Nazis. They're the focus of those seeking justice everywhere and have been put squarely in the cross-hairs of one of Hollywood's newest offerings,
Inglourious Basterds, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Quentin Tarantino. In the film, Pitt governs a cavalcade of Nazi-killing talent, providing us with what could be an end-of-summer hit.
However,
Inglourious Basterds wasn't Hollywood's first dance with epic Nazi ass-kicking.
Nazis have rightly been the recipients of the cinematic hammer of scorn for years and now is a perfect time to showcase some of the best of the best examples of those evil bastards getting what's coming to them.
Screen Rant is proud to corral some of the greatest silver-screen titles that feature unforgiving Nazi punishment, as we review the "Top 5 Movies Where Nazis Get OWNED!"
For those of you that haven't partaken in this special piece of Hollywood, you are in for a treat. This film has not only been re-released on special edition DVD (with features that are something to truly marvel at) but features one of the
largest casts of greats that I don't think has ever been matched. This 1962 classic offers some history-based events (including paratroopers being mowed down by Nazis as they enter into a drop zone) that truly stoke the fire for vengeance. Fear not, folks.
The Longest Day provides you with vengeance and then some. The cinematography is truly from a completely different age, and if you're going to see Nazis get owned, why not see it differently than you're used to? The focus on Hitler literally sleeping while the walls were coming down around his regime is truly something to behold. It was a different kind of film making, to be sure, and provides us our initial entry of Nazis being owned!
Recipe for Nazi-Ownage: Briskly convene a team of lethal commandos from all points. Provide and dice potentially-friendly spies who turn out to be Nazi sympathizers. Fold in an A-list cast chock-full-o'-talent and you have the 1978 follow-up to
The Guns of Navarone:
Force 10 from Navarone. Harrison Ford and the gone-too-soon Robert Shaw head this outstanding offering that teaches you what it means to be hanging by the skin of your teeth in an occupied foreign land. It's also a perfect showcase of what happens to those that sympathize with the Nazis! They get OWNED!
While not a "feature film," you would be hard-pressed not to call this HBO-offered series some of the best Nazi-fighting entertainment ever offered. From the cultivation of new recruits, to in-country bullets blazing, to quiet nights where even the bravest soldier would have messed his fox hole, to thunderous artillery shellings that make even the viewer's teeth shake, this quality program offers up some of the most engaging scenes of Word War II ever. You also have an introspective look at a variety of operations that helped us not only "Own the Nazis," but win the war. The storytelling in this series is a sample of why we must continue to tell the stories of the heroes and deeds of WWII, so that future generations can understand just what plans and sacrifices were required to ensure that the Nazi's GOT owned and that freedom continued to ring. Add to the fact that
Band of Brothers is over 10 episodes and you've got yourself a gargantuan platter of "Ownage de Nazi."
Often it isn't enough for the United States to send out our best bunch of baddie-dispatching commandos.
The Dirty Dozen provides you a sample of taking the WORST of the best - military prisoners - and honing them into another set of fine Nazi-killing machines. The training of the new, bad-ass recruits is just as exciting as the action scenes featured in this film, and ends with one of the most engaging scenes that is sure to satisfy those looking for a high Nazi body count. The cast of (what were then) babies eventually became some of Hollywood's biggest stars during the 60's and 70's, making this another excellent addition to anyone's DVD library. It's one of the greats to be sure.
Sure, Nazis have gotten "owned" by gunfire, carefully-plotted artillery rounds, blown up bridges and even baseball bats (see:
Inglourious Basterds). Show me another film where the Nazis get their faces melted like crayola crayons in a microwave!
Raiders of the Lost Ark isn't just my favorite movie, it's Hollywood's best offering for seeing these nefarious bad guys get theirs. It also STILL retains the highest potential for a wide audience with subject matter (adventure, humor) that other films on this list just can't claim. This initial installment of
Indiana Jones and his adventures simply has more staying-power than most other films (even the classic
The Longest Day, which would be Sominex for most younger audiences), and won't soon be trumped.
I remember as an 11-year-old knowing that the Nazis were "bad" and that Indy and co. were good. The reason? Watch Indy OWN THEM ALL. When Indy doesn't own them "the power of God, or something" does. It's a TRUE example of good triumphing over evil and that's why it serves as the pinnacle of Nazi ownage!
So you've got OUR 5 films. What did YOU think of the list? Got one that we missed? Discuss below and tell us of the many other feature films over the decades that showcase "The Nazis Gettin' OWNED!"
To keep up with the latest on Nazi Ownage on film, check out
Inglourious Basterds this weekend.
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That’s awesome that Harrison Ford is in 2 of those films.
well I’m not sure I would place Force 10 on this list, I would have gone with William Holden’s tour in The Devil’s Brigade instead, but of course, I could have gone the Kelly’s Heroes route just as easily. ymmv.
“Ownage de Nazi” – nice one, Mike. How about Where Eagles Dare, or Castle Keep with Burt Lancaster and Peter Falk? The Bridge At Remagen? Peculiar to see Man From UNCLE Robert Vaughn (a) being owned, and (b) being owned as a Nazi in that one. Then there’s the big fella: Downfall. Ownerism of the Nazi di tutti Nazis!
You’ve got me trundling down memory lane like a dirty great Panzer in yer village now: The Battle Of The Bulge (Robert Shaw as a Nazi this time), and George C Scott’s incredible performance as Patton. And an aerial one: The Battle Of Britain. “Never in the field of human conflict have so many Nazis been utterly OWNED by so few.” Winston Churchill said that. Probably.
I seriously need to hunt down these movies! Thank you for revealing them to my young eyes lol
All we need is more movies where Japs get owned…
I’m sorry, lazy typer, Japanese people in WWII get owned.
