100 Best War Movies of All Time

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A teenager (J. Robert Spencer) is charged with the care of his younger sister (Rhoda Chrosite) after an Allied firebombing during World War II destroys... View Full Synopsis

Starring: J. Robert Spencer, Rhoda Chrosite, Amy Jones, Kathleen McInerney

Directed By: Isao Takahata

Critics Consensus: A Man Escaped is blockbuster Bresson, a well-acted POW drama that builds with subtle, seat-gripping tension.

Synopsis: In a film based on the writings of French Resistance fighter and POW André Devigny, Fontaine (François Leterrier) is being held by the Nazis at... View Full Synopsis

Starring: François Leterrier, Charles Le Clainche, Maurice Beerblock, Roland Monod

Directed By: Robert Bresson

Critics Consensus: An undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood's quintessential statement on love and romance, Casablanca has only improved with age, boasting career-defining performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Synopsis: Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Directed By: Michael Curtiz

Critics Consensus: A documentary-like depiction of a nation's real-life efforts to expel a colonizing force, The Battle of Algiers puts viewers on the front lines with gripping realism.

Synopsis: Paratrooper commander Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin), a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to 1950s Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Brahim Haggiag, Tommaso Neri

Directed By: Gillo Pontecorvo

Critics Consensus: Perhaps Kenneth Branagh's most fully realized Shakespeare adaptation, Henry V is an energetic, passionate, and wonderfully acted film.

Synopsis: In this gritty screen adaptation of Shakespeare's play about the heroic and ruthless king, Henry V of England (Kenneth Branagh) determines to lay claim to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, Ian Holm

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Critics Consensus: Schindler's List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg's signature tender humanism to create the director's dramatic masterpiece.

Synopsis: Businessman Oskar Schindler arrives in Kraków in 1939, ready to make his fortune from World War II, which has just started. After joining the Nazi... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A voyage to hell where the journey is more satisfying than the destination, Francis Ford Coppola's haunting, hallucinatory Vietnam War epic is cinema at its most audacious and visionary.

Synopsis: In Vietnam in 1970, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) takes a perilous and increasingly hallucinatory journey upriver to find and terminate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

Critics Consensus: Stanley Kubrick's brilliant Cold War satire remains as funny and razor-sharp today as it was in 1964.

Synopsis: A film about what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button -- and it played the situation for laughs. U.S. Air Force... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Critics Consensus: Director Lewis Milestone's brilliant anti-war polemic, headlined by an unforgettable performance from Lew Ayres, lays bare the tragic foolishness at the heart of war.

Synopsis: The film follows a group of German schoolboys, talked into enlisting at the beginning of World War I by their jingoistic teacher. The story is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray, Raymond Griffith

Directed By: Lewis Milestone

Critics Consensus: Taut, breathtakingly thrilling, and devastatingly intelligent, Das Boot is one of the greatest war films ever made.

Synopsis: A German submarine patrols the Atlantic Ocean during World War II, manned by a crew that must contend with tense conflicts and long stretches of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch

Directed By: Wolfgang Petersen

Critics Consensus: A well-acted, intensely shot, action filled war epic, Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is thus far the best of the recent dramatizations of the Iraq War.

Synopsis: Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner), Sgt. J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are members of a bomb-disposal unit in Baghdad.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

Critics Consensus: An engrossing look at the triumphs and travails of war veterans, The Best Years of Our Lives is concerned specifically with the aftermath of World War II, but its messages speak to the overall American experience.

Synopsis: Fred, Al and Homer are three World War II veterans facing difficulties as they re-enter civilian life. Fred (Dana Andrews) is a war hero who,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright

Directed By: William Wyler

Critics Consensus: Originally made in 1969, this recently reissued classic is a masterful examination of the inner workings of the World War II resistance efforts.

Synopsis: This adaptation of the book by Joseph Kessel paints an understated, unglamorous portrait of the French Resistance during World War II. Betrayed by an informant,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Paul Crauchet

Directed By: Jean-Pierre Melville

Critics Consensus: Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion is a masterful anti-war statement, bringing humane insight and an undercurrent of ironic humor to an unusual relationship between captor and captive.

