Five Great Military Movies

So my first installment of Motion Picture Monday will have to be a cheapy. I stalled on a weekend paper and as it is due today I had to finish writing it this evening. So just a short review of five great military movies in no particular order.

Gladiator- Let's get this out of the way right now, we weren't the first nation to go to war and we sure as hell won't be the last. I love the battles and Russell Crowe's stoic leadership, a soldier who has been there and understands. Favorite quote, "If you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled.For you are in Elysium and you are already dead."

Empire of the Sun- Produced by Steven Spielberg this movie is probably the most elegant war movie ever coupled with a haunting soundtrack featuring a lip-syncing Christian Bale to the Welsh Lullaby Suo Gan. I also love the war imagery, war isn't all about bombs and tanks sometimes it's about riding around a living room on a bicycle and golf shoes that don't quite fit.

Stripes- If I could only watch one movie on a continuous loop until the end of time it would probably be Stripes. Bill Murray, Harold Ramos, and John Candy are like peanut butter, jelly, and powdered sugar.You should go pick it up in the $5 bin at Wal-mart and check out the deleted scenes. "Cuando, cuando, cuando cuuanddooo..."

Red Dawn- Laugh, I don't really care. I grew up at the height of the cold war and when I was a kid and had bad dreams it was of this. The Russians were scary and there was always that little chance no matter how slight that they might not love their children too. Granted I was like eight years old when this movie came out but this is another classic probably found in the $5 bin.

Das Boot- I know you're thinking, "Oh great he's probably got a black beret and will next tell us how much he loves Franz Kafka." But let me tell you, I have like a twelve minute attention span and I was riveted to the director's cut of this movie, which for the record is three and a half hours and entirely in German, seriously.