Which war movie or documentary best conveys the horror of war?

Question

I am looking for one that has the best sights and sounds that convey how horrable it must be to be involved in a war.

The best one I have seen is Saving Private Ryan. Is there a better one?

For the purposes of this question I don't mean the story, but the sights and sounds of war.

I am after a movie that will frighten the life out of anyone who things war is good just by the action scenes.

Answer 1

Watch .. Man Behind the Sun.. if you think you can stomach it.

It is not a mainstream movie... and it is very extremely gruesome...

The film details the various cruel medical experiments Japan's Unit 731 inflicted upon the Chinese & Russian prisoners of war taken in the Sino-Japanese war and Chinese civilian population at the tail-end of World War II.

Answer 2

Oh I can answer this one. If you want frightening, shocking, that gets the message across about the futility of war, it simply has to be "A Very Long Engagement" (original French title: "Un long dimanche de fiançailles). Watched it earlier this month. It is gripping (and I'm not usually a fan of war films).

It's not all about the war - the war scenes are shown in the many lengthy flashbacks - but it certainly conveys how awful the war must have been. And World War I was probably the worst.

Here's the review I wrote when I hired it out on LOVEFiLM:

This is essentially the story of a young girl disabled since the age of 3 from polio, and her childhood sweetheart who supposedly is killed in 1917 in the trenches during the First World War. It is now 1920, the war is over, and Mathilde embarks on an investigation to find out whether he is really dead. Occasionally darkly comedic (especially when floozie Tina, lover of one of five men courtmarshalled for 'cowardice', wreaks her revenge), often extremely graphic (some of the violence is as gory as we would expect), this is a great film of flashbacks and clues, and ultimately satisfying - if not at times a tad confusing (but it all makes sense in the end). The WWI scenes look especially convincing, and further explain the utter futility of war. And yes, that is Jodie Foster speaking French....

More info on the film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344510/

Other people's reviews in case you want further confirmation:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344510/externalreviews

Answer 3

I agree with you about Saving Private Ryan! Dont think there has been one better than this film yet. However, here are some that come pretty close and I think you will enjoy:
DeerHunter
Full Metal Jacket
Hamburger Hill
Uncommon Valour
We were soldiers
Schindlers List.
I dont think any film can really convey the horror of war. We can only empathise. Do you agree?

Answer 4

I would have to say Saving Private Ryan for the first half an hour alone. Other films like Apocalypse Now and Schindlers List do show the horror of war, however they don't show exactly what it was like on the front-line quite like Saving Private Ryan.

Answer 5

The Brotherhood of War.
It's a movie about the Korean war.
Saving Private Ryan look alike.

Answer 6

"Ryan" was really good for that....... I would say a better one is "The Thin Red Line." The battle scenes are not quite as grotesque as "Ryan," but the psychology behind a lot of the prisoner-taking scenes was really disturbing, especially the soldier who goes around collecting the teeth of the men he's killed. He shows them to a Japanese soldier he shot who is still alive. He smiles and points at the circling vultures overhead to make the Japanese guy understand how glad he is that the Japanese man will be dead soon. Chilling.

Answer 7

Saving Privet Ryan is the perfect conflict action picture of all time different solid ones are: Apocalypse Now Platoon Letters from Iwo Jima Flags of Our Fathers some solid adult males adult males of Honor accurate Gun Black Hawk Down The Patriot Patton the excellent damage out U-571 We were squaddies

Answer 8

Saving Private Ryan was awesome.
Have you seen the Korean film Brotherhood.
Or how about The Pianist.

Answer 9

Full metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan and my personal Fave-- Apocalypse Now.

Answer 10

I think it has to be the BBCs Dunkirk series because although I agree with you that Private Ryan is pretty realistic the scenes in Dunkirk where British Prisoners are murdered by the SS are cruel and chilling. It has to be seen to be understood.