Amazon Rainforest or Amazon Jungle is one of the darkest, scariest and mysterious forest in the world. You must have heard a lot about Amazon forest here and there or you might had your own real time experience in the Amazon forest. But trust me making movies in those dark rainforest is not the easiest job around. It requires uncompromisable effort from cinematography and director to shoot each scene with precise lighting, realistic and natural way. These movies has got adventurous, thrilling and breathtaking scenes. Let's see some of the best Amazon rainforest movies of all time.

1. The Mission (1986) 

  ***Underrated, Thoughtful And An Amazing Cinematic Experience***

"Hontar: We must work in the world, your eminence. The world is thus.
Altamirano: No, Senor Hontar. Thus have we made the world... thus have I made it."

"Mendoza: Though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Love suffereth and love is kind. Love envieth not. Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. But now abideth faith, hope, love... these three. But the greatest of these is love. "

"The Mission" is a movie about 18th century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American Indian tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal. It is a treat to see both Jeremy Irons and Robert De Niro deliver some of their best acting. Also of interest is seeing the early acting careers of both Liam Neeson & Aiodan Quinn.

Visually the film is perfect, with some of the greatest cinematography ever viewed on screen, combining majestic jungle scenery with religious imagery and style. Ennio Morricone's musical score is another highlight, incorporating exultant vocals and pensive, moving segments in an effective mixture. I certainly recommend this movie as a great drama that presents interesting questions in a formally pleasing way.

2. Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)

  ***Fascinating, Desperately Disturbing And Surreal Film***

"Don Lope de Aguirre: I am the great traitor. There must be no other. Anyone who even thinks about deserting this mission will be cut up into 198 pieces. Those pieces will be stamped on until what is left can be used only to paint walls. Whoever takes one grain of corn or one drop of water... more than his ration, will be locked up for 155 years. If I, Aguirre, want the birds to drop dead from the trees... then the birds will drop dead from the trees. I am the wrath of god. The earth I pass will see me and tremble. But whoever follows me and the river, will win untold riches. But whoever deserts."

Director Werner Herzog has always been interested in telling stories about men with obsessions, especially if those obsessions lead to madness. So it's no surprise that he was engaged by "Aguirre: The Wrath of God" story is about a group of Spanish conquistadors in 1560 trekking through the Peruvian jungle in search of El Dorado, legendary city of gold, and one man in particular, Aguirre, who stages a mutiny and continues to lead the remaining troupe on an increasingly insane and futile journey when all logic and reason compels them to turn back.

The film is based on real incident. The direction is absolutely wonderful, and despite the amount of tenacity which would normally cripple a film's production, Herzog's and Kinski's volatile relationship managed to bring the best out of both men. Kinski is extraordinary as Aguirre, there's not enough justice in words to describe his performance.

3. Fitzcarraldo (1982)

***A Visual Feast And Technical Magnificence From Werner Herzog*** 

"Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald - 'Fitzcarraldo': I want my opera house! I want the opera house! This church remains closed until this town has its opera house. I want my opera house! I want my opera house! I want my opera house!"

"Fitzcarraldo" Klaus Kinski plays an opera lover who is determined to build an opera house in the middle of the Amazon rain forest. In order to achieve his dream, though, he must first make a fortune in the area's biggest industry: rubber. The scheme he conjures up involves sailing a boat down one branch of the Amazon, carrying it over a mountain, and sailing up the other side. This feat comprises a large bulk of the film, and was shot without the aid of any special effects.

It is a great introduction to Werner Herzog and as a film about humanity, triumph over the land, as well as the spirituality of the people who are part of that land. Herzog assembled a film with many emblematic visual features, presumably for the purposes of enhancing the aesthetics. Klaus Kinski is wonderful in this film cannot be overstated.

4. The Emerald Forest (1985)

  ***An Amazing Adventure And Realistic Performance ***

"Werner: Can you smell it? The oxygen? 40% of the world's oxygen is produced here in the Amazon.

Bill Markham: Come on, Eurbay, oxygen doesn't smell. It's... the rot, the decay.

Werner: Also the blossoms."

Tommy is taken from his family by an Amazon tribe called "The Invisible Ones" and father Bill spends ten years searching for him. After finding a few leads, he has an encounter with a dangerous cannibal tribe called "The Fierce Ones" and actually stumbles on his son as he tries to flee for his life.

