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
The Third Reich in Color (2001)
8.3/10
This remarkable trove of colour footage, assembled from far-flung private and state collections, presents Hitler's Europe as never seen before. Amateu... Read more
The Tillman Story (2010)
7.8/10
Director: Amir Bar-Lev
Pat Tillman gave up his professional football career to join the Army Rangers in 2002 - and became an instant symbol of patriotic fervor and unflinchi... Read more
The Time of Our Lives (2006)
8.1/10
Director: Gaylene Preston
In this touching documentary director Gaylene Preston and musician Dave Dobbyn join 32 war veterans on the road as they travel to London for the dedic... Read more
The True Glory (2004)
7.2/10
Widely regarded as one of the greatest war documentaries ever made, this Oscar-winning film was produced by the Allied military during 1944 and 1945,... Read more
The True Story of Black Hawk Down (2003)
Director: David Keane
'The True Story of Black Hawk Down' is a compelling, minute-by-minute look at the battle that claimed 18 American lives. Mark Bowden, author of the be... Read more
The War (2007)
9.1/10
Director: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick
Ken Burns presents a fourteen-part documentary on World War Two, focusing on the impact it had on the people involved - the soldiers and the families... Read more
The War File: The Memoirs Of Women Who Went To War (2004)
John Mills presents this first-hand account of the experiences of some of the women who were assigned to the Civil Defence, Hospital and Fire Auxiliar... Read more
The War of the World: A New History of the 20th Century (2006)
7.5/10
Starring: Niall Ferguson
Acclaimed historian Professor Niall Ferguson presents this six-part documentary proposing an explosive challenge to common assumptions about the 20th... Read more
The War You Don't See (2010)
8.5/10
Director: John Pilger
Following his award-winning documentary The War on Democracy, John Pilger's new film is a powerful and timely investigation into the media's role in w... Read more
The Warfighters (2016)
7.7/10
The Warfighters features first-person accounts of recent US Special Forces missions in the war on terror. Driven by first-person accounts, the unnarra... Read more