OMAR AZIMI

Although the Memorial Day weekend is most known for the kick-off of summertime, its resonance is in remembering the men and women of the armed forces who have lost their lives in service to the U.S. Many families around the country solemnly commemorate the holiday by remembering and honoring the lives that were lost while bravely serving our country.

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Within the world of cinema, countless films have been produced showing the horrors of war and conflict. Many of these productions often focus on the war itself or explore the aftermath of a war on a person or population that was affected. Oftentimes, the film is made to evoke strong emotions in its audience.

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Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump depicts several decades in the life of the fictional character Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks). While at a bus stop, Forrest tells stories about his life to various strangers on the bench. Forrest tells one of the strangers of the time he joined the U.S. Army after graduating from college. While in basic training, Forrest befriends Bubba (Mykelti Williamson), and later, the two friends are deployed to Vietnam with the 47thInfantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. During one of the infantry’s routine operations, the platoon is ambushed, killing Bubba and wounding Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise).

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During the attack, Forrest is able to save several of his teammates, including Lt. Dan, who berates Forrest for saving him, stating that he had wanted to die in combat, just like his ancestors before him. For his heroism, Forrest is awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Although not completely a war movie, many perceive the scene where Forrest’s platoon is ambushed to be largely accurate and detailed. The director, Robert Zemeckis fully captured the sheer intensity and urgency of an attack by the Viet Cong.

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Patton (1970)

Patton is based on the biography of World War II General George S. Patton, who is placed in charge of II Corps. In the film, General Patton (George C. Scott) instills discipline in his troops and meets General Bernard Montgomery (Michael Bates), a British Army officer. At the Battle of El Guettar, Patton and his command defeat the advancing German forces. In the aftermath of the victory, Patton and Montgomery brainstorm plans for the invasion of Sicily, with Montgomery’s plan winning the favor of General Eisenhower. Patton’s aggression during the advance draws the ire of Omar Bradley (Karl Malden) as well as Lucian Truscott (John Doucette).

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Later, Patton is placed in charge of the fictitious First United States Army Group and expertly devises a plan during the Battle of Bulge, which leads to the invasion of Germany. Patton received many accolades as well as a positive critical response. Many critics named the movie one of the most compelling biographical war movies of all time. Bradley was brought on to the production to serve as a consultant for the film, as Patton had passed in 1945.

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Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Saving Private Ryan is set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. The film is most known for its intensely graphic portrayal of war as well as the portrayal of the Omaha Beach assault. The film follows a group of U.S. Army Rangers, led by Hanks, and his squad, comprised of characters played by Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, and Adam Goldberg, as they search for James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers were killed in action.

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Although the events of World War II depicted in Saving Private Ryan were real, the characters are fictitious. Nevertheless, the film is most known for being one of the best war films, especially due to the recreation of the landing on Omaha Beach.

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1917 (2019)

1917 takes place during Operation Alberich, following the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. The film follows two British soldiers as they receive orders to bring a message to the 2nd Battalion calling off a scheduled attack that was set to occur the following day. The two men face various obstacles and hardships as they race against time to stop the attack.

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The director, Sam Mendes, stated that he got the ideas for the script from his grandfather, who served as a messenger for the British on the Western Front. The film was inspired by the real-life Operation Alberich, although the main and supporting characters seemed to be fictional. Various military historians cited the film’s various historical oddities and inaccuracies.

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Apocalypse Now (1979)

Apocalypse Now is set during the height of the Vietnam War and follows U.S. Army Captain Williard (Martin Sheen) who is sent on an unofficial mission to find Green Beret Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who has seemingly gone mad, and who has crossed the border from Vietnam to Cambodia. Williard embarks on the mission, having been given orders to terminate Colonel Kurtz. However, along his journey, Williard begins to unravel the horrors of the war.

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Despite being set during the Vietnam War, the movie is known for its various historical inaccuracies, as well as the controversies that plagued its production. Nevertheless, the film is considered by many to be one of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpieces, and one of the best films on the Vietnam War. The film went on to earn multiple nominations and awards, most prominently at the 52nd Academy Awards, and the Cannes Film Festival.

