Top 70 Best War Movies To Watch In 2023

 

War is something that none of us wish to encounter. No one can escape a war unscathed.

 

We pay either with our lives, our money, our resources, or our pride. It brings about death and destruction.

 

Yet, there is another facet to every war. Where we see pain and despair, there is also freedom and liberty.

 

If war brings our death and destruction, it also brings rebirth and a new dawn.

 

That is the reason why war is both an essential and unnecessary part of human history.

 

Many famous wars have been immortalized in cinemas like World War I, World War II, the American Civil war, the Freedom struggle in Northern Ireland, wars in Eastern European countries, the Afghanistan war, etc.

 

Since no one wants to be a part of a war and face the horrors of it, films and motion pictures show us a glimpse of it.

 

They help us feel and experience pain and loss without losing or winning. They help us see the sacrifices made by all parties in a war.

 

While some war movies are one-sided and show us only one face of the war, some of them are multi-faceted and show us the reality of the situation.

 

They show us why a war was needed, what was won in this war and what was lost.

 

They also shed light on the military costs, human costs, economic loss, and all. There are many such struggles, real and imaginary, that have been brought to life through the director's lens.

 

Many pictures have highlighted the futility of war, the human cost, and the aftermath of the struggle to rebuild.

 

It would be difficult to create a complete list of great war movies. With this post, ENTOIN ranks movies that are impactful and fun.

 

This list of top war movies includes pictures that hail, condemn, and mock war and also simply show its costs.

 

We have not included imaginary war situations like Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Superman, and Justice League movies.

 

If you want a list of them, leave us an email, and we will make a separate list of them.

 

Without further delay, here is the ENTOIN list of top 70 war movies. We hope that you enjoy them.

 

 

70. The Dirty Dozen

 

 

 

The plot is set before the D-Day invasion. The allied generals plan to render a blow to the Germans by eliminating the top brass while they relax at a vacation home in France.

 

To carry out this dangerous assassination attempt, they put together a suicide squad of convicted military convicts.

 

The cast is packed with big stars and upcoming stars from music and films. You can watch Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes, Donald Sutherland, and more play dirty to give an advantage to the allied forces on D-Day.

 

The film was a commercial hit, and the audience loved it. However, many big stars turned down the film on moral and ethical grounds.

 

People like John Wayne and Jack Palance refused roles in this movie.

 

 

69. M*A*S*H

 

 

 

M*A*S*H is set in one of the military hospitals and medical camps during the Korean war.

 

The film gives us a glimpse into the life of the army doctors, surgeons, and nurses who deal with the horrors of war with comedy, fun, and games.

 

The movie was a smash hit with the general consensus that this “bold, timely, subversive and above all funny” movie was the high point of Altman’s career.

 

The story makes fun of the daily struggles and psychological toll of war. The movie’s success prompted a TV series in 1972 that ran for many years and was as successful as the movie.

 

To make the film more fun, the director cast many actors from improvisational clubs, which is why the dialogue was impromptu for the most part.

 

 

 

68. Hacksaw Ridge

 

 

 

Hacksaw Ridge is a biographical movie about the life of Desmond Doss. He won the Medal Of Honor for incredible bravery during the Battle of Okinawa and for saving the lives of 75 fellow soldiers.

 

What makes this story special is the fact that Doss was a follower of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

 

So he achieved this honor without firing a bullet or picking up a firearm. Hacksaw Ridge is the story of a pacifist soldier who managed to earn the highest honors despite his belief.

 

The film was a comeback, of sorts, for Mel Gibson. It won great praise from critics for its portrayal of violence and faith in such a beautiful way.

 

Andrew Garfield, who plays Doss, also won critical acclaim. The film was nominated for multiple Academy Awards too.

 

 

 

67. Born On The Fourth Of July

 

 

 

Born On The Fourth Of July is another biographical tale of Ron Kovic. Kovic is a US Marine who was paralyzed during the Vietnam War.

 

Once he returns from the war, he feels let down by his government and becomes disillusioned about the glory and honor of war.

 

The story tracks Ron Kovic from his recruitment to the war, his injury, and his struggles.

 

He becomes an outspoken anti-war activist. The film is part of the Oliver Stone trilogy on the Vietnam war, with Platoon and Heaven and Earth.

 

The film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won 2 awards for Best Director and Best Film Editing.

 

 

 

66. Where Eagles Dare

 

 

 

Where Eagles Dare is an adaptation of an Alistair MacLean novel of the same name.

 

It is about a secret intelligence mission to rescue an American Brigadier General captured by the Nazis.

 

The Allied forces put together a SWAT team of British and American servicemen to infiltrate the Nazi safehouse holding the POW.

 

Halfway through the mission, the American Lieutenant gets suspicious that there might be another hidden motive to this rescue mission.

 

The film boasts of a powerhouse cast and crew that went on to become Oscar winners.

 

It stars Clint Eastwood, Richard Burton, Yakima Canutt, Ron Goodwin, Arthur Ibbetson, and more. The film was a commercial success and earned a hefty profit.

 

The movie is still considered one of the best war movies of all time, years after its release.

 

 

 

65. The Longest Day

 

 

 

The Longest Day is an epic war film that depicts the events of the D-Day landing in Normandy and the events that turned the tide for the allied forces in WWII.

 

It is based on the non-fiction novel by Cornelius Ryan. This movie is truly epic in the scale of production, the cast, and the story it tells.

 

It was shot from the point of view of both the Allied forces and the German troops.

