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....
Sharpe Vol. 2: Sharpe's Company / Sharpe's Enemy / Sharpe's Honour (1993)
Director: Tom Clegg
Starring: Sean Bean, Pete Postlethwaite, Elizabeth Hurley, Assumpta Serna, Hugh Fraser
'Sharpe's Company' - Spain 1812, Sharpe is relieved from Captaincy with the arrival of new officers. Among them is his old nemesis, Obadiah Hakeswill... Read more
Black Book (2006)
7.8/10
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Sebastian Koch, Carice Van Houten, Thom Hoffman, Derek De Lint
Director Paul Verhoeven covered everything in Hollywood from erotic thrillers to science fiction films, but the return to his native country (and lang... Read more
Secret Army: Series 1 (1977)
8.7/10
Director: Viktors Ritelis
Starring: Bernard Hepton, Christopher Neame, Lisa Colbert
This highly-acclaimed, BBC television programme about World War II and the growing numbers of citizens who resisted the Germans, is a first rate progr... Read more
Journey from the Fall (2006)
7.3/10
Director: Ham Tran
Starring: Kieu Chinh, Diem Lien, Long Nguyen, Nguyen Thai Nguyen, Khanh Doan
A poignant and realistic drama, set after the Americans left war-torn Saigon, depicting a side of the Vietnam War seldom seen - the affect on the Viet... Read more
Band of Brothers: The Complete Miniseries ( Blu-ray ) (2001)
9.5/10
Starring: Kirk Acevedo, Eion Bailey, Michael Cudlitz, Dale Dye, Rick Gomez, Scott Grimes,...
This 10-part HBO television miniseries focuses on Easy Company, a group of American soldiers in World War II, tracking their experiences from the begi... Read more
Winter in Wartime (2008)
Director: Martin Koolhoven
Starring: Melody Klaver, Martijn Lakemeier, Anneke Blok, Mees Peijnenburg, Tygo Gernandt
Dutch coming-of-age drama based on the children's novel 'Oorlogswinter' by Jan Terlouw. January, 1945. During the last winter of WWII, Nazi occupied H... Read more
The Heavy Water War (2015)
Director: Per-Olav Sorensen
Starring: Espen Klouman-Hoiner, Soren Pilmark, Anna Friel, Pip Torrens
Set during World War II, this six part dramatization centers on Germany's secret nuclear project and the Allies' efforts to prevent Hitler from develo... Read more
Anthony Quinn Triple Pack: The River's Edge, The Visit, The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1957)
Director: Bernhard Wicki, Stanley Kramer, Allan Dwan
Starring: Anthony Quinn, Ray Milland, Debra Paget, Ingrid Bergman, Anna Magnani, Virna Lis...
The River's Edge: A murderous thief on the run with stolen loot forces a poor rancher to guide him across the desert into Mexico. Accompanying them i... Read more
Overlord (Blu-Ray) (2018)
7.1/10
Director: Julius Avery
Starring: Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, John Magaro, Pilou Asbaek, Bokeem Woodbine, Jacob An...
On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers drop behind enemy lines to penetrate the walls of a fortified church and destroy a radio transmitter. As th... Read more
Zero Dark Thirty ( Blu-ray ) (Copy) (2012)
7.4/10
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke
Controversial military thriller from director Kathryn Bigelow ("The Hurt Locker") about the mission by American special operations forces to capture o... Read more