along with some of the outrage here, you can add this: I only wish after we get through waving our flags, a right enough thing to do, we took much much much better care of our poor bastard troops maybe to the extent that they were treated more like the fragile heroes they are and not elevate the likes of our stupid celebrities from Tiger Woods on down to Lady Gaga
just had to add.. great, great ending of this movie... I would love to shake hands with some of the remaining survivors. Dam shame getting stuck out there like that..I'm not sure we can consider McArthur a hero or worthy of the Congression Medal of Honor...
I've read that Oliver Stone is very critical of John Ford's work, not technically, but because a lot of the boys who went to Vietnam, grew up on the idealism of the Ford films, and found out in Vietnam it wasn't so. John Ford was brilliant.
Most WW2 films were propaganda films financed by the government to sway public opinion. Black Hawk Down is one such movie that honors the soldiers because it shows how horrific the actual events were without saying which side is necessarily right. You are right in saying that though, Hollywood is interested in money.
Great grand-dad told me about this. He was flown out because he knew things the Army didn't want the enemy to find out. He had to leave his friends behind and never saw or heard from them again. :( When the transport arrived in Australia, nearly everyone aboard had to be hospitalized for malnutrition and disease. Now that grand-dad's gone, it's time for me to see the movie. It's next on my Netflix Queue. - Biene
Know what burns me? The Japanese Imperial government never was held accountable for any of it's war crime activities. Were talking a large area. Involving a huge number of people & a Hell of a lot of crimes. Small wonder the US has spent the last 50 years protecting them from their neighbors.
The Tokyo War Crimes Trials were mostly for the appeasement of the American People. Unlike Nurnburg they got very little coverage in the press. One can only wonder how far the State Department was responsible. The Russian Menace was an obvious factor in South East Asia. Politicians start wars, young men have to fight them and then politicians bargain the spoils away.
@rodeothug Oh they did...never will they forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki!!! If the Imperial Japanese didn't pushed that far, those a-bombs would have never been dropped.
Robert Montgomery was a naval officer in WW II, on P-T Boats. Seeing the resigned looks on those left behind always chokes me up. Where are the "Dads" today?
What a great movie! Even though no Japs were shown there is still strong emotional feelings. Is there a way you can post my favorite part, where "dad" draws the line in the sand and decides to stay and fight? That scene always gives me goose bumps
Director John Ford met John Bulkeley, the U.S. Navy officer that Robert Montgomery's character, 'John Brickley' in the film, was based on, in 1944, during the Normandy invasion. Bulkeley won the Congressional Medal Of Honor for his daring rescue of General Douglas MacArthur from Corregidor in 1942, and later was appointed by President Kennedy, a fellow WW2 PT boat skipper, to command the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (aka 'Gitmo') in Cuba.
'They Were Expendable' has to rank among John Ford's best, and most underrated efforts. A terrific tribute to an almost forgotten saga of World War 2 -- the men and women who had to fight a doomed, hopless delaying action against superior forces at the beginning of that conflict. Gets me every time, too, misspaddylee. Love the scene where 'The General' comes aboard the PT-41 to the strains of 'The Battle Hymn Of The Republic'.
No wonder I've been watching his movies, and am writing my first book about it. Don't expect it. I might be left behind, too.
But it's also no wonder why he will be the only director to win four Oscars for Best Director, and why the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award was invented for him.
poor quality and cutting the music at that point unforgiveable.. A great movie..
irish89055 6 months ago
along with some of the outrage here, you can add this: I only wish after we get through waving our flags, a right enough thing to do, we took much much much better care of our poor bastard troops maybe to the extent that they were treated more like the fragile heroes they are and not elevate the likes of our stupid celebrities from Tiger Woods on down to Lady Gaga
doctornoooo 10 months ago 2
Remember what 12-7 means and fly the flag at half staff.