It's a beautiful, somewhat touching tale of a child's abduction by aboriginals, and a diligent ten year search for the missing son by his father. The rain forest location photography is stunning, and the story actually believable for awhile. The cinematography, involving story, no profanity and just plain good adventure all make this movie an entertaining one. An extremely original and captivating film. A jungle adventure not to be missed.

5.  End of the Spear (2005)

***Moving And Accurate Picture Of The Christian Faith***

"Nate Saint: Do you know how far away the sun is?

Young Steve Saint: 93 million miles.

Nate Saint: Do you know that that's just a fraction of how much I love you?"

"End of the Spear" is the true story of the killing of five young men by a tribe of savage killer Acua Indians in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956. Anthropologists of that day rated the Acua Indians as the most vicious killers known to man. The men were attempting to make friendly contact with the Acuas. Initially, they are successful, however something goes terribly wrong, and the Indians kill each of them.

The film is lively, which is enhanced by the different views from the anthropologists, the missionary families, the waodani and the civilized panama tribe people. It's amusing to see the anthropologists amazed by what they're studying. The cinematography is rich with the green amazon scenery, especially the aerial river shots. Care is taken to avoid focusing on the violence by going off-camera during some of the most violent scenes.

6. Birdwatchers (2008)

***Powerful And Exploration Of Hidden Amazon Culture***

"Osvaldo: I won, you lost!"

"Birdwatchers" portrays about Guarani-Kaiowa community in their native Brazil, Birdwatchers depicts the breakdown between the white settlers and the ever-decreasing tribe. Tired of living in a designated settlement, stoic community leader Nadio decides to take back the land that their ancestors are buried on.

The Brazilian landscape is filmed with a natural beauty, which allows us to understand why the Guarani-Kaiowa worship the land so. A powerful film, and when director Marco Bechis flashes up the charity dedicated to preserving the tribe at the end of the film, it will fill you with guilt that you can live in a world that would fail to recognise their struggle and plight.

7. El Dorado (1988)

  ***A Good Film With Thrilling Climax***

"An voyage formed by Spanish soldiers down the Orinoco and Amazon rivers searching for the fabled city of gold."

"El Dorado" with an voyage under command of Pedro Ursua (Lambert Wilson) with various officers. The travelers who are over-dressed for the heat in their old world clothes and armor must survive the crises of jungle life and human badness . The river , jungle scenery and several dangers dominate the motley characters in the risked journey . But later on , Lope De Aguirre (Omero Antonutti) takes over the explorers.

"El Dorado" kept reminding me of better made films such as "Fitzcarraldo", or even "Aguirre, the Wrath of God", both superior films because of the amazing contribution of Klaus Kinski and Werner Herzog to the genre.

8. Brave New Land (2000)

***Brutal And A Great Screenplay***

"An Untold Story About An Untold Culture."

The Story begins in 1778, a Portuguese cartographer and naturalist, Diogo, takes part in an expedition to the interior of South America. Almost immediately, the Portuguese are shown attacking a party of bathing female Guaicuru natives, raping and then killing them.

"Brave New Land" is both a frequently beautiful and gruesome film created as a tribute to the Guaicuru Indians (portrayed in the film by primarily non-actor natives of the Kadweu tribe). The beauty of the land and of native customs are displayed well, as are the brutality of the Portuguese invaders and the often shocking native rituals. We observe the natives performing ritual bloodletting and learn of their practice of killing all offspring after the firstborn.

9. How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (1971)

***A Remarkable And Unique Film Experience***

"How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman" brings back to life the world of 16th century Brazil, where Europeans were barely starting to explore the coastline, which was still in pristine state and sparsely populated by various native tribes. French and Portuguese fought each other for territory and for the upper hand on the Brazil wood trade, all the while negotiating with the natives, who also fought each other for whatever reasons.

Brazil is a unique country, with a diverse history and culture. It was one of the first films that tried to relate to the "savages", in light of the audience's identification with the Europeans. Even 30 years later, its relevance continues.

10. Medicine Man (1992)

  ***Adventure, Drama And Romance Excellently Performed***

"Dr. Rae Crane: You send me back on the basis of my gender. That's called sex discrimination. Look, I understand your reservations. I heard about your wife.