How about Midway, Ken? Or Tora! Tora! Tora!
Yah, there were a few good ones, they need more. Like 80% of WWII movies revolve around the Nazi’s even though the majority of US involvement was in the Pacific front. I never understood that…
To qualify that last one, yes it’s about Pearl Harbor, but Admiral Yamamoto’s line about having wakened the sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve quite literally pulls it out of the flames.
Good point actually, Ken. I can think of more POW-related films involving the Japanese than I can actual combat-related ones. A great “post-combat” movie was John Boorman’s Hell In The Pacific, with Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune taking it in turns to own each other!
Hehe, sounds fun.
A bit off-topic, but Enemy Mine was basically an SF version of it.
I just saw the trailer for Enemy Mine, now I know what movie that is, I’ve seen it YEARS ago… OK, sorry, back on topic, killing Nazi’s, is Force 10 from Navarone really good? It has a pretty good cast from what I could see…
To many Nazi films out ther if u ask me and lots of t.v dramas, I mean I get it..there evil Blah! Annoying!
show me evil E-woks instead that would atleast be different
I think the devils Brigade Belongs up there, as well as Kelly’s hero’s.
No Das Boot?
well before anyone gets things out of contxt, I guess I have to remember that WWII is no longer given the depth of discussion in schools today that it once had. There are loads of films that deal with the European theatre but I guess you can lose focus unless you realise the depth of the conflict that took place on sea and land. You need to understand that the US and Britain were literally fighting all around the world and to have an appreciation of effort spent keeping the British in the game via Lend Lease and then supplying them with food and troops through the great convoys that were in use across the North Atlantic (some good films there, I believe an especially good representation starring Bogart was Action in the North Atlantic). The amount of materiel that was sent to Stalin during this time was also quite impressive. There were the campaigns in North Africa, Italy and France and there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of great WW II movies that involve allied forces fighting the Nazi’s. The fighting on this front was also brutal, all you have to do is see the numbers of those that died in the campaign through Italy to know that while Japan defended it’s gains fanatically, the Germans were extremely tough customers in their own right.
As for the films that showed the Nazi’s getting owned, here are some more of my favorites showing the “good guys” winning. Trying my best not to repeat those already mentioned.
Enemy at the Gates (sniper warfare between the Soviets and the Germans)
Von Ryan’s Express (Frank Sinatra leads US and British POWS on escape from Italian prison camp)
Battleground (one of the earliest tellings of the Battle of the Bulge)
A Bridge Too Far (Another of Cornelius Ryan’s works brought to the big screen, literally a cast of the biggest and brightest of the 60′s and 70′s)
Stalag 17 ( the basis of Hogan’s Heroes, done as a drama)
The Great Escape (another cast of thousands effort)
Is Paris Burning (done in documentary fashion, mingled with real footage)
Sink The Bismarck!
Go For Broke! – a film about the 442nd Infantry Regiment, comprised of Japanese Americans used in the European theatre.
The Guns of Navarrone
Night of the Generals
633 Squadron
North Africa theatre Films
Sahara – great stuff in the North Africa campaign
Immortal Sergeant
The Desert Rats
Tobruk
loads of others out there that look at all aspects of warfare and the effects of battle and war on us all, so I tried to limit myself to essentially straight up warfare movies
@Dentist – I considered Where Eagles Dare as well but after re-watching it, the film doesn;t really show Nazi’s getting owned but rather the opposite. It shows them trying to kill Churchill (almost successfuly mind you).
That’s fair enough Paul – I haven’t seen it for a few years. You have to admit Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood OWNED those Nazi uniforms though!
My Top 5
Saving Private Ryan
A Bridge too Far
The Battle of Britain
Battle of the Bulge
Band of Brothers
@Dentist – I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie, heck I own it
I’m just saying it didn’t fit with the over all feel of the article here. If we are talking great films in general with a WWII theme I’d hard pressed not to say Bridge Over the River Kwai is my favorite.
A few great WW films that I have in my collection are, Joyeaux Noel, Saints and Soldiers, Defiance and The Great Raid.
… and coming up next year – the wickedly funny mayhem of Jackboots on Whitehall…
More Nazi gore than you can shake a swastika at!
What about the Blues Brothers? I love the stuff with the Nazis in there!
Also Kelly’s Heroes has to be one of my favourite WW2 movies. Have a little faith, baby!
LOL Steven, that’s thinking outside the box!
Although it doesn’t have melting Nazis, Michael Mann’s The Keep does have a demon exploding a few. Not nearly enough IMHO, but worth seeing for Gabriel Byrne’s haircut alone.
Hello? Where Eagles Dare
LOL Im mad you guys put Raiders of the Lost Ark. ROFL.
Where Eagles Dare is my personal favorite!!! Who can ever forget Clint Eastwood nonchalantly waiting by the staircase for a bunch of Nazis to run up, and greeting them with his submachinegun..
Greetings, all! Your comments are stellar and I can’t wait to hear after this weekend if you think that Tarantino’s IG will need to be in the listing!
A couple of notes:
Bridge Over the River Kwai – Too true. Once again, having a 5-set list allows YOU guys to tell us what you think and to help us compile a solid listing that people can come back to and use to purchase DVDs, Blu-Ray and more! Thanks for that addition and it has that same classic cinematographic feel to it.
Blues Brothers WAS on my original “big list” and we whittled down to a solid list.
Force 10 from Navarone is just an outstanding film that continues to surprise every time I watch it. I plan on taking that to my 9-5er this weekend to get in a listen while I’m compiling away.
Keep the comments coming and don’t be afraid to add on something that we’ve forgotten. You input is ALWAYS appreciated! And when it’s not we have plenty of cinematic samples to refer to to “own you!”
Cheers!