Military Historian Reviews the Best Movie Battle Scenes of All Time

My grandfather was 20 years old when he landed at Normandy. He never spoke about it, except to tell my grandmother he wouldn’t go on a cruise to Europe because “Margaret, the last time I took a boat to Europe didn’t go so well.” He would never go on a boat after he received his discharge.

I love this format, instead of having the expert picking apart what hollywood gets wrong (which has been done many, many times by different experts because hollywood gonna hollywood), picking out their favorite war scenes that they think are good and do justice to what they are depicting.

There was a Battle of the Bulge veteran in our neighborhood. We asked him what it was like in combat. He just said.... you dont want to know. Later we found out both sides ran out of ammo and they were beating each other with the trench shovels.

All quiet on the western front is easily one of the best anti war films of all time. The amount of times I teared up and cried at the sheer brutality exposed on film …. This film is phenomenal and horrifying.

The thing I love about All Quiet on the Western Front is how it uses makeup on the actors to show the mud and grime and dirt. The shell hole scene where Paul stabs the Frenchman has his entire face caked in dry mud and his uniform a completely different colour. The majority of other war films neglect the aspect of how dirty the soldiers would be, and it really adds to the horror the film displays…

My Grandfather fought in WW1 at Ypres and the Somme, he was shot in the gut going over the top at the Somme. He survived, the doctor told him the bullet wove its way between all his intestines and that was what saved him. His best friend who went over beside him wasn't so lucky, he caught one in the head. He didn't start talking about it to my brother and I until his late 80's, he did make it to 93 before he passed. I still miss him.

The historical advisor getting to charge with the companion cavalry is touching. Just about brings a tear to the eye.

I like how he can acknowledge the bias of filmmakers and still appreciate the film. He’s honest without becoming preachy or overtly political. Also, he balances his passion for warfare and military history with compassion for the individuals involved. He’s a great speaker!

Walking out of the theater opening weekend of Saving Private Ryan. An old man with a WWII Veteran hat was in the lobby weeping holding his wife. She just held him and kept saying "I didn't know, I didn't know" One of the most powerful moments I had ever seen related to a movie

The New All Quiet on the Western front is absolutely insane, The cinematography and acting is top notch

Upon my first viewing of All Quiet, the scene with the revealing of the tanks and the sheer terror of the German soldiers was the first time I felt like I had seen something new in war films since Saving Private Ryan.

"Last Of The Mohicans" is an outstanding movie. A "must-see" in my opinion.

“No Persians were actually filmed in the making of this film.” Was the best line in the whole video. Love the humor. Great video as well.

One thing i wish he mentioned about the Alexander scene is that they actually had formations and clearly defined front lines, which is brilliant. Most movies show ancient and medieval battles as chaotic melees where everyone pairs off into duels, whereas in reality formations and front lines were a thing

As impactful as the landing scene in Saving Private Ryan, the scene that got to me the most in that movie was the end battle sequence. How all the characters we've spent the movie with are just brutally and callously dispatched one by one. Nobody gets the "noble sacrifice" death. A guy gets blown up because he sets the fuse wrong on his sticky bomb. A bunch of guys get eviscerated by a German AA gun, which literally tears them to pieces. One of our Rangers is just stabbed to death by an SS man who is very much enjoying killing him. The sniper is just blown up by a Marder III. It reinforces the point that there is no glory to be found here, only brutality.

This is why looking into multiple sources is so rewarding. I love how different historians will focus on different things. I saw a separate WWI expert historian break down that same All Quiet scene and he went way into tactics. About how the tanks stopping and shooting into the trenches was unrealistic because of how heavy the tank was, the comparatively small engine and terrain that would risk the tank getting stuck. And like you mentioned the infantry would've have been with the tanks. He also mentioned the tank driving directly into the trench on purpose would not happen either. As well as the line of flame throwers being almost 100% fiction and would've never happened, grenades being the more likely tool to clear trenches.

The beginning scene of all quite on the western front with the young soldier is incredible… pure adrenaline, young boy quickly losing it and losing it and allowing it and calming up until he just BREAKS. All he sees is red if he can even see at all. Doesn’t even aim his gun, just shoots till the clip is gone, doesn’t reload because his brain has shut down on auto pilot. And the fear and emotions all boil up to an automated “grab shovel and charge” I was at first expecting him to kill a team mate. That was insane…

My grandpa was a tanker and landed at Juno on D-Day. When Saving Private Ryan came out my dad and I saw it, and then he said my grandpa should go see it, who replied that "I saw it once already, thanks".

The soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans is one of my favorites of all time. Right up there with Bram Stoker's Dracula.

My mother in law lost her fiancé on D Day. She was truly devastated. Harry was 20. She eventually met her future husband and they had a long and happy marriage . But he was never forgotten in the family. When ever the anniversary of D Day arrives I think of the loss of so many young men.