Synopsis: A group of French soldiers, including the patrician Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay) and the working-class Lieutenant Maréchal (Jean Gabin), grapple with their own class... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim, Jean Gabin, Marcel Dalio

Directed By: Jean Renoir

Critics Consensus: Grimly intense yet thoroughly rewarding, Son of Saul offers an unforgettable viewing experience -- and establishes director László Nemes as a talent to watch.

Synopsis: During World War II, a Jewish worker (Géza Röhrig) at the Auschwitz concentration camp tries to find a rabbi to give a child a proper... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Géza Röhrig, Kecske Molnár Levente, Todd Charmont, Sándor Zsótér

Directed By: László Nemes

Critics Consensus: A wholly innovative, original, and vital history lesson, with pioneering animation, Waltz With Bashir delivers its message about the Middle East in a mesmerizing fashion.

Synopsis: Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman wrote, directed and stars in this autobiographical animated film. As a 19-year-old infantry soldier in the 1982 war with Lebanon, Folman... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ari Folman, Dror Harazi

Directed By: Ari Folman

Critics Consensus: Powerfully directed and acted, '71 stays true to its fact-based origins while remaining as gripping as any solidly crafted action thriller.

Synopsis: A young British soldier (Jack O'Connell) must find his way back to safety after his unit accidentally abandons him during a riot in the streets... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Sean Harris, Richard Dormer

Directed By: Yann Demange

Critics Consensus: This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean.

Synopsis: Adaptation of the Pierre Boulle novel about POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Hawkins

Directed By: David Lean

Critics Consensus: Akira Kurosawa's sprawling, epic take on King Lear should be required viewing for fans of westerns, war movies, or period films in general.

Synopsis: At the age of seventy, after years of consolidating his empire, the Great Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to abdicate and divide his domain... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Mieko Harada, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu

Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

Critics Consensus: Paths of Glory is a transcendentally humane war movie from Stanley Kubrick, with impressive, protracted battle sequences and a knock-out ending.

Synopsis: During World War I, commanding officer General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) orders his subordinate, General Mireau (George Macready), to attack a German trench position, offering a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Critics Consensus: A complex and timely satire with as much darkness as slapstick, Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not To Be delicately balances humor and ethics.

Synopsis: Acting couple Joseph (Jack Benny) and Maria Tura (Carole Lombard) are managing a theatrical troupe when the Nazis invade Poland. Maria is having an affair... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart

Directed By: Ernst Lubitsch

Critics Consensus: As taut as it is timely, Eye in the Sky offers a powerfully acted -- and unusually cerebral -- spin on the modern wartime political thriller.

Synopsis: A lieutenant general (Alan Rickman) and a colonel (Helen Mirren) face political opposition after ordering a drone missile strike to take out a group of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi

Directed By: Gavin Hood

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and dramatically moving, The Pianist is Polanski's best work in years.

Synopsis: In this adaptation of the autobiography "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945," Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Polish... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman

Directed By: Roman Polanski

Critics Consensus: Anchored by another winning performance from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg's unflinchingly realistic war film virtually redefines the genre.

Synopsis: Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: The epic of all epics, Lawrence of Arabia cements director David Lean's status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and beautiful cinematography.

Synopsis: Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness)... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif

Directed By: David Lean

Critics Consensus: Three Kings successfully blends elements of action, drama, and comedy into a thoughtful, exciting movie on the Gulf War.

Synopsis: Just after the end of the Gulf War, four American soldiers decide to steal a cache of Saddam Hussein's hidden gold. Led by Sergeant Major... View Full Synopsis

Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze

Directed By: David O. Russell

Critics Consensus: Featuring terrific performances and epic action, Kubrick's restored swords-and-sandals epic is a true classic.

Synopsis: The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of being trained to kill for the arena,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Critics Consensus: With its impeccably slow-building story and a cast for the ages, The Great Escape is an all-time action classic.

Synopsis: Imprisoned during World War II in a German POW camp, a group of Allied soldiers are intent on breaking out, not only to escape, but... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson

Directed By: John Sturges

Critics Consensus: Bolstered by exceptional cinematography, powerful storytelling, and an Oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington, Glory remains one of the finest Civil War movies ever made.

