Foreign WW2 films

[oc16]

I'm a big fan of WW2 history. Of course I've seen many of the great Hollywood WW2 films (Saving Private Ryan, Fury, Dunkirk, etc.)

However, there are alot of good lesser known foreign films out there.

All of these movies below are based on real events

The Captain-- based on a true story of a German private deserter who finds a Captains uniform and plays the part. In German w English Subtitles.

Wolyn--a war within a war during WW2. Ukranian and Polish citizens killing each other over territory and religious differences (very graphic). In Polish and Ukranian w English subtitles.

City of Life and Death- The Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937. In Mandarin, German and Japanese with English subtitles.

Stalingrad- Battle of Stalingrad. In German with English subtitles. A German production.

Stalingrad-Battle of Stalingrad. In mostly Russian and some German with English subtitles. A Russian production.

The 12th Man- Story of Norwegian saboteurs in Nazi occupied Norway. Jonathan Rys Meyers plays a Nazi Officer and actually speaks German in it. (Not dubbed). In Norwegian and German with English subtitles.

Come and See- Eastern Front of WW2. Very bizarre with creepy music, but extremely graphic and horrifying.
Not a mainstream WW2 film, very unique. Great reviews. In Russian with English subtitles.

And the latest I saw the past two days.

Unknown Soldier-A Finnish production about The Continuation War fought against The Soviet Union from 41-44. Very graphic with good battle scenes. Highest grossing film in Finnish cinema history. Based on a very popular Finnish Novel. In Finnish with English subtitles.


I enjoyed most of these. Any others?

 

[corrector]

Never Look Away, 2018. Its more on the nazi and post nazi, soviet east berlin angle...it was a decent piece. Watched it once but its overdue for a rewatch. Only movie where art is used to get back at the evils of the nazis.

The Kings Choice ,2016 is another foreign film portraying Norway being invaded by the Nazis but the king putting up a fight rather than an easy surrender like neighbouring nations.

I tend to limit WW2 movies to Remebrance day/Remembrance month. I go full into it that month but zone out once the month has passed.

 

[Georgepithyou]

Der Untergang/Downfall

Probably the best ww2 film, german dubbed and about the fall of berlin

 

[oc16]

Der Untergang/Downfall

Probably the best ww2 film, german dubbed and about the fall of berlin

Ah yes, forgot about that one

 

[Scaramouche]

Hi OC,
Thanks for the tip on "City Of Life And Death"I love Nanjing the Old Imperial Capitol and Visited for the 2007 70th anniversary of the Japanese atrocity.....Hard to appreciate that in ten Days 70.000 Japs murdered Circ 230.000 Chinese in Cold Blood...I attended the opening of their remarkable War Memorial,People go in Laughing and smiling but they are very solemn when they leave,a truly harrowing experience.

 

[oc16]

Hi OC,
Thanks for the tip on "City Of Life And Death"I love Nanjing the Old Imperial Capitol and Visited for the 2007 70th anniversary of the Japanese atrocity.....Hard to appreciate that in ten Days 70.000 Japs murdered Circ 230.000 Chinese in Cold Blood...I attended the opening of their remarkable War Memorial,People go in Laughing and smiling but they are very solemn when they leave,a truly harrowing experience.

Wow, that's cool that you experienced that.
You would definitely like the movie.

I find it interesting that the Chinese lost over 2 million military dead and millions more in civilian casualties, but the western world doesn't know much about it.

Same thing with the Soviets, they took the brunt of the Nazi onslaught and pretty much won the war. 20 million dead.

 

[Scaramouche]

Hi OC,
Yes,thankyou I have ordered a DVD from England....The War Memorial is built over a killing ground where the Japs butchered thousands,you walk on glass floors over the top of partially exposed skeletons complete with broken bayonets,heads bludgeoned in,you need a strong stomach.....It was just too much for many of the Old Chinese People I saw several just sitting crying!

 

[oc16]

Hi OC,
Yes,thankyou I have ordered a DVD from England....The War Memorial is built over a killing ground where the Japs butchered thousands,you walk on glass floors over the top of partially exposed skeletons complete with broken bayonets,heads bludgeoned in,you need a strong stomach.....It was just too much for many of the Old Chinese People I saw several just sitting crying!

What part of England?

I love England and its history.

Sorry about The Euro loss yesterday.

 

[oc16]

I’ve mostly read books. Years ago I read a book by Sven Hassel. Wheels of Terror.

Sven was a German officer who was put in a penal unit. Some disciplinary action for something or another. He served on the Russian front. The penal units were the first in with any scrap with the Russians.

I gave up any idea that the german soldiers were something evil long ago. They were just soldiers. Unlike the SS. Propaganda troops.

