A list of the best films about the US Civil War. The Civil War remains the bloodiest war in American history, resulting in the loss of 620,000 soldiers and many many more civilian casualties. Naturally, the conflict - which still echoes in contemporary US culture and politics - has provided source material for a rich variety of different films, including the iconic Gone With the Wind and numerous other award-winning, undisputed "classics," such as Glory and Dances with Wolves.
Many of these films also have books and classic literature as their source material, including The Red Badge of Courage and Gods and Generals, based on the non-fiction book The Killer Angels.
If you're looking for some good Civil War movies to watch with your friends, or want to learn a little something about American history by watching famous films based on that historical period, this list of the best movies about the Civil War is a great place to start. This list is open, so if your favorite Civil War film has been left off, please add it at the bottom of the page. And don't forget to vote for your favorite Civil War films, so they get to the top of the list.1
1,460203Gettysburg
Martin Sheen, Tom BerengerReleased: 1993
Directed by: Ronald F. Maxwell
Gettysburg is a 1993 epic film written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, adapted from the... more on Wikipedia2
1,444382Glory
Morgan Freeman, Denzel WashingtonReleased: 1989
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Glory is a 1989 American drama film directed by Edward Zwick and starring Matthew Broderick,... more on Wikipedia3
530183The Red Badge of Courage
Audie Murphy, James WhitmoreReleased: 1951
Directed by: John Huston
The Red Badge of Courage is a 1951 war film made by MGM. Directed by John Huston, it was... more on Wikipedia4
536247Shenandoah
James Stewart, Katharine RossReleased: 1965
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
Shenandoah is a 1965 American film starring James Stewart, Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett,... more on Wikipedia5
414139Andersonville
William H. Macy, Thomas F. WilsonReleased: 1996
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Andersonville is a 1996 American television film directed by John Frankenheimer about a group... more on Wikipedia6
856295Lincoln
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Day-LewisReleased: 2012
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Lincoln is a 2012 American epic historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring... more on Wikipedia7
911361Gods and Generals
Robert Duvall, Mira SorvinoReleased: 2003
Directed by: Ronald F. Maxwell
Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey... more on Wikipedia8
484219The Horse Soldiers
John Wayne, William HoldenReleased: 1959
Directed by: John Ford
The Horse Soldiers is a 1959 film that was directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne,... more on Wikipedia9
534307The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Clint Eastwood, Eli WallachReleased: 1966
Directed by: Sergio Leone
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic Spaghetti Western film directed by... more on Wikipedia10
North and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC... more on Wikipedia664331North and South
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679441Dances with Wolves
Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnellReleased: 1990
Directed by: Kevin Costner
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 American epic western film directed, produced by, and starring... more on Wikipedia12
789515Gone with the Wind
Clark Gable, Vivien LeighReleased: 1939
Directed by: Sam Wood, George Cukor, Victor Fleming
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic historical romance film adapted from Margaret... more on Wikipedia13
551357Cold Mountain
Natalie Portman, Nicole KidmanReleased: 2003
Directed by: Anthony Minghella
Cold Mountain is a 2003 epic drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is... more on Wikipedia14
323232Ride with the Devil
Mark Ruffalo, Tobey MaguireReleased: 1999
Directed by: Ang Lee
Ride with the Devil is a 1999 American film directed by Ang Lee. The storyline was conceived... more on Wikipedia15
262268The Undefeated
John Wayne, Merlin OlsenReleased: 1969
Directed by: Andrew V. McLaglen
The Undefeated is a 1969 American Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and John Wayne... more on Wikipedia16
217205Major Dundee
Charlton Heston, Richard HarrisReleased: 1965
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Major Dundee is a 1965 Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Charlton Heston,... more on Wikipedia17
208250Rio Lobo
John Wayne, Jennifer O'NeillReleased: 1970
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Rio Lobo is a 1970 American Western film starring John Wayne. The film was the last film... more on Wikipedia18
166187The Andersonville Trial
William Shatner, Martin SheenReleased: 1970
Directed by: George C. Scott
The Andersonville Trial is a 1970 drama TV movie directed by George C. Scott and written by... more on Wikipedia19
154204The General
Boris Karloff, Mike DonlinReleased: 1926
Directed by: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman
The General is a 1926 American silent comedy film released by United Artists. Inspired by the... more on Wikipedia20
151197The Great Locomotive Chase
Fess Parker, Slim PickensReleased: 1956
Directed by: Francis D. Lyon
The Great Locomotive Chase is a 1956 Walt Disney Productions CinemaScope adventure film based... more on Wikipedia21
250135The Hunley
Armand Assante, Donald SutherlandReleased: 1999
Directed by: John Gray
The Hunley is a 1999 television movie directed by John Gray. The film is based on the true... more on Wikipedia22
170238They Died with Their Boots On
Olivia de Havilland, Errol FlynnReleased: 1941
Directed by: Raoul Walsh
This film is a 1941 American western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and... more on Wikipedia23
229123Field of Lost Shoes
Werner Daehn, David ArquetteReleased: 2014
Directed by: Sean McNamara
Field of Lost Shoes is a 2014 American war drama film directed by Sean McNamara and written by... more on Wikipedia24
185106Ironclads
Virginia Madsen, Reed DiamondReleased: 1991
Directed by: Delbert Mann
Ironclads is a 1991 made-for-television movie produced by Ted Turner's TNT company about the... more on Wikipedia25
12064Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny
Michael Riley, Andy RedmondReleased: 2004
Directed by: Rob Child
Gettysburg: Three Days of Destiny is a 2004 drama film written and directed by Robert Child.
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