Personally I think it does, and would rate it as the best WW2 film made to date. Far better than Saving Private Ryan, which for all its visual style is a rather old fashioned men on a mission story.

That said I understand what you mean. It's entirely possible that it doesn't work for many (and wasn't a huge success) because it is the macro-telling of a major offensive operation spread over multiple areas featuring multiple characters in plots that sometimes intertwine but are otherwise unconnected (for instance, Hopkins and Connery are the 'leaders' of the main British 1st contigents in the film, but I don't believe they ever meet up again). As a result, it's a very impersonal film, and hard to know who to have emotional investment in. What's more, because it's realistic and relatively true to history it doesn't end in a victorious, swelling climax but fizzles out (just as Market Garden did) in a relative failure.

I'd love it if DiF had a go at it. It's a long sprawling epic, and is great who's who of 70s American and British film stars (it's even been called 'A star too many').

I'm not so sure, simply because the production design, the effort behind it, as well as the impact on the movie industry as a whole are worth commenting on.

I probably wouldn't bring it up, but I grew up with "The Ten Commandments" and yet know one that I know, other than my family, really knows the movie. Maybe its impact has been lost due to movies like "Lord of the Rings" and other such epics, but I just think its worth discussing and exposing a new generation to it.

So... yeah... how about Bond?

I can't believe nobody mentioned Free Enterprise.

I'll go you one better - I'd be up for a double feature of Poseidon Adventure and Poseidon, but I dunno how many of the rest of the panel are familiar with both.   Or either...

I'm starting a petition for some foreign language films! For starters, I bet you guys would have a lot to say about Rashomon.

Dark Knight Rises is out soon, so surely DiF should get around to Batman Begins, so that Nolan's astonishing cinematic achievement will be covered.

That movie is so frigg'n slow. I had to watch it on 2X speed and it still felt long.

Their first foreign film should be Planet of the Vampyres.

I nominate Lion King and Tangled.  Lion King cause it's just an awesome beautiful movie to look at and Tangled because it's CG that feels painterly.

Where Eagles Dare

My fave movie ever since I was a kid. This movie has nearly everything.

Last edited by Gagesb (2012-11-25 20:27:03)

Australia is foreign; how about some Australian films?

Romper Stomper
The Sum of Us
Shine
Rabbit-proof Fence
Animal Kingdom
Red Dog
Gallipoli
Wolf Creek
The Odd Angry Shot
Mad Max

Etc. etc.