 

Different directors shot the film from the perspective of the various parties involved. The film employed actual participants of the Normandy landing to re-enact the events from all regiments involved.

 

The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards, and it won 2 of them.

 

 

 

64. Platoon

 

 

 

Platoon is a part of the Vietnam War trilogy that was written and directed by Oliver Stone.

 

It depicts a platoon sergeant, his squad leaders, and their conflicting opinions about the morality, necessity, and impact of war.

 

The film was inspired by Stone’s personal experiences and impression of war. The film garnered critical acclaim for the direction, screenplay, cinematography, acting, and realism of battle sequences.

 

It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won 4 of them. It won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing.

 

While casting the main roles, Stone intentionally cast Berenger and Defoe in roles opposite to their usual style.

 

He had also intended to cast Doors frontman, Jim Morrison, like Chris, a role played by Charlie Sheen.

 

 

 

63. The Wind Rises

 

 

 

The Wind Rises is an animated film that portrays the life of Jiro Horikoshi, who was the inventor of the Japanese fighter planes used in WWII.

 

The Wind Rises is a fictionalized biography adapted from Miyazaki’s manga work of the same name.

 

The film was hugely successful in Japan and won many accolades. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

 

The film is a sad yet uplifting tale of Horikoshi realizing his dream. Yet, he loses his wife, whom he loves, and the war, in which he fought.

 

 

 

62. Lincoln

 

 

 

Lincoln is a film about the work, strategy, and politics that was employed in passing the emancipation of slaves bill in Congress.

 

During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln scripted the landmark bill to abolish slavery in America forever.

 

The only problem was to have the bill passed before peace arrived. This film highlights the politics and policies taking place during the Civil War and how they were used for the greater good.

 

The plot was an adaptation of the biography, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearn Goodwin.

 

Steven Spielberg researched the archives and history of Abe Lincoln for 12 years to perfect the nuances in the story and direction.

 

The pocket watch used in the movie is the actual watch that belonged to Lincoln and was kept in the Kentucky Historical Society.

 

 

 

61. Salvador

 

 

 

Salvador is the true story of a photojournalist who worked in Salvador to cover the volatile guerilla situation.

 

Richard Boyle, on whom the story is based, co-wrote the script along with Stone. The film was nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Screenplay.

 

The story follows the struggle of Boyle, who is covering the Salvadoran Civil War. He gets unintentionally caught up between the guerillas and the right-wing army, both of whom use him for their purpose.

 

The film was nominated for 2 Oscars but lost both. However, the story and acting were met with great praise and appreciation from Salvadoran refugees in the USA.

 

 

 

60. The Imitation Game

 

 

 

The Imitation Game is the biographical account of the work of legendary code-breaker Alan Turing and his team.

 

It is a nail-biting race to break the code and get ahead in the war.

 

For those unaware, Alan Turing and his team cracked the Enigma code used to send cryptic messages during World War 2.

 

Breaking this Enigma code was essential to know German plans beforehand and saving countless casualties.

 

Ahead of the US release of The Imitation Game, the New York Times ran the original crossword puzzle that the code-breakers needed to solve to qualify for Bletchley Park.

 

The winners won a ticket to London to visit the Bletchley Park facility.

 

 

 

59. Inglourious Basterds

 

 

 

In France, during World War II, a band of American Jewish soldiers decided to carry out their own mission to assassinate Nazi Generals.

 

They meet a theatre company owner who has similar plans and shares their hatred for Nazis.

 

The movie was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and took home one award for Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz.

 

At the time of auditions, Tarantino almost quit the film because he could not find the best actor to play the role of Colonel Hans Landa.

 

Brad Pitt was so impressed by the role and the director, Quentin Tarantino, that he made a compromise and worked under Harvey Weinstein’s company Miramax.

 

That was the only time the two men worked together.

 

 

58. Lebanon

 

 

 

The film is set during the first Lebanese War in 1982. A platoon of Paratroopers with a single tank is sent out to take over a hostile town.

 

The film chronicles the horrors and mayhem that ensue. The crew members of the tank are stuck in a difficult position and only have themselves to fight against a formidable foe.

 

Their survival instincts kick in, and things start to get very messy very soon. The critics appreciated the film, but the audience found it disappointing.

 

Some of the reviews called the film a one-dimensional, disappointing film that had potential but was wasted.

 

 

57. The Big Red One

 

 

 

The Big Red One is a World War II movie that follows a company of an army sergeant and his core team of 4 privates.

 

The film starts when the company is sent on its first mission in Africa and then to Sicily, D-Day, Ardenne forests, and the end of the war.

 

The story is about survival through the war and its horrors. We see the hardened sergeant begin with a full company, lose most of them, then get a new company with each mission and continue to lose soldiers to the war.

 

The audience and the critics rightly appreciated the film for simply highlighting the fact that surviving war is heroic enough.

 

There is no need for long-drawn messages, speeches, and dramatics to be a hero.

 

 

56. Rescue Dawn

 

 

 

Rescue Dawn is a prisoner of war film that takes place during the Vietnam war.

 

It is the true story of the German-American fighter pilot Dieter Dengler. His plane is shot down in Laos while on a secret mission.

 

Dengler has to survive torture at the hands of the Viet Cong and the Vietnamese peasants until his rescue.

 

As tough as the captors were, surviving the jungle and the lack of food proved to be a bigger prison for the POWs.

 

The film won critical acclaim, but it was a box office failure. To show his solidarity with the team, the director Herzog lost 30 pounds along with the cast for the film's sake.