Dr. Robert Campbell: My wife? Good God, she left me. I wish you'd follow her example."

"Medicine Man",an ecological drama deals about Dr Robert Campbell(Sean Connery), he's a biochemist working in the Amazon rain forest on a cancer cure medicine. Dr Crane(Lorraine Bracco), a researcher sent by the laboratory sponsoring. Campbell has found a cure but he has been unable to duplicate it . Then they seek desperately the missed flower about being eradicated by civilization. Meanwhile, a Bulldozers sweeping the jungle and time is running out.

The chemistry between Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco was unbelievable, especially considering their differing temperaments, moral attitudes. The movie just does not come together in a satisfying way. It is however an entertaining film and a must see for Connery fanatics.

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This is a list of most famous president assassination movies I have seen so far. Most of these movies are based on real life stories and tragedies. These movies always carries a huge amount of excitement, original plot and realistic screenplay. It's a real challenge for any director to choose a perfect star casts and portray real life characters on screen with accurate details. This is where "Art Director & Cinematography" plays very crucial role in setting up the whole sets and camera angles to reproduce same original effects.

1. JFK (1991)

***Oliver Stone's One Of The Most Brilliant And Controversial Film Ever***

"Jim Garrison: The Warren Commission thought they had an open-and-shut case. Three bullets, one assassin. But two unpredictable things happened that day that made it virtually impossible. One, the eight-millimeter home movie taken by Abraham Zapruder while standing by the grassy knoll. Two, the third wounded man, James Tague, who was knicked by a fragment, standing near the triple underpass."

"Jim Garrison: I never realized Kennedy was so dangerous to the establishment. Is that why?
X: Well that's the real question, isn't it? Why? The how and the who is just scenery for the public. Oswald, Ruby, Cuba, the Mafia. Keeps 'em guessing like some kind of parlor game, prevents 'em from asking the most important question, why? Why was Kennedy killed? Who benefited? Who has the power to cover it up? Who? "

JFK was adapted by Stone and Zachary Sklar from the books On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison and Crossfire: Kevin Costner plays Jim Garrison, the New Orleans DA, who (after 3 years) discovers that things were just not right with the investigation and findings of the Warren commission regarding the murder of John F. Kennedy. Together with his office, a small yet dedicated bunch, he sets out to investigate. Against all odds and a labyrinth of characters, threats, murders and political intrigue, he manages to bring forth the case to trial. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, the final monologue by Costner has to be seen to be believed. 

It is Oliver Stone's greatest work. The acting talent assembled for this movie is just incredible. Kevin Costner, Jay Sanders, Gary Oldman, Michael Rooker, Laurie Metcalf, Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Bacon, and the list goes on and on. My only gripe was that it was a bit long to watch in one sitting, its a film you have to watch 2 or 3 times so you can absorb all the info it gives you.

2. The Day of the Jackal (1973)

***An Original And Iconic Assassination Thriller Movie***

"August 1962 was a stormy time for France. Many people felt that President Charles de Gaulle had betrayed the country by giving independence to Algeria. Extremists, mostly from the Army, swore to kill him in revenge. They banded together in an underground movement, and called themselves the OAS. "

"The Day of the Jackal" captures to the true spirit of Frederick Forsyth's exceptional first novel. During the early 1960's, the OAS (Organization Armee Secret) waged a terrorist campaign against French President Charles De Gaulle's administration. Angered by the loss of French lives after De Gaulle abandoned the French colonial war in Algeria, and hoped to eventually remove him through a coup d'état.

Director Fred Zimmerman is the man who brings all these elements together and weaves them into a solid film that holds up to this day. This film is far superior to the 1997 remake with Bruce Willis. Edward Fox makes for a great Jackal. He is a focused professional who always knows what he is doing. Recommended if you want a good escapist thriller with which to escape from the world for a few hours.

3. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

***Unpredictable, Tense And Intelligent Political Thriller***

"If you come in five minutes after this picture begins, you won't know what it's all about! When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it!" 

