Updated August 17, 2022 8.6k votes 1k voters 35.8k views
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Vote up the war movies that define the genre and should be required viewing for beginners in an Intro to War Films class.
When it comes to impactful stories embroiled with action and emotion, you need look no further than war movies. Whether they are detailing events of an entire conflict or just the actions of a few, war movies make up some of cinema's greatest achievements. War has been part of culture for the entirety of human history and how to grapple with the violence and bloodshed is on the forefront of the minds of many. From World War II to Vietnam to lesser known conflicts, these essential war films explore the topic in a nuanced, insightful manner. Even if you're not a fan of combat movies, there are war movies everyone should watch to get a deeper understanding of world history and the psyche of veterans.
Many must-see war movies explore the complexities of war by focusing in on a small group of soldiers. Some of the most famous and popular films of all time are set during major wars that shocked the world. Saving Private Ryan focuses on the effort to save a single soldier to spare a mother more grief. Apocalypse Now is a Francis Ford Coppola-directed film portraying the brutalities of Vietnam. If you're unfamiliar with war films, these are movies for beginners that will help you familiarize yourself with the genre.
Check out some of these films for an extensive intro to war movies. Then, vote your favorites to the top of the list.
Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded by the brutal realties of war, while searching for Ryan, each man embarks upon a personal journey and discovers their own strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage.
Stanley Kubrick's take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened "Joker" by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and pudgy Private Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio), nicknamed "Gomer Pyle," as they endure the rigors of basic training. Though Pyle takes a frightening detour, Joker graduates to the Marine Corps and is sent to Vietnam as a journalist, covering -- and eventually participating in -- the bloody Battle of Hué.
Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle of battle, his idealism fades. Infighting in his unit between Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), who believes nearby villagers are harboring Viet Cong soldiers, and Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), who has a more sympathetic view of the locals, ends up pitting the soldiers against each other as well as against the enemy.
Adaptation of the Pierre Bouelle novel about POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American officers plot to blow up the structure, but the commander of the bridge's construction has different plans.
Das Boot is a 1982 German epic film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, produced by Günter Rohrbach, and starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann. It has been exhibited both as a theatrical release and as a TV miniseries, and in several different home video versions of various running times. Das Boot is an adaptation of the 1973 German novel of the same name by Lothar-Günther Buchheim. Set during WWII, the film tells the fictional story of U-96 and its crew.
Biography of controversial World War II hero General George S. Patton. The film covers his wartime activities and accomplishments, beginning with his entry into the North African campaign and ending with his removal from command after his outspoken criticism of US post-war military strategy.
1749 VOTESCaptain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded by the brutal realties of war, while searching for Ryan, each man embarks upon a personal journey and discovers their own strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage.
2604 VOTESStanley Kubrick's take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened "Joker" by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and pudgy Private Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio), nicknamed "Gomer Pyle," as they endure the rigors of basic training. Though Pyle takes a frightening detour, Joker graduates to the Marine Corps and is sent to Vietnam as a journalist, covering -- and eventually participating in -- the bloody Battle of Hué.