 

 

55. Good Morning Vietnam

 

 

 

This is another true story of a radio disc jockey at the US Armed Services Radio station.

 

The film is a comedy war drama. It is set in Saigon, where DJ Cronauer hosts the daily morning radio broadcast.

 

He is well-loved and appreciated by the troops but always manages to ruffle the feathers of his superiors.

 

After a bombing at the bar that kills 2 American soldiers, Cronauer gets an honorable discharge for broadcasting the news against orders.

 

The film was well-received by the audience and critics alike. Many critics gave the film an outstanding review, calling it the best war comedy since M*A*S*H.

 

It also got multiple nominations at all major awards functions.

 

 

54. From Here To Eternity

 

 

 

From Here to Eternity is a film set in the US base at Pearl Harbour.

 

It follows the life of 3 army men during their stationing. The film is inspired by the novel of the same name, written by James Jones.

 

The film has a power-packed cast of Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, and more.

 

The film was a critical success and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

 

The film earned 13 Academy Award nominations and won 8 awards for top categories like best picture, best director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

 

 

53. Downfall

 

 

 

The Downfall is a dark war movie about the final days of the Third Reich.

 

It is a German historical movie based on the accounts of Traudl Junge and Joachim Fest.

 

It explores the dark times when Hitler is bunkered in Berlin and oscillates between optimistic and suicidal thoughts.

 

His chief generals like Himmler and Goring have deserted him. Goebbels and his family staunchly stand by him, along with Eva Braun.

 

The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the Academy Awards and has inspired numerous internet memes.

 

The most famous rant of Hitler in his war room in the bunker is one of them.

 

 

52. Gallipoli

 

 

 

Gallipoli is a film about the campaign of Gallipoli by the ANZAC army. The film is set during World War I.

 

Australian army recruits are shipped to the peninsula of Gallipoli, a part of the Ottoman empire.

 

As the war progresses, the regiment is slowly demoralized, and they start to realize the futility of the war.

 

The film is directed by the famous Australian director, Peter Weir. He is known for movies such as Master And Commander: The Far Side of The Sea, The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society, and more.

 

The film was a success in Australia and made moderate profits in the US markets too.

 

The film was hailed by critics, although some were not happy with the historical inconsistencies in the story.

 

 

51. Red Cliff

 

 

 

Red Cliff is a two-part Chinese war movie about the fall of the Han Dynasty.

 

It chronicles the battle of the Red Cliffs fought during 208-209 CE and the creation of the three kingdoms period.

 

John Woo made this epic war movie after a long leave of absence since the last big project in 2003.

 

The film is not historically accurate, but it was well-received by the audiences and was a big hit.

 

Woo was supposed to cast Ken Watanabe as Cao Cao but recast the role, following backlash for casting a Japanese man as a Chinese hero.

 

Chow Yun Fat also withdrew from the movie after differences in contract signing.

 

 

50. Zero Dark Thirty

 

 

 

Zero Dark Thirty is a fictionalized account of the infamous manhunt for Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.

 

The decade-long search for the dreaded terrorist Osama Bin Laden has ended, and CIA operatives have to plan out a strike team to take him down.

 

The film follows the Navy SEAL team 6 that carries out the strike and comes out victorious.

 

One must remember that this is a fictional account of the strike. The film was met with overwhelming critical applause and box office success.

 

The film was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and took home one. It also won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama for Jessica Chastain.

 

 

49. Letters From Iwo Jima

 

 

 

Letter From Iwo Jima is the sad tale of the battle Iwo Jima fought between the US and the Japanese Imperial army.

 

It is made entirely from the perspective of the Japanese, based on the letters that the soldiers wrote.

 

The film has the unique distinction of being an American film shot entirely in Japanese.

 

It was made as a sister movie to The Flags of Our Fathers, also made by Eastwood.

 

The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including best picture. It won the Oscar for Best Sound Editing.

 

It got the Oscar nod in the category of Best Sound Editing. It was released in Japan but got a limited release in the USA.

 

'Letters from Iwo Jima' was critically acclaimed and well-noted for its portrayal of good and evil on both sides of the battle.

 

Letters from Iwo Jima highlighted the benefits and the damages that war can do. It received great praise for this.

 

The critics heavily praised the writing, direction, cinematography, and acting. The critics praised the great job done on cinematography, direction, and performance.

 

 

48. Gunga Din

 

 

 

The film Gunga Din is based on a poem of the same name, written by Rudyard Kipling.

 

It was made in 1939 in British India, where a group of ‘Thuggee’ are planning a revolt against the British Raj.

 

The film follows the adventure of three British officers who plan to quell the rebellion based on information from a young ‘bhisti’ by the name of Gunga Din.

 

The film was well-received in the United States and Canada, yet due to the high production costs, the film recorded a loss of $193,000.

 

The film was described as culturally significant and included in the National Film Registry in 1999.

 

 

47. Guns Of Navarone

 

 

 

Based on the Alistair MacLean novel of the same name, Guns Of Navarone is a World War II espionage movie.

 

It involves a team of allied saboteurs working undercover to enter the high-security camp on Navarone to disarm the enormous field guns.

 

The team must disarm the guns on the impregnable island fortress in order to rescue the 2000 British troops held captive there.

 

The film was the second highest-grossing film of 1961. The film received mostly positive reviews.

 

New York Times described the movie as one of those muscle-loaded pictures in the thundering tradition of DeMille, which means melodrama is given more emphasis than character or credibility.

