The Greatest World War II Movies of All Time Films

The Greatest World War II Movies of All Time

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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. Rerank 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. Also check out this list of the best war movies ever.
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Rank     Name
  1. 51
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    1940
  2. 52
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    1981
  3. 53
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    Flags of Our Fathers

  4. 54
    Up 2
    Down 1
    1945
    added by: RodneyBlair
  5. 55
    Up 2
    Down 1
    1955
    added by: RodneyBlair
  6. 56
    Up 2
    Down 2
    1956
    added by: RodneyBlair
  7. 57
    Up 2
    Down 2
    1943
    added by: RodneyBlair
  8. 58
    Up 2
    Down 2
    1955
    added by: RodneyBlair
  9. 59
    Up 33
    Down 17
    1943
  10. 60
    Up 2
    Down 3
    1943
    added by: RodneyBlair
  11. 61
    Up 2
    Down 3
    1985
    added by: RodneyBlair
  12. 62
    Up 2
    Down 3
    1942
    added by: RodneyBlair
  13. 63
    Up 2
    Down 3
    1987
    added by: RodneyBlair
  14. 64
    Up 1
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    Anatahan

    1954
    added by: RodneyBlair
  15. 65
    Up 1
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    1989
    added by: MichaelBeltran
  16. 66
    Up 1
    Down 3
    1956
    added by: RodneyBlair
  17. 67
    Up 1
    Down 3
    1959
    added by: RodneyBlair
  18. 68
    Up 1
    Down 3
    1957
    added by: MichaelBeltran
  19. 69
    Up 1
    Down 4
    1946
    added by: RodneyBlair
  20. 70
    Up 23
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    1957
  21. 71
    Up 27
    Down 56
    1997
  22. 72
    Up 29
    Down 10
    1942
  23. 73
    Up 40
    Down 21
    1969
  24. 74
    Up 32
    Down 17
    1993
  25. 75
    Up 19
    Down 58
    1988
  26. 76
    Up 38
    Down 11
    2002
  27. 77
    Up 25
    Down 16

    The Pacific

  28. 78
    Up 24
    Down 63
    1944
  29. 79
    Up 3
    Down 8
    1942
  30. 80
    Up 10
    Down 8
    2001
  31. 81
    Up 1
    Down 8
    1956
    added by: RodneyBlair
  32. 82
    Up 36
    Down 40
    1962
  33. 83
    Up 9
    Down 22
    1945
  34. 84
    Up 14
    Down 21
    1958
  35. 85
    Up 63
    Down 76
    1989
  36. 86
    Up 38
    Down 36
    1943
  37. 87
    Up 2
    Down 6
    1952
    added by: RodneyBlair
  38. 88
    Up 32
    Down 51
    1956
  39. 89
    Up 32
    Down 13
    1965
  40. 90
    Up 21
    Down 24
    1962
  41. 91
    Up 20
    Down 29
    1943
  42. 92
    Up 29
    Down 73
    1991
  43. 93
    Up 20
    Down 11
    1944
  44. 94
    Up 30
    Down 54
    1965
  45. 95
    Up 15
    Down 17
    No image

    D-Day the Sixth of June

  46. 96
    Up 30
    Down 91
    2011
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    1. Ali Riggi
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 6/18/2012 10:30 AM
      this thing is all about best world war 2 movies, brother.
    2. Kimi Letbetter
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 5/30/2012 8:36 AM
      yeah, alright, Best World War II Movies.
    3. dukethepcdr
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 5/15/2012 7:53 AM
      Wow what a long list! But then, there have been a ton of movies set in WWII. Some of these were a stretch, even the Indiana Jones ones, although I do love those movies. My favorite of all of them if I had to pick one is The Thin Red Line. It is just so different from your typical war movie.
    4. mindbirdNEADB
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 5/10/2012 9:38 PM
      Adds: Midway. Tora Tora Tora. Two Women. Shoah.
    5. KirkSaw
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 4/13/2012 12:18 PM
      Tora! Tora! Tora!
    6. DarthKarl
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 4/11/2012 4:34 PM
      Bad ranking is bad
    7. MoverMCO
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 4/07/2012 7:34 AM
      Additionally... The Train, The Bunker, Stalingrad, Battle of the Bulge, 12 O'Clock High, but a great list none the less!
    8. 19fallenangels
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 11/09/2011 7:40 PM
      Stalingrad(1996) should be in the top 5. A truly unforgettable film.
    9. waynewhu
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 11/09/2011 5:04 PM
      No space for Battle of The Bulge - shameful ;)
    10. Ashely
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 11/01/2011 9:10 AM
      Loved Saving Private Ryan and Casablanca- but what about the ones that focus less on WWII and more on the people involved back home? http://textbooksandtofu.blogspot.com/
    11. Steve
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 10/25/2011 3:20 PM
      You forgot the best war move of all time "Come and See" (Belarus 1985) about a young boy's experience in WWII on the Eastern Front as a partisan fighting the Germans.
    12. DarthKarl
      The Best World War II Movies of All Time at 9/04/2011 3:40 PM
      2 should be 1 and 8 should be 2, just sayin

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