Synopsis: Following the Battle of Antietam, Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is offered command of the United States' first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes

Directed By: Edward Zwick

Critics Consensus: Bleak and darkly humorous, No Man's Land vividly illustrates the absurdity of war.

Synopsis: Ciki (Branko Djuric) and Nino (Rene Bitorajac), a Bosnian and a Serb, are soldiers stranded in No Man's Land -- a trench between enemy lines... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Branko Djuric, Rene Bitorajac, Filip Sovagovic, Georges Siatidis

Directed By: Danis Tanovic

Critics Consensus: Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot's charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.

Synopsis: Before she is Wonder Woman, she is Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright

Directed By: Patty Jenkins

Critics Consensus: Subsequent war epics may have borrowed heavily from the original Best Picture winner, but they've all lacked Clara Bow's luminous screen presence and William Wellman's deft direction.

Synopsis: Wings is the first film to win the Academy Award® for Best Picture. Featuring a meticulous restoration and a newly recorded soundtrack based on the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Richard Arlen, Jobyna Ralston

Directed By: William A. Wellman, Harry D'Abbadie D'Arrast

Critics Consensus: The Last of the Mohicans is a breathless romantic adventure that plays loose with James Fenimore Cooper's novel -- and comes out with a richer action movie for it.

Synopsis: The last members of a dying Native American tribe, the Mohicans -- Uncas, his father Chingachgook, and his adopted half-white brother Hawkeye -- live in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig

Directed By: Michael Mann

Critics Consensus: Artfully composed, powerfully acted, and fueled by a powerful blend of anger and empathy, The Killing Fields is a career-defining triumph for director Roland Joffé and a masterpiece of cinema.

Synopsis: New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran (Haing... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich, Julian Sands

Directed By: Roland Joffé

Critics Consensus: Dunkirk serves up emotionally satisfying spectacle, delivered by a writer-director in full command of his craft and brought to life by a gifted ensemble cast that honors the fact-based story.

Synopsis: In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Critics Consensus: Land of Mine uses an oft-forgotten chapter from the aftermath of World War II to tell a hard-hitting story whose period setting belies its timeless observations about bloodshed and forgiveness.

Synopsis: A group of German POWs are forced to dig up millions of land mines with their bare hands.

Starring: Roland Møller, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Laura Bro, Louis Hofmann

Directed By: Martin Zandvliet

Critics Consensus: Gripping, suspenseful, and brilliantly crafted, Zero Dark Thirty dramatizes the hunt for Osama bin Laden with intelligence and an eye for detail.

Synopsis: Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden becomes one of the most-wanted men on the planet. The worldwide manhunt for the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow

Critics Consensus: A powerfully humanistic portrayal of the perils of war, this companion piece to Flags of our Fathers is potent and thought-provoking, and it demonstrates Clint Eastwood's maturity as a director.

Synopsis: Long-buried missives from the island reveal the stories of the Japanese troops who fought and died there during World War II. Among them are Saigo... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryô Kase

Directed By: Clint Eastwood

Critics Consensus: Stalag 17 survives the jump from stage to screen with flying colors, thanks to Billy Wilder's typically sterling direction and a darkly funny script.

Synopsis: One night in 1944 in a German POW camp housing American airmen, two prisoners try to escape the compound and are quickly discovered and shot... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Holden, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss, Don Taylor

Directed By: Billy Wilder

Critics Consensus: Intense, tightly constructed, and darkly comic at times, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket may not boast the most original of themes, but it is exceedingly effective at communicating them.

Synopsis: Stanley Kubrick's take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened "Joker" by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Critics Consensus: Peter Weir's devastating anti-war film features a low-key but emotionally wrenching performance from Mel Gibson as a young soldier fighting in one of World War I's most deadly and horrifying battles.