 

 

46. Dunkirk

 

 

 

The film is about the evacuation mission at Dunkirk during World War II. Allied soldiers from Belgium, France, and the British empire need to be evacuated.

 

They are surrounded by German troops and a heavy battle follows. When the film premiered, allied soldiers who fought in that battle were invited.

 

They praised the movie for its accurate portrayal. Critics applauded the screenplay, direction, musical score, sound effects, and cinematography of the film.

 

The film received 8 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, it only won three for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Film Editing.

 

 

45. The Deer Hunter

 

 

 

The Deer Hunter is a hard-hitting story about the impact of the Vietnam war on not just the soldiers who returned but also their families and communities.

 

The film follows the experiences of 3 close friends, Mike, Nick, and Steven, as they fight and struggle to return to normalcy.

 

The film was highly praised and brought critical acclaim to the cast. It was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won 5 awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound, and Best Film editing.

 

The film also sported controversy for its depiction of Russian Roulette as one of the torture techniques.

 

In one scene, Walken was convinced by the director to spit on De Niro. When the actor went through with the scene, it upset De Niro, who walked off the set.

 

 

44. Full Metal Jacket

 

 

 

Full Metal Jacket derives its name from the full metal jacket bullet used by military men in Vietnam.

 

The film is based on a Marine Corps platoon from their days in boot camp to their journey through the war and returns to the US.

 

The platoon is sent to Da Nang and Hue in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.

 

The team faces trials and horrors and comes out alive, for which they are very grateful.

 

The film earned an Academy Award for Stanley Kubrick for Best Adapted Screenplay along with Michael Herr and Gustav Hasford.

 

In 2001, the American Film Institute placed this movie at 95 on the list of AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills.

 

 

43. Eye In The Sky

 

 

 

Eye In the Sky is a tense thriller about the use of drone warfare to neutralize hostile targets in a friendly nation.

 

The film takes a look at an international espionage mission into a terrorist organization. The director gives us a glimpse into the costs of war, the chain of command, risk assessment, and personal guilt that a team has to go through to successfully complete a mission.

 

The film is the last live-action movie of Alan Rickman before he died. It was critically acclaimed for exceptional acting in this cerebral wartime movie and political thriller.

 

 

42. Last Of The Mohicans

 

 

 

The Last Of The Mohicans is based on the novel, The Last Of The Mohicans: A Narrative Of 1757, by James Fenimore Cooper.

 

It depicts the French-Native American war fought in 1757. A native American tribe of Mohicans is living peacefully along with the British colony.

 

When the daughter of the colonel is kidnapped, the Indian chief and his half-white son set out to rescue them and fight the French at the cost of their tribe.

 

The film won an Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis).

 

For this movie, Day-Lewis lived in the wilderness hunting and fishing in preparation for the role.

 

 

41. The Killing Fields

 

 

 

The Killing Fields is a film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia from the experience of New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg and his photojournalist friend and interpreter, Dith Pran.

 

This is a true story about the award-winning journalist who escaped Cambodia with the help of Pran, who was stuck in Cambodia himself.

 

The film ends on a happy note when Pran is rescued at the Red Cross center on its border with Thailand.

 

Although it was his first time acting, the actor, Dr. Haing Ngor won an Academy Award for his portrayal.

 

The film won other Oscars for best film editing and best cinematography.

 

 

40. Glory

 

 

 

Glory is a historical war drama about the American Civil War. The union army creates its first all-black regiment and Col.

 

Shaw has been placed in charge of this regiment. He volunteers for this role and faces backlash from his officer peers and the enemy alike.

 

The movie offers heavyweight performances from big names like Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick, and more.

 

The movie is inspired by Lay This Laurel by Lincoln Kirstein and One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchard.

 

The film won 3 Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Denzel Washington. In the same year, it also won at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globe function.

 

 

39. No Man’s Land

 

 

 

The film is about the Bosnia-Herzegovina conflict. This Bosnian film tells about two soldiers from the Bosnian army, and the Serbian army gets separated from their camp and ends up in no man’s land along with a third person.

 

This film brings the reality of today's humanitarian collaboration which is nothing more than to keep the public calm, beautifully portrayed by this movie.

 

It won the Best Foreign Film category at the Academy Awards. Apart from the Academy Award, the film won other accolades at the Golden Globe, Cannes Film festival, American Film Institute Award, Cesar Awards, and more.

 

 

38. Spartacus

 

 

 

Spartacus is about the Third Servile War or the War of the slaves or the War of Spartacus.

 

The titular character of Spartacus is a slave who refuses to bow down. He rejects servitude in a nation that is dependent wholly on its slaves.

 

A Roman general plans to overthrow Spartacus as he is jealous of the loyalty that he inspires within his army of slaves.

 

He resorts to all means possible to suppress the slaves and ultimately kills Spartacus on the cross.

 

The film won 4 Academy Awards for best supporting actor, best art direction, best cinematography, and best costume design.

 

It received many more awards and nominations from the BAFTAs, Saturn Awards, Golden Globes, etc.

 

 

37. Lawrence of Arabia

 

 

 

Lawrence of Arabia is a historical war drama set during World War I. In the movie, British officer TE Lawrence is sent to Arabia to work as a liaison between the British Empire and the Arab world in the war against the Turks.

 

With his knowledge of the Bedouin tribes and with his friend Sheikh Ali, Lawrence leads a revolt against the Turkish fort.

 

The movie is based on the Novel, Seven Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence. The movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won 7 of them.

 

Along with this, the film also won at the Golden Globes function and the BAFTAs.

