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
Gallipoli: The Frontline Experience (2005)
7.5/10
Director: Tolga Ornek
Starring: Narrated by, Sam Neill, Jeremy Irons
The Gallipoli campaign of World War I was so controversial and devastating, it changed the face of battle for ever. While many films have focused on t... Read more
General Custer - The Story of Yellow Hair (1994)
George Armstrong Custer is one of military history's most colourful characters: a flamboyant and dashing commander. It is said that 'cometh the hour,... Read more
General Patton: A Genius for War (1995)
General George S. Patton was a walking, talking, fighting machine whose personality was bigger and noisier than one of his Sherman tanks. He was tough... Read more
Gray Matter (2004)
7.3/10
Director: Joe Berlinger
In Spring of 2002, filmmaker Joe Berlinger ('Brother's Keeper'), travelled to Vienna to observe the burial of preserved brains belonging to over 700 c... Read more
Great Battles of the Great War (2004)
Three iconic battles from the first World War are explored in this three-part series. The Battle of the Somme was one the bloodiest battles in human... Read more
Great Blunders of World War II (2006)
Tragic mistakes that changed the course of WWII. 'Hitler's Luftwaffe': When the Russians pulled their industry back deep into their heartland, the Luf... Read more
Great British Commanders (2004)
Director: Emma Hawley
Fascinating historical biography series about six of the greatest military commanders Great Britain has ever produced. The internationally known chara... Read more
Hearts and Minds (1974)
8.3/10
Director: Peter Davis
A courageous and startling film, Peter Davis's landmark documentary unflinchingly confronts the United States involvement in Vietnam. Using a wealth... Read more
Helen of Troy (2005)
7.4/10
Historian Bettany Hughes goes in search of 'the face that launched a thousand ships' in this British television production. Hughes examines the classi... Read more
Hell and Back Again (2011)
6.5/10
Director: Danfung Dennis
In 2009, U.S. Marines launched a major helicopter assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. Within hours of being dropped deep behind e... Read more