In their many forms, war movies have been a popular genre for as long as there have been movies. This is not surprising. Military movies are one of the most effective ways to tell stories about bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice. In the process of making these movies, filmmakers have explored the human condition under extreme circumstances and the effect that conflict has on those who are involved.
The history of warfare on film is littered with classics that range from the sobering to the silly, from hair-raising thrillers to action-packed epics. While not every great war movie is about World War II, there’s no denying that it has provided filmmakers with more than its share of subject matter. But other conflicts have been rich fodder for filmmakers, including Vietnam, Korea, the American Civil War, and the more recent warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The best war movies of all time reflect the horror, honor, and heroism of war as experienced by soldiers on the front lines, as well as those who await their return.
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#1 Schindler's List
1993 | 3h 15m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
Set in Krakow during World War II, Schindler’s List tells the true story of industrialist Oskar Schindler, who becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis. He gradually involves himself in their lives through bribes and favors, ultimately saving over 1000 Jews from certain death in concentration camps. Steven Spielberg was able to get permission to film inside Auschwitz but chose not to, out of respect for the victims, so the death camp scenes were filmed outside the gates on a set constructed in a mirror image of the real location on the other side.
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54points
#2 Saving Private Ryan
1998 | 2h 49m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan is an epic war drama film set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is notable for its graphic and realistic portrayal of war and the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depict the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944. It follows United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller and his squad as they search for James Francis Ryan, the last-surviving brother of four servicemen. In 2014, Saving Private Ryan won five Oscars and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
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53points
#3 Patton
1970 | 2h 52m | Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
General George Patton is the controversial tank commander whose WWII exploits earned him a reputation as a war hero. The film depicts several of his battles, including the German defeat at El Guettar, Sicily, and the Battle of the Bulge, and it’s a great character study that shows Patton’s strengths and weaknesses as a leader. The man was brilliant and disciplined but also had an ego and was prone to making rash decisions.
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51points
#4 Platoon
1986 | 2h | Directed by Oliver Stone
This 1986 classic, directed by Oliver Stone and winner of four Academy Awards, stars Charlie Sheen as a young Army recruit who gets shipped to Vietnam. He finds himself torn between two superior officers: the kindhearted Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) and the savage Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger). The movie is loosely based on Stone’s own experiences as a soldier in Vietnam and is considered a great and realistic portrayal of war on film.
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51points
#5 The Longest Day
1962 | 2h 58m | Directed by Ken Annakin and Andrew Marton
The Longest Day is an epic all-star re-creation of the D-Day invasion from the point of view of both Allies and Germans. The battle scenes are powerful, and it’s amazing how many stars you can spot in such small roles. John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum lead the way as American soldiers, but there’s also Richard Burton, Rod Steiger, Peter Lawford, Sal Mineo, Gert Frobe, Eddie Albert, and a young Sean Connery. This film is a must for any war movie collection.
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49points
#6 We Were Soldiers
2002 | 2h 18m | Directed by Randall Wallace
Set in the midst of the Vietnam War, a U.S. Army officer and his battalion are left to fight an overwhelming force of Viet Cong soldiers during the Battle of Ia Drang. The real Joseph D. Galloway walked out of the movie theater during a particular scene in the film, but he later gave his approval for the movie. He said it accurately portrayed the nightmare he had been living for the previous 36 years and he had left the theater because he didn’t want to see it again.
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47points
#7 Full Metal Jacket
1987 | 1h 56m | Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Everyone probably remembers the iconic cult scenes with Lee Ermey as brutal Gunnery Sgt. Hartman. Even those who didn’t watch the movie know about them from memes and references. Despite his famous monologue being so fun, Full Metal Jacket tells a tragic story from the point of view of a young sergeant. “Joker” is a pragmatic soldier who observes the Vietnam War’s effects and its dehumanizing consequences on his fellow Marines and himself.
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46points
#8 Black Hawk Down
2001 | 2h 24m | Directed by Ridley Scott
In 1993, an elite group of American soldiers are sent to Somalia on a critical mission to capture two lieutenants of a renegade warlord whose corrupt regime is leading to the starvation of locals. When the mission goes terribly wrong, the men find themselves outnumbered and fighting for their lives against a heavily armed militia. The movie was a success, but it also sparked controversy for its inaccuracy and the portrayal of Somalis.
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46points
#9 Das Boot
1981 | 2h 29m | Directed by Wolfgang Petersen
It’s 1942, and the German submarine fleet is in the middle of the Battle of the Atlantic against the Allied Forces. The movie highlights how the submariners maintained their professionalism as soldiers and attempted to accomplish impossible missions, all the while struggling to understand and obey the ideology of the government they were serving. Das Boot is a powerful anti-war film that shows all sides in conflict while not playing favorites. Both Nazis and Allied forces are portrayed as deeply flawed.