Synopsis: Archy and Frank are two young Australian sprinters who want to join the army to fulfill their sense of duty. Turned down because they are... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Lee, Mel Gibson, Bill Kerr, Ron Graham

Directed By: Peter Weir

Critics Consensus: Both timely and timeless, All Quiet on the Western Front retains the power of its classic source material by focusing on the futility of war.

Synopsis: All Quiet on the Western Front tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Paul and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus

Directed By: Edward Berger

Critics Consensus: With an outstanding starring performance from Benedict Cumberbatch illuminating its fact-based story, The Imitation Game serves as an eminently well-made entry in the "prestige biopic" genre.

Synopsis: In 1939, newly created British intelligence agency MI6 recruits Cambridge mathematics alumnus Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to crack Nazi codes, including Enigma -- which cryptanalysts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear

Directed By: Morten Tyldum

Critics Consensus: Director Werner Herzog has once again made a compelling tale of man versus nature, and Christian Bale completely immerses himself in the role of fighter pilot (and prisoner of war) Dieter Dengler.

Synopsis: During the Vietnam War, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale), a U.S. fighter pilot, is shot down over Laos and taken captive by enemy soldiers. Interned in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Galen Yuen

Directed By: Werner Herzog

Critics Consensus: Downfall is an illuminating, thoughtful and detailed account of Hitler's last days.

Synopsis: In 1942, young Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara) lands her dream job -- secretary to Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz) at the peak of his power.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes

Directed By: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Critics Consensus: Bleak and uncompromising, but director Ken Loach brightens his film with gorgeous cinematography and tight pacing, and features a fine performance from Cillian Murphy.

Synopsis: In 1920s Ireland young doctor Damien O'Donovan (Cillian Murphy) prepares to depart for a new job in a London hospital. As he says his goodbyes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald

Directed By: Ken Loach

Critics Consensus: A powerful and personal account of war on the front line, writer-director Samuel Maoz takes the viewer inside an Israeli tank to deliver an exhausting, original film.

Synopsis: This tense war film focuses on a group of Israeli soldiers operating a tank in hostile territory during the 1982 conflict in Lebanon. Hindered by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov

Directed By: Samuel Maoz

Critics Consensus: Gone with the Wind's epic grandeur and romantic allure encapsulate an era of Hollywood filmmaking -- but that can't excuse a blinkered perspective that stands on the wrong side of history.

Synopsis: Winner of eight Academy Awards® (plus two special achievement Oscars) Celebrate the 85th Anniversary of one of the most celebrated motion pictures of all time,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland

Directed By: Victor Fleming

Critics Consensus: George C. Scott's sympathetic, unflinching portrayal of the titular general in this sprawling epic is as definitive as any performance in the history of American biopics.

Synopsis: Biography of controversial World War II hero General George S. Patton. The film covers his wartime activities and accomplishments, beginning with his entry into the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, David Bauer, Edward Binns

Directed By: Franklin J. Schaffner

Critics Consensus: The reconstruction of Samuel Fuller's epic account of his days in North Africa in World War II elevates the film into the pantheon of great war movies.

Synopsis: Having previously fought in World War I, an unnamed sergeant (Lee Marvin) now leads soldiers of the U.S. First Infantry Division through World War II.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Bobby Di Cicco

Directed By: Samuel Fuller

Critics Consensus: A classic Tarantino genre-blending thrill ride, Inglourious Basterds is violent, unrestrained, and thoroughly entertaining.

Synopsis: It is the first year of Germany's occupation of France. Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine assembles a team of Jewish soldiers to commit violent acts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Critics Consensus: Daniel Day-Lewis characteristically delivers in this witty, dignified portrait that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it informs.

Synopsis: With the nation embroiled in still another year with the high death count of Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln brings the full measure of his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Informed by director Oliver Stone's personal experiences in Vietnam, Platoon forgoes easy sermonizing in favor of a harrowing, ground-level view of war, bolstered by no-holds-barred performances from Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe.

Synopsis: Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker

Directed By: Oliver Stone

Critics Consensus: A well-calibrated blend of manic comedy and poignant drama, Good Morning, Vietnam offers a captivating look at a wide range of Robin Williams' cinematic gifts.

