There's a great tradition in "few stood against many" stories whatever the medium and especially in movies. Is there a better example than ZULU? (And actually of war movies in general). I doubt it but I keep looking.
PANFILOV'S 28 MEN is a Russian film available in an attrociously dubbed version on YouTube (some of the gore may have been cut) and is sort of ok. As ever when everyone has military regulation haircuts, is in uniform and often covered in shit, it's hard to tell who is who (yet Zulu manages it). Military buffs will love to see the prominence of the anti-tank rifles and the obvious dangers of letting your tanks get too far ahead of your infantry. But everybody and I mean everybody takes several hits but still manages a heroic last throw of a grenade. But the kicker is that a quick Google it's all absolute bollocks - a made up myth of the Soviet propoganda machine.
Rooted slightly more in fact is THE OUTPOST about a battle at a ridiculously isolated American outpost in Afghanistan as they try undermine the Taliban. The cast aren't quite as identikit (at least half a dozen can be recognised from scene to scene) and the action is brilliantly staged with low , long tracking shots following the soldiers as everything blows to shit around them... Very immersive but without the one take artifice that people (not me) found off-putting about 1917. I'm not a soldier and have never been anywhere near the military in my life but the pre-battle interactions have a feel of truth about them. In fact even during the fight there's realism as soldiers sit in armoured cars for cover rather than risk going out to fight/ save people. Deaths are simple and quick... No last gasp heroics.
There were a couple of Medal Of Honour dished out and the film does a good job of showing why the were deserved. But reading the unit citations you wonder why some seemed to get medals for the aforementioned sitting in an armoured car until air support arrived.
I'll not pretend it does a good job of representing the politics of Afghanistan but as an entry into the "lions led by donkeys" subgenre of war movies, it does ok. Some of the lions are sheep too and nobody quips as they kill. All underlined with a simple shot of one of the Medal Of Honour recipients waking from rest in a room full of bodybags.
Can you tell that Mrs Tips is away and I have full control of the evening's viewing?
PANFILOV'S 28 MEN is a Russian film available in an attrociously dubbed version on YouTube (some of the gore may have been cut) and is sort of ok. As ever when everyone has military regulation haircuts, is in uniform and often covered in shit, it's hard to tell who is who (yet Zulu manages it). Military buffs will love to see the prominence of the anti-tank rifles and the obvious dangers of letting your tanks get too far ahead of your infantry. But everybody and I mean everybody takes several hits but still manages a heroic last throw of a grenade. But the kicker is that a quick Google it's all absolute bollocks - a made up myth of the Soviet propoganda machine.
Rooted slightly more in fact is THE OUTPOST about a battle at a ridiculously isolated American outpost in Afghanistan as they try undermine the Taliban. The cast aren't quite as identikit (at least half a dozen can be recognised from scene to scene) and the action is brilliantly staged with low , long tracking shots following the soldiers as everything blows to shit around them... Very immersive but without the one take artifice that people (not me) found off-putting about 1917. I'm not a soldier and have never been anywhere near the military in my life but the pre-battle interactions have a feel of truth about them. In fact even during the fight there's realism as soldiers sit in armoured cars for cover rather than risk going out to fight/ save people. Deaths are simple and quick... No last gasp heroics.
There were a couple of Medal Of Honour dished out and the film does a good job of showing why the were deserved. But reading the unit citations you wonder why some seemed to get medals for the aforementioned sitting in an armoured car until air support arrived.
I'll not pretend it does a good job of representing the politics of Afghanistan but as an entry into the "lions led by donkeys" subgenre of war movies, it does ok. Some of the lions are sheep too and nobody quips as they kill. All underlined with a simple shot of one of the Medal Of Honour recipients waking from rest in a room full of bodybags.
Can you tell that Mrs Tips is away and I have full control of the evening's viewing?