 

The film was inducted into the National Film Registry.

 

 

36. Saving Private Ryan

 

 

 

Saving Private Ryan is a heartwarming tale that is set during World War II. A mother sends all her sons to fight in the war, but sadly three of them die in close succession of each other.

 

When the government has to relay this news to the mother, they are saddened. They plan to call back the last remaining son, who has recently been a part of the Battle of Normandy.

 

A team of 8 soldiers, including Captain John H Miller, is sent to find private Ryan and return him to his family.

 

When Spielberg cast the role of Pvt Ryan, he specifically wanted a no-name actor to play the part.

 

Yet, in the same year as the movie's release, Matt Damon won an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting.

 

 

35. Three Kings

 

 

 

The film is set during the end of the Gulf War, and the rebel Shiites and the Iraqi Republican Guards are fighting each other.

 

During this period of lull, three US Army Special Forces officers stumble upon a map of hidden Kuwaiti gold that Saddam Hussein stole.

 

The plan is to initially steal the stash of gold and retire from the army, but the forces meet rebel fighters who plead for assistance from the Iraqi forces.

 

This begins a series of events that lead to the rescue of the rebels and the court-martial of the officers.

 

The film was praised for its action, drama, and dark comedy to bring a realistic portrayal of the situation.

 

Many of the advisors used for the film were actual Iraqi survivors who recounted their experiences for the film.

 

 

34. Patton

 

 

 

Patton depicts the life of the famous US army general George S Patton who headed the Tank division throughout World War II.

 

The film gives a complete account of his heroics and shortcomings that formed roadblocks in his career growth.

 

The film won seven Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor, and more.

 

The movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The ivory-handled revolvers George C. Scott wears in the opening speech were George S. Patton's real-life revolvers.

 

 

33. The Great Escape

 

 

 

The Great Escape is set during World War II, in a prisoner of war camp.

 

A large number of allied soldiers are held as POWs in the Stalag Luft III.

 

Although they are all from different countries and divisions of the armed forces, they all work together to break free from the camp.

 

The film is based on a novel of the same name, written by Paul Brickhill.

 

The film brought together some of the biggest names in a huge ensemble cast including, Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, and more.

 

The film was successful at the box office, yet it did not earn many awards or nominations that year.

 

 

32. Last Days In Vietnam

 

 

 

Last Days In Vietnam is a documentary film on the last few weeks spent by the US troops in Vietnam.

 

It consists of interviews and personal accounts from diplomats, armed forces personnel, and senators who served during that time.

 

As the North Vietnamese army advances over to South Vietnam, there is a mad rush by the US diplomats and embassy officials to vacate the country.

 

As per government orders, they are to evacuate only US citizens, but they are stuck in a moral dilemma to leave the South Vietnamese at the mercy of the enemy.

 

The film was critically praised and received a nomination for Best Documentary from Academy Awards and Writer's Guild Association.

 

 

31. The Bridge On The River Kwai

 

 

 

The film is inspired by the 1952 novel by Pierre Boulle. The film is an epic war drama that centers around the prisoners of war under the Japanese army.

 

The prisoners are tasked with building a bridge on the River Kwai for the Burma railroad.

 

The movie is considered one of the greatest films of all time, and it was the highest-grossing film of that year.

 

The picture won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It was included in the National Film Registry for being culturally, aesthetically, or historically significant.

 

An interesting fact about the movie is that the screenwriters for the film were blacklisted by Hollywood and hence were not credited for their work.

 

In fact, the film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, and the actual writers did not get the credit for it.

 

 

30. Paths Of Glory

 

 

 

Paths of Glory is based on a novel of the same name, written by Humphrey Cobb.

 

It is an anti-war movie depicting a French Commanding Officer Dax, who refuses to lead his regiment into a suicidal mission during World War I.

 

CO Dax is forced to send his men on this suicidal mission, and after the failure, they are court-martialed for cowardice.

 

The film highlights the war of egos that sacrifices the life of its soldiers. The film was banned by France, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, and other EU countries.

 

Even the US military did not show the film at some of its stations.

 

 

29. The Pianist

 

 

 

The Pianist is the biographical tale of a Polish-Jewish musician and composer, Władysław Szpilman. He was captured during World War II and survived the Holocaust to write his memoir.

 

The film was met with great critical and commercial success. It won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Director.

 

It was also nominated for Best Picture but lost out to Chicago. Adrian Brody, who plays the Jewish composer, was the youngest actor to win the statuette at the age of 29.

 

He was also the only other American to win the Cesar Award for this film.

 

 

28. ‘71

 

 

 

‘71 is a thriller war drama set during the Belfast riots. The peak of Britain's war against Northern Ireland becomes the backdrop for this thriller.

 

A British soldier gets separated from his unit at the height of the Troubles. The film received much praise for the acting of Jack O'Connell and the direction by Yann Demange.

 

The film won the best director award at the British Independent Film Awards. The critics at Rotten Tomatoes reviewed that the film was powerfully directed and acted. '71 stays true to its fact-based origins while remaining as gripping as any solidly crafted action thriller.

 

 

27. Restrepo

 

 

 

Restrepo is an American war documentary that gives us a glimpse into the daily work and life of the soldiers during the Afghanistan war.

 

The directors, Junger and Hetherington, were attached to an army platoon and traveled on the mission with the platoon recording their day.

 

The film was named Restrepo after the Army medic attached to this platoon, by the name of Juan Sebastien Restrepo.

