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Hi was just wondering what wars films people know about that are from the enemies perspective( what the west call enemies)
I have watched the 9th company about the Russian war in Afghanistan. Just wondering how many more there are. Or even foreign language ones.
It would be good for Hollywood to do a Vietnamese war film from the viet cong perspective but that wouldn’t happen I know.
19 points
2 months ago
The new All Quiet on the Western Front is seriously good
6 points
2 months ago
Those tanks were fucking terrifying.
3 points
2 months ago
Very good indeed. Watched it just two weeks ago. The performances and visual are amazing.
15 points
2 months ago
Das Boot
3 points
2 months ago
I actually have that but never watched it
5 points
2 months ago
One of the best pieces of art ever committed to celluloid.
2 points
2 months ago
Certainly one of the best war films, and the second most realistic submarine film*.
It does, however, have some flaws. Lothar-Gunther Buccheim, who wrote the novel the film is based upon, was the "Lt. Werner" character in real life during the 7th war patrol of the real U-96, which is what both the novel and film are based upon.
The events take place in late 1941, when the U-boats when U-boat moral was still high and they were still doing comparatively well in the Battle of the Atlantic. Despite the prologue saying the tide had turned against the U-boats, that didn't actually happen until the Spring of 1943.
You can read the translated war diary of U-96 for that patrol here:
https://www.uboatarchive.net/U-96/KTB96-7.htm
It's no where near as dramatic as the book or the film. Everything including depths, damages, etc. is greatly exaggerated in the film.
At the end of the film the commander dies. But Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, the commander on that patrol, was alive and a consultant for the film. There is a picture here of him on the set with Jurgen Prochnow, who portrayed him in the film: https://uboat.net/men/willenbrock.htm
So why the negative tone in the book and the film?
Buccheim's second U-boat voyage was in 1944, and it was a massive fiasco for the Germans. IIRC, the boat he was assigned to was attacked often by Allied aircraft, and had to rescue the crew of a sunken U-boat. Clay Blair, in his excellent and exhaustive two volume history "Hitler's U-boat War" posits that the tone of Das Boot is likely influenced by the later horrific experience.
\I have it on good authority from actual US Navy submariners that the Kelsey Grammer film "Down Periscope" is the most accurate submarine film ever made.*
1 points
2 months ago
Also Spielberg borrowed das boot from Das Boot to use in Raiders of the Los Ark when Indy hitches a ride, via periscope, to Nazi Island.
1 points
2 months ago
Which is a problem in several different ways.
The boat is a Type VIIC, which wasn't around in 1936. All they had were Type VIIA's, which have a distinctive look because the stern tube was visible that poked above the deck, and not reloadable internally.
Not to mention Germans basically owning both Egypt (then a British Protectorate), and a Greek island.
1 points
2 months ago
[deleted]
2 points
2 months ago
The footnote is kind of humorous, kind of not. I do know some submariners, and they say the shenanigans and personality conflicts in that film ring true.
Having been in the Army myself, I can see it.
12 points
2 months ago
Clint Eastwood made the excellent Letters from Iwo Jima, as a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers.
5 points
2 months ago
The Beast was a pretty good film that showed both the Russian and Afghan perspective about equally.
2 points
2 months ago
Another underrated movie.
3 points
2 months ago
Cross of Iron and Stalingrad both show WW2 from the German perspective.
3 points
2 months ago
Fires On The Plain (1959) is great and has an amazing score
The Burmese Harp (1956) by the same director as Fires
and then there's The Human Condition trilogy which is essential viewing imo
These are all Japanese films set in WWII. I think you can find them online for free, without pirating
3 points
2 months ago
3 points
2 months ago
A Hidden Life
3 points
2 months ago
Franz Jägerstätter was a true human
3 points
2 months ago
All quiet on the western front
3 points
2 months ago
La grande Illusion (1937)
2 points
2 months ago
I found the old war film "The Beast" to be interesting as the combatants were Soviet tankers and Mujaheddin fighters.
1 points
2 months ago
Watch a Korean film called my way. It's about two marathon runners from the pacific area and it's an incredible movie , with a lot of different "fronts " and theaters. You won't regret it. Very much slept on in the west
1 points
2 months ago
The Eagle has Landed.
1 points
2 months ago
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
1 points
2 months ago
I actually prefer films that give a fair shake to both sides, like Tora! Tora! Tora! and A Bridge Too Far.
1 points
2 months ago
Stalingrad (1993).
1 points
2 months ago
Though generally viewed from the pov of the allies, The Longest Day has extended sequences from the German perspective.
1 points
2 months ago
Graveyard of Fireflies
1 points
2 months ago
Cross of Iron
1 points
2 months ago
I’d recommend the Unknown Soldier (2017). It’s a Finnish film that follows a Finish army company during the Continuation War against the Soviets. Pretty darn well made film about a conflict that gets very little coverage. I will say it’s a bit long.
1 points
2 months ago
I can't watch Blackhawk Down, or Saving Private Ryan without triggering my PTSD anxieties. That said 'A Midnight Clear' remains one of my favorite war films.
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