When I was a kid, I would curl up on the couch on Saturdays and watch war movies on TNT. I would spend a lot of afternoons tuning into things like The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Stalag 17, and Twelve O'Clock High. Those movies really formed a lot of the way I feel about the world, in a weird and interesting way. War is hell, it's easily the worst thing that can happen within the confines humanity, ever. But it happens, and as filmmakers, we have a responsibility to tell those hard stories to help cope with the harsh realities it renders. Today, I want to get into the best war movies of all time, dig into their history, tropes, and see what we can learn from all these stories. Let's dive in. What Defines a War Movie?War movies are films primarily set in the context of armed conflict, often focusing on the battles, strategies, and experiences of soldiers and civilians. They can span various subgenres, including historical, action, thrillers, and even comedies.What Are the Tropes of War Movies?War movies have lots of things in common across the genres they can be mashed up against. Let's take a look at a few of them. The Hero's Journey: A soldier's transformation from innocence to experience.Band of Brothers: The camaraderie and bonds formed among soldiers.Anti-War Sentiment: The futility and horrors of war.The Lost Cause: The tragedy of fighting for a doomed cause.Shell Shock/PTSD: The psychological trauma of war. The History of...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 5 June, 2024