John Fardy on the best war movies

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The Claire Byrne Show 10 min 3 speakers 4 chapters transcribed 8 days ago

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Claire Byrne 0:01

The Claire Burns Show on News Talk. With Aviva Insurance.

Clare Byrne 0:09

Oh, sticking with the war theme from my conversation a little bit earlier on with the brilliant author, Ben McIntyre, and I highly recommend Redwood, by the way. Screen time presenter John Fardey is here to talk about the best war films. You a fan of war?

Why do war movies feel like a dance with the devil?

Clare Byrne 0:22

Not in an odd one. Do you like a war, John? Do you like a war, John?

John Fardy 0:25

War as hell, I've been led to believe. Thankfully I've never been near one. But the funny thing about war movies is, you know, you make a weird dance with the devil in a way when you watch one, because you know, most war movies, bar a few, are anti-war movies. Like most of them are saying war is a bad thing and people die and people are left heartbroken. But yet we are entertained by a lot of the drama and indeed the gore and the shooting and stuff like that. So they're a weird thing, but they have given us some great movies over the years. The reason why I'm talking about this is there's a new war movie this week called Pressure, which our own Andrew Scott plays a weatherman in World War Two. It's actually a very good movie.

John Fardy 1:04

I hear there's

Clare Byrne 1:06

Oscar talk for him.

John Fardy 1:07

Yeah, I mean, maybe. Let's see. There's another movie I think he has coming out in January, which might be more uh Oscar Bake, but let's see. But that is a good movie opposite Brendan Fraser. But yes, I've picked my ten favorite war movies. So Ten. Yeah, ten. Have we time for ten? Let me tell you what happened to this. I better start. So Exhibit A is Mel Gibson in the greatest vanity project ever known to man, possibly. I'm gonna star in this. I'm gonna direct it, I'm gonna produce it. But you know what? He gave us one hell of a movie in Braveheart.

Unknown 1:40

Fight and you may die. Run. And you'll love. At least the wild. I'm dying in your bed. Many years from now. Would you be willing? To train all the days, from this day to that. For one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies! That they may take our lives! But they'll never take our freedom!

Clare Byrne 2:16

And we all cheered and he got five Oscars.

John Fardy 2:18

Yeah, and it is a great movie. Uh you can't argue with it. Now, historically, the wars between the Scottish and the English, it's wall over the place. It seems to be wrong in lots of ways. It's fictionalized. But it is a great watch. You can't fault it. You really can't. It is a terrific and it is a war movie. It's the earliest one on our list 'cause I think that's the thirteenth, fourteenth century. So

Clare Byrne 2:40

now you're coming all the way up with the next one, the deer hunter, which is taking us to where

John Fardy 2:44

and when. It's nineteen seventy-eight. I think this is one of the greatest movies ever made. And what's fascinating about it is it's a war movie. It is three friends who are living in this Pennsylvania town. One of them's gonna get married and then they're all gonna go off to the war. W the first part of the movie is them in this Pennsylvania town and some of the relationships that they have and Meryl Streep is getting married or is not getting married but she's with one of the men but Robert De Niro is kind of secretly and not so secretly in love with her. Part two of the movie is them for thirty minutes only. in Vietnam in one of the most horrific extended scenes you've ever seen that involves the Viet Cong, these three American soldiers, and a game of Russian roulette.

John Fardy 3:29

It is spine tingling, some people claim it's somewhat racist, but it is hard to look away. Then the last section of the movie Is them dealing with the aftermath of their experience in Vietnam. It contains multitudes. In a way, it is a war movie and about the horrors of war, but it's also a love story of unrequited love. You know, uh Bono told me never to name drop, but I did interview Robert De Niro last year and I asked him about Deer Hunter, and he said that it was probably more a love story than it was a war. War movie or the effects of war on love. It is one of the greatest movies ever made. If you haven't seen it, it is three hours, but it is absolutely amazing. And harrowing, but worth it just saying.

John Fardy 4:13

I I I I definitely think so.