Synopsis: Radio funny man Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) is sent to Vietnam to bring a little comedy back into the lives of the soldiers. After setting... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran, Chintara Sukapatana

Directed By: Barry Levinson

Critics Consensus: The Wind Rises is a fittingly bittersweet swan song for director Hayao Miyazaki.

Synopsis: A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short

Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki, Gary Rydstrom

Critics Consensus: It has perhaps aged poorly, but this languidly paced WWII romance remains an iconic, well-acted film, featuring particularly strong performances from Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift.

Synopsis: At an Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, lone-wolf soldier and boxing champion Prew Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) refuses... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra

Directed By: Fred Zinnemann

Critics Consensus: Tangerines' impassioned message and the strong work of a solid cast more than make up for the movie's flawed narrative and uneven structure.

Synopsis: During the war in Abkhazia, an Estonian man stays behind to harvest tangerines and cares for a wounded fighter.

Starring: Mikheil Meskhi, Misha Meskhi, Giorgi Nakashidze, Elmo Nüganen

Directed By: Zaza Urushadze

Critics Consensus: Darkly funny and understatedly absurd, Zero Motivation is a refreshing addition to the canon of irreverent war comedies -- and an intriguing calling card for writer-director Talya Lavie.

Synopsis: Female Israeli soldiers are posted to a remote desert base and spend their time pushing paper until they can return to civilian life.

Starring: Dana Ivgy, Nelly Tagar, Shani Klein, Heli Twito

Directed By: Talya Lavie

Critics Consensus: Beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted, A Midnight Clear is a holiday war film in search of a wider audience.

Synopsis: In the winter of 1944, American soldiers led by Will Knott (Ethan Hawke) are assigned to capture a small squad of German soldiers posted in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Arye Gross

Directed By: Keith Gordon

Critics Consensus: Its greatness is blunted by its length and one-sided point of view, but the film's weaknesses are overpowered by Michael Cimino's sympathetic direction and a series of heartbreaking performances from Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken.

Synopsis: In 1968, Michael (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage), lifelong friends from a working-class Pennsylvania steel town, prepare to ship out... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale

Directed By: Michael Cimino

Critics Consensus: Though it suffers from excessive length and ambition, director Minghella's adaptation of the Michael Ondaatje novel is complex, powerful, and moving.

Synopsis: The sweeping expanses of the Sahara are the setting for a passionate love affair in this adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's novel. A badly burned man,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas

Directed By: Anthony Minghella

Critics Consensus: An emotional and intriguing tale of a military officer who must review the merits of a fallen officer while confronting his own war demons. Effectively depicts the terrors of war as well as its heartbreaking aftermath.

Synopsis: During the 1991 Gulf War, Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) accidentally caused a friendly fire incident, a mistake that was hushed up by his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty

Directed By: Edward Zwick

Critics Consensus: Led by an unforgettable performance from Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July finds director Oliver Stone tackling thought-provoking subject matter with ambitious élan.

Synopsis: In the mid 1960s, suburban New York teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, fulfilling what he sees as his patriotic duty. During... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Willem Dafoe, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Barry

Directed By: Oliver Stone

Critics Consensus: Russell Crowe's rough charm is put to good use in this masterful adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's novel.

Synopsis: In 1805, aboard the H.M.S. Surprise, the brash Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his trusted friend, the ship's scholarly surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy

Directed By: Peter Weir

Critics Consensus: Hacksaw Ridge uses a real-life pacifist's legacy to lay the groundwork for a gripping wartime tribute to faith, valor, and the courage of remaining true to one's convictions.

Synopsis: The true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bear arms during WWII on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer

Directed By: Mel Gibson

Critics Consensus: Bold, timely, subversive, and above all funny, M*A*S*H remains a high point in Robert Altman's distinguished filmography.

Synopsis: Based on the novel by Richard Hooker, M*A*S*H follows a group of Mobile Army Surgical Hospital officers at they perform surgery and pass the time... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, Tom Skerritt

Directed By: Robert Altman

Critics Consensus: It may not be the best of David Lean's epics, but Dr. Zhivago is still brilliantly photographed and sweepingly romantic.

