War and Anti-War Films
"War and Anti-War Films" often acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting or conflict (against nations or humankind) provide the primary plot or background for the action of the film. Typical elements in the action-oriented war plots include POW camp experiences and escapes, submarine warfare, espionage, personal heroism, "war is hell" brutalities, air dogfights, tough trench/infantry experiences, or male-bonding buddy adventures during wartime. Themes explored in war films include combat, survivor and escape stories, tales of gallant sacrifice and struggle, studies of the futility and inhumanity of battle, the effects of war on society, and intelligent and profound explorations of the moral and human issues.
Listed below are all the very best of this genre. Scroll yer heart out....
Mongol (2007)
7.3/10
Director: Sergei Bodrov
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Sun Honglei, Khulan Chuluun
Exploring the rise of one of the world's most feared and fearless warriors, the story of Genghis Khan is still a controversial one. In the West his na... Read more
Lucie Aubrac (1997)
6.7/10
Director: Claude Berri
Starring: Carole Bouquet, Daniel Auteuil
Based on the dramatic true story "Outwitting the Gestapo", this is the nail-biting tale of undying love between a couple who are active members of the... Read more
Saints and Soldiers (2003)
6.8/10
Director: Ryan Little
Starring: Corbin Allred, Alexander Niver, Kirby Heyborne, Lawrence Bagby, Peter Holden
A dramatic, intense and heroic WWII film based on the horrifying historical event known as the "Malmedy Massacre". In mid-December 1944, while Hitler'... Read more
Female Agents (2008)
6.8/10
Director: Jean-Paul Salome
Starring: Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Marie Gillain, Deborah Francois, Moritz Bleibtr...
In May 1944, a group of French servicewomen and resistance fighters are enlisted into the British Special Operations Executive commando group for two... Read more
Mosquito Squadron (1968)
5.6/10
Director: Boris Sagal
Starring: David McCallum, Suzanne Neve, David Buck
The story of a Canadian-born RAF pilot's (David McCallum) crucial behind-the-scenes mission to embark on low-level bombing raids to destroy V3 and V4... Read more
The Good German (2006)
6.1/10
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Beau Bridges, Tony Curran, Leland...
Soderbergh's ode to the 1940s' post-war noir was shot authentically on equipment used at the time, and is based on the best-selling novel by Joseph Ka... Read more
No Man's Land (2001)
8/10
Director: Danis Tanovic
Starring: Branko Djuric, Rene Bitorajac, Simon Callow, Katrin Cartlidge
Set at the height of the Bosnian Civil War in 1993, writer/director Danis Tanovic's Oscar-winning dark comedy boils the absurdity of warfare down to i... Read more
Blood Diamond (2006)
8/10
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, Arnold Vosloo, Kagiso Kuyp...
Mainstream director Edward Zwick tackles the political in this searing action-thriller set during Sierra Leone's bloody civil war. Leonardo DiCaprio... Read more
In the Loop (2009)
7.5/10
Director: Armando Iannucci
Starring: Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, Tom Hollander, David Rasche, Gina McKee, Anna C...
This razor-sharp political satire is the debut feature from Armando Iannucci, long-time BBC writer/producer behind such classics as 'I'm Alan Partridg... Read more
Hornblower 1: The Even Chance (1998)
Director: Andrew Grieve
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Robert Lindsay, Dorian Healy, Michael Byrne, Robert Bathurst
Set against the backdrop of the 18th century Anglo-French wars, the bloodiest time in British naval history, these films trace Hornblower as he grows... Read more