 

He died during the mission, and the movie is a homage to him. Sadly, one of the directors, Hetherington, also died while covering another conflict zone after making this movie.

 

The film was nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards. It won the Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival of that year.

 

 

26. Son Of Saul

 

 

 

The film is the directorial debut of the Hungarian director, Nemes. The story is about a Jewish-Hungarian man whose job is to clear the dead bodies from the gas chamber in Auschwitz.

 

The film is a disturbing tale of the Holocaust and life in the Auschwitz camp.

 

The prisoners are gassed and killed on a daily basis while children, especially twins, are experimented on by Josep Mengele.

 

Son Of Saul premiered at the Cannes Film festival and won the Grand Prix. It was also shown at the Toronto Film Festival where it won Best Foreign Language Film that year.

 

 

25. Zulu

 

 

 

Zulu is a British war film about the Battle of Rorke Drift in South Africa.

 

The film depicts the war between the British army and the Zulu tribe in the Anglo-Zulu war in 1879.

 

During this war, 150 British soldiers, including the sick and wounded patients, successfully held off a force of 4,000 Zulu warriors.

 

The film was praised for depicting the Zulu as a disciplined army of warriors and not any disorganized tribal group.

 

In the film, the Zulus did not sing a song saluting fellow warriors and departed at the approach of the British relief column.

 

This was also seen as showing the Zulu in a positive light along with the British army.

 

 

24. Twelve O'Clock High

 

 

 

Twelve O’Clock High follows the exploits of an American army’s Eighth Air Force. They conduct regular daylight bombing over Nazi Germany and occupied France.

 

The film also tries to recreate the Black Thursday strike. The film was based on the book of the same name, written by Bartlett and Lay.

 

Bosley Crowther of the New York Times noted that the film focused more on the human element than the aircraft or machinery of war.

 

However, it was well-received by audiences and critics. It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards and won two awards for Best supporting actor and best Sound recording.

 

 

23. Waltz With Bashir

 

 

 

The film is an animated war movie about a soldier who suffers from amnesia. He is seen trying to piece together his memories after meeting fellow soldiers who served along with him.

 

The film takes place during the Lebanese war in 1982 when the protagonist was a teenage soldier with the IDF.

 

His guilt at the massacre causes him to repress his memories and develop amnesia. There is a general consensus that the film is a wholly innovative, original, and vital history lesson with pioneering animation, Waltz With Bashir delivers its message about the Middle East in a mesmerizing fashion.

 

 

22. Ran

 

 

 

Ran is a Japanese epic war drama that is inspired by Shakespeare's King Lear. The movie comes from the stables of the legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

 

An aging war-lord, Hidetora Ichimonji, abdicates his throne in favor of his three sons. The main characters were also fashioned around the life of the daimyo, Mori Motonari.

 

The film was modestly successful upon release and made Rs 2.2 million in Japan and in France.

 

The following year, it was released in the United States to make another $ 2 to 3 million.

 

The film was released multiple times over the years and accumulated earning of up to $ 19.32 million worldwide.

 

 

21. To Be Or Not To Be

 

 

 

This American film is a black comedy about a drama troupe in Nazi-occupied Warsaw. They use their talent for acting and disguise to fool the invading Nazis.

 

The film was inspired by the story of Melchior Lengyel. The film bears the same name as the play by William Shakespeare, yet the story holds no resemblance.

 

The New York Times critiqued the film saying it was hard to imagine how anyone can take, without batting an eye, a shattering air raid upon Warsaw right after a sequence of farce or the spectacle of Mr. Benny, playing a comedy scene with a Gestapo corpse.

 

The film was released one month after actress Carole Lombard was killed in an airplane crash.

 

 

20. Major Dundee

 

 

 

Major Dundee is a western directed by Sam Peckinpah. It is set during the time of the American Civil war.

 

Major Dundee has to lead a cavalry of union soldiers, native American scouts, and army regulars on a mission into Apache territory.

 

In Mexico, a band of Apache warriors are running incursions into American states and causing trouble, so Major Dundee goes to war with them along with his army and all the Confederate prisoners.

 

The film received generally negative reviews, yet the director Peckinpah was praised for a fresh new approach towards westerns and for the panoramic shots and excellent cinematography.

 

 

19. Hurt Locker

 

 

 

The Hurt Locker is a suspenseful war drama that follows an Explosives Ordnance Disposal team that is stationed in Iraq.

 

On a regular basis, the team is required to defuse suicide bombs, IEDs, and more.

 

The stress of the job, the suspicious work environment, and the constant state of high alert start to take a toll on the men.

 

They have to overcome all this strain and perform at the highest level every day.

 

The film was universally praised for its direction, Renner’s acting, and overall film. It was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, and it won 6 awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

 

Hurt Locker is the first movie to win Best Picture with a female director, Katheryn Bigelow.

 

 

18. La Grande Illusion

 

 

 

La Grande Illusion is a French war film based on a book by British journalist Norman Angell, called The Great Illusion.

 

The book is about the futility of war between friendly European nations. The film highlights the class concerns among the prisoners of war.

 

In the enemy camp, a group of officers plans an escape during World War I, and their class and status come into prominence.

 

The film was a big hit in France. It was so impactful that Joseph Goebbels declared the film as cinematic public enemy no.1 and had it banned in all Nazi territories.

 

 

17. Stalag 17

 

 

 

Stalag 17 is a tale of a prison escape during World War II. In a prisoner of war camp in the Nazi territory along the Danube.

