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All in War
This week, we watch the classic WWII film that takes a tone rarely seen in true stories about war - Silly. This movie has laughs, friendships, drunken parties, and even sympathetic Nazis. And damn if everyone doesn’t look great covered in mud. The Great Escape (1963), directed by John Sturges.
This week, we watch the classic war film that dominated the Oscars the year it was released. On a remote Japanese island, a large group of British and American soldiers, now prisoners, are forced to build a bridge. The movie’s production took place in the jungle, and included hundreds of extras and enormous sets, yet the story of the soldiers is what makes this film a classic that still holds up today. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), directed by David Lean.
This week, we watch the best picture winning film that made a huge positive shift in the public opinion towards Vietnam Veterans in the US. This film takes something that didn't occur once in the written history of the Vietnam war (Russian roulette), center's itself around it, and makes a grand, metaphorical statement about the random violence of war. The Deer Hunter (1978), directed by Michael Cimino.
This week, we watch the longest film of all! The highest grossing movie of all time (adjusted for inflation) is ripe with questionable content, with the racism being the worst offender. This might always be considered a classic, but should it be? Gone With The Wind (1939), directed by Victor Fleming.
This week, we watch the hard to find Russian classic that has influenced movies such as Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Inglorious Bastards. Real artillery, bombs, animal deaths, and human emotions are put fourth on screen to create something horrifying and unlike anything else we've seen. Come and See (1985), directed by Elem Klimov.
Written and directed by a Vietnam veteran, this film chronicles the horrifying violence Oliver Stone witnessed during his time in the jungle. A script so anti-war, Hollywood refused to make it, and then awarded it with an Oscar for Best Picture (among others). Makes sense. Platoon (1986), directed by Oliver Stone.
This week, we watch the Best Picture winning film about three veterans arriving home after World War II, and the issues they face as they try to re-enter society. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), directed by William Wyler.
This week, we watch the horrifying, documentary-like masterpiece about the the acts or terror and oppression between the occupying French and the National Liberation Front (FLN) in 1960's Algeria, The Battle of Algiers. Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo.
This week, we watch the best picture nominated biopic about the genius mathematician Alan Turning, and his immense contributions towards the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II. Directed by Morten Tyldum.
This week, we watch the Best Picture Oscar winning biopic about King George VI, The King's Speech (2010), directed by Tom Hooper.