"Marco: Intelligence officer. Stupidity officer is more like it. Pentagon wants to open a Stupidity Division, they know who they can get to lead it. "

Frank Sinatra, in one of his best performances, stars as Major Bennett Marco, a member of a platoon that was taken prisoner during the Korean conflict and subjected to some really scary brainwashing techniques. At the outset, Marco and some of his former buddies are having terrible nightmares about their experiences, and Marco is eventually affected by it enough that his commanding officer orders him to take sick leave. He decides to visit his former sergeant, an unlikable man named Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), who is not suffering from nightmares but who reacts strangely when confronted by a deck of cards.

Frankenheimer heightens the tension beyond what was already on the page, creating a thriller that makes its audience think while also keeping them on the edge of their seat.

4. In The Line Of Fire (1993)

***Classic, Underrated And Incredibly Filmed***

"Mitch Leary: What did happen to you that day? Only one agent reacted to the gunfire, and you were closer to Kennedy than he was. You must have looked up at the window of the Texas Book Depository, but you didn't react. Late at night, when the demons come, do you see the rifle coming out of that window, or do you see Kennedy's head being blown apart? If you'd reacted to that first shot, could you have gotten there in time to stop the big bullet? And if you had - that could've been your head being blown apart. Do you wish you'd succeeded, Frank? Or is life too precious? "

Veteran Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan (Eastwood) is pulled back into President protection duty when a deadly assassin, Mitch Leary (Malkovich), surfaces and announces his intention to kill the current incumbent of the Whitehouse. But Frank is feeling his age and he is haunted by his failure to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy; and Leary know this and uses it to toy with Horrigan's mindset.

The cast turns in strong performances, particularly Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich. This film is expertly directed by suspense master Wolfgang Petersen. Thrillers don't get much better than this, don't miss it.

5. Shooter (2007)

***A Straightforward And Very Entertaining Movie***

"Bob Lee Swagger: There's going to be more shooting, more people are going to die. I didn't start it, but I mean to see it through. "

"Senator Charles F. Meachum: There's always a confused soul that thinks that one man can make a difference. And you have to kill him to convince him otherwise. That's the hassle with democracy. "

This film is about a sniper who loses his best friend while on a shooting mission. A few years later, he is now retired and living in a woodland with his do. Then he is visited by the military to plan an assassination of the president. The shot is fired. Unfortunately he is set up to being the shooter and is hunted by cops everywhere. He must find out why he has been set up and also try and stop the real killers.

Mark Wahlburg was excellent, the movie was brilliant, the effects and sounds got everyone in the cinema deeply involved and it was one hell of a ride throughout. Very little boring bits as well, the action kept on coming right until the very end.

6. Valkyrie  (2008)

 ***Well-Crafted And Gripping Wartime Drama***

"Henning von Tresckow: We have to show the world that not all of us are like him. Otherwise, this will always be Hitler's Germany. "

"Adolf Hitler: The Valkyrie; handmaidens of the gods, choosing who will live and who will die, sparing the most heroic from an agonizing death. One cannot understand National Socialism if one does not understand Wagner. "

Tom Cruise does a surprisingly good job at portraying at Colonel Von Stauffenberg, a veteran of the German Army's North African campaign, whose battlefield injuries clinch his determination to end Hitler's life. Hence, his recruitment by a cadre of like-minded German generals and civilian politicians.

The direction/cinematography was flawless. The action scenes at the beginning depicting the Afrika Korps under attack was the finest battle sequence I have ever seen. The sequences where airplanes from the period were flying and landing added to the realism of the film.

The film was unforgettable and inspirational. I would certainly recommend it to any history buff or anyone interested in a riveting suspense yarn.

7. The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)

***A Good Historical Film And Impressive Sean Penn***

"Samuel Bicke: Slavery never really ended in this country. It just gave it another name... Em-plo-yee."

"Samuel Bicke: My name is Sam Bicke, and I consider myself a grain of sand. On this beach called America there are 211 million grains of sand. Three billion on the beach we call Earth. If I am lucky, if I am lucky, the action that I am about to take
[big smile] And  will show the powerful that even the least grain of sand has is him the power to destroy them. "

The film is set in the 1970s and revolves around it's central character, Sam Bick, a man who can't hold down a job, and has problems connecting with people socially. The film follows Sam on his unrelenting course of bad luck that will eventually prove to be too much for him to take.

