Author Topic: Best charges in film history  (Read 12082 times)

Offline Captain Lee Bishop

  • Rough Rider, 1st US Cav (USV)
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 231
  • ..on your order, Colonel Roosevelt!
    • Thunderbolt Productions
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Best charges in film history
« on: April 23, 2008, 09:26:40 PM »
Fix bayonets!    :D
I was talking the other day with some friends about the best charge scenes in war movies. It got me thinking. Sure, there's the amazing massed formations in the 1969 movie, "Waterloo," the entire beginning of "Saving Private Ryan," and Pickett's Charge in "Gettysburg," but I'm talking about the times bayonets get fixed, screaming starts, and a butt kicking commences at close range. I compiled a list of my favorites, feel free to add your own or comment.
Here is my top best movie Charges list, in no particular order:
“The Wind and the Lion” The US Marines charge the palace. This is my personal favorite. If this doesn't get your blood flowing, call for an ambulance!
"Glory” Two great charge scenes, but the assault on Battery Wagner is most impressive.
"Gettysburg” The Little Round Top sequence near the middle of the film is great. "Bayonetttttts!!!"
"The Lighthorsemen” The last cavalry charge in (western) modern military history, against entrenched machines guns. Need I say more?
"The Last Samurai” Sure, it's bad history but the ending is well worth what is otherwise a really long film.
"Gods and Generals” the Chancellorsville sequence near the end. A film depiction of a strong Confederate victory was long overdue!
"Braveheart” The Battle of Sterling, but without the bridge and the river in the middle? Okay, it's like a D-Day movie filmed in the middle of a desert, but still a very impressive sequence!
"Alexander” Ah, crushing a Persian army to a soundtrack by Vangelis. Post-9/11, who wouldn't like the sight of that?
"Legends of the Fall” The night attack WW1 scene is incredible.
“Blackhawk Down” Not exactly a charge, but tell me you don't feel the heart pounding when that first Little Bird drops off the Delta operators on that rooftop?
“A Bridge Too Far” The first attack on Arnhem Bridge by British paratroopers is good, but the German counterattack? Military debacles never were never this impressive again!
“Lawrence of Arabia” Two words: NO PRISONERS!
"300” Yeah, it's a digital comic book put to film. So what? This has some of the most eye-popping visuals ever done in a battle sequence.

Offline Dai.S.Loe

  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 301
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2008, 10:42:47 PM »
What about the film that is all about a charge


"THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE"
The "Darkside" means never having to see the targets you miss.

Offline Cyrille

  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 842
  • "To sing, to laugh, to dream, cock my hat, or gun"
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2008, 11:28:26 PM »
It's not a charge per se but the sally by the Sarcens and the defense of the wall breech at Jerusalem in "The nKingdom of Heaven" was awesome as was the Trojans defense before the walls of Troy in the movie "Troy"
CYRILLE...  R.A.T. #242
"Never apologize Mr.; it's a sign of weakness."
Capt. Nathan Brittles {John Wayne} in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon."

"A gun is  just a tool. No better and no worse than any other tool----- Think of it always in that way. A gun is as good--- and as bad--- as the man who carries it. Remember that."
                                                   Shane

Advertising

  • Guest
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #3 on: Today at 12:02:47 AM »

Offline Grizzle Bear

  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 683
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2008, 08:04:01 AM »
I mentioned this on another thread about great movie battles:

In "Northwest Passage" with Spencer Tracy, the Rangers attack on the Abenaki village is a classic!

Grizzle Bear
Rob Brannon
General troublemaker and instigator
NCOWS Senator
NCOWS #357
http://www.ncows.org/KVC.htm
"I hereby swear and attest that I am willing to fight four wild Comanches at arm's length with the ammunition I am shooting in today's match."

Offline Terry Lane

  • CAS-L Ghost Rider
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 171
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2008, 10:47:09 AM »
Combined assault at San Juan Heights in "Rough Riders" Take care.
Terry Lane, Nebraska Territory,
Nebraska's Official Hon. Col. Wm. F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody
Grand Army of the Frontier Department of the Missouri Chief of Scouts

Offline Icebox Bob

  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 193
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2008, 02:08:10 PM »
Waterloo - Rod Steiger, Christopher Plummer and 20,000 russian soldiers as extras
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066549/


 :D
Icebox
Well.... see, if you take your time, you get a more harmonious outcome.

Offline Trap

  • NCOWS
  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 2184
  • John Torrence
  • NCOWS #: 851
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2008, 03:22:39 PM »
  No bayonets but..... Reno's charge in Son of the Morning Star
Aggressive fighting for the Right is the noblest sport the world affords. T. Roosevelt
NRA Patron/Life Member
  NCOWS #851, Senator
Proud Member of the KVC
 Hiram's Rangers, founder
GAF # 328
  TAPS #26
NAOOTB #688

Offline Grapeshot

  • Grapeshot. Cpt US Artillery
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 1107
  • WARTHOG
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2008, 06:24:05 PM »
The charge of the combined British and Indian force against the Thugees in "Gunga Din".
Listen!  Do you hear that?  The roar of Cannons and the screams of the dying.  Ahh!  Music to my ears.

Offline Mogorilla

  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 1866
  • NCOWS #: 3306
  • GAF #: 883
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 95
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2008, 06:28:25 PM »
Not Cowboy, but the charge of Rohan Horsemen in Return of the King still brings chills to me, especially the speach by the king before.   