 

The prison holds Poles, Czechs, Russian women, and American soldiers. Anyone who tries to escape the camp is immediately killed by the Germans.

 

So the prisoners realize that there is a snitch among them. They all automatically suspect one American who keeps wheeling and dealing with the Germans.

 

Who turns out to be the actual snitch and how they manage to flush him out make up the plot of the film.

 

One of the reviews for the films said, Thanks to the brilliant handling of the subject matter by producer-director Billy Wilder, and to the fine acting of the entire cast, the picture has been fashioned into a first-rate entertainment

 

 

16. The Life And Death Colonel Blimp

 

 

 

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp has no relation to the cartoon strip called Colonel Blimp.

 

This film is a romantic war movie that revolves around two friends Major-General Candy from the British Home Guard and Theo from the German army.

 

The film has been praised for its sophistication and directorial brilliance. Critics appreciated the well-written script, excellent performances by the cast, and pioneering technicolor cinematography.

 

The film also faced a lot of backlash for portraying a sympathetic German. Although Theo is anti-Nazi, some right-wing groups felt that the director and producers were anti-national and German leaning.

 

 

15. Ivan’s Childhood

 

 

 

Ivan’s Childhood is a Soviet war film set during World War II. It follows the life of Ivan, a child whose life has been scarred by the war.

 

His family is killed by the invading Nazi Germans and he can think of nothing but revenge.

 

The film, through a series of flashbacks and dream-like sequences, shows us the lost childhood of Ivan and finally his death in Germany.

 

The film condemns war and highlights the human costs of war. The director Tarkovsky chose this story, written by Vladamir Bogomolov, as childhood innocence is the extreme opposite of the ravages of war.

 

The film was successful in Soviet Russia and sold over 16.7 million tickets however, there is no record of its total earnings.

 

 

14. Army of Shadows

 

 

 

Army of Shadows is inspired by the book of the same name, written by Joseph Kassel in 1943.

 

The story is about a group of French Resistance workers, who aid the Allied forces, get rid of informers, and carry information while fighting to avoid capture and execution.

 

The film offers a very unromantic and demystified look at the struggles faced by the French Resistance.

 

The film, however, was not a big hit and was largely ignored when it was released.

 

During the events of May 1968, it was said that the film glorified Charles De Gaulle, and hence the film was boycotted and banned in the US and abroad.

 

Forty years later, the French publication Cahiers du Cinema issued a reanalysis and praised the film for its exemplary showcase of the inner workings of the French resistance organization.

 

The film was earlier unappreciated due to the political environment where De Gaulle and his WWII efforts were denounced.

 

Due to this, the film did not earn much in the form of ticket sales and theatre earnings.

 

 

13. Come And See

 

 

 

Come and See is an anti-war psychological horror about the suffering of the people in Eastern European countries during WWII.

 

It is based on the 1978 book I Am from the Fiery Village which was co-authored by Ales Adamovitch.

 

A young Belarussian boy witnesses the horrors of the Nazi German occupation of his hometown and the destruction of his family and community.

 

The film takes a realistic, sometimes surreal look at the events against philosophical and political themes.

 

The film earned only $71909 in the United States however, its earnings across the globe crossed $ 20 million.

 

 

12. Henry V

 

 

 

The film is based on the William Shakespeare novel Henry V. It was made at the end of World War II to boost the morale of the British troops.

 

The film issued a dedication at the start, “dedicated to the Commandos and Airborne Troops of Great Britain the spirit of whose ancestors it has humbly attempted to recapture.” 

 

The film was partly funded by the British Government and produced, written, and directed by Laurence Olivier.

 

He also acted in it. The Academy Awards offered him an honorary award for his outstanding achievement as an actor, producer, and director in bringing Henry V to the screen.

 

The British critics gave a lukewarm review of the film, but the audience made the film a success and it ran for eleven months in London theatres.

 

The critics gave the film a resoundingly positive review making it a success in the US too.

 

 

11. Henry V

 

 

 

The film marks the directorial debut of Kenneth Brannagh. He acted, directed, and wrote the screenplay for Henry V.

 

It is an adaptation of the famous Shakespearean novel Henry V. The film garnered universal critical acclaim for Brannagh and the original score by Patrick Doyle.

 

The film won an Oscar for Best Costume Design and was nominated for Best Actor and Best Director.

 

Henry V is listed as the greatest adaptation of Shakespeare's works, beating Ran by Akira Kurosawa.

 

The film grossed over $ 10 million in the US markets and made an additional 652 pounds in the UK markets.

 

 

10. The Best Years Of Our Lives

 

 

 

The Best Years Of Our Lives is an American war movie about three soldiers who return home from World War I.

 

These US servicemen have returned home, but face difficulty adjusting to everyday civilian life. The movie was a critical and commercial hit.

 

It was awarded seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, and more.

 

The film was the most successful film since Gone With The Wind. In the UK, the film was the most-watched film with ticket sales of over 20 million.

 

 

9. All Quiet On The Western Front

 

 

 

This film is the first film to win an Academy Award for both outstanding production and best director.

 

It is also the first Best Picture award winner that is based on a novel.

 

The film is set during World War I and is inspired by the novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque.

 

This anti-war film was perceived as anti-German. In Germany, the film release and viewing were disrupted by Joseph Goebbels and his brownshirts.

 

Hitler and the Nazi party condemned the film. Variety magazine praised the film saying, `The League of Nations could make no better investment than to buy up the master print, reproduce it in every language, to be shown in all the nations until the word "war" is taken out of the dictionaries.``

 

 

8. The Battle Of Algiers

 

 

 

The film is a documentary-style movie about the freedom struggle of Algerians from the French colonial government.

