There are no end of top movies lists you can find online. It seems everyone has an opinion about what movies you should watch. I’ve read through many lists, even made some of my own. But in the end, the question I kept asking myself is “why should someone trust your list over my list? What gives your list credence?”
Then I thought to myself – I don’t need an “experts” opinion – I need the opinion of someone with a different kind of experience – the real world kind. My aim isn’t to get a critical critique but rather to find men in women in specific fields who like movies and are willing to share their five favorite films related to that field.
I decided to start this experiment by tracking down a man I know has a passion for movies and is also a veteran of the Vietnam War. I know this because he happens to be my father – Daniel Kavan. Enlisted in December of 1970 and served until honorably discharged in April of 1974, he served as Seaman First Class aboard the U.S.S Orinskany where he worked on the maintenance, repair and refueling of the aircraft aboard the ship along with working on radar jamming.
Working 12-hour shifts, the ship would spend nine weeks on the China Sea, nine weeks at Cubi Point, Philippines and nine weeks at Da Nang, Vietnam. Aside from the assorted sorties and exercises, he also experienced a typhoon and the rite of crossing the equator.
My dad may be the only person I know who has nearly as many DVDs and Blu-Rays as I own. I guess it runs in the family. He likes action, sci-fi and westerns but I have no problem classifying war films as his favorite genre. So here are the top war films from a true veteran and the reasons behind his choices:
5) The Longest Day – Darryl F. Zanuck’s epic D-Day film covers the battle from all fronts. For a long time, it was the definitive film on the turning point in WWII and is still one of the best films on the subject.
“This really shows the D-Day invasion in detail,” Mr. Kavan said. “And how the lack of communication nearly doomed the whole thing but in the end the groups came together against adverse conditions, did what they had to do. Plus, the cast was really good too.”
4) Saving Private Ryan – Steven Spielberg’s own D-Day films won numerous Oscars, including Best Director and is often cited for its realism.
“The reality of war has never been presented better – this is one of the most authentic representations of war on film. The way they went about their mission – all the situations they found themselves in around the towns and over the field, throughout it all these men never flagged from finding one man just so a family could get their last son back from the war. Great characters, great acting; just about all you can ask from a war film.”
3-2) Band of Brother and The Pacific – Two mini-series dealing with the European and Pacific theater of WWII, both follow a group of soldiers as they deal with realities of war and based on real men and real stories.
On Band of Brothers: “The bond these men shared, how each has their own quirks and attitudes and how these men became true ‘brothers’ – this was powerful because of just what these men had to go through to reach that point. It wasn’t afraid to show the atrocities of war when it had to but also wasn’t afraid to show how men can go above and beyond the call of duty when they needed to as well.
On The Pacific: “A companion piece to Band of Brothers that comes off a bit darker as a group of men deal with not only the fighting, but weather, disease and each other as they island hop for three years across the Pacific. It shows how the resolve is tested – how men go in with a fire in them and leave nearly broken but still manage to get through it all. Both these series are outstanding because they depict real men, real experiences that lead to real consequences.”
1) Apocalypse Now – Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam film based on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has one man going on a secret mission to bring in a Green Beret who is conducting his own war – who may or may not be mad – and the people and conflicts he must deal with along the way.
“This really shows what people will do – how far they will go, not just for the mission, but just for the hell of it. You have a guy with a surfing fetish, soldiers enjoying a BBQ and then turn around and show people killing each other. This mission – this guy is trying to figure out why the brass really want this ‘hero’ taken out – is it because he’s mad or that he’s actually getting things done? He might be doing it in a cruel and terrible way, but in order to fight the enemy, you have to fight like the enemy.”
“This truly shows the bizarre side of the Vietnam War and how far men will go to fight the war on their own terms – whether you happen to be the men in charge or a mad king – mad, but still a king.”
There you are – if you want to know what war films are worth your time, there are five movies and mini-series you need to watch straight from a veteran’s perspective. One last thing – if you’re asking why there aren’t more Vietnam films on the list, Mr. Kavan is quick to sum it up: “I just find WWII films more powerful in general.”
This is only the first in what I hope to be an on-going series to discover the top films from the perspective of everyday people with specific experience in either a field or life experience that goes beyond mere critical evaluation. Please stay tuned for the next entry.