War Docos
Innovative German film-maker Leni Riefenstahl's pioneering masterwork epic "Triumph of the Will" (1934) was explicitly propagandistic yet historical in its spectacular yet horrifying documentation of the Nazi Party Congress rally in Nuremberg in 1934. It was a revolutionary film combining superb cinematography and editing of Third Reich propaganda. She also documented the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the stunning film "Olympia" (1938) - with graceful and beautiful images of 'Aryan' athletes in competition. To respond to the Nazi propaganda, Frank Capra was commissioned by the US War Department to direct seven films in a "Why We Fight" (1943) series of narrated WWII newsreel-style films. The first in the series, "Prelude to War," a look at the events from 1931-1939, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1942. These and many other truely great War Documentaries, including the BBC's brilliant "World At War" series, are available by scrolling below.
Right: William Wyler's Academy Award winning "The Memphis Belle"Â
Spartans: The Rise and Fall (2002)
7.6/10
They were the finest fighters of the ancient world. Their bravery and skill helped preserve Western Civilization in the face of a massive invasion fro... Read more
Spitfire (2018)
7.1/10
Director: Ant Palmer, David Fairhead
Starring: Charles Dance
The story of the fighter plane and pilots that helped win the Battle of Britain in World War II. Read more
The Russian Revolution in Colour (2005)
Director: Ian Lilley
The remarkable story of the revolution that changed the world forever. Cold, hungry and disillusioned, the Russian factory workers of Petrograd staged... Read more
Bonhoeffer (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Martin Doblmeier
This is the dramatic story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the young German theologian who offered one of the first clear voices of resistance to Adolf Hitler... Read more
Dirty Wars (2013)
7.5/10
Director: Rick Rowley
Starring: Jeremy Scahill
It's the dirty little secret of the War on Terror: all bets are off, and almost anything goes. The rules of the game and of engagement have fundamenta... Read more
Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington (2013)
7.8/10
Director: Sebastian Junger
Shortly after the release of his documentary "Restrepo", photographer Tim Hetherington was killed in Libya. Colleague and filmmaker Sebastian Junger t... Read more
Death in Gaza (2003)
8.2/10
Director: James Miller
Starring: James Miller, Saira Shah
This extraordinarily powerful film takes an unflinching look at the lives of three Palestinian children who have grown up surrounded by messages of ha... Read more
Battlefield Britain (2004)
8.2/10
Director: Mary Cranitch
Starring: Presented By, Dan Snow, Peter Snow
Dynamic father and son team Peter and Dan Snow present a history of Britain's bloody history, as together with re-enactors and computer graphics they... Read more
The Green Prince (2014)
7.2/10
Director: Nadav Schirman
"A Palestinian in Ramallah, Mosab Hassan Yousef grows up angry and ready to fight Israel. Arrested for smuggling guns at the age of 17, he's interroga... Read more
Nancy Wake: Gestapo's Most Wanted (2013)
7.7/10
Director: Mike Smith
Starring: Owen Black, Rachael Blampied
This is the incredible true story of Nancy Wake, the daring allied spy who became the Gestapo's most wanted woman in WWII. Codenamed The White Mouse... Read more