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Any worthy World War II films for 4th & 8th graders that you could recommend?


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Tora, Tora, Tora is wonderful. Shindlers List, if you pre screen and know when to have the kids "look the other way". Personally, I cry everytime I watch it, but you know, it really happened and as for me, I want my kids to understand the horror, not to be haunted, but to be informed.

 

I think we read tons of books mostly. Albert Marrin is awesome, for your older child. Compare Hitler and Stalin. My father was in research, he researched this one all throughout my childhood, I just had lots to show and talk about with my children. TOG was great for this.

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was an awesome movie, and one everyone should see--but maybe not a 4th grader. I saw it years ago (as an adult) and am still haunted by scenes from that movie. :001_unsure:

 

A better choice would be The Pianist. It still has some haunting scenes (A little boy trying to scramble under a fence gets beaten to death.) but not nearly as graphic as Schindler's List. You cannot see the soldiers on the other side of the fence, but you do see the boy die.

 

Darla

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My dad was a WWII veteran and since we both had insomnia, I spent a lot of school nights staying up very late watching those old war movies with him. Some that come to mind are The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navaronne, and all those old episodes of The Rat Patrol. I was between 4th and high school during this time, if I remember correctly. There are LOTS of John Wayne and Steve McQueen movies that are similar. Honestly, I can't remember if there would be any objectionable content in those old films. I also remember watching the movie Midway with him when it came out later.

 

I also remember the day, as a grown woman with children, that I came home after seeing Saving Private Ryan. I called my dad on the phone, crying, and thanked him for what he, his brothers, and his friends endured on behalf of defending our freedom. The greatest generation, indeed.

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I also remember the day, as a grown woman with children, that I came home after seeing Saving Private Ryan. I called my dad on the phone, crying, and thanked him for what he, his brothers, and his friends endured on behalf of defending our freedom. The greatest generation, indeed.

 

Yes, I agree. I came away from that movie a different person. My Dad was a small boy during WWII, but he has vivid memories of the soldiers that trained nearby and would visit their house (his sister married one). Also, his Uncle was at D-Day and a cousin was shot down in Europe. My dad shared their stories with us as we grew up, but I didn't really appreciate what these family members did until I saw "Saving Private Ryan."

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thanks!

 

We have enjoyed these with the kids:

The Longest Day (we watched this before visiting Normandy. It is superb.)

Victory at Sea

The Great Escape (Something to keep in mind is that the escape was staged in the period just before and during D-Day. One of the purposes of the escape was to tie up large numbers of troops, far from the coast. In this it succeeded. This isn't really underscored in the movie. Nor the extent to which the prisoners were involved in an underground system of intelligence and resistance.)

The Bridge at Remagen

A Bridge Too Far

 

Others that I've enjoyed in the past that might require previewing:

They Were Expendable

Mr. Roberts

Sink the Bismark

 

Ken Burns recently did a series on WWII titled The War. I haven't seen this yet, but I think that it would probably be good.

 

I think that Band of Brothers is a phenomenal series. However, I wouldn't show it to my 4th or 5th grader, because it is too well done. There is very little emotional distance between the viewer and the action. I think that we did show them Curahee (the first episode) and a short portion of the beginning of Day of Days (loading, planes going in under fire and the shots showing the sky filled with paratroopers). I think this section was about 12 minutes long. After that it goes into a shaky first person film style that we decided was too intense for our kids at this stage. You might consider Band of Brothers as a series to watch with your older kid. I don't recommend watching this series alone. It is intense emotionally and draining. I think that it's important to have someone to talk it over with. (FWIW, we lived in Berlin when we watched this. I've visited just about every location mentioned in the series. I can't recommend the series too highly - for the right level of maturity.)

 

BTW, you didn't ask for book recs, but Stephen Ambrose wrote a book about one of the D-Day actions, Pegasus Bridge, that is pretty short and very well done. This is one of the actions shown in The Longest Day.

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There are LOTS of John Wayne and Steve McQueen movies that are similar. Honestly, I can't remember if there would be any objectionable content in those old films.

 

You can't assume that John Wayne = acceptable. We watched In Harm's Way with the kids a couple years ago. Big mistake. Stuff through the attack was ok, though not as well done as Tora, Tora, Tora.

 

But there is the other half of the movie, when the characters are on a small Pacific island planning a naval campaign. The subplot here includes the implied rape of John Wayne's son's fiance, her suicide when she becomes pregnant and the son's suicide attack on a Japanese ship. Not one that I would show the kids again.

 

We got suckered in by it being older and a John Wayne movie.

(However, I wish we could have lived in one of the houses on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, that were used in the movie. They have a party every year on Dec 6th in the historic housing area on the island. One of our friends lived in John Wayne's house for the film. They even had the sign for his character from the movie and would put it out for the party.)

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My father edited this picture, so it's a treat to see it on your list :001_smile:

 

Bill

 

We had friends who were stationed in Bonn. Bridge at Remagen was the movie that they showed to family when they arrived and were still jet lagged. Then later in the visit, they'd drive them down the river to the site of the bridge.

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I should add...Night of the Fireflies. Its manga. Its awesome, you will cry - set in Japan, its the story of a brother and little sister, how they "managed" war coming to their town. Even if you dont like the art form, it is a must-see.

 

Saving Private Ryan? You know as far as I am concerned, I do allow my kids to see some of the gory stuff, like the opening scene is not to be missed, it really was that awful. I think kids should know the truth, but of course, mixed with guidance. And yes, The Great Escape! Life is Beautiful too, is wonderful.

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We had friends who were stationed in Bonn. Bridge at Remagen was the movie that they showed to family when they arrived and were still jet lagged. Then later in the visit, they'd drive them down the river to the site of the bridge.

 

The film crew (including my dad) was on location in Czechoslovakia shooting this film in 1968 when the Soviet's invaded to put down the liberalization movement know as the "Prague Spring".

 

My father shot amazing footage of the invasion, although to see Soviet troops swing their AK-47s at the camera, knowing it was my dad behind the lens made watching the footage a very scary and emotionally draining experience.

 

One dear friend of the family was dressed in a full SS officers uniform when the Russians arrived, he said he got some (more than) shocked looks from the Soviet troops. And the movie company had their own "army" (including tanks) so the situation was a little tense, to say the least.

 

Bill

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I should add...Night of the Fireflies. Its manga. Its awesome, you will cry - set in Japan, its the story of a brother and little sister, how they "managed" war coming to their town. Even if you dont like the art form, it is a must-see.

 

 

 

Grave of the Fireflies? So sad...

 

We (8th dd) recently saw The Boy in The Striped Pajamas, everyone in the theater was crying. There was implied violence, nothing really graphic, was an interesting viewpoint.

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