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Here is the information I received  regarding my question on movies and
War for the  high school level.  Thanks to all who replied.

Our 8th grade teacher (US History) send home permission slips for R-Rated
movies and shows clips or entire films of Glory, Patriot, Saving Pvt. Ryan,
The Russians are Coming, Goodmorning Vietnam, Dr. Strangelove, Schindler's
List, Europa  Europa, Sophie's Choice, Amistead, Tora, Tora, Tora.

In addition, he has a DVD is his classroom and he selects scenes to show
certain points (e.g. uses Tora, tora, Tora to show US/Japan roles, etc.).
----
People have told me that it is nothing like the book (which I have not
read) but Last of the Mohicans would be good for the French-Indian War.
It's pretty violent, but I don't think it's gratuitous.
---
        I would recommend Glory (54th Massachusetts, first Black
regiment in the Civil War) and The Thin Red Line (the army campaign on
Guadalcanal).  I think these are both rated R, but they're excellent films.
I don't think that From Here to Eternity has an R rating?  Here are several
more:

        Midway
        The Longest Day
        Killer Angels
        Bridge Over the River Kwai

---
I recommend you buy Past Imperfect and History Goes to the Movies for your
collection since you have teacher interested in film literacy.  They
discuss historical movies and how accurately the films portray the events.

Here are some recommended films from those books:
Amistad
Black Robe
The Buccaneer
The Howards of Virginia
Plymouth Adventure
Gettysburg
Glory
Gone With the Wind
The Horse Soldiers
Ironclads
The Red Badge of Courage
Broken Arrow
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Cheyenne Autumn
The Far Country
I Will Fight No More Forever
Jeremiah Johnson
Shenandoah
The Friendly Persuasion
The searchers
The Long Riders
High Noon
Son of the Morning Star
Stagecoach
Dances With WolvesWinchester 73
Sergeant York
Al Capone
King of the Hill
The Front Page
Places in the Heart
Of Mice and Men
The Grapes of Wrath
Battleground
Battle of the Bulge
Run Silent, Run Deep
back to BataanPrisoners of the Sun
Court Martial of Billy Mitchell
The Desert Rats
Fat Man and Little Boy
The Great Escape
The Thin Red Line (1964)
The Halls of Montezuma
The Longest Day
Memphis Belle
Midway
Since You Went Away
The Best Years of Our Lives
Patton
Sands of Iwo Jima
Tora Tora Tora
A Walk in the Sun
Bridges at Toko Ri
Manchurian Candidate
Men in War
Pork Chop Hill
Twelve O'Clock High
American Graffiti
Apollo 13
Blackboard Jungle
The Right Stuff
Quiz Show
All the President's Men
The Big Lift
Hunt for red October
The Age of Innocence
Citizen Kane
The Spirit of St. Louis
the Long Walk Home
Dr. Strangelove
Sullivan's Travels
Matewan
The Molly Maguires
drums Along the Mohawk
1776

Many more are discussed in these two books, but I tried to list those that
are better depictions of history.  Don't know about the ratings of some.
---

I recommend a wonderfully thorough resource called the Internet Movie
Database (imdb.com). Go to <http://us.imdb.com/Sections/Genres/War/> for
an
all-inclusive list.

My own list would include:
Glory
The Patriot (Mel Gibson)
Apocalypse Now
Saving Private Ryan
The Last of the Mohicans
M*A*S*H
The Counterfeit Traitor (1962, William Holden; worth seeking out)
Casablanca
Catch-22
Europa, Europa (Polish, 1990, original title Hitlerjunge Salomon)
Braveheart
Lawrence of Arabia

You would know your students well enough to know what they could handle.
Movies such as "Glory" and "Last of the Mohicans" were (I think) rated R
solely due to the realism of their violence, which is what makes them such
great movies. I would not hesitate to show either one, but it's a judgment
call. I have shown parts of "Europa, Europa" to an adult ed. class (18-25
yr.
olds) but not all of it because an important plot point is that a Jewish
boy
lies about his family and joins a Nazi regiment but is terrified of having
his circumcision discovered. Kind of darkly humorous, but one of the best
movies I know for explaining the Nazi movement up close.
-----
Does your teacher want any particular war?  My husband also
teachers H.S. social studies and he's used several titles.
I'm sure you've already gotten suggestions for "All Quiet
on the Western Front" for WWI.  He likes "Tora, Tora, Tora"
for Pearl Harbor/WW2.  I think there's also one called
"They Were Expendable" (I think), WW2, John Wayne maybe.
Mel Gibson's "The Patriot"--violent but realistic, shows
the Napoleonic-style of fighting very well.  I'll ask my
husband for other suggestions.
---
I am not sure that I understand the exact purpose of the assignment but,
if it is to present war as it "really" is (or as close to it as
hollywood can get) I would suggest the following.  Some are R rated
though.  War tends to be X rated so one needs to bare that in mind.

Pork Chop Hill - About Korea
Platoon - about Vietnam (pretty graphic, but pretty accurate)
Patton - WWII
The longest day - WWII
A bridge too far - WWII
Tora, Tora, Tora - WWII
Das Boot -WWII (told from the enemy's point of view)
The enemy below (1950's WWII naval movie)
Saving Private Ryan - WWII
Glory - about the Civil War
All quiet on the western front - WWI (old, made in 1930's but good)
--



"In theory, there isn't any difference between theory and practice.  In
practice, there is."  - Yogi Berra

Mrs. Carolyn Gierke,  Librarian
Sweet Home High School
1901 Sweet Home Road
Amherst, NY  14228
Phone: 1-716-250-1227
FAX:    1-716-250-1360
email:  cgierke@shs.k12.ny.us

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