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....
Tunes of Glory (1960)
7.7/10
Director: Ronald Neame
Starring: Alec Guinness, John Mills, Susannah York, Kay Walsh
This riveting adaptation of James Kennaway's novel boasts superb performances by Alec Guinness and John Mills as British army officers locked in a bat... Read more
Turtles Can Fly (2004)
8.1/10
Director: Bahman Ghobadi
Starring: Soran Ebrahim, Hirsh Feyssal, Avaz Latif
On the border of Iraq and Turkey, in the days leading up to the second US-led war, a young technology-obsessed boy nicknamed Satellite convinces the v... Read more
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
Director: Henry King
Starring: Gary Merrill, Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe
Actual combat footage and a dramatic look at the burdens of command highlight this classic WWII tale set at an Allied air base in England. Gregory Pec... Read more
Twenty-Four Eyes (1954)
8.1/10
Director: Keisuke Kinoshita
Starring: Hideko Takamine
A beautifully made, sensitive drama about a teacher (Hideko Takamine) beginning her long career. As the years pass we follow not only her progress, b... Read more
Twice Born (2012)
7.4/10
Director: Sergio Castellitto
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Emile Hirsch
A.k.a. "Venuto al mondo". Gemma visits Sarajevo with her son, Pietro. 16 years earlier, they escaped the war-torn city while Diego, the boy's father,... Read more
Two Men Went to War (2002)
6.7/10
Director: John Henderson
Starring: Kenneth Cranham, Leo Bill, Derek Jacobi, Phyllida Law, James Fleet, Julian Glove...
Based on a true story about WWI veteran Sergeant King (Kenneth Cranham) and young Private Cuthbertson (Leo Bill), two dentists who, during WW2, are tu... Read more
U-571 (2000)
6.6/10
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, Jon Bon Jovi
During World War II, neophyte officer Matthew McConaughey heads up a secret US Navy mission to retrieve a German encoding device from a disabled U-Boa... Read more
Un Secret (2007)
4.1/10
Director: Claude Miller
Starring: Cecile De France, Ludivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric, Patrick Br...
Based on the autobiographical novel by Philippe Grimbert, this moving drama recalls the tragic events that occurred during the German occupation of Fr... Read more
Un village francais: Volume 1 ( A French Village ) (2009)
8.4/10
Starring: Robin Renucci, Fabrizio Rongione, Nade Dieu, Francis Renaud, Audrey Fleurot, Emm...
Volume 1 contains Series 1 & 2. 12 episodes. During the Second World War, a small town in France is under occupation. The community has to live in a w... Read more
Un village francais: Volume 2 ( A French Village ) (2010)
8.4/10
Volume 2 contains Series 3. 12 episodes. It's 1941, the war on the Russian front is expanding, and the Germans are less patient than they were last ye... Read more