The Best World War II Movies of All Time
Perhaps no single event has had a greater impact on the future of filmmaking than World War II. It arrived at the dawn of a new era in glossy, professional mainstream filmmaking, and it affected literally every facet of daily life in North America, Europe and Asia, where most of the world's films were being produced. World War 2 has remained a constant subject of fascination for filmmakers from the 1940s to the present day.
Though "WWII Films" could be classified as a separate genre from the general heading of "War Movies," they take on a lot of different styles, forms and tones. There are authentic WWII recreations, epic takes on the history of the entire period, personal stories about the soldiers, spies, revolutionaries and resistance fighters who fought the war and, naturally, sagas about the civilians of the time whose lives were forever changed by the conflict.
Many of the films on this list - from "Patton" to "Casablanca" to "Saving Private Ryan" - have secured their place among the most iconic films of all time. Make your own list to nominate your favorites for this CrowdRanked collection of the best WWII films, and then be sure to vote on your favorites.
- 11998Steven SpielbergDrama, History, Action, War
- 21970Franklin SchaffnerDrama, Biography, Action, Action/Adventure, Biographical film, War, Epic, New Hollywood More
- 31957David LeanDrama, Adventure, War
- 41963John SturgesDrama, History, Action, Adventure, WarMost Listed
- 51967Robert AldrichAction, War
- 61961Alexander Mackendrick, J. Lee ThompsonDrama, Action, Adventure, War
- 71993Steven SpielbergDrama, Black-and-white, History, Period piece, Biography, Biographical film, Film adaptation, Tragedy More
- 81962Ken Annakin, Darryl F. Zanuck, Andrew Marton, Bernhard WickiDrama, History, Action, War
- 91942Michael CurtizDrama, Black-and-white, Romance Film, War, Romantic drama, Drama Film, Airplanes and airports More
- 101981Wolfgang PetersenDrama, History, Thriller, Action/Adventure, War, World cinema
- 111968Yakima Canutt, Brian G. HuttonDrama, Action, Action/Adventure, War, Roadshow theatrical release
- 122009Quentin Tarantino, Eli RothDrama, Thriller, Action/Adventure, Black comedy, War
- 132006Clint EastwoodDrama, History, Action, War, World cinema
- 141970Brian G. HuttonComedy, Action, Adventure, Action/Adventure, Crime Fiction, War, Heist, Satire More
- 151955Jesse HibbsDrama, Biography, Biographical film, War
- 161953Billy WilderDrama, Comedy, Black-and-white, War
- 171980Samuel FullerDrama, Action, War
- 181977Richard AttenboroughDrama, Period piece, Action, Indie, War, Film adaptation, The Netherlands in World War II More
- 192001Jean-Jacques AnnaudDrama, Period piece, Thriller, Action, Romance Film, Historical fiction, War, Suspense More
- 201990Michael Caton-JonesDrama, War, Airplanes and airports
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- 211949Allan DwanDrama, Black-and-white, Action, Action/Adventure, War, Epic
- 221945John Ford, Robert MontgomeryDrama, Black-and-white, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 231977Sam PeckinpahDrama, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 24
The Human Condition
Masaki Kobayashi - 251978Guy HamiltonDrama, Action, Adventure, Action/Adventure, War
- 261958, 1956Robert WiseBlack-and-white, Drama, War
- 271995Robert Markowitz, Robert MarkowitzDrama, Action, War
- 281954Edward DmytrykDrama, WarControversial
- 291998Terrence MalickDrama, Indie, War, Existentialism
- 301949William A. WellmanDrama, Black-and-white, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 311965Ken AnnakinDrama, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 321951Nicholas RayDrama, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 332002Roman PolanskiDrama, History, Biographical film, War
- 34
The Battle of Britain
1943Frank Capra, Anthony VeillerDocumentary - 351940Charlie Chaplin, Wheeler DrydenComedy, Black-and-white, War, Political cinema, Satire
- 361946William WylerDrama, Black-and-white, War
- 371944Howard HawksDrama, Black-and-white, Thriller, Adventure, Music, Romance Film, War, Romantic drama, Film noir More
- 381981Steven SpielbergAction, Adventure, Action/Adventure, Airplanes and airports, New Hollywood More
- 391943Tay Garnett, Irving StarrBlack-and-white, Action, War
- 402000Jonathan MostowThriller, Action, Action/Adventure, War
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- 411969Jean-Pierre MelvilleDrama, Thriller, War, World cinemaControversial
- 421954Michael AndersonThriller, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 431968Andrew McLaglen, Terry Morse, Jr.Drama, Action, Action/Adventure
- 441965Mark RobsonDrama, Period piece, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 452004Oliver HirschbiegelDrama, History, Biography, Biographical film, War, World cinema
- 461956Robert AldrichDrama, Black-and-white, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 471960Lewis GilbertDrama, Action, Action/Adventure, War
- 481989Steven SpielbergAction, Adventure
- 491969John GuillerminAction, Action/Adventure, War
- 501963Andrei TarkovskyDrama, War, World cinema, Drama Film, Art film
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