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.