I've become very interested in the war lately and would like to see some films that cover everything about the war. From dramas like Saving Private Ryan, to great documentries. I am just fascinated by all the little things in the War and would love to see films about it considering how much I appreciate and adore movies.
The only movie about WWII that I would deem 'great' is the 1993 movie titled Stalingrad. It is entirely in German and Russian, and the version I watched had no subtitles (it appears that later versions have English subtitles available). It is stark, and offers a bleak view of a catastrophic battle. That movie is one of the most moving experiences of my life.
Other movies and documentaries would fit into my ratings of 'very good' or 'good.' 'Very good' for me means that the media is not weighed down by too many flaws. The Longest Day is very good, as is the Band of Brothers series. Triumph of the Will also fits this category, if burdened by the obvious caveat that it is a propaganda film. Casablanca is outstanding, though its greatness has little to do with its WWII setting in my opinion. Schindler’s List is an obvious choice as well. A Bridge Too Far is very good.
There are a number of movies I would categorize as ‘good,’ and most are flawed movies with some pretty serious departures from reality but still have some redeeming qualities. Where Eagles Dare is a fun romp, as is The Great Escape. Kelly’s Heroes is astonishingly bad history, but it is a very entertaining movie. Bridge on the River Kwai is good cinema if bad history, as is The Dirty Dozen. I also enjoyed Midway. The Guns of Navarone and Force 10 from Navarone barely squeak into this category. Battle of the Bulge has some dated attitudes about the titular conflict, but is entertaining. Patton has some problems as well, but the acting is outstanding. Tora! Tora! Tora! is flawed but good. I enjoyed Memphis Belle despite its flaws.
The World At War series narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071075/ gives a good overview and is still quite well repsected so 40 years after it was first released.
hi! there's always room for more recommendations, but FYI, there is a large collection of previous threads in the FAQ*. Give them a scan for references to WWII films:
*see the link on the sidebar or the wiki tab
Hi! Soviet Storm is one of my favorite WW2 documentaries and it focuses on the Soviet war effort. It does a pretty good job fleshing out both sides and has pretty good production value for a documentary. Be warned that it tends to gloss out Soviet war crimes.
a bridge to far, and the longest day..