Images of war

Over the weekend, Channel 4 will be showing “100 Greatest War Films”. The viewers poll has now closed but you can take a look at the nominees – and be surprised at some of the inclusions.

I won’t be watching the broadcast. I’m a fan of the genre, but I can’t sit through those clip-compilation shows without getting itchy.

Anyhow, here are five war movies I really like, all but the last one made it on to Channel 4’s list of nominees:

All Quiet on the Western Front (Lewis Milestone, 1930)
Mrs Miniver (William Wyler, 1942)
Went the Day Well? (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1942)
Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrick, 1957)
Attack! (Robert Aldrich, 1956)

I’m not surprised that last one wasn't nominated - it’s too stagey and melodramatic for modern tastes. But a few of the IMDB reviews do it justice.