Empire's The Best War Movies
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From swords-and-sandals skirmishes, to World War II men-on-a-mission movies, to futuristic tales of humanity battling antagonistic alien races, the history of cinema is full of war films. Some depict real-life battles, victories and defeats. Others tell fictionalised stories to humanise the vast scale of lost lives and sacrifices made on the frontlines, bringing the horrors of war and the disorientation of combat to life with impeccable cinematic craft and emotional storytelling.
Team Empire has come up with a list of the greatest war movies, presented in chronological order from the 12th Century to the 23rd Century – spanning the Crusades, the World Wars, Vietnam, the Iraq War, and beyond. There are documentaries, animations, films made nearly 100 years ago, ones that purposefully alter the course of history, ones that predict sci-fi futures, and modern classics that shine a contemporary light on events that should never be forgotten.
By Team Empire | Posted 4 Jun 2020
Notes:
This list is ordered by era
1 - The Crusades
2 - The Napoleonic Wars
3-6 - World War I
7-18 - World War II
19 - Cold War
20-22 - Vietnam War
23 - Iraq War
24 - Fictional Future War (2020)
25 - Fictional Future War (23rd Century)
Kingdom of Heaven specifically refers to the director's cut.
Flags of Our Fathers & Letters from Iwo Jima are presented as a single entry.
Das Boot doesn't refer to a specific (movie) version, but it's mentioned that the 3.5-hour director's cut is the most widely-available.
Apocalypse Now refers to both the original and the Final Cut, though it also mentions the Redux version.
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1 new
Kingdom of Heaven
2005, in 1 top list Check -
2 new
Waterloo
1970, in 2 top lists Check -
3 new
Paths of Glory
1957, in 26 top lists Check -
4 new
1917
2019, in 12 top lists -
5 new
All Quiet on the Western Front
1930, in 19 top lists Check -
6 new
They Shall Not Grow Old
2018, in 1 top list -
7 new
Dunkirk
2017, in 8 top lists Check -
8 new
Saving Private Ryan
1998, in 28 top lists Check -
9 new
Flags of Our Fathers
2006, in 2 top lists Check -
10 new
Letters from Iwo Jima
2006, in 5 top lists Check -
11 new
The Thin Red Line
1998, in 14 top lists Check -
12 new
Das Boot
1981 — a.k.a. The Boat, in 15 top lists Check -
13 new
Schindler's List
1993, in 35 top lists Check -
14 new
The Bridge on the River Kwai
1957, in 32 top lists Check -
15 new
The Dam Busters
1955, in 2 top lists Check -
16 new
Where Eagles Dare
1968, in 7 top lists Check -
17 new
Hotaru no haka
1988 — a.k.a. Grave of the Fireflies, in 21 top lists Check -
18 new
Inglourious Basterds
2009, in 17 top lists Check -
19 new
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop...
1964, in 37 top lists Check -
20 new
Apocalypse Now
1979, in 37 top lists Check -
21 new
Platoon
1986, in 21 top lists Check -
22 new
Full Metal Jacket
1987, in 18 top lists Check -
23 new
The Hurt Locker
2008, in 13 top lists Check -
24 new
Edge of Tomorrow
2014, in 3 top lists Check -
25 new
Starship Troopers
1997, in 9 top lists Check
Last updated on Jun 9, 2020; source