Candidates For Military Movies

[Paul G]

Speaking of Band of Brothers: Pacific War

 

http://www.upcomingepics.com/pacific_war/

[swerve]

How about "The Devil Soldier"? Frederick Townsend Ward and the Taiping Rebellion. The biggest civil war in history, started by a Chinese who thought he was Jesus, suppressed by an army created by Ward, a New England adventurer who was only 27 when he started, the army led after Ward's early death by an English religious zealot who many years later was killed by another cuckoo who thought he was the reborn Mohammed - yep, the Mahdi and

"Chinese"

Gordon of Khartoum!

 

Nah - nobody'd believe a story like that

[Geoff Winnington-Ball]

Re: Bomb Disposal --

 

What about Reeman's 12 SECONDS TO LIVE? Magnificent.

[Legion 46]

Speaking of Band of Brothers:  Pacific War

 

http://www.upcomingepics.com/pacific_war/

151068[/snapback]

 

 

Now this could be really good. I have been disappointed with the recent WWII Pacific movies. I hope this takes off, there are some great stories to be told here! Maybe they could do "Ghost Soldiers!"

[Old Tanker]

I heard Clint Eastwood in a recent interview tallking about doing " Flags of Our Fathers" with Spielberg next.

[Guest aevans]

On ACW movies, I think Shiloh needs and deserves a feature length treatment, if for no other reason than it doubled American war casualties (all wars, not just those since Fort Sumter) in just two days, having serious repercussions affecting not just both sides' strategic policy at the executive, but social perceptions of the war and war aims as well. Chickamauga could use some exposure as well, seeing as it was second only to Gettysburg in size.

 

From the First World War I would pick nothing. The tactical nature and human consequences of siege operations on a continental scale has been done to death, while there is no serious operational subject to address. Attriting to exhaustion just doesn't make good epic film material. Anyway, in my book, Renoir will never be bested, so why bother trying?

 

From the Second World War I think a Leyte Gulf movie is worth doing, as would be an honest sub movie, perhaps a remake of Run Silent, Run Deep, with the book ending left intact, or something based on Mush Morton's exploits.

 

Thunder Run would make a good movie, perhaps with Greg Kelly playing himself.

[swerve]

From the First World War I would pick nothing. The tactical nature and human consequences of siege operations on a continental scale has been done to death, while there is no serious operational subject to address. Attriting to exhaustion just doesn't make good epic film material.

 

It wasn't all the Western Front, or even like it. There were many other operations, of radically different natures, e.g. the Alpine war along the Austrian/Italian border: small numbers of experts fighting each other (often men they knew personally, near neighbours from just across the border) and a hostile landscape. Or, as I previously mentioned, the epic winter retreat of the Serbian army over the Albanian mountains to the Adriatic coast. And much, much, more.

[Guest aevans]

It wasn't all the Western Front, or even like it. There were many other operations, of radically different natures, e.g. the Alpine war along the Austrian/Italian border: small numbers of experts fighting each other (often men they knew personally, near neighbours from just across the border) and a hostile landscape. Or, as I previously mentioned, the epic winter retreat of the Serbian army over the Albanian mountains to the Adriatic coast. And much, much, more.

151783[/snapback]

 

None of which have an audience. To make a movie, you have to have at least half a chance of realizing a return on investment. Heck, half of the subjects I mentioned are marginal in that regard, yet all of them have much wider potential audience interest than anything in the above paragraph. Not trying to make it personal -- just pointing out the facts.

[Manic Moran]

They could always do the Cod War. Iceland vs The Royal Navy in the North Atlantic...

 

NTM

[NickM]

Legion:

 

I heard that they're working on a 'Ghost Soldiers' movie--it will star Benjamin Bratt;

 

Now as for a military subject that I think should be translated into film, I think Guy Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier" should get the cable miniseries treatment a-la BoB;

 

NickM

[swerve]

None of which have an audience. To make a movie, you have to have at least half a chance of realizing a return on investment. Heck, half of the subjects I mentioned are marginal in that regard, yet all of them have much wider potential audience interest than anything in the above paragraph. Not trying to make it personal -- just pointing out the facts.

 

Unfortunately, I agree. Sometimes a good story can carry a film to success, but usually, it requires some other hook, & neither of those, though possessed of huge cinematic potential, has that hook outside the countries directly involved. A pity. However, I think there are other WW1 films which might have a chance of commercial success. Lettow-Vorbecks campaigns?