The Assassination of Richard Nixon has everything you could hope for in a quality film. An engaging story full of interesting characters, great acting, score and all that jazz, a great piece of work. The subtle descent of a meek furniture salesman into a kind of hostile, sociopath despair is portrayed with a great sense of truth and a pure delivery by Penn.

8. Suddenly (1954)

***An Excellent Film, For It's Time***

"John Baron: Tonight at five o'clock I kill the President. One second after five there's a new President. What changes? Nothing!"

"Sheriff Tod Shaw, Suddenly California: Don't play God just because you have a gun.

John Baron: You know when you have a gun you ARE in a way sort of a god. If you had the gun then you would be the god. "

In "Suddenly", Merciless crooks infiltrate a small town and take an innocent household hostage with the purpose of assassinating the United States President, who'll be stepping off the train just outside of the prime residence. 

Sinatra plays a very good role as Baron the assassin. The movie portrays the Baron's psychological struggle with his captives, and presents an interesting portrait of what nowadays is a controversial matter, the function of firearms in the home.

Suddenly is a must see for all old movie fans. Very gripping.

9. The Conspirator (2010)

***Accurate, Authentic And Intriguing Drama***

"Joseph Holt: One bullet killed our beloved president. One bullet but not one man! "

"Mary Surratt: Have you ever believed in something far greater than yourself? "

'The Conspirator' tells the story of Mary Surratt, the only female co- conspirator charged in the Abraham Lincoln assassination and the first woman to be executed by the United States federal government.

James McAvoy delivers a natural performance. Robin Wright is sincere. Kevin Kline is terrific, as always. Justin Long is decent, while Tom Wilkinson gets limited scope. Others lend support. ames D. Solomon's Screenplay works in parts. Robert Redford's Direction is taut. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are satisfactory.

On the whole, 'The Conspirator' is a decent watch.

10. Vantage Point (2008)

***A Good Engaging Action Thriller***

"Angie Jones: The President of the United States has been shot."

"Luis: Is everything going to plan?

Suarez: To the last detail.

Luis: And the President? Are you sure they sent a double?

Suarez: The beauty of American arrogance is that they can't imagine a world where they're not a step ahead. "

The story begins with an historic counterterrorism summit in Spain, the President of the United States is struck down by an assassin's bullet. Eight strangers have a perfect view of the kill, but what did they really see? As the minutes leading up to the fatal shot are replayed through the eyes of each eyewitness, the reality of the assassination takes shape. But just when you think you know the answer, the shattering final truth is revealed.

Almost every character in the movie is believable and the performances are quite solid. Two thumbs up for Dennis Quaid in his role of veteran secret service agent Barnes and to Forest Whitaker who impresses me with every single performance he gives.

It remains a suspenseful and thrilling movie but its flaws outweigh its strong points. My advice: Watch it once, forget it and don't expect to see or learn anything new from it.

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World War I (WWI) was "The Great War" of mass destruction of humanity which lasted for around 5 years from 1914 to 1919. I personally felt that it was a total waste of everything, we gained nothing out of war and more importantly "In war, Nobody Wins". I really do not know why?.. May be they didn't know much about weapons of war could lead to. We are always curious to know about World War how did it actually begin?. The only way to know more about world war is by going through documentaries and films. This is a list of movies illustrates real reason and effects of "The Great War" on different aspects of life. So let's see the top ten most famous World War I movies of all time.

1. Paths Of Glory (1957)

 

 ***One Of The Greatest Anti-War Movies You Will Ever See***

"BOMBSHELL! the roll of the drums... the click of the rifle-bolts... the last cigarette... and then... the shattering impact of this story... perhaps the most explosive motion picture in years!"

 "War began between Germany and France on August 3rd 1914. Five weeks later the German army had smashed its way to within eighteen miles of Paris. There the battered French miraculously rallied their forces at the Marne River and in a series of unexpected counterattacks drove the Germans back. The front was stabilized then shortly afterwards developed into a continuous line of heavily fortified trenches zigzagging their way five hundred miles from the English Channel to the Swiss frontier. By 1916 after two grizzly years of trench warfare the battle lines had changed very little. Successful attacks were measured in hundreds of yards and paid for in lives by hundreds of thousands.

