21 Revolutionary War Films That Revolutionized Hollywood Storytelling
They are some of the most brutal and impressive movies in Hollywood, war movies. Here are 21 great war films.
A riveting film that stars Matthew Broderick as Col. Robert Gould Shaw who is given the command of the all-African American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The all-star cast consists of Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.
Shot to look like one continuous take, 1917 is a cinematic masterpiece and a telling account of two British soldiers who need to get a message out at all costs.
Clint Eastwood's 2006 film shot with the protagonist speaking in Japanese is a masterpiece. The duality of the “enemy” seen through the eyes of the Japanese soldiers at the battle of Iwo Jima.
Stanley Kubrick's World War I epic about a commanding officer of French soldiers who refuse to continue a suicidal attack, and who are later court marshalled has that Kubrick touch. The lead is played by Kirk Douglas, in 1992, the film was deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
It may not be the first war film one thinks of but Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a masterpiece of a movie. During the Napoleonic Wars, Captain Jack Aubrey of HMS Surprise is ordered to intercept the heavy frigate Acheron, a French privateer. The film deals with a crew that is on the verge of mutiny and how Aubrey keeps it together to continue their pursuit.
A landmark film, the Deer Hunter is what happens as a result of war, three friends go off to fight in Vietnam only for all three of them to come back forever changed. The residuals of war and the heartbreak of loss make The Deer Hunter a must-see film.
A comedy but an essential comedy showcasing the other aspect of war. Downtime entertainment. Robin Williams is at his best as a war time DJ who is trying to provide the best entertainment possible for the soldiers, to the dismay of his supervising Lieutenant.
General George S. Patton comes to life as George C. Scott gives a riveting performance as the eccentric general who lived the life of a soldier during World War II and earned great victories but also difficult defeats. Patton won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
Christopher Nolan’s amazing account of the Dunkirk evacuation was visually stunning, as the movie overlaps three different timelines at once. Nolan outdoes himself by directing a film that has little to no dialogue and relies on music and cinematography.
The first film that depicted the Gulf War focused on a huge point of conflict at the time, women in the battlefield. The film stars Meg Ryan and an always amazing Denzel Washington. The story works backwards as Washington tries to gather evidence to turn Ryan’s Captain Karen Walden into the first woman to receive the medal of honor.
The story of German schoolboys who are inspired to serve in World War I but get more than they bargained for. The film focuses on the brutal life of a soldier at war, from little sleep, food, and the desire to just stay alive.
The third film adaptation of the book of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque is one of the most acclaimed "anti-war" movies ever. It’s also the first time that the book is adapted in its original language (German). Directed by Edward Berger, the film won four Academy Awards, including Best International Feature Film.
The story is set in World War I and revolves around Paul Bäumer, an idealistic German soldier who enlists with his friends. As the war unfolds, he faces the harsh realities, which shatter his dreams of heroism. It stars Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl, Sebastian Hülk, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanovic, and Devid Striesow.
Stanley Kubrick's take on the war in Vietnam deals with many themes from previous movies, mind manipulation, in it we follow soldiers as they go through the grueling experience of basic training and later the lies of the war itself in the siege of Huế.
A brutal and surreal look at the war in Vietnam, a special ops soldier must go into the heart of the jungle to find an out-of-control AWOL Colonel Kurtz, played magnificently by Marlon Brando. Apocalypse Now would go on to win many awards and has been re-released twice and is considered one of the best war movies of all time.
Based on real life events Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox star in a gut-wrenching film about a group of soldiers who kidnap a Vietnamese woman and rape and murder her.
Oliver Stone directs a masterpiece as Tom Cruise stars as Ron Kovic, a Vietnam war soldier who is paralyzed in battle and returns home to deal with his struggles and later become an anti-war activist.
The Thin Red Line is a multi-layered, multiple voice over movie of a group of soldiers during the battle of Mount Austen during World War II. It was director Terrence Malick's first film in 20 years and has an all-star cast.
In 1986 Oliver Stone wrote and directed one of the most brutal films about the Vietnam war, a film that follows a Platoon of soldiers in 1967 with the 5th Infantry Division near the Cambodian border. Stone presents the duality of war, the brutal and human side of conflict. The cast by today’s standards is all-star.
The best war film ever made came from the mind of Steven Spielberg, the opening scene of D-Day is some of the most gripping cinema you will ever see. The documentary style in which the film is shot takes the audience up close and personal to the horrors of World War II. The plot is about a group of soldiers who must save one Private who has lost all his brothers during the war.
A look at the life in the military just days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Made in 1953, the controversial movie showcases what it’s like to be a soldier, often showing the abuses they go through, as well as their womanizing, and drinking.
Black Hawk Down depicts the 1992 conflict in Somalia where a black hawk helicopter is downed during a mission. The film received critical acclaim but was also hit with various inaccuracies, nonetheless it is an intense movie.