 

Don't worry, I didn't take your post as personal.

[Guest aevans]

Lettow-Vorbecks campaigns?

151861[/snapback]

 

Let's see...to be factually correct, the Germans would have to be portrayed as the most enlightened of colonialists -- strange, but true -- while the black Africans involved would have to be pro-colonialism because of all the advancements and opportunities that contact with the Germans brought them -- even stranger seeming, but again true. The Evil Empire would be the British. That would never sell in a million years.

[swerve]

Let's see...to be factually correct, the Germans would have to be portrayed as the most enlightened of colonialists -- strange, but true -- while the black Africans involved would have to be pro-colonialism because of all the advancements and opportunities that contact with the Germans brought them -- even stranger seeming, but again true. The Evil Empire would be the British. That would never sell in a million years.

 

 

Life's a bitch, eh? But I'm not so sure British as bad guys wouldn't sell. Plenty of Hollywood casting of British as baddies.

 

What about this for a film? The life & campaigns of James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak. High adventure, exotic scenery, intrigues, & battles galore. British as enlightened colonialists, suppressing piracy & slavery, but always keeping a close eye on the profits.

[Nick Sumner]

Been done once but the defence of Hill 235 by the Gloucestershire Regiment has been described as being among the most extraordinary defensive actions of all time.

 

http://members.tripod.com/~Glosters/Imjin.html

 

I'm a bit biased though as I'm from Gloucestershire.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049302/

 

Not a great movie despite the stalwart cast, the story deserves better treatment.

[KingSargent]

Life's a bitch, eh? But I'm not so sure British as bad guys wouldn't sell. Plenty of Hollywood casting of British as baddies.

 

What about this for a film? The life & campaigns of James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak. High adventure, exotic scenery, intrigues, & battles galore. British as enlightened colonialists, suppressing piracy & slavery, but always keeping a close eye on the profits.

152440[/snapback]

I doubt they could find a writer/director who would stick to the facts, nor anyone besides us who would believe them if they did.

[Rickshaw]

I doubt they could find a writer/director who would stick to the facts, nor anyone besides us who would believe them if they did.

152471[/snapback]

 

 

Well, in the case of Brook, there wouldn't be any need for love scenes. Which means Hollywood would find it very difficult to handle as a subject. Of course, they could go for the inrequited love angle, I suppose.

[KingSargent]

Well, in the case of Brook, there wouldn't be any need for love scenes. Which means Hollywood would find it very difficult to handle as a subject.  Of course, they could go for the inrequited love angle, I suppose.

152505[/snapback]

 

Yeah, him and his millionairess girlfriend mooning at each other....

[swerve]

Well, in the case of Brook, there wouldn't be any need for love scenes. Which means Hollywood would find it very difficult to handle as a subject.  Of course, they could go for the inrequited love angle, I suppose.

 

There are those in Hollywood who'd prefer the version in which the injury was a convenient cover for a taste for boys, which is the story an author called Cassandra Pybus (Australian) based a book on. And there's another story, of a liaison with a servant girl in England resulting in an illegitimate son (Pybus says he was a boyfriend who Brooke decided to pretend was his son).

 

I reckon you could make a very good film of Brooke. Or some very bad ones . Persuading a film maker to stick to what's known would be hard, but there are all the necessary ingredients. Hmm . . who to cast in the lead? Have to be able to buckle a good swash (Brooke was famous for his bravery in battle), & do English & posh convincingly. And be charismatic enough that you can believe thousands of Malays & Iban will eagerly follow this mad foreigner into battle.

 

Suggestions, anyone?

[Rickshaw]

One whom would be sure to get the sheilas in would be Colin Firth. My wife swoons over him everytime he walks onto the screen. Problem is, from my limited knowledge of Brook (from Flashman I have to admit but McDonald-Fraser is noted for his accuracy, if nothing else) Brook was relatively short, whereas Firth is bloody tall! Don't know if he can do anything other than his brooding Mr. Darcy though.

 

How about Richard E. Grant as an alternative? Another favourite of the ladyfolk around here and he was pretty good as the Scarlet Pimpernal. Another could what's his name, Grifford from Hornblower. Then there was Paul McGann. He was rather good in the Monocled Mutineer.

Edited March 9, 2005 by Baron Samedi

[T19]

Vimy Ridge. But it can't be made by the National Film board, or they and the McKinna brothers will claim we lost.

 

Lots of fights, all the preparation and practice at a time when it was over the wires and run like hell at the other guys.