Offline Major Matt Lewis

  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 1234
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2008, 08:41:28 PM »
John Wayne's charge across the bridge in The Horse Soldiers wasn't too shabby, though not as good as some already mentioned, nor was the Texas Rangers charge in The Searchers. 
Major Matt Lewis
Grand Army of the Frontier * SASS Life * NCOWS * Powder Creek Cowboys * Free State Ranges * RO II * NRA Life * Man on the Edge

Offline Captain Lee Bishop

  • Rough Rider, 1st US Cav (USV)
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 231
  • ..on your order, Colonel Roosevelt!
    • Thunderbolt Productions
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2008, 10:05:43 PM »
Combined assault at San Juan Heights in "Rough Riders"
D'oh!  :o How in the heck could I have forgotten that????

Offline Forty Rod

  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 6603
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2008, 03:34:00 AM »
The charge of the combined British and Indian force against the Thugees in "Gunga Din".

Absodanglutely.  I also like the Gatlings being carried on elephants and the crews lifting the trails on the Hotchkiss guns to get the muzzles down far enough to hit the targets below.

Didn't know the Brits used so many Krags and S&Ws though.  ::)
People like me are the reason people like you have the right to bitch about people like me.

Offline Major 2

  • "Still running against the wind"
  • Deputy Marshal
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 15831
  • NCOWS #: 3032
  • GAF #: 785
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 415
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2008, 04:50:36 AM »
Several mentioned above Glory, Gettysburg, God & Generals , Rough Riders & Son of the Morning Star were choreographed
by my late friend Brian Pohanka and or Ray Herbeck Jr. or both , and the reenactors they directed.
One of the very best filmed ,was cut from the final version of North & South II , however is was retained as stock footage and I have seen it surface once in another incarnation on the History Channel.
Imagine 7 ranks of Union cavalry in Company Front , charging straight at the camera and rank after rank passes to it left and right.
We shot that scene in two takes with some 200 mounted reenactors , camera  POV is spectacular.
when planets align...do the deal !

Offline Pitspitr

  • Deputy Marshal
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 4592
  • 308 214-0082 45551 Rd 816, Sargent NE 68874 USA
    • Grand Army of the Frontier
  • SASS #: 74523
  • NCOWS #: L187
  • GAF #: 147
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #13 on: April 25, 2008, 06:33:49 AM »
I didn't realize Brian Pohanka had died. When & how?
I remain, Your Ob'd Servant,
Jerry M. "Pitspitr" Davenport
(Bvt.)Brigadier General Commanding,
Grand Army of the Frontier
BC/IT, Expert, Sharpshooter, Marksman, CC, SoM
NRA CRSO, RVWA IIT2; SASS ROI, ROII;
NRA Benefactor Life; AZSA Life; NCOWS Life

Offline Books OToole

  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 2676
  • Michael Tatham
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 91
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #14 on: April 25, 2008, 10:34:00 AM »
the Texas Rangers charge in The Searchers. 

"Brethren, leave us go amongst them."

That was how Reverend Captain Samuel Johnston Clayton ordered the charge.

Books
G.I.L.S.

K.V.C.
N.C.O.W.S. 2279 - Senator
Hiram's Rangers C-3
G.A.F. 415
S.F.T.A.

Offline Drydock

  • MA1 USN ret. GAF #19, Colonel, Chief of Staff. BC, CC, SoM. SASS 1248 Life
  • American Plainsmen Society
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 4831
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 18
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #15 on: April 25, 2008, 05:02:22 PM »
Cavalry charge in "Stagecoach"

Another cavalry charge in "Fort Apache"
Civilize them with a Krag . . .

Offline Major Matt Lewis

  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 1234
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #16 on: April 25, 2008, 05:04:17 PM »
Cavalry charge in "Stagecoach"

Another cavalry charge in . . .oh heck, the first of the cavalry trilogy with Henry Fonda and John Wayne.

That would be Colonel Thursday's charge in Ft. Apache..... ;)
Major Matt Lewis
Grand Army of the Frontier * SASS Life * NCOWS * Powder Creek Cowboys * Free State Ranges * RO II * NRA Life * Man on the Edge

Offline Major Matt Lewis

  • NCOWS Member
  • Top Active Citizen
  • ***
  • Posts: 1234
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #17 on: April 25, 2008, 05:05:46 PM »
"Brethren, leave us go amongst them."

That was how Reverend Captain Samuel Johnston Clayton ordered the charge.

Books

That is an awesome line.  Right up there with Mose Harper's "We thank the for which we are about to recieve."  When the Commanche charge.
Major Matt Lewis
Grand Army of the Frontier * SASS Life * NCOWS * Powder Creek Cowboys * Free State Ranges * RO II * NRA Life * Man on the Edge

Offline Major 2

  • "Still running against the wind"
  • Deputy Marshal
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 15831
  • NCOWS #: 3032
  • GAF #: 785
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 415
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #18 on: April 25, 2008, 05:18:01 PM »
I didn't realize Brian Pohanka had died. When & how?

Brian joined the final roll call of the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry, Duryées Zouaves  in June of 2005.
He lost his valiant fight with melanoma.

He as a fine friend & co-worker on many films, his last was "Cold Mountain"
I last worked with him and Cricket on Manassas End of Innocence in 2001 and on the set of God's & Generals
when planets align...do the deal !

Offline Captain Lee Bishop

  • Rough Rider, 1st US Cav (USV)
  • Top Active Citizen
  • *
  • Posts: 231
  • ..on your order, Colonel Roosevelt!
    • Thunderbolt Productions
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Best charges in film history
« Reply #19 on: April 25, 2008, 08:29:50 PM »
I mentioned it already, but check out this clip from my all-time favorite movie:

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk

© 1995 - 2023 CAScity.com