Best WWII Movies

David Germain, a movie writer for the Associated Press, took the occasion of the release of Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers to compile his list of the 12 Best WWII Films. While not as hardcore as a Top 6 list, it nevertheless struck me as an amazing collection of movies -- one with surprising breadth, given the specificity of the topic -- that certainly any WWII aficionado should check out.

• The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
• Stalag 17 (1953)
• The Caine Mutiny (1954)
• Mister Roberts (1955)
• The Bridge On the River Kwai (1957)
• The Longest Day (1962)
• Patton (1970)
• The Big Red One (1980)
• Das Boot (1981)
• Hope and Glory (1987)
• Schindler's List (1993)
• Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Off the top of my head, the only one that seems conspicuously absent is The Great Escape (1963). A favorite of mine no one seems to know about is The Purple Heart (1944), which, while it may strike modern sensibilities as too manipulative, I found incredibly moving. Perhaps also noteworthy is Guadalcanal Diary (1943), although, alas, as yet I know it only by reputation. It's also worth mentioning A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).

What are your favorites?