Stanley Kubrick's 1957 war film, "Paths of Glory" based on a novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb is more of an anti-war statement. Hence, calling it a 'war film' wouldn't be right, as it does not lie in the same category as other war films, plot-wise.

The film is set during World War I. The story focuses on the war between the French and the Germans. General Mireau (George Macready) sends his division headed by Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) on a suicidal mission to take over a prominent German position called "Anthill". Initially Mireau is reluctant to carry out this task, but is enticed by an offer of promotion from his superiors. With this in mind, he practically forces Dax to begin with the mission. Col. Dax, also aware of the danger associated with the mission, points the same out to Mireau but Mireau does not relent.

"Paths of Glory" was just a modest success commercially, I've read. It comes as a surprise, considering the screenplay by Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham and Jim Thompson is spell-binding, to say the least. Kubrick directs with his touch of genius and creates a tremendous impact. The first scene of attack on Anthill is so masterfully shot, you actually feel you are in the field of battle! Ditto for the rest of the film when things take an unexpected turn for some of the less fortunate soldiers. Every frame of this picture is gripping, right 'til the final one.

Kubrick allows us to see the entire range of what humanity is capable of, from the cruelest of Injustices to the most beautiful of moments. Stanly Kubrick's first Masterpiece, and definitely one to watch. 

2. Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

 

 ***An Epic Masterpiece As You've Never Seen It Before!***

"A mighty spectacle of action and adventure!"

"Mr. Dryden: If we've told lies, you've told half-lies and a man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth, but a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.

T.E. Lawrence: The truth is I'm an ordinary man. You might have told me that, Dryden, and I want an ordinary job, sir. That's my reason for resigning. It's personal."

"Lawrence of Arabia" is a remarkable labor, a masterful mixture of fact and artistry, a masterpiece of intimate moment and spectacular largesse, a film that literally excites the senses. In a visual sense, Lean combines a sure sense of place with an approach to the action that he borrows from an unlikely source— John Ford… Lean turns his vast desert canvas into another Monument Valley, and when his Bedouins ride across it, they are not far removed from Ford's cavalry. In many of the early scenes, the stately gait of the camel's walk gives the film a slower pace, and this is precisely what Lean is trying to achieve. Lean even manages to surpass Ford with his understanding of the relationship between his characters and the landscape; how the desert changes those who go into it.

The photography, the script and the acting are so superb that "Lawrence of Arabia" becomes a lavish epic winner of 7 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Directing, Color, Cinematography, Sound, Musical Score and Film Editing.

3. All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) 

***A Moving, A Detailed And A Very Powerful Film***

"Paul Bäumer: You still think it's beautiful to die for your country. The first bombardment taught us better. When it comes to dying for country, it's better not to die at all. "

"This story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war..."

"All Quiet on the Western Front"  tells the story of a handful of school boys who leap at the opportunity to join the army at the beginning of World War I and kill the enemy. By the end they are disillusioned and dead. We know they have lost hope not only because they tell us so but because the director (Lewis Milestone) and the writer show us a few of the details by which ideals are lost.

The battle scenes shook me more than several of the more gory, explosion-riddled war scenes that I have seen. When the French are advancing on the Germans, and they come charging across the field only to be picked off one by one by machine guns, they are nothing more than targets. It is a frightening mentality that is shown, when all the soldiers could concentrate on was bullet--man dead. Bullet--another man dead. Another, and another.

The ending was perfect for this movie. The acting was a little faulty at times, but the rest of the film more than made up for it. 'All Quiet on the Western Front' does an amazing job of showing the feelings experienced during war. A must-see antiwar movie.  

4. The African Queen (1951) 

 

***A Great Classic And A Wonderful Movie***

"Charlie Allnut: I don't know why the Germans would want this God-forsaken place.

 Rose Sayer: God has not forsaken this place, Mr. Allnut, as my brother's presence here bears witness. "

 "Charlie: All this fool talk about The Louisa. Goin' down the river...

Rose: What do you mean?

Charlie: I mean we ain't goin' to do nothin' of the sort.

Rose: Why, of course we're going! What an absurd idea!

