Best WWII POW Movie

[Mendocino]

Bridge on the River Kwai-certainly the best drama of the bunch, loosely based on actual events.

Stalag 17-Witty and funny, but also a good study in human nature.

The Great Escape-Heroic and mostly true, very entertaining.

The Dirty Dozen-ultimate "guys" film, funny and brutal.

What do you think?

[Richard Steele]

1. The Great Escape. That's what I think. nm

[Dr Morbius]

2. Von Ryan's Express deserves honorable mention.

Great flick.

[pokerfan]

3. The Great Escape

(should be a poll)

Interactive map: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/greatescape/harry.html

[edbermac]

4. Tie with Great Escape and Dirty Dozen.

Kwai drags a bit for me. Haven't seen Stalag 17.

Another nominee here is Empire of the Sun.

[Aristus]

5. The most moving and esoteric choice: Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.

A stunning film in many ways...

[proteus_lives]

6. Much love for the Dirty Dozen.

[MilesColtrane]

7. "The Great Escape"

...because only Steve Fucking McQueen could pass off a TT Special 650 Triumph as a Nazi Warpig Bike.

[denbot]

8. The great escape, with Bridge a close second.

One of Steve McQueen's best roles.

[MiddleFingerMom]

9. Stalag 17...

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... a GREAT example of a dramatic comedy.
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C'MON!!!!!
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It's Billy Wilder!!!!!
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[Mendocino]

10. William Holden didn't want the role.

He thought the loathsome Sefton too selfish and cynical. Charleton Heston and Kirk Douglas were considered, both turned it down. Holden was contractually bound and with reluctance took the part. Turned out alright, he won the Oscar. Billy Wilder's intuition after working with Holden on Sunset Boulevard was spot on. I really can't imagine any other actor nailing a part so well except for maybe Jack Lemmon in The Apartment, another Wilder film.(and dramatic comedy)

[Seneca]

11. "Kwai" and "Great Escape"

[geardaddy]

12. Great Escape, then Kwai.

[Common Sense Party]

15. That, I think, is the correct answer.

[geardaddy]

24. You are correct, indeed.

[Kat45]

13. The Great Escape. n/t

[Iggo]

14. Stalag 17.

They killed Johnson and Manfredi.

[Kaleva]

16. The One That Got Away

The true story of a German pilot who managed to escape from a POW camp in Canada and return to Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_One_That_Got_Away_%28film%29

[begin_within]

17. Drop everything, and watch this one as soon as you can:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049902/

[CBGLuthier]

18. to be picky, Dirty Dozen were prisoners, not POWs

All four movies are on my must watch list. Kwai is probably the most important of them. Guinness's performance is just stunning. I love Stalag 17 for Neville Brand and Robert Strauss. The Great Escape has the best cast. I love the Dirty Dozen too but it may be the weakest of the bunch and as I said is not really a POW movie. Still, great fun.


Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, with Tom Conti and David Bowie, is a good one also. The final scene is so sad though. So sad.

EDIT: Forgot about The Grand Illusion. Very powerful early film more about the changing society than the war itself.

[Mendocino]

31. Well I threw DD into the mix

because I thought needed at least four well known films for a good range. If I hadn't included it someone would have said well it is war and they are prisoners. But then again it has a nice twist, soldiers who became prisoners not because they were good soldiers and did their duty, but because they were bad soldiers and/or lousy humans. Only by becoming good soldiers did they "escape". John Cassavetes owned that film.

[Iggo]

19. Oh, wait. I can't remember the name of it...

...but honorable mention goes to that movie with that little fucker that grows up to play Batman and John Connor.

Japanese camp. English citizens stuck in China when the Japanese invaded. GAWD! I can't for the life of me remember what it's called!

[CBGLuthier]

20. Empire of the Sun

[Iggo]

21. That's it!

Thanks. My brain was not working this morning.

[Paladin]

33. I Get Goose Bumps Just Thinking About That Scene.....

....between the British P-O-W boy and the Japanese pilots. Good stuff.....

[dembotoz]

22. i rather like ww2 movies--some of the real old ones are great

dirty dozen--no
great escape --no

some of the movies made during the war with propaganda overtones are just wonderful.

fun the watch.

[whistler162]

23. The Enemy Below....

[Hell Hath No Fury]

25. The Great Escape.

Followed by "Chicken Run". :D My Mom and I laughed our asses off when the chickens showed up in the yard to dispose of the soil from the tunneling -- everyone else in the theatre looked at us like we were nuts. :crazy:

[Auggie]

26. The Great Escape

[SteppingRazor]

27. It's The Great Escape, bar none.

I mean, just think of the cultural impact. You can't hear that whistling theme song without the whole movie playing in your head.

[NewJeffCT]

28. Four great movies

I might go with Bridge for the great performances.

[bikebloke]

29. The Great Escape

The Bridge on the River Kwai

I'm curious about Von Ryan's Express. As a kid I liked it. I saw it in a DVD bargain bundle and have been tempted.

[Dr Morbius]

32. It isn't as great a flick as Kwai or TGE, but it's a good movie. (nt)

[Turbineguy]

30. There was a funny one with

Andy Griffith.

[Kablooie]

34. What about Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence?

[KG]

35. um, the 'dirty dozen' doesn't involve PoWs.

[Mendocino]

36. See #18.

and #31.