Greatest War Movies

by Helen Earnshaw | 29 January 2014

Platoon

Over the years, we have seen World War I, Second World War, and Vietnam all depicted on the big screen.

Lone Survivor hits the big screen this week and follows a failed mission in Afghanistan during the war on terror; based on the memoir by Marcus Luttrell.

To celebrate the release of the film, we take a look at some of the best war movies that we have been treated to.

- Platoon

It was back in 1986 when Platoon hit the big screen, as Oliver Stone returned to the director's chair; it was Stone's first in a trilogy of films about the Vietnam War.

Stone also penned the screenplay for the film, and based on it on his experiences as an infantryman during the Vietnam conflict.

Platoon is a grisly, real, and raw war movie - it really is one of the greatest Vietnam War films of all time.

The film is packed with one great performance after another, Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger all stand out, in a movie, which raises serious questions about morality.

Platoon is as powerful now as it was back in 1986... This really is Stone at his very best.

- Saving Private Ryan

Hard to believe that Saving Private Ryan is over fifteen years old, but it remains one of the best war movies of recent years.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie follows a group of U.S. soldiers who go behind enemy lines to find a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.

The opening sequence on the beaches of Normandy is one of the best war movie moments, as Spielberg shows us in that moment just how epic and grand a movie he is set to deliver.

A terrific cast has been brought together as Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns, Barry Pepper, and Matt Damon are all on board. They function as a great unit, and they really do drive the emotional heart of the film.

This is a powerful takes on the brutality of war, and the effect that it has on those on the front line. A real standout film in this genre.

- The Thin Red Line

Terrence Malick has made some great movies during his career, but The Thin Red Line is one of the best - it is also my favourite.

A World War II tale that focuses on a squad of American troops battling against the Japanese during the hellish battle of Guadalcanal Island.

While the film does feature many battle scenes that you would expect to find in any war movie there is something profoundly different about The Thin Red Line that does set it apart from other movies in the genre.

There is a great philosophical aspect that hangs over the whole film as the characters question reasons behind the war and in particular life, as they potentially walk so close to death, leaving many issues unresolved when the credits role, much like life itself.

There is a beauty and a haunting feel to this film, which is unlike any other movie in this genre. The fantastic ensemble cast also delivers some wonderful performances; there are also some great cameos to watch out for as well.

- Grave of the Fireflies

When you talk about war movies, you cannot forget Grave of the Fireflies - a film that has just celebrated its twentieth anniversary.

Directed by Isao Takahata this is one of the most powerful and haunting movies that Studio Ghibli have ever released; it is widely regarded as one of the best war movies of all time.

Set in Japan during World War II, Grave Of The Fireflies focuses on Seita and his little sister Setsuko, and their fight for survival.

Grave of the Fireflies is a film that looks at the impact of war for those who weren't even on the front line. This is a powerful movie that will break your heart and stay with you long after the credits have rolled.

Grave of the Fireflies is a movie that really does pack and emotional punch and it is very rare that an animation film can be as powerful as this.

- Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now was a film that was set during the Vietnam
war, and saw Francis Ford Coppola in the director's chair.

The movie follows Captain Willard, who is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a god among a local tribe.

Apocalypse Now is one of the war movies that really has stood the test of time, as it is revered now, as it was when it was released.

There is no doubt that Apocalypse Now is a harrowing piece of cinema, and yet there is a real beauty to this film. That is largely thanks to the cinematography work by Vittorio Storaro, who captured the Philippine setting wonderfully.

Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando both deliver terrific and incredibly memorable performances as Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz.

Apocalypse Now is regarded by many as the best war movie of all time, and it is certainly a film that you want to see on a big screen.

- The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker hit the big screen in 2009 and was the best film of that year. Kathryn Bigelow was in the director's chair, as she delivered her take on the war on terror.

The movie follows three soldiers who are on the frontline as part of the bomb disposal squad.

What makes this movie so powerful is the absence of politics at no point, like in so many movies that have gone before, does filmmaker Bigelow question the reasons why the war is taking part or the death toll and this comes as a refreshing change.

The Iraqis are not painted as the enemy and the American’s are not painted as heroes or the bringer of liberation from a cruel regime. Instead, the movie just follows the lives and work of the soldiers as they count down the days until they can go home.

The Hurt Locker is an exciting piece of cinema as well as being a modern war classic.

- The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai was released in 1957 and was a big screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by Pierre Boulle.

After settling his differences with a Japanese PoW camp commander, a British colonel co-operates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors - while oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it.

David Lean was in the director's chair and brought together a fantastic cast that included William Holden, Alec Guinness, and Jack Hawkins.

The rich characters is really what makes this film, as the star studded cast list all deliver some terrific performance; Alec Guinness is outstanding as Col. Nicholson.

The movie went on to win seven Oscars, including Best Picture.