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Platoon (1986)

Platoon follows Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) as he leaves college and enlists in the army to be deployed to Vietnam during the war. Taylor is assigned to Bravo Company, 25th Infantry Division and witnesses infighting in his platoon between Staff Sargeant Barnes (Tom Berenger) and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), as to whether the villagers nearby are harboring Viet Cong soldiers.

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Regarded as one of the best war movies in cinema history, Oliver Stone’s directorial effort was considered as “one of war cinema’s finest, and most realistic couple of hours.” However, its critics claim that the movie portrays an inaccurate depiction of the Vietnam War.

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M.A.S.H (1970)

MASH follows the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea during the Korean War. The personnel go about their daily operations and use humor to deal with the horrors of the war and see the arrival of surgeons Captain “Hawkeye” Pierce (Donald Sutherland) and “Duke” Forrest (Tom Skerritt), who disregard standard military protocols and rules.

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Other characters at the site include commanding officer Henry Blake (Roger Bowen), his chief clerk Radar O’Reilly (Gary Burghoff), Walter “Painless Pole” Waldowski (John Schuck), the dentist, surgeon Frank Burns (Robert Duvall), and Chaplain Father Mulcahy (René Auberjonois). Although MASH was set during the Korean War, it was actually a reaction to the Vietnam War, and serves as anti-war satire. The film plays on satire of war and the military bureaucracy, among other topics.

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Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) attends an Independence Day parade with his family. A few years later, President John F. Kennedy’s televised inaugural speech inspires Ron to join the United States Marine Corps and enlists following a visit to his high school by two Marine recruiters. Later, Ron is seen as a Marine sergeant during his second tour of duty. During the mission, his unit kill several Vietnamese villagers, thinking they were enemy combatants. While retreating, Ron accidentally kills Wilson (Lili Taylor), a member of his platoon.

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After being critically wounded, Ron is sent to a hospital in New York, and returns home in 1969. While home, Ron struggles with his guilt and attempts to bring awareness to the war and his hatred of it. The screenplay for the movie, directed by Oliver Stone, was adapted from Ron Kovic’s memoir of the same name. Although the film received multiple accolades, Stone was accused of dramatizing the events of Kovic’s memoir and of actual events.

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Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Full Metal Jacket follows a group of Marine recruits who arrive at Parris Island. The recruits meet Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R. Lee Ermey), who declares himself to be firm, but fair. When Lawrence (Vincent D’Onofrio) begins to make continuous errors and eats a contraband donut, Hartman imposes collective punishment on all the recruits. Every time Lawrence makes an error, the rest of the platoon is forced to exercise. The platoon gets their revenge on Lawrence, who, mysteriously begins to show improvement, especially in his marksmanship, and seemingly starts to have a mental breakdown.

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Lawrence shoots and kills Hartman when he intervenes and then kills himself. Later, Sergeant J.T. Davis (Matthew Modine) is based in Vietnam for the newspaper Stars and Strips, along with Private First Class Rafterman (Kevyn Major Howard). Ermey, who served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine drill instructor, used the experience to improvise most of his dialogue. Prior to his casting, he was brought on the production as a technical advisor. As director, Stanley Kubrick sought to make everything on film as authentic as possible, with much of the first act being mostly accurate.

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The Thin Red Line (1998)

During World War II, a group of soldiers is brought in to provide relief for battle-weary Marines. Among the newly arrived soldiers are Private Bell (Ben Chaplin), Private Doll (Dash Mihok), as well as Captain James Staros (Elias Koteas) who ponder their lives as well as the pending invasion. Lieutenant Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte) sees the invasion as his last chance for glory. The group soon lands on Guadalcanal, and march into the island and soon find Hill 210, a key enemy position. The hill has bunkers placed, and anyone who attempts to climb it will be faced with machine-gun fire.

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The company ultimately capture the hill and are victorious, though they are unable to celebrate during their break from battle. Weeks later, the company is on patrol through a river under the command of Lieutenant Band (Paul Gleeson), and find themselves being encircled by Japanese soldiers. The battle for Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands begin in August 1942 and is featured heavily in The Thin Red Line. However, critics state that not enough history is shown in the film’s nearly three-hour runtime. However, director Terrence Malick’s depiction of the dead and wounded is considered to be mostly accurate, despite the lack of an attempt to create a complete account of the battle for Guadalcanal.