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46points
#10 Hacksaw Ridge
2016 | 2h 19m | Directed by Mel Gibson
Hacksaw Ridge is the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss, who saved 75 men in Okinawa during one of the bloodiest battles of WWII without even carrying a gun. He was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon, as he believed that while the war was justified, killing was nevertheless wrong. As a pacifist army medic, he evacuated the wounded from behind enemy lines, braved fire while helping soldiers, and was wounded by a grenade and hit by snipers. Desmond Doss was the first conscientious objector awarded the Medal of Honor.
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45points
#11 The Great Escape
1963 | 2h 52m | Directed by John Sturges
Based on a true story, this war film is a perfect mix of action, adventure, and drama. In the film, American, British and Canadian prisoners of war are detained by the Germans in Stalag Luft III, a max-security prison camp in Poland. They are determined to escape and send a message to their respective governments that they will never give up. The Great Escape is also worthy of mention for its motorcycle chase and jump scene, considered one of the best stunts ever performed.
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44points
#12 Gladiator
2000 | 2h 35m | Directed by Ridley Scott
Gladiator is a film that knows how to play to its audience and take risks: the death of Maximus’ family is shockingly brutal; Commodus is never painted as a black hat villain, and Maximus isn’t painted as an entirely good guy either. This complexity and willingness to venture into grey areas make Gladiator a favorite for many people. The movie was met with critical acclaim and won multiple awards, including Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe.
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42points
#13 A Bridge Too Far
1977 | 2h 55m | Directed by Richard Attenborough
Often acclaimed as one of the best 1970s movies, A Bridge Too Far shows us the Allies’ attempt to capture strategic bridges in the Netherlands in order to break the Nazis’ lines. The movie uses a large ensemble cast of characters who are either caught up in events beyond their control or are participating in them with full knowledge of their importance and likely outcomes. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film ever produced.
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41points
#14 Lawrence Of Arabia
1962 | 3h 38m | Directed by David Lean
The film depicts Lawrence’s experiences in the Arabian Peninsula during World War I, particularly his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus and his involvement in the Arab National Council. Its themes include Lawrence’s internal struggles, his own identity, the divided allegiance between his native Britain and its army, and the newfound comrades within the Arabian desert tribes. It’s widely considered one of the greatest and most influential films in cinema history.
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41points
#15 Enemy At The Gates
2001 | 2h 11m | Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud
Enemy At The Gates is not your typical war movie. Two snipers, one Soviet and one German, play a cat-and-mouse game during the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942-43. The film’s focus is on the characters, two snipers dueling it out in the city’s ruins. What makes this film so interesting is the fact that it depicts real events and people who were involved. Vassili Zaitsev was a real Soviet sniper credited with 225 kills during the Battle of Stalingrad.
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39points
#16 All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
1930 | 2h 32m | Directed by Lewis Milestone
One of the most brutal, realistic, and upsetting war films to ever be made, Lewis Milestone’s 1930 adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel follows a group of young German soldiers fighting in World War I. The film sobers the idea of war as a glorious venture, showing how these naive young men are ground down by the horrors they get to witness and experience. The movie was initially banned in Germany by Hitler but then re-released in 1952 in the Capitol Theater of West Berlin.
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38points
#17 The Bridge On The River Kwai
1957 | 2h 41m | Directed by David Lean
The movie follows a group of British prisoners in Southeast Asia who are forced to build a bridge over the River Kwai by their Japanese captors, not knowing that the Allies are planning a raid through the jungle to destroy it. Not only is the movie renowned as one of the best movies ever made, but it’s also notable for a particular event. Director David Lean almost died during filming by being swept away by the river current, but it was rumored that actor Geoffrey Horne was the one to save his life.
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37points
#18 Zulu (1964)
1964 | 2h 18m | Directed by Charles De Latour
This movie is a must-see for any fan of historical fiction or military stories. Zulu is based on the events that took place during the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War. A small British garrison, outnumbered by hundreds to one by Zulu warriors, defends an isolated outpost against wave after wave of attacks. The film was praised for showing the Zulu warriors as disciplined and governed by strategy.
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36points
#19 American Sniper
2014 | 2h 13m | Directed by Clint Eastwood
Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, and Luke Grimes star in this biopic about the life of Chris Kyle, a legendary sniper for the United States armed forces. The movie follows Kyle from his early days growing up in Texas to his tours of duty in Iraq, where he became known as “The Legend” for his ability to take out enemies with precision from long distances. It paints a picture of the incredible mental and physical toll that serving in combat takes on soldiers and their families.
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33points
#20 The Dirty Dozen
1967 | 2h 30m | Directed by Robert Aldrich
In World War II, a rebellious U.S. Army Major is assigned a dozen convicted murderers to train for a secret mission to kill Nazi officers. The movie was a critical and box office success, winning the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing at the 40th Academy Awards in 1968. The AFI placed the film on their 100 Years... 100 Thrills list in 2001.
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32points