver Stone, this movie is gruesome at some points like where in a soldier beating a man's head into a pulp. Its a academy winner though. Great movie and you can watch the other Sheen brother Charlie Sheen over here. Released during the 80's, again based on Vietnam war.

Saving Private Ryan

You know who made this move and why its great. Technically superb and unbeaten till now, bought a new dimension into recreating carnage and war. Great movie. Of course, Tom Hanks is in it.

King Rat

Its not really a war movie, but there is something in it related to war. How circumstances corrupt and change men, and war is one of such circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and the movie, though the movie is not as good as the book by James Clavell (as always :-)). A WWII saga set inside a Japanese POW camp. How one Corporal, runs a black market ring inside the camp, and how he sells Rats as a delicacy, and what happens to the rat breeding after the war is over, and why corporal is called a King, and why he is successful where as others are not, and why he is doing it -- all these things are tightly interwoven in this movie. You wonder many times what will happen to the corporal after the war is over. Must watch (or read). By the way, the movie is quite old, released during the 60's. I know there is not much written about the directors or the actors in couple of the movies its because I don't know who they are, and if possible will try to find out the same and update the review.

Thanks for reading. Rgds RR