Although Memorial Day weekend is most famous for signalling the start of summer, it has exceptional importance for commemorating military members. They gave their lives while serving the United States. Many families across the nation silently analyse the anniversary by paying tribute to and observing the deaths lost while bravely serving our country. Numerous movies have been made that portray the horrors of war and fight in the world of cinema. These works often address the effects of a war on a specific person or population or the nature of the conflict itself. The movie’s target is usually to stir powerful feelings in the viewer.
FORREST GRUMP(1994)
Forrest Gump is the fictional character in the movie Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks). Forrest is waiting for a bus when he begins talking to different bench observers about his life. After graduating from college, Forrest recalls to one of the strangers the time he enlisted in the American Army. Forrest and Bubba (Mykelti Williamson) become friends while in a basic internship, and eventually, the two are sent to Vietnam with the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. The unit is ambushed during one of the infantry’s usual missions, killing Bubba and injuring Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise). Lt. Dan, one of the colleagues Forrest can save during the onslaught, reprimands Forrest for saying he had desired to die in a fight like his forefathers before him. President Lyndon B. Johnson bestows the Medal of Honor on Forrest in recognition of his bravery.
PATTON (1970)
The movie Patton is based on the life of II Corps commander General George S. Patton during World War II. General Patton (George C. Scott) meets General Bernard Montgomery (Michael Bates), a British Army leader, and introduces him to his troops while enforcing discipline. Patton and his troops successfully repel the oncoming German forces at the Battle of El Guettar. Following the victory, Patton and Montgomery discuss invasion strategies for Sicily, with Montgomery’s proposal garnering General Eisenhower’s support. Patton’s hostility throughout the advance angers Lucian Truscott and Omar Bradley (Karl Malden) (John Doucette). In control of the imaginary First United States Army Group, later on, Patton skillfully designed a strategy during the Battle of the Bulge that resulted in the invasion of Germany. Patton won a lot of awards and garnered favourable reviews. Many critics praised the movie as one of the best biographical war movies ever.
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN(1998)
In World War II, the events of Saving Private Ryan occurred during the Normandy invasion. The movie is renowned for its brutal depiction of battle and its account of the Omaha Beach invasion. As they look for James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers were killed in action, Tom Sizemore’s, Edward Burns’, Giovanni Ribisi’s, Vin Diesel’s, and Adam Goldberg’s characters play members of the U.S. Army Rangers under the command of Tom Hanks. The characters in Saving Private Ryan are fictional, even though they depict World War II events as genuine. However, the film is praised for being among the best war films, especially for portraying the Omaha Beach landing.
1917(2019)
Operation Alberich occurred in 1917 after the German withdrawal from the Hindenburg Line. In the movie, two British soldiers are sent to the 2nd Battalion to deliver a message cancelling an attack that was supposed to occur the next day. The two men must overcome several challenges as they race against time to halt the assault. Sam Mendes, the director, claimed that his grandpa, a messenger for the British on the Western Front, gave him the ideas for the movie. Though the main and supporting characters appeared to be made up, the film was based on Operation Alberich. According to several military historians, the video has several historical quirks and inaccuracies.
APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
Apocalypse Now is a war drama that takes place at the height of the Vietnam War and centres on American Army Captain Williard (Martin Sheen), who is sent on an undercover search mission to locate Green Beret Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has gone insane and crossed the border into Cambodia. Williard sets off on the assignment after receiving instructions to kill Colonel Kurtz. Williard, however, starts to uncover the atrocities of the war as he travels. The film is well-known for its many historical mistakes and the problems that dogged its creation, despite taking place in the Vietnam War. However, the movie is regarded by many as one of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpieces and among the best depictions of the Vietnam War.