There is an interesting statistic about the German army from WW2 that has stuck with me.
In every engagement, weather they were attacking or defending. Weather they had air superiority or not, they inflicted more casualties than were inflicted on them. That’s how good they were as trained combatants. They were very well trained.

The German soldiers surrendered because it was hopeless and they knew it. Unlike the Japanese, who in most cases, had to be killed to the last man.

The brutality of the pacific war against the Japanese is still considered the most savage horrific fighting of the modern era.

When I was short time at Camp Butler, (Schwab) we received a briefing when we got there. You could not go into the caves because some were still booby trapped.

Thanks for the information, interesting.

My mother's uncle was a US Marine killed out in the Pacific. Roi-Namur

 

[Scaramouche]

Hi OC,
Oh yes the English and their History are dear to me also...No idea where the video comes from,probably London or Oxford...I saw the Footy match they both played a good clean match and it was close...My Respects to your Uncle,the Pacific campaign was a brutal business,you may not appreciate that the first Japanese reversal of that campaign was at the hands of Australians on the Kokoda trail in New Guinea,many of the Soldiers were young Boys picked up on the streets of Sydney a fortnight before,inexperienced as they were they turned the never before defeated Japanese Army.

 

[Xenom0rph]

Der Untergang/Downfall

Probably the best ww2 film, german dubbed and about the fall of berlin

The gal that played Traudl Junge was absolutely gorgeous, I was definitely 'mirin her facial aesthetics and body type...

I personally dislike American WWII movies because it's usually a form of propaganda rather than a historically faithful presentation of the events that took place.

 

[oc16]

The gal that played Traudl Junge was absolutely gorgeous, I was definitely 'mirin her facial aesthetics and body type...

I personally dislike American WWII movies because it's usually a form of propaganda rather than a historically faithful presentation of the events that took place.

True, movies like Pearl Harbor were awful.

U-571 was good, but it was the Brits not the Americans who captured the enigma.

 

[oc16]

Hi OC,
Oh yes the English and their History are dear to me also...No idea where the video comes from,probably London or Oxford...I saw the Footy match they both played a good clean match and it was close...My Respects to your Uncle,the Pacific campaign was a brutal business,you may not appreciate that the first Japanese reversal of that campaign was at the hands of Australians on the Kokoda trail in New Guinea,many of the Soldiers were young Boys picked up on the streets of Sydney a fortnight before,inexperienced as they were they turned the never before defeated Japanese Army.

Thanks, What part of England are you from? I want to visit Cornwall and Lincoln

 

[Scaramouche]

Dear OC,
I was born in the Countryside in a small village called Little Gaddesdon haven't seen Mother England for 67 Years...Sorry..."The Captain"sounds interesting a similar plot about a Deserter in WW1 who also leads everyone a dance pretending to be an Army Officer is"The Monocled Mutineer"he came to a sticky end being hunted down and shot by Military Intelligence,it is both a Book and a BBC mini series easy to find...You like the other Guys point of view,try "Das Boot"really good....You have missed "Bridge on the River Kwai"a must for appreciating the War in the East.

 

[xplt]

Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter ("Generation War" is the english title.)

It's a series about a group of four friends in Berlin. Two brothers and soldiers with different opinions about the war and the national socialism, two girls with the same different opinions and a jew who tries to convince his family to leave germany. They all get separated as germany begins the invasion of the Sowjet Union.
This series shows different views about the war in germany. I can highly recommend it.

Generation War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[BadBoy89]

There is an interesting statistic about the German army from WW2 that has stuck with me.
In every engagement, weather they were attacking or defending. Weather they had air superiority or not, they inflicted more casualties than were inflicted on them. That’s how good they were as trained combatants. They were very well trained.

The German soldiers surrendered because it was hopeless and they knew it. Unlike the Japanese, who in most cases, had to be killed to the last man.

The brutality of the pacific war against the Japanese is still considered the most savage horrific fighting of the modern era.

Would consider Stalingrad worse. 8 month fight. Hand to hand combat fighting in the street. Almost 2,000,000 dead.

Its funny. apparently a German unit was 5 miles away from Moscow but couldn’t seal the deal because of the weather and a major Soviet Counterattack.

 

[oc16]

Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter ("Generation War" is the english title.)

It's a series about a group of four friends in Berlin. Two brothers and soldiers with different opinions about the war and the national socialism, two girls with the same different opinions and a jew who tries to convince his family to leave germany. They all get separated as germany begins the invasion of the Sowjet Union.
This series shows different views about the war in germany. I can highly recommend it.

Ah yes, saw it. Very Good!

Generation War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org