 

The Algerian war took place between 1954 to 62 and the film documents the progress of the guerilla rebel movement during this period.

 

The film was shot in a Rosellini-style newsreel film. The editing was also done in documentary style to add to the effect.

 

Most of the actors were real-life participants in the battle of Algiers. This Italian film was banned in France, however, it won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film festival and 3 Academy Awards.

 

It won Best foreign film in 1967 and Best director and best screenplay in 1969.

 

 

7. Das Boot

 

 

 

Das Boot is a German war film that can be translated as The Boat. It is based on the novel by Lothar-Günther Buchheim, with the same name.

 

The story is based on the infamous German U-Boats or submarines that patrolled the Atlantic ocean.

 

This story is about U-96 and its crew during World War II. They are patrolling the Atlantic ocean during the battle of the Atlantic.

 

It is a gripping and nail-biting suspenseful thriller about the near-miss incidents, the excitement, and the mundane life on the U-Boat.

 

The film was the most expensive German film and cost 32 million Deutsche Mark. But it was a huge commercial and critical success and recovered all the money.

 

It was also nominated for 6 Academy Awards. It won the prize for the best director and best Adapted screenplay for Petersen.

 

 

6. A Man Escaped

 

 

 

A Man Escaped is a French World War II movie by the name Un condamné à mort s'est échappé.

 

It is based on the experience of Andre Devigny who was in the French Resistance.

 

The director of the film Robert Bresson himself was part of the French Resistance and was arrested by the Gestapo.

 

The film tells the escape tale of an inmate by the name of Fontaine. He is imprisoned in the notorious Montluc Prison by the Gestapo and is set for execution.

 

The film tells about his careful planning, psyche, and final act of escape. The film is a master class in filmmaking as the director wanted to retain the purity of the character, so he employed non-professionals to act in the film.

 

There is no information on the actual release and audience reviews. However, critics consider the film a masterpiece in itself.

 

 

5. Apocalypse Now

 

 

 

Apocalypse Now is the highly acclaimed Vietnam war movie. It was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

 

It is loosely based on Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. The film is a psychological war drama where Marlon Brando plays a deranged, renegade US Army Special Forces officer.

 

He has set up his own militia in the jungles of Vietnam, and he is feared by both the US army and the Viet-Cong.

 

Laurence Fishburne plays a brash rookie army recruit in the movie, he was only 14 years at the time.

 

He lied about his age to star in it. Martin Sheen smashed the mirror in his hotel room in a drunken rant and injured his hand.

 

The scene was captured in the film, and Sheen refused to have it removed and continued to shoot.

 

 

4. Dr. Strangelove

 

 

 

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a black comedy satire of the Cold War period of hostility between the USA and the USSR.

 

There were constant fears and tension between both parties that were equipped to launch nuclear missiles.

 

The film has the unique distinction of having the actor Peter Sellers play the role of 3 people.

 

He plays the RAF exchange officer Mandrake, US President Muffley, and Dr. Strangelove, an ex-Nazi, nuclear war expert.

 

The film received excellent reviews saying it is a brilliant Cold War satire that is funny and razor-sharp.

 

It remains relevant today as much as it did in 1964. It was also selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

 

 

3. Casablanca

 

 

 

Casablanca is a romantic drama set during World War II. The film is based on the stage play Everybody Comes to Rick.

 

It was written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The film is a love triangle between an American club owner and his love interest Ilsa Hund, who is an idealistic person.

 

Ilsa is married to Laszlo who works for the Czech resistance. The film is set in a Vichy-run territory Casablanca.

 

The film has given us some of the most iconic dialogues like, ‘Round up the usual suspects.’ , ‘Here's to looking at you kid’ and more.

 

The film was a surprise hit, and it won best picture at the Academy Awards.

 

 

2. Grave Of The Fireflies

 

 

 

Grave Of The FireFlies is an animated war tragedy that was animated by Studio Ghibli.

 

The film is based on the semi-autobiographical short story by Akiyuki Nosaka. It is set during the 1945 Kobe bombing as part of World War II.

 

It is the story of 2 siblings who lose their father who is a soldier in the Japanese Imperial army.

 

Their mother also dies due to a long struggle with Tuberculosis. After they are orphaned, the siblings move from place to place for money and food.

 

In the end, they slowly die of malnutrition. Grave of the Fireflies received well-deserved praise for its excellent Japanese animation work.

 

Despite being an animation, it is one of the greatest war films about WWII. It highlights the human cost of war and the futility thereby. )

 

It highlights the human cost of war and the futility thereby.

 

 

1. Schindler’s List

 

 

 

Schindler’s List is the most heartwarming tale to come out of Nazi Germany during World War II.

 

It is a true story of Oskar Schindler and it is based on the 1982 historical fiction novel Schindler's Ark by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally.

 

Oskar Schindler is a German and ruthless businessman who ran a factory during wartime to make a quick buck.

 

When he sees the plight of the Jews, he employs as many Jews from the concentration camps as possible and secretly rescues them.

 

The film was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

 

The real-life Schindler is the only German to be buried in Israel on Mount Zion.

 

As sad as the list of 70 best war movies was, it also has a few gems that portrayed dark comedy.

 

We need to remember and revisit these films to see the futility of war and the enormous human cost.

 

What we earn from war should always be greater than the human cost, because there will be no hard-won freedom if it is built on the graves of the innocents.