Greatest Navy Movie Ever Made

[dsk]

I think the beginning of the end for realistic naval battle movies was 1976's Midway. While the facts surrounding the battle were fairly accurate, the cost-cutting they did ruined it for me (using vintage footage of Hellcats to stand in for for torpedo bombers, re-using Tora3 footage to include a battleship's masts at Midway Island). It seems these kinds of movies have only gone downhill from there, Das Boot being a notable exception.

[IainS]

I am new to this thread but the Cruel Sea is certainly worth it - written by a former Naval Officer in the Atlantic so it rings of authenticity. Also in "Which We Serve" inspired by British propaganda and the dashing naval deeds of Lord Louis Mountbatten (proponent of the iceberg aircraft carrier).

Many posts ago there was comment on "Master and Commander" - great book poor film in comparison.

My understanding was that the rank of Master in the RN was one of a senior non-commissioned officer frequently a technical expert in navigation and ship handling. Captain Cook for example was rated as Master and before the first voyage was promoted to Lieutenant a commissioned rank and was Commander of the ship. This streaming of technical and non-technical is a feature of British society where to think and deal with practical matters such a commerce was somehow seen as not suitable actives for gentlemen although some eccentrics and enthusiasts were allowed.

[Doug]

"You Know What Sailors Are," a comedy about the peace time RN.

[Dan Thompson]

Taking "greatest navy movie" in the loose sense of maritime movies, I'd like to add the 1990 version of Treasure Island to this list. The movie starred Charlton Heston as Long John Silver and a young Christian Bale as Jim Hawkins. It also had a slew of excellent British character actors like Julian Glover, Christopher Lee and the late Pete Posthelwaite and Oliver Reed. Of the many movies made based on the classic story, this is easily the best. For one thing, it is a version made for adults. While it is "family friendly" in not having cursing or extreme violence, it certainly is more realistic in its portrayal of the pirates than any other Treasure Island . Heston is surprisingly effective as the pirate leader and he makes the character of Silver charming but also believably scary. His Silver is not a lovable rogue as portrayed in the Disney version but a serious villain. Another asset of the movie is that it is filmed as much as possible on real locations. Jamaica serves for Treasure Island and the 1962 Bounty replica is the Hispanola. The ship is beautifully photographed and looks great.

Fans of this Treasure Island have been waiting a long time for a decent video release and it finally has happened. The movie has just become available on DVD (and it's only $10). Considering that it was originally shot for TV, it looks very good indeed. The producers of the DVD have chosen to crop it from its original 4:3 aspect ratio to a modern 16:9. I don't usually approve of altering the OAR of movies but, in this case, I don't see that it hurts anything and it does look good in widescreen.

If you've ever enjoyed the story of Treasure Island , I highly recommend the 1990 version.

[Jack Ray]

Taking "greatest navy movie" in the loose sense of maritime movies, I'd like to add the 1990 version of Treasure Island to this list. The movie starred Charlton Heston as Long John Silver and a young Christian Bale as Jim Hawkins. It also had a slew of excellent British character actors like Julian Glover, Christopher Lee and the late Pete Posthelwaite and Oliver Reed. ........
Fans of this Treasure Island have been waiting a long time for a decent video release and it finally has happened. The movie has just become available on DVD (and it's only $10). .........
If you've ever enjoyed the story of Treasure Island , I highly recommend the 1990 version.

My son and I have have considered this the best Treasure Island for very many years. Great news about the DVD as our VHS tape of the film died last year.

Thanks for the info!

Jack Ray

[robertmelvin]

Not to go too far off topic, but every time i "watch" Pearl Harbor I am amazed that someone hasnt re-done the Battle of Brittan as a movie in the last three decades. The two minutes of Spitfire v Meschechmitt is the only thing I can take away from that travesty of a film, but what a good two minutes!

I do prefer 2010's "Space Battleship Yamato" over Pearl Harbor for accuracy.

I assume that you are talking about the two minutes of Spitfire vs. Messerschmitt in that gawd awful waste of film called "Pearl Harbor". "The Battle of Britain" was actually a pretty good movie with some great stars and a reasonably faithful telling of the story (by Hollywood standards, anyway). And, of course, a couple of nice shots of of the deliciously sexy Susannah York in stockings and garters didn't hurt the film one little bit!

IMHO,

Bob

[Doug]

There was only one movie that was filmed aboard the Vanguard. I think the name was something like The Baby and The Battleship.

[foxxy]

Might be easier to nominate the WORST Navy movie ever made, Id definately nominate U571, total fiction, the Americans werent even in the war when the first Enigma machine was captured (by the Royal Navy). If you want to throw a lot of money at a factual movie dont re-write history and expect people to like it and not complain especially if they knew the truth. As for Pearl Harbour USAAF playing chicken with Japanese fighters? Come off it.. The real raid on Pearl Harbour, that was a dramatic enough event so why add to it? I once got into a heated argument with an American serviceman that on Battle of Britain Day Churchills speech about "owing so much by so many to so few" was solely aimed at The American airmen who flew with the RAF and I could not convince him otherwise, I wonder if any others out there believe the same.
I heard a couple of years back that The Dambusters was going to be remade in Hollywood (some films you can never remake, the Italian Job anyone?)and rumoured that Tom Cruise was to play Guy Gibson.
I hope this has died a death because if it happens I will give up the will to live.........

[JWintjes]

"The Battle of Britain" was actually a pretty good movie with some great stars and a reasonably faithful telling of the story (by Hollywood standards, anyway).

Small wonder as it was essentially a British movie.

And I seriously take issue with calling it "pretty good" - it's one of the best war movies of all times, still standing head and shoulder above all that modern CGI flick flack; nothing as good as the real thing...

