In the United States, the last Monday in May is called Memorial Day and is designated as a national holiday to commemorate those members of the American armed forces killed in war. In honor of all U.S. military personnel who have fallen in war, I've compiled a list of movies intended to pay them tribute. Ordered by release date, here’s my list:
Sergeant York (1941)
Length: 134 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR (not rated)
Gary Cooper won an Oscar for his portrayal of the title character in this biopic about America’s best-known World War I hero. In the film, York is a pacifist from backwoods Tennessee who requests conscientious objector status. But his request is denied, and he is thrust into the 1918 Meuse-Argonne Offensive. When York sees some of his fellow soldiers killed in combat, he fights valiantly to try to save the rest. I admire York’s stoical outlook on his and the other soldiers' efforts: "What we done in France was sump’m we had to do. Some fellas that done it ain’t a-comin’ back."
Go for Broke! (1951)
Length: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR (not rated)
After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, most Americans openly showed prejudice against U.S. citizens of Japanese descent, and the U.S. government interned West Coast Japanese-Americans in inland camps. But this film chronicles the World War II exploits of Japanese-American volunteers in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Facing prejudice and mistrust, they prove their bravery and loyalty in battles in Italy and France, where many of them are killed. I like the way this film manages to get across an important message about race relations without being too preachy.
Pork Chop Hill (1959)
"Tagline: Bold! Blunt! Blistering! The battle picture without equal!"
Length: 97 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR (not rated)
Directed by Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front), this grim, fact-based film chronicles the taking of Pork Chop Hill in April, 1953, near the end of the Korean War. Lt. Joe Clemons (Gregory Peck) commands an American infantry company that is ordered to secure the hill, even though its strategic value is dubious and peace talks at Panmunjom could end the war at any moment. What I like best about this movie is how it shows the soldiers maintaining dignity while carrying out this dangerous mission that cost many lives.
Platoon (1986)
Tagline: "The first casualty of war is innocence."
Length: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Platoon is a violent, dizzying, disorienting, brutally realistic depiction of the horror of war. The film's narrator, Private Chris Taylor, is a patriotic young man who volunteered to fight in the Vietnamese War, but everything he knew and believed in before coming to Vietnam is challenged. Much of the film’s power comes from the audience experiencing the war from a grunt’s point of view. I feel that this is Oliver Stone's most personal and moving film.
Hamburger Hill (1987)
Length: 112 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
As the opening credits roll, this film shows the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and moves the camera over the names on it. But the scene quickly shifts to 1969 Vietnam, where several soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division are introduced. The movie follows these men as they take part in the bloody assault on Hill 937, called Hamburger Hill because men become ground meat there. I like the way this film looks at the war from the soldiers’ perspective: There’s a whole psychological outlook wrapped up in their frequently used phrase "Don’t mean nothin’."
Glory (1989)
Tagline: "Their innocence. Their heritage. Their lives. Nothing would be spared in the fight for their freedom."
Length: 122 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Set during the U.S. Civil War, this film tells the tale of the 54th Infantry Regiment, a Massachusetts unit made up of black enlisted men. The Union brass at first opposes the use of the 54th in combat, but the regiment eventually leads a larger force against a Confederate fort near Charleston, South Carolina. More than half the men of the 54th are killed, but the regiment’s discipline and bravery pave the way for 180,000 blacks to serve in the Union army. I especially like the performances in this movie, particularly those of Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.
More Memorial Day Movies on the Next Page
