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....
The Gentle Gunman (1952)
6.3/10
Director: Basil Dearden
Starring: Dirk Bogarde, Elizabeth Sellars, John Mills, Robert Beatty
Set in the London Blitz during the early days of WWII. During an IRA terrorist offensive to plant bombs in the Underground as Londoners take shelter f... Read more
Angels One Five (1952)
6.5/10
Director: George More O'Ferrall
Starring: Jack Hawkins, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray
The title refers to the cognomen bestowed upon a group of WWII British fighter pilots whose squadron leader, Tiger Small (Jack Hawkins), is taken out... Read more
Mutiny (1952)
5.1/10
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Starring: Mark Stevens, Angela Lansbury, Gene Evans
Mark Stevens stars as Captain James Marshall of the American ship Concord in the classic period drama, set during the War of 1812. After finding himse... Read more
What Price Glory (1952)
6.3/10
Director: John Ford
Starring: James Cagney, Dan Dailey, Corinne Calvert, Robert Wagner
James Cagney and Dan Dailey star as two hard-drinking soldiers stationed in France during WWI who fall for the same French girl. Fine performances fro... Read more
Stalag 17 (1952)
8/10
Director: Billy Wilder
Starring: William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger
This fine tale of a POW Camp is laced with director Billy Wilder's special brand of comedy and cynicism. William Holden (Academy Award for Best Actor)... Read more
Fixed Bayonets (1951)
7/10
Director: Samuel Fuller
Starring: Gene Evans, Richard Basehart, Skip Homeier
Samuel Fuller's compelling Korean War epic stars Richard Basehart as a U.S. Army corporal who must reluctantly assume command of his platoon when his... Read more
The Desert Fox (1951)
7/10
Director: Henry Hathaway
Starring: Cedric Hardwicke, James Mason, Jessica Tandy, Luther Adler, Everett Sloane, Leo...
James Mason shines in his portrayal of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, head of Nazi Germany's famed Afrika tank corps. The film follows his career from hi... Read more
Gift Horse (1951)
Director: Compton Bennett
Starring: Dora Bryan, Richard Attenborough, Sonny Tufts, Trevor Howard
Aka "Glory at Sea". A fine WWII drama with Trevor Howard as a demanding, no-nonsense commander of a battleship who wins the respect of his men while b... Read more
Classic War Collection: The Way Ahead / The Flemish Farm / Appointment With Venus (1951)
Director: Carol Reed, Jeffrey Dell, Betty E. Box
Starring: David Niven, Stanley Holloway, Trevor Howard, William Hartnell, John Laurie, Cli...
'The Way Ahead' - After an infantry battalion has suffered casualties at Dunkirk, the gaps in the ranks must be filled by 'call-ups'. The men that arr... Read more
The Frogmen (1951)
6.7/10
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Starring: Richard Widmark, Dana Andrews, Gary Merrill, Jeffrey Hunter
This thrilling WW2 adventure stars Richard Widmark as a cold Navy commander who takes over a team of frogmen following the death of their beloved lead... Read more