10 Behind Enemy Lines Released 2001 As you might be able to surmise from the title of the movie, Behind Enemy Lines is the story of an officer downed and trapped… behind enemy lines. Based on events of the Bosnian War, Owen Wilson stars as Chris Burnett, a flight officer shot down in Bosnia who discovers the horrific genocide that’s going on there in secret. Though the movie is mostly an action flick, it does have some basis in real world events: in 1995, a US Air Force Captain named Scott O’Grady was shot down over Bosnia, where he survived for nearly a week before being rescued by Marines. Gene Hackman’s presence also helps give the film some gravitas as an Admiral trying to organize the rescue mission for Burnett. 9 Courage Under Fire Released 1996 A veteran of the war genre with the epic and phenomenal Glory, Edward Zwick turned to the Gulf War for this Denzel Washington/Meg Ryan starrer. Washington plays Colonel Serling, a tank commander who mistakenly gave the order to fire on a friendly tank, killing a comrade named Captain Boylar. The incident is covered up by the military and Serling reassigned. When Serling is tasked with the job of determining if the deceased Captain Walden (Ryan) should receive a posthumous Medal of Honor, he stumbles upon yet another cover-up and as a result is faced with confronting his own guilt over the death of Captain Boylar. It’s a riveting drama that attempts to redefine courage and depict bravery in ways other than charging into battle. 8 Jarhead Released 2005 Adapted from Anthony Swofford’s memoir of the same name, Sam Mendes’ Jarhead is a tale of young men sent to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield only to fight the isolation that their station holds. Swofford himself is deftly and convincingly played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who delivers a powerful performance that lets us watch Swofford’s internal undoing without ever coming off as overbearing. Jarhead is also impressive in that it manages to stay relatively apolitical; it doesn’t comment on the war itself as much as it does show the effects of deployment on those involved. 7 Top Gun Released 1986 Top Gun - The Need for Speed Though arguably most memorable for its soundtrack and over-the-top volleyball scene, Tony Scott’s Top Gun is still one of the most visceral modern military movies. The flight sequences are beautifully shot and absolutely thrilling, and the characters – Maverick, Goose, Iceman, and Charlie – are engaging and likable. Primarily a story about Maverick learning some humility, largely through the unfortunate death of wingman and best friend Goose, Top Gun certainly isn’t the most realistic or contemplative modern war movie, but it’s probably the most fun. 6 The Messenger Released 2009 A modern military movie that tackles a deeply uncomfortable but rarely considered role, The Messenger stars Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson as casualty notification officers. Foster’s Sergeant Montgomery has just returned home from Iraq and is partnered with Harrelson’s Captain Stone, and the two serve to give notice to the families of the soldiers lost in battle. It’s a delicate subject that’s dealt with in fine fashion by director Oren Moverman, supported by the incredible strength of his lead actors. 5 Lone Survivor Released 2013 Lone Survivors Real Life Soldier Picking up the visceral intensity where Black Hawk Down left off, Peter Berg’s Lone Survivor tells the true tale of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) and his team that was tasked to track Taliban leader Ahmad Shah’s whereabouts and the failure of the mission that followed. Lone Survivor is a full-throttle ride without losing any emotional intensity. It also benefits from being able to depict the brutal ugliness of war from all angles without feeling the need to comment on it. So often movies like Lone Survivor can get caught up in political message and lose sight of the people – the soldiers giving their lives – but thankfully Berg manages to avoid that completely. 4 A Few Good Men Released 1992 A Few Good Men: You Can’t Handle the Truth Aaron Sorkin and Rob Reiner teamed up for this Jack Nicholson/Tom Cruise classic, based on Sorkin’s stage play, that finds the two leads on opposing ends of a case surrounding two Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine. A Few Good Men finds both actors at the top of their game as a game of accusations and smear campaigns gets underway, laced with crisp Sorkin-style dialogue and patented Reiner sentimentality. It also manages to underscore what makes a Marine a Marine, even under the most dire of accusations. 3 The Hurt Locker Released 2008 Most of the movies on this list feature a hefty amount of action, but few balance the action with the drama and reflective character exploration than Kathryn Bigelow’s phenomenal The Hurt Locker. The movie painfully depicts the effects of the current Iraq war on those who are fighting it, the camaraderie it builds, the lives it destroys, and the addictions it forms. Jeremy Renner gives a breakout performance as the steely Sergeant First Class William James and carries the film from front to back. The Hurt Locker is also notable for its ability to keep things feeling chaotic in the action sequences yet never lose sight of what it’s trying to show you. It’s remarkably well-constructed, both visually and structurally. 2 Zero Dark Thirty Released 2012 The Real-Life Soldiers Who Helped Make Zero Dark Thirty Remarkably, Kathryn Bigelow’s follow-up to The Hurt Locker fared even better than its predecessor. Zero Dark Thirty dramatizes the most well-known military operation in modern history, the hunt for Osama bin Laden in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Despite controversy over its interrogation scenes, Zero Dark Thirty is a riveting exploration of the hunt for the world’s most nefarious terrorist leader, led by the mesmerizing Jessica Chastain. Once again Bigelow showed her penchant for dramatically laced action sequences in the culminating siege of bin Laden’s hideout, and the utter anti-climactic nature of it all. Though The Hurt Locker resisted commentary on the War on Terror, Zero Dark Thirty is much more direct in questioning if the price we paid to get Bin Laden was worth it. 1 Black Hawk Down Released 2001 The most pulse-pounding and dramatic modern military movie made to date, Ridley Scott’s seminal Black Hawk Down manages to show the absolute terrors of war while also depicting the dedication and bravery of United States soldiers. Set during the Battle of Mogadishu, Black Hawk Down is based on Mark Bowden’s book of the same name, a chronicle of the events as told by participants in the conflict. The movie is a horrific depiction of sudden close quarters combat, the spontaneity of modern warfare, and the hard choices soldiers are forced to make in battle. It doesn’t bother to spend a whole lot of time introducing you to the characters, as there simply isn’t time. The film begins and is off to a running start, hardly letting up until its conclusion. The depiction of violence is sickening, yet it manages to be a patriotic example of modern war cinema.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 16:14:35 +0000
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