Synopsis: During the Russian Revolution, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) is a young doctor who has been raised by his aunt and uncle following his father's suicide.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Courtenay

Directed By: David Lean

Critics Consensus: If its fact-based story proves more fascinatingly outlandish than it's presented here, Operation Mincemeat remains an engaging and well-acted wartime drama.

Synopsis: It's 1943. The Allies are determined to break Hitler's grip on occupied Europe, and plan an all-out assault on Sicily; but they face an impossible... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton

Directed By: John Madden

Critics Consensus: Atonement features strong performances, brilliant cinematography, and a unique score. Featuring deft performances from James MacAvoy and Keira Knightley, it's a successful adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel.

Synopsis: This sweeping English drama, based on the book by Ian McEwan, follows the lives of young lovers Cecilia Tallis and Robbie Turner. When the couple... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan

Directed By: Joe Wright

Critics Consensus: Casualties of War takes a harrowing plunge into the Vietnam War with a well-acted ensemble piece that ranks among director Brian De Palma's more mature efforts.

Synopsis: Pvt. Max Eriksson (Michael J. Fox) is stationed in Vietnam under Sgt. Tony Meserve (Sean Penn). Though Meserve saves Eriksson's life during battle, the two... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Harvey, John C. Reilly

Directed By: Brian De Palma

Critics Consensus: Amoral on the surface and exuding testosterone, The Dirty Dozen utilizes combat and its staggering cast of likable scoundrels to deliver raucous entertainment.

Synopsis: As D-Day approaches, Colonel Breed hands the roguish Major Reisman an important assignment: He must train a team of soldiers to parachute across enemy lines... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown

Directed By: Robert Aldrich

Critics Consensus: With plenty of pulpy action, a pleasantly retro vibe, and a handful of fine performances, Captain America is solidly old-fashioned blockbuster entertainment.

Synopsis: It is 1941 and the world is in the throes of war. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) wants to do his part and join America's armed... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones

Directed By: Joe Johnston

Critics Consensus: The Thin Red Line is a daringly philosophical World War II film with an enormous cast of eager stars.

Synopsis: In 1942, Private Witt (Jim Caviezel) is a U.S. Army absconder living peacefully with the locals of a small South Pacific island. Discovered by his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin

Directed By: Terrence Malick

Critics Consensus: Benigni's earnest charm, when not overstepping its bounds into the unnecessarily treacly, offers the possibility of hope in the face of unflinching horror.

Synopsis: A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano

Directed By: Roberto Benigni

Critics Consensus: Honoring real-life history while delivering impactful drama, Devotion is a straightforward biopic elevated by standout performances from a talented cast.

Synopsis: Devotion, an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name, tells the harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Glen Powell, Jonathan Majors, Joe Jonas, Christina Jackson

Directed By: J.D. Dillard

Critics Consensus: The second part of Soderbergh's biopic is a dark, hypnotic and sometimes frustrating portrait of a warrior in decline, with a terrific central performance from Del Toro.

Synopsis: Seven years after his triumph in Cuba, Che (Benicio del Toro) winds up in Bolivia, where he tries to ignite the same revolutionary fires as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benicio del Toro, Demián Bichir, Santiago Cabrera, Elvira Mínguez

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

Critics Consensus: Greyhound's characters aren't as robust as its action sequences, but this fast-paced World War II thriller benefits from its efficiently economical approach.

Synopsis: U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ernest Krause is assigned to lead an Allied convoy across the Atlantic during World War II. His convoy, however, is pursued by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Stephen Graham, Elisabeth Shue, Rob Morgan

Directed By: Aaron Schneider

Critics Consensus: A well-crafted and visually arresting drama with a touch of whimsy.

Synopsis: Mathilde (Audrey Tautou) is told that her fiancé (Gaspard Ulliel) has been killed in World War I. She refuses to believe this, however, and begins... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, Jean-Pierre Becker, Dominique Bettenfeld

Directed By: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Critics Consensus: As impressively ambitious as it is satisfyingly impactful, Michael Collins honors its subject's remarkable achievements with a magnetic performance from Liam Neeson in the title role.

