Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
Special Interests - Groups & Societies => The Barracks => Topic started by: Captain Lee Bishop on April 23, 2008, 09:26:40 PM
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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.
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What about the film that is all about a charge
"THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE"
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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"
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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
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Combined assault at San Juan Heights in "Rough Riders" Take care.
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Waterloo - Rod Steiger, Christopher Plummer and 20,000 russian soldiers as extras
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066549/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vlcuvrM1po
:D
Icebox
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No bayonets but..... Reno's charge in Son of the Morning Star
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The charge of the combined British and Indian force against the Thugees in "Gunga Din".
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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.
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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.
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Combined assault at San Juan Heights in "Rough Riders"
D'oh! :o How in the heck could I have forgotten that????
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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. ::)
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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.
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I didn't realize Brian Pohanka had died. When & how?
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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
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Cavalry charge in "Stagecoach"
Another cavalry charge in "Fort Apache"
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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..... ;)
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"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.
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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
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I mentioned it already, but check out this clip from my all-time favorite movie:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vNQGFWLAcwE
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Sometimes it's the defenders that make for a fantistic charge...Zulu, Zulu Dawn, and both versions of The Alamo come to mind. And Geronimo An American Legend has a great charge in it.
LastCigar
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Sometimes it's the defenders that make for a fantistic charge...Zulu, Zulu Dawn, and both versions of The Alamo come to mind. And Geronimo An American Legend has a great charge in it.
LastCigar
You want to see the BEST Alamo film Charge see the Director's cut Alamo the Price of Freedom in IMAX....
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Some stirring charges mentioned.
I'm particularly fond of the final charge on the fort in "Glory" though I can fully understand the pucker factor when they met the loaded cannon.
The Wind and the Lion is a big favorite of mine as well, though I must admit that the charge by the Raisuli to free Mrs. Pedecaris from the outlaws, and his charge against the German colonel rank among my favorites, as does the final charge of the Berbers to free the Raisuli (heck, the movie is full of great charges!).
While not "period" for us (nor were quite a few of those first mentioned), I find the several charges in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy to be quite stirring, especially that of the Rohirrim on more than one occasion - once when led by Gandolf and the other by Theodan. The charge of the elves was to repel the Uruk-hai at Deep Helm is pretty stirring as well.
US Scout
Bvt Brig Gen
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I didn't realize Brian Pohanka had died. When & how?
Brian died not quite 3 years ago of cancer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/16/AR2005061601571.html
I can't claim to have been a friend of his, but I met him several times and found him not only very informed and an interesting speaker, but a true gentleman.
His family owns a car dealership (one of many in the area) just down the road from me which I pass quite frequently. Every time I pass it I think of Brian, though I understood that he wanted nothing to do with the family business.
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I'd have to say I liked Rooster Cogburn's one-man charge in True Grit. Course I've always been partial to the Duke.
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Thanks General and Major2
I had been wondering why the History Channel wasn't using him anymore and that sure explains it. I never met him but I admired his work.
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Howz about the cadets from Jefferson Military School, putting Duke and them damm yankees to flight in the Horse Soldiers? Of course there was a price paid by one of the drummer boys................getting spanked by Ken Curtis. :o
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I'd have to say I liked Rooster Cogburn's one-man charge in True Grit. Course I've always been partial to the Duke.
I'll agree to that one, too!
I just remembered the charge in "Young Winston" which I thought was pretty good.
I once used the final dash in "Gallipoli" for a military history presentation. The charge perhaps is not so memorable as the period leading up to it.
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I am just shocked that no one as of yet has mentioned the American Bayonet Charge at the end of "We Were Soldiers." The true story of the foght for LZ X-Ray in Vietnam....
Mel Gibson did a GREAT Job of playing Hal Moore....
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Gibson' s charge at the head of the Scot army in "Braveheart" was grand!
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He's not so shabby in The Patriot ether
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Not sure if you guys would count the Charge out of the burning house in Young Guns I.
I was always fond of it.....when they put Billy trunk and the rest came out shootin.