Sorry for the rant - I simply love that film...

Jorit

[foxxy]

Its a brilliant film and has never dated, has to be one of the best and its done no end of good for WW2 aircraft preservation,
There are now more Spitfires and Hurricanes flying today since the film was released and the number is still increasing.
So the Me109s were actually Buchons (ME109 Gs with Rolls Royce engines) and they were due to be scrapped when they made the film, so what? most are still flying. Without the film they would have been scrapped.
A great film and so understated, I wonder what would happen if they remade it?
PLEASE NO I cant deal with another "Pearl Harbour" type film..........

[JWintjes]

A great film and so understated, I wonder what would happen if they remade it?

Make an utter mess of it?

If you want to make a good BoB-movie, apply the latest remastering technology to Battle of Britain!

Jorit

[Filipe Ramires]

Actually some of the Spifires flying in the film were former Portuguese Air Force ones!!!

[Pagodaphile]

If you want to throw a lot of money at a factual movie dont re-write history and expect people to like it and not complain especially if they knew the truth. As for Pearl Harbour USAAF playing chicken with Japanese fighters? Come off it..
I heard a couple of years back that The Dambusters was going to be remade in Hollywood (some films you can never remake, the Italian Job anyone?)and rumoured that Tom Cruise was to play Guy Gibson.
I hope this has died a death because if it happens I will give up the will to live.........

I always get a chuckle out of the non-stop but well deserved slamming that Michael Bay gets for that movie. In perspective though, one should take into account the reality of the Hollywood marketing machine targeting a film for a particular demographic. In that instance, as with most these days, the target audience I suspect was 15 to 30 year olds, particularly with a large percentage of females. That group could care less about technical or historical accuracy and wouldn't know it when they saw it. The draw was Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Cuba Gooding Jr., and two hours of the required warm and fuzzy, touchy feely, politically correct nonsense. This being necessary to avoid a negative reaction from an audience that thinks...."can't everybody just get along". Even the attacking air crew are portrayed in the schoolyard flyover scene as thinking of "the children"......rubbish.

I don't think that we can any longer expect to see new war film come out from Hollywood, that would be accurate with historical fact, to our satisfaction. Our demographic just doesn't count anymore.

[chuck]

"The Battle of Britain" was actually a pretty good movie with some great stars and a reasonably faithful telling of the story (by Hollywood standards, anyway).

- it's one of the best war movies of all times, still standing head and shoulder above all that modern CGI flick flack; nothing as good as the real thing...



Jorit

Indeed, real goose breasted Bf-109s equipped with distinctly non-inverted V-12 Rolls-Royces, and He-111s with windows over the wings. Never knew the Germans were so desperate during battle of Britain as to equip all their squadrons with Spanish fighters. No wonder they lost, their fighters and bombers all had to fly with engines from their enemies.

[chuck]

Actually some of the Spifires flying in the film were former Portuguese Air Force ones!!!

And no wonder the British ate the Germans for lunch. They were flying real spitfire IXs when the Germans were still flying knock-off Bf-109Es with off brand engines and no spinner cannon.

[chuck]

But I guess Tora Tora Tora also showed why the vaunted Japanese carrier fleet would go on to total defeat. All their fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers were built around American trainer airframes that can't land back on carriers.

[Seasick]

The RAF had access to American 100 octane avgas. 100 octane avation gasoline was great for fighter planes. Gives the fighter the best possible performance from its piston engine. German avgas wasn't as high octane. 100 octane avgas gave the Spitfire a slight edge in performance.

[David Griffith]

Dear All,

This talk of Harvard trainer "Zeroes" and Buchon "Bf109s", reminds me of when my father took me, as a 10 yr old, to see "Battle of the Bulge." I now regard this as one of those war films that it's worth making a moderate effort to AVOID seeing.

I remember watching a scene where there were panzer grey M3 half tracks with black crosses trundling across the screen. I said to my dad, "I never realised that the Germans used the same half tracks as the Americans!"

Airfix didn't make models of Patton tanks, or I'd probably have made a similar puzzled comment about the "King Tigers"!!!

Kind regards,

David Griffith

[Dan K]

I got to see the Battle of the Bulge movie in NYC for my 10th birthday with my dad and little brother. It was that, or Gorgo. I liked it. Not as great on the reshowing but, great for my young imagination and prodding my interest.

Now, the Battle fo Britain movie is one of the absolute great, aerial spectaculars. I caught that in the theaters too, as a boy. I can't count how many times I've seen it. Just like Tora, Tora, Tora.

Is there anyone who doesn't think that the launching of the first wave sequence in T,T,T still the most thrillling, and chilling, cinematic moment in war movie history?

[robertmelvin]

"The Battle of Britain" was actually a pretty good movie with some great stars and a reasonably faithful telling of the story (by Hollywood standards, anyway).

Small wonder as it was essentially a British movie.

And I seriously take issue with calling it "pretty good" - it's one of the best war movies of all times, still standing head and shoulder above all that modern CGI flick flack; nothing as good as the real thing...

Sorry for the rant - I simply love that film...

Jorit

Jorit, I have to say that you are correct, I understated the quality of "The Battle of Britain". I take no issue with your assessment that it is one of the best war movies of all times. There were enough side plots (Christopher Plumber's character and his conflict with his wife, played by the delectable Susannah York) to give the characters some depth, but the focus of the movie was the Battle of Britain, not some ridiculous love story set in a moment or period in history of great drama: Exhibit #1 - "Titanic". In truth, I'd just as soon they don't remake that classic, and I seriously doubt it would ever be done, because we'd only wind up with some silly teen aged mush merely set during the period of the Battle of Britain and showing us more tits than Spits. (Not that I have anything against the former).

I stand corrected!

Bob