Synopsis: In the early 20th century, Michael Collins (Liam Neeson) leads the Irish Republican Army with the help of his friends Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn) and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman

Directed By: Neil Jordan

Critics Consensus: Though it's light on character development and cultural empathy, Black Hawk Down is a visceral, pulse-pounding portrait of war, elevated by Ridley Scott's superb technical skill.

Synopsis: In 1993, the U.S. sends special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Critics Consensus: Overall, Fury is a well-acted, suitably raw depiction of the horrors of war that offers visceral battle scenes but doesn't quite live up to its larger ambitions.

Synopsis: In April 1945, the Allies are making their final push in the European theater. A battle-hardened Army sergeant named Don "Wardaddy" Collier, leading a Sherman... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña

Directed By: David Ayer

Critics Consensus: A furious mix of sex, violence, and moral relativism, Black Book is shamelessly entertaining melodrama.

Synopsis: After narrowly escaping death, young Rachel Rosenthal (Carice van Houten) becomes part of the Jewish resistance, assuming the name Ellis de Vries. Her superiors order... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman, Halina Reijn

Directed By: Paul Verhoeven

Critics Consensus: Thought-provoking, timely, and anchored by a strong performance from Ethan Hawke, Good Kill is a modern war movie with a troubled conscience.

Synopsis: An Air Force drone pilot (Ethan Hawke) begins to question the ethics of dropping bombs on Afghanistan from the safety of his post in Las... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ethan Hawke, January Jones, Bruce Greenwood, Zoë Kravitz

Directed By: Andrew Niccol

Critics Consensus: One of Steven Spielberg's most ambitious efforts of the 1980s, Empire of the Sun remains an underrated gem in the director's distinguished filmography.

Synopsis: Jamie Graham (Christian Bale), a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Technically superb, proudly sentimental, and unabashedly old-fashioned, War Horse is an emotional drama that tugs the heartstrings with Spielberg's customary flair.

Synopsis: Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his beloved horse, Joey, live on a farm in the British countryside. At the outbreak of World War I, Albert and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A true account of military courage and survival, Lone Survivor wields enough visceral power to mitigate its heavy-handed jingoism.

Synopsis: In 2005 Afghanistan, Navy SEALs Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch) and Matthew "Axe" Axelson (Ben Foster) deploy on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Eric Bana, Emile Hirsch

Directed By: Peter Berg

Critics Consensus: Distractingly violent and historically dodgy, Mel Gibson's Braveheart justifies its epic length by delivering enough sweeping action, drama, and romance to match its ambition.

Synopsis: Tells the story of the legendary thirteenth century Scottish hero named William Wallace (Mel Gibson). Wallace rallies the Scottish against the English monarch and Edward... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack

Directed By: Mel Gibson

Critics Consensus: The poignant humanity on display in Joyeux Noel makes its sentimentality forgivable.

Synopsis: With the advent of World War I, Europe is thrown into a brutal and vicious chaos as men are forced to kill or be killed.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Diane Kruger, Benno Fürmann, Guillaume Canet, Gary Lewis

Directed By: Christian Carion

Critics Consensus: Flags of Our Fathers is both a fascinating look at heroism, both earned and manufactured, and a well-filmed salute to the men who fought at the battle of Iwo Jima.

Synopsis: In February and March of 1945, U.S. troops fight and win one of the most crucial and costly battles of the war on the island... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, Adam Beach, John Benjamin Hickey

Directed By: Clint Eastwood

Critics Consensus: Powered by Clint Eastwood's sure-handed direction and a gripping central performance from Bradley Cooper, American Sniper delivers a tense, vivid tribute to its real-life subject.

Synopsis: U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) takes his sole mission -- protect his comrades -- to heart and becomes one of the most lethal... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman, Luke Grimes

Directed By: Clint Eastwood

Critics Consensus: A patriotic booster, Laurence Olivier's directorial debut and star turn as Henry V result in a sharply realized and resonant take on Shakespeare's deeply British warrior king.

Synopsis: Olivier's masterful, sweeping rendition of Shakespeare, filmed in