Favourite War Films
by Arthur_Lemming_of_the_BDA | created - 20 Oct 2019 | updated - 6 months ago | Public"War" is my favourite genre of film, and I've seen loads, and I enjoy lists, so I figure I'd make a list to showcase my top twenty war films. There is the caveat that I am extremely critical of war films, being a history buff and disliking nonsensical historical alterations. Take the list for what you will, but this is strictly my preference, and has no bearing on anything else. I'm including anything I've seen related to war. If it has the "war" genre, and I love it, on the list it is. Here goes!
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1. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961)
Not Rated | 190 min | Drama, History, War
His ideals challenged by life as a conscript in war-time Japan's military, a pacifist faces ever greater tests in his fight for survival.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Tamao Nakamura, Yûsuke Kawazu
Votes: 7,337
III, I, II
2. Ran (1985)
R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Votes: 136,313 | Gross: $4.14M
3. Schindler's List (1993)
R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1,452,010 | Gross: $96.90M
4. 71: Into the Fire (2010)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama, War
The story of student-soldiers trying to protect a middle school during the early days of the Korean War.
Director: John H. Lee | Stars: Cha Seung-won, Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Seung-hyun, Kim Seung-woo
Votes: 5,818
5. 1917 (2019)
R | 119 min | Action, Drama, History
April 6th, 1917. As an infantry battalion assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays, Colin Firth
Votes: 676,493 | Gross: $159.23M
6. Hatfields & McCoys (2012)
TV-14 | 97 min | Drama, History, Romance
Dramatization of the bitter blood feud between the two families on the West Virginia/Kentucky border in the years after the Civil War.
Stars: Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Matt Barr, Tom Berenger
Votes: 29,348
7. Five Came Back (2017)
TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The wartime contributions of five prominent Hollywood film directors during World War II are profiled.
Stars: Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Guillermo del Toro
Votes: 5,280
8. Band of Brothers (2001)
TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, History, War
The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.
Stars: Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor
Votes: 527,976
9. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
R | 148 min | Action, Drama, War
A young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Director: Edward Berger | Stars: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus
Votes: 246,166
10. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Passed | 152 min | Drama, War
A German youth eagerly enters World War I, but his enthusiasm wanes as he gets a firsthand view of the horror.
Director: Lewis Milestone | Stars: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray, Arnold Lucy
Votes: 67,722 | Gross: $3.27M
11. Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005)
Not Rated | 133 min | Comedy, Drama, War
Soldiers from both sides of the Korean divide live among villagers who know nothing of the war.
Director: Kwang-Hyun Park | Stars: Jeong Jae-yeong, Shin Ha-kyun, Kang Hye-jeong, Ha-ryong Lim
Votes: 7,540
12. World War II in Colour (2009)
TV-MA | 51 min | Documentary, History, War
Recounts the events of world War II in color.
Stars: Robert Powell, Swaylee Loughnane
Votes: 7,484
13. Our World War (2014)
Not Rated | Action, Drama, War
Three true stories of British soldiers fighting in World War 1. Each one takes place at a different time and place in the war, focuses on a different unit and shows a different aspect to the war.
Stars: Nicki Vickery, Rob Townsend, Gerard Kearns, Shaun Dooley
Votes: 1,893
14. Great Raids of World War II (2006 Video)
139 min | Documentary, History, War
Showcases a series of daring raid made by various sections of the British military during World War II. The raids highlighted are "Stopping Hitler's A-Bomb", "Prison Busters", Radar Beam ... See full summary »
Director: Jonathan Martin | Star: Robert Powell
Votes: 90
15. The Enemy Below (1957)
Approved | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
During WWII an American destroyer discovers a German U-boat, and in the ensuing duel the American captain must draw upon all his experience to defeat the equally experienced German commander.
Director: Dick Powell | Stars: Robert Mitchum, Curd Jürgens, David Hedison, Theodore Bikel
Votes: 12,262
16. Japan's Longest Day (1967)
157 min | Drama, History, War
A dramatization of the 24-hour period in which the Japanese government was deadlocked over the decision to accept or reject the Allies' demand for an unconditional surrender following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Seiji Miyaguchi, Rokkô Toura, Chishû Ryû, Sô Yamamura
Votes: 1,012
17. The Pacific (2010)
TV-MA | 53 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The Pacific Theatre of World War II, as seen through the eyes of several young Marines.
Stars: James Badge Dale, Joseph Mazzello, Jon Seda, Ashton Holmes
Votes: 130,205
18. The World Wars (2014)
TV-14 | 270 min | Documentary, History, War
A look at both World Wars and what the biggest names in history did during each war and the time in between.
Stars: Maximilian Klas, Ian Beyts, Jacopo Rampini, Jonathan Hartman
Votes: 2,422
19. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Approved | 218 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.