Charlie: What an absurd idea! What an absurd idea! Lady, I may be a born fool, but you got ten absurd ideas to my one, an' don't you forget it! "

"The African Queen" blends all these elements flawlessly into one phenomenal film. The film, for the most part, features just two characters on a thirty-foot boat. The story is more about the relationship between Rose and Allnut than about the journey of the `African Queen' itself -- where these two characters travel emotionally is far more important than where they go physically. Allnut starts out as a world-weary traveler, content with his comfortable life of piloting his boat and drinking his gin. It takes meeting someone like Rose to make him realize that there might be more wonderful things in his life that he might be missing. In a similar way, Rose is an extremely sheltered woman, committed to the missionary and to her brother; when those things are stripped away from her, she is forced to see what else the world might hold for her. 

Director John Ford does a great job with the film as well -- the shots of the `African Queen' going down the rapids are simply breathtaking, and an eerie (and somewhat repulsive) scene involving Allnut and some leeches is skillfully handled as well. Equally impressive, though, is how Ford handles the scenes between Bogart and Hepburn are fantastic as well.  There's easily a dozen or so small touches like this throughout `The African Queen' that set it slightly above other great films, and into the realm of the masterpiece.

5. Johnny Got His Gun (1971) 

 

***An Astonishing And Effective Film Ever Made***

"The most shattering experience you'll ever live."

This wrenching tale about a basket case in which a young American soldier named Johnny -Timothy Bottoms - is hit by a bomb on the last days of the WWI . The story takes place in the mind of a quadruple amputee who has also lost his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. As the deaf and dumb Joe is limbless , faceless and confined to a semi-existence and he attempts to communicate with the staff -Edward Franz- and caretakers . Regaining consciousness, 20 and some year-old Joe Bonham slowly learns that while his brain is healthy and able to reason, the rest of his body is irreparably shattered, leaving him forever tied within the confines of his own imagination. Regarded as a vegetable and stuck in a light-less hospital utility room , he fantasizes and dreams about life before and after the artillery shell . He struggles valiantly to find some way to communicate with the outside world . Tapping his head on the pillow in Morse code he breaks through and pleads with his nurse -Diane Varsi- to be put on display as a living example of the cost of war. 

Make no mistake. This is a highly disturbing film which will resonate in some part of your mind forever. 

6. A Very Long Engagement (2004)

 

***Passionate, Poetry And Jaw Droopingly Brilliant***

"Tina Lombardi: I regret nothing. Except my hair."

"Narrator: Mathilde leans back against her chair, folds her hands in her lap, and looks at him. In the sweetness of the air, in the light of the garden, Mathilde looks at him. She looks at him... She looks at him... "

"A Long Engagement" is by the same director as "Amelie," Jean-Pierre Jeunet. It also features the same Audrey Tautou in the lead role. But whereas "Amelie" played like an amusing soufflé, "A Long Engagement" is darker and earthier, like truffles dug out of French soil.

Tautou plays a crippled girl who won't give up searching for her fiancée, reportedly killed by his own troops for self-mutilation during World War I. The scenes in the trenches of the Somme are some of the most horrific war scenes ever. The setting of the First World War was what drew me to the movie. The "Great War" has been overshadowed, in history and certainly in cinema, by the Second World War. But as director Jeunet shows so powerfully in "A Long Engagement," it was a war with unique terrors and a story we have yet to understand.

It shows the love French people have for the art of movie making--a love which shows on every frame of "A Long Engagement." 

7. Joyeux Noel (2005)

 

***Christmas Miracle And Insanities Of War***

"Christmas Eve, 1914. On a World War I battlefield, a Momentous Event changed the lives of soldiers from France, Germany and England."

"Without an enemy there can be no war."

"Joyeux Noël" is a dramatization with fictional characters and situations of a true event of a Christmas' miracle and Insanities of war. The story is extremely beautiful and recalls one of those masterpieces of Frank Capra, with a magnificent anti-war message.

On the Christmas Eve of 1914, in the Western Front in France in World War I, the Scottish, the German and the French troops have a moment of truce and share moments of peace and friendship. When the soprano Anna Sorensen (Diane Krüger) succeeds in convincing the Prussian Prince to join her tenor husband Nikolaus Sprink (Benno Fürmann) to sing for the German high command, Sprink brings her to the front to sing for his comrades in the trench. The Scottish Lieutenant Gordon (Alex Ferns) and the French Lieutenant Audebert (Guillaume Canet) have an informal and unauthorized meeting with the German Lieutenant Horstmayer (Daniel Brühl) and negotiate a truce for that night, and the priest Palmer (Gary Lewis) celebrates a mass for the soldiers. When their superiors become aware of the event, they have to pay for the consequence of their armistice.