1proudnativeson 1 year ago
just had to add.. great, great ending of this movie... I would love to shake hands with some of the remaining survivors. Dam shame getting stuck out there like that..I'm not sure we can consider McArthur a hero or worthy of the Congression Medal of Honor...
irish89055 1 year ago
I really don't give a damn what communist sympathizer Oliver Stone has to say about anything.
artagus21 1 year ago
I've read that Oliver Stone is very critical of John Ford's work, not technically, but because a lot of the boys who went to Vietnam, grew up on the idealism of the Ford films, and found out in Vietnam it wasn't so. John Ford was brilliant.
thanksforthemusic 1 year ago
@thanksforthemusic I've heard that, too. And as far as I'm concerned, Oliver Stone can go suck a rock.
gjm1953 1 year ago
great movie... poor quality upload here and shamelessly cut off the end music..
irish89055 2 years ago
remember when hollywood actually recognized the heroes that served in our military?
sadly, all of that was before my time :(
hisoj 2 years ago 4
Most WW2 films were propaganda films financed by the government to sway public opinion. Black Hawk Down is one such movie that honors the soldiers because it shows how horrific the actual events were without saying which side is necessarily right. You are right in saying that though, Hollywood is interested in money.
AeroJunkie20 2 years ago
Or, remember when Hollywood only portrayed heroes in the military? D'ya think the military is full of heroes? LOL.
cochranexyz 2 years ago
@hisoj Are you in the service?
cochranexyz 7 months ago
My Dad was in the Pacific aboard a Sub-Chaser- He hated the Japanese.
res57 2 years ago
Great grand-dad told me about this. He was flown out because he knew things the Army didn't want the enemy to find out. He had to leave his friends behind and never saw or heard from them again. :( When the transport arrived in Australia, nearly everyone aboard had to be hospitalized for malnutrition and disease. Now that grand-dad's gone, it's time for me to see the movie. It's next on my Netflix Queue. - Biene
TheBieneGrrl 2 years ago
Know what burns me? The Japanese Imperial government never was held accountable for any of it's war crime activities. Were talking a large area. Involving a huge number of people & a Hell of a lot of crimes. Small wonder the US has spent the last 50 years protecting them from their neighbors.
rodeothug 2 years ago 7
The Tokyo War Crimes Trials were mostly for the appeasement of the American People. Unlike Nurnburg they got very little coverage in the press. One can only wonder how far the State Department was responsible. The Russian Menace was an obvious factor in South East Asia. Politicians start wars, young men have to fight them and then politicians bargain the spoils away.
essexlph 2 years ago
@rodeothug Oh they did...never will they forget Hiroshima and Nagasaki!!! If the Imperial Japanese didn't pushed that far, those a-bombs would have never been dropped.
Agent1W 1 year ago
Comment removed
irish89055 1 year ago
@rodeothug yeah but we dropped the bomb on those assholes haha and got them 10 times over.
y2blas 11 months ago
Robert Montgomery was a naval officer in WW II, on P-T Boats. Seeing the resigned looks on those left behind always chokes me up. Where are the "Dads" today?
pastrami1945 2 years ago 2
What a great movie! Even though no Japs were shown there is still strong emotional feelings. Is there a way you can post my favorite part, where "dad" draws the line in the sand and decides to stay and fight? That scene always gives me goose bumps
antidrake 3 years ago 3
Most of the people left behind died.
Ladyrants 3 years ago 2
Director John Ford met John Bulkeley, the U.S. Navy officer that Robert Montgomery's character, 'John Brickley' in the film, was based on, in 1944, during the Normandy invasion. Bulkeley won the Congressional Medal Of Honor for his daring rescue of General Douglas MacArthur from Corregidor in 1942, and later was appointed by President Kennedy, a fellow WW2 PT boat skipper, to command the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (aka 'Gitmo') in Cuba.
scottinkansas 3 years ago
Bulkeley trained the young JFK.
Great scene, great movie!
azodude 2 years ago 2
'They Were Expendable' has to rank among John Ford's best, and most underrated efforts. A terrific tribute to an almost forgotten saga of World War 2 -- the men and women who had to fight a doomed, hopless delaying action against superior forces at the beginning of that conflict. Gets me every time, too, misspaddylee. Love the scene where 'The General' comes aboard the PT-41 to the strains of 'The Battle Hymn Of The Republic'.
scottinkansas 3 years ago 2
It was among his 25 or 30 masterpieces.
No wonder I've been watching his movies, and am writing my first book about it. Don't expect it. I might be left behind, too.
But it's also no wonder why he will be the only director to win four Oscars for Best Director, and why the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award was invented for him.
grabit1 3 years ago
Gets me every time.
misspaddylee 3 years ago
great movie watched it last night
richmjr67 3 years ago