Director: David Lean | Stars: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins
Votes: 314,580 | Gross: $44.82M
20. The Winds of War (1983)
126 min | Drama, Romance, War
The trials of the Henry and Jastrow families in the early years of World War II.
Stars: Robert Mitchum, Ali MacGraw, Jan-Michael Vincent, John Houseman
Votes: 4,667
21. Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001)
Not Rated | 95 min | Biography, Drama, War
The life of Anne Frank and her family from 1939 to 1945: pre-war fears, invasion of Netherlands by German troops, hiding in Amsterdam, deportation to the camps, return of Anne's father.
Stars: Ben Kingsley, Hannah Taylor Gordon, Brenda Blethyn, Lili Taylor
Votes: 5,423
22. My Way (2011)
R | 137 min | Action, Drama, War
In World War II-era Korea, rival runners, one Korean (Jang Dong-gun) and one Japanese (Joe Odagiri), go to war together against the Soviets.
Director: Kang Je-kyu | Stars: Jang Dong-Gun, Joe Odagiri, Bingbing Fan, Kim In-kwon
Votes: 12,651 | Gross: $0.07M
23. Marine Battleground (1963)
88 min | Drama, War
A division of marines survive a battle with the Chinese army but find themselves stranded without contact on the wrong side of the front.
Director: Lee Man-hee | Stars: Jock Mahoney, Pat Yi, Youngson Chon, Dong-hwi Jang
Votes: 144
24. City of Life and Death (2009)
R | 133 min | Drama, History, War
In 1937, Japan occupied Nanjing, the Chinese capital. There was a battle and subsequent atrocities against the inhabitants, especially those who took refuge in the International Security Zone.
Director: Chuan Lu | Stars: Ye Liu, Wei Fan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Yuanyuan Gao
Votes: 11,723 | Gross: $0.12M
25. The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Drama, History
Admiral Yi Sun-sin faces a tough challenge when he is forced to defend his nation with just 13 battleships against 300 Japanese enemy ships in the Battle of Myeongryang.
Director: Han-min Kim | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Ryu Seung-ryong, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Myung-gon
Votes: 13,069 | Gross: $2.59M
26. Joint Security Area (2000)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
After a shooting incident at the North-South Korean border DMZ leaves two North Korean soldiers dead, a neutral Swiss and Swedish team investigates what actually happened.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Kim Tae-woo
Votes: 34,235
27. The Front Line (2011)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, History
A drama centered on the Korean War's final battle that will determine the border between north and south.
Director: Hun Jang | Stars: Shin Ha-kyun, Go Soo, Ryu Seung-su, Ko Chang-seok
Votes: 7,105 | Gross: $0.01M
28. The Hurt Locker (2008)
R | 131 min | Drama, Thriller, War
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce
Votes: 474,053 | Gross: $17.02M
29. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
R | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History
World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer
Votes: 594,896 | Gross: $67.21M
30. Glory (1989)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, History
Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman
Votes: 144,558 | Gross: $26.83M
31. Railroad Tigers (2016)
TV-PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A railroad worker in China in 1941 leads a team of freedom fighters against the Japanese in order to get food for the poor.
Director: Sheng Ding | Stars: Jackie Chan, Jaycee Chan, Zitao Huang, Kai Wang
Votes: 4,902 | Gross: $0.22M
32. Patton 360 (2009– )
Documentary, History, War
Noteworthy World War II battles of US General George S. Patton are examined.
Stars: David Robb, E.J. Snyder, Bryan Stefancyk, Martin K.A. Morgan
Votes: 204
33. They Met in Bombay (1941)
Passed | 92 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
A jewel thief and a con artist are rivals in the theft of a valuable gem as the Japanese army invades China.
Director: Clarence Brown | Stars: Clark Gable, Rosalind Russell, Peter Lorre, Jessie Ralph
Votes: 1,330
34. Cross of Iron (1977)
R | 119 min | Drama, War
German commander Hauptmann Stransky places a squad in extreme danger after Sergeant Rolf Steiner refuses to lie for him.
Director: Sam Peckinpah | Stars: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner
Votes: 29,198
35. R-Point (2004)
R | 107 min | Action, Horror, War
During the Vietnam War, a South Korean base receives a radio transmission from a missing squad, presumed dead, and sends a platoon to rescue the lost squad from the R-Point.
Director: Su-chang Kong | Stars: Kam Woo-seong, Son Byung-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Park Won-sang
Votes: 5,833
36. How to Become a Tyrant (2021)
TV-14 | 23 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Ruling with an iron fist requires an aspiring dictator to know the playbook for absolute power, as history's despots prove in this sardonic docuseries.
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Waller Newell, Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Votes: 11,384
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