Top 10 war films
In the spirit of remembering all
those who have served in the military
and defended freedom, here
are my top 10 war films. While
some are funny, some sad and
some gruesome, each and every
one has an important story to tell.
10. Apocalypse Now
Touted by some as the best antiwar film of all time, Francis Ford Coppola's epic about a captain sent up a river in Vietnam to terminate a rogue colonel will have you reeling at the darkness of war.
9. Full Metal Jacket
Presented in two distinct halves, one focusing on the brutalities of basic training for soldiers and the other on the horrors of the Vietnam War, Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece stands as a brutal reminder of the experiences of war.
8. The Great Escape
This classic adventure film follows a group of Allied POWs in a German camp during World War II and their heroic escape to freedom.
7. The Thin Red Line
Director Terrence Malick adapts James Jones' autobiography in this star-studded film. It focuses on the Guadalcanal conflict during World War II and the experiences of the soldiers who fought there.
6. Patton
George C. Scott gives his most memorable performance as General Patton in this epic that covers the career of the American tank commander during World War II.
5. Saving Private Ryan
With an opening sequence that gave some veterans painful flashbacks with its realistic depiction of the bloody D-Day landing, the film's overarching story is one of great hope: a group of men are tasked with retrieving a private whose brothers have been killed in action in order to avoid leaving his mother utterly childless.
4. All Quiet on the Western Front
A young German soldier who is fighting during World War I becomes quickly cynical towards battle, and in one of the most poignant scenes in cinema, he finds a moment of pure clarity on the battlefield.
3. Kelly's Heroes
Private Kelly, played by the awe-inspiring Clint Eastwood, is on a mission to capture a gold stash hidden behind German lines during World War II.
2. M*A*S*H
Robert Altman takes you on a satirical journey through the experiences of a group of army surgeons during the Korean War who are stationed in a mobile army surgical hospital.
1. Band of Brothers
Not exactly a film but rather a 10 part mini-series done by HBO, the story follows Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne from their days in basic training to their capture of the Eagle's Nest in Germany at the end of World War II. A particularly moving episode entitled "Why We Fight" will have you holding back tears.
10. Apocalypse Now
Touted by some as the best antiwar film of all time, Francis Ford Coppola's epic about a captain sent up a river in Vietnam to terminate a rogue colonel will have you reeling at the darkness of war.
9. Full Metal Jacket
Presented in two distinct halves, one focusing on the brutalities of basic training for soldiers and the other on the horrors of the Vietnam War, Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece stands as a brutal reminder of the experiences of war.
8. The Great Escape
This classic adventure film follows a group of Allied POWs in a German camp during World War II and their heroic escape to freedom.
7. The Thin Red Line
Director Terrence Malick adapts James Jones' autobiography in this star-studded film. It focuses on the Guadalcanal conflict during World War II and the experiences of the soldiers who fought there.
6. Patton
George C. Scott gives his most memorable performance as General Patton in this epic that covers the career of the American tank commander during World War II.
5. Saving Private Ryan
With an opening sequence that gave some veterans painful flashbacks with its realistic depiction of the bloody D-Day landing, the film's overarching story is one of great hope: a group of men are tasked with retrieving a private whose brothers have been killed in action in order to avoid leaving his mother utterly childless.
4. All Quiet on the Western Front
A young German soldier who is fighting during World War I becomes quickly cynical towards battle, and in one of the most poignant scenes in cinema, he finds a moment of pure clarity on the battlefield.
3. Kelly's Heroes
Private Kelly, played by the awe-inspiring Clint Eastwood, is on a mission to capture a gold stash hidden behind German lines during World War II.
2. M*A*S*H
Robert Altman takes you on a satirical journey through the experiences of a group of army surgeons during the Korean War who are stationed in a mobile army surgical hospital.
1. Band of Brothers
Not exactly a film but rather a 10 part mini-series done by HBO, the story follows Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne from their days in basic training to their capture of the Eagle's Nest in Germany at the end of World War II. A particularly moving episode entitled "Why We Fight" will have you holding back tears.
