This Monday (28th) is Unknown Soldier Day, a date to remember unidentified war heroes. Come to think of it, the brings a list of some of the best war films in the history of cinema.
There is a huge amount of productions of different sizes, including gigantic superproductions of the genre, classics that have aged well and more recent productions.
Some of the best films ever made in the history of cinema belong to this extraordinary genre, with very different ways of representing war from film to film.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best feature films ever made in the War genre, according to the Rotten tomatoes🇧🇷 Check out the list below!
10. Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film starring Marlon Brando is among the best war films ever made. The film portrays the Vietnam War, being considered one of the most visionary and daring films in history. “Apocalypse Now” was nominated for an Academy Award in 1980.
Synopsis: During the Vietnam War in the 1970s, Captain Willard is tasked with locating and killing a promising former Special Forces commander, who has apparently gone insane and taken refuge in the jungles of Cambodia, where he commands an army of fanatics. His journey upriver in search of Kurtz becomes increasingly perilous and disturbing as Willard descends deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.
9. Lawrence of Arabia
Running nearly four hours, the 1962 classic is notable for its sheer scale, brilliant performances, and gorgeous cinematography. The feature film that elevated director David Lean to great director status won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1963, as well as six other statuettes.
Synopsis: Thanks to his knowledge of the Bedouins, British officer TE Lawrence is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in the fight against the Turks. With the help of his native Sheriff Ali, Lawrence defies the orders of his superiors and sets out on a journey across the desert to attack a well-protected Turkish port.
8. War on Terror
A more recent milestone is the 2008 war epic “War on Terror,” which focuses on the Iraq War, creating extensive discussion of the subject. Director Kathryn Bigelow’s film won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2010.
Synopsis: JT Sanborn, Brian Geraghty and Matt Thompson are part of the US Army bomb squad on a mission in Iraq. They work to destroy an explosive so it can be detonated without hitting anyone. However, a mistake causes the artifact to explode and kill Thompson. In his place, Sergeant William James is sent, who is very cold-blooded, which annoys Sanborn. Despite this, the trio remain active, aware that every day of work completed is one more day of life.
7. Dr. Great
The Cold War was also extensively explored by cinema, and Stanley Kubrick made perhaps the best film of the period. “Dr. Fantástico” arrived in 1964 with “Dr. Fantástico”, a Cold War satire that remains funny and edgy even many years later. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards in 1965, including Best Picture, but won none.
Synopsis: An insane general who believes that the Communists plan to dominate the world gives the order to bomb Russia, starting the process of nuclear war. At the same time, the president and his Pentagon advisers are desperately trying to stop the process.
6. The Army of Shadows
A 1969 classic that has received a recent reissue, “The Army of Shadows” seeks to explain behind-the-scenes warfare, focusing on the resistance efforts of WWII. The film is directed by Jean Pierre Melville.
Plot: October 1942. Philippe Gerbier, a civil engineer and member of a Gaullist resistance network, is arrested in a camp in France. Transferred to Gestapo headquarters in Paris, he manages to escape.
5. No one new to the front
The name sounds familiar with good reason. “Sem Novidade no Front” is a film classic by director Lewis Milestone, published in 1930, which adapts a book by the German novelist Erich Maria Remarque. Recently, Netflix released another adaptation of the book, with “Nothing New on the Front”. The feature film set in the first war won the Oscar for best picture in 1930, in the third edition of the award.
Synopsis: A group of German students are persuaded by an overly nationalistic professor to join the army during World War I. As they witness death and maiming, heroism gives way to the horrors and tragedies of war.
4. Dunkirk
Released in 2017, ‘Dunkirk’ is the newest movie on the list. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the feature film presents a real event that took place in France during World War II. The film received eight Academy Award nominations in 2018 and won in three technical categories.
Synopsis: During World War II, Germany advances on France and encircles Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops are slowly being evacuated from the beach.
3. The Battle of Algiers
“The Battle of Algiers”, released in 1966, is notable for its extreme realism, which makes the story similar to a documentary, as it follows a nation in search of the expulsion of a colonizing force. The Italian film was nominated for three Oscars, including that for best foreign film (this was the name of the best international film category at the time).
Synopsis: The story of the Algerian rebels’ struggle and the increasingly extreme measures taken by the French government to quell what would soon become a national uprising, leading to Algeria’s declaration of independence in 1962.
2. The Great Illusion
Another classic, and one of the oldest on this list, “The Grand Illusion” is an anti-war masterpiece by Jean Renoir. The French film released in 1937 was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1939.
Synopsis: Two French soldiers are captured by German troops and befriend a fellow soldier named Rosenthal. After several attempts to escape, they are separated from their new friend and sent to a fortress.
1. Casablanca
In 1942, Michael Curtiz directed one of the most iconic films in cinematic history. The novel set (and set) during WWII features great performances by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. “Casablanca” won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1944.
Synopsis: During World War II, an American exile finds refuge in the city of Casablanca, Morocco, and begins running a nightclub. He reconnects with an old flame, who is now married and needs help escaping the Nazis.
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Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