8. Gallipoli (1981)

 

***A Top Australian Drama And A Great Anti-War Movie***

"From a place you never heard of...a story you'll never forget."

"Sgt. Sayers: As you all know, this morning's exercise involves a frontal assault on an enemy trench, the enemy being some "gentlemen" from the Light Horse. These "gentlemen," presumably because their asses are higher from the ground that ours, tend to assume airs of superiority. But, they won't have their horses with them today, so I want you to go out there this morning, and short of actually killing them, show them the stuff the infantry is MADE OF!  "

"Gallipoli" is one of a select few of films that let's the war come to us. A film of awesome power, intelligence, and design, Gallipoli proves to be one of the best films on the human spirit during war time. With a cast of no names and a story focusing around a battle nearly forgotten to history, it looked as if Gallipoli would either be a major flop or a film that would inspire those who saw it to remember the Great War and also to realize the futility of war. 

The Battle of Gallipoli is hauntingly realistic and unsettling. Peter Weir held nothing back in filming his battle sequences. The battles are filled blood, gore, and violence. What makes the battle scenes work is not the realistic action but the acting and the musical score playing during the whole sequence.  

Mel Gibson is quite young in this one. He was barely 25 in this and along with Mad Max, this helped propel him into the public spotlight and made him the star he is today. The first half of the film he seems like a dry character but we are all misunderstanding him. He never wanted to be on the front, he never wanted to go to war, and that is all revealed during the battle as the characters lose their innocence about the reality of war. 

Gallipoli is a terrific film. Its power and awe is unmatched by any other war film. Peter Weir created a masterpiece when he made the film Gallipoli. This film is a triumph and one of the greatest war films I have ever seen.

9.  War Horse (2011)

 

 ***A Uplifting And A Pure Cinematic Experience***

"Separated by war. Tested by battle. Bound by friendship."

"Commander: "It is an honor to ride beside you. Let every man make himself, and his country, proud. Be brave!"

The time of the story in set in Devon, England. To his wife Rose's (Emily Watson) dismay war injured and silenced farmer Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan) buys a thoroughbred horse rather than a plough animal that might save their leased farm form landowner Lyons (David Thewlis), but when his teenaged son Albert (Jeremy Irvine) trains the horse and calls him Joey, the two becoming inseparable, Albert does indeed manage to train Joey how to plough fields. When his harvest fails due to rain, Ted has to sell Joey to an army captain (Tom Hiddleston) who takes the horse into the battlefields of World War I the British cavalry and he is shipped to France. After a disastrous offensive he is captured by the Germans and changes hands twice more before he is found, caught in the barbed wire in No Man's Land four years later and freed in a scene between a British soldier and a German soldier that is one of the most memorable scenes in the film.

The breathtaking cinematography is by Janusz Kaminski and the at times lugubrious musical score is by longtime Spielberg associate, composer John Williams. The story aims for the heart and finds its mark - and there is nothing wrong with that. Perhaps this film is much needed right now. 

10. Legends of the Fall (1994)

***A Wonderful. Emotional Melodrama During And After World War I***

"The men of the Ludlow family. A woman's grace brought them together. Then her passion tore them apart."

"After the Fall from Innocence the Legend begins."

The sweeping, melodramatic saga of three brothers, their powerful father, and a beautiful woman, the popular period drama Legends of the Fall presents a romanticized view of rugged masculinity against lush Montana scenery. Based on a novel by Jim Harrison, the film covers decades in the lives of Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel Ludlow, the sons of retired military man William Ludlow. Legends of the Fall is an epic film based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison.It stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn together with Julia Ormond,Henry Thomas,and Karina Lombard.The movie was directed by Edward Zwick.

Alfred(Aiden Quinn)the eldest who is calm and dutiful,Tristan(Brad Pitt)who is untameable and strong and Samual(Henry Thomas)the gentle youngest.Shortly after this the First World War begins and the Colonel is devastated when all three of his boys leave to do their duty.This is a very moving film about family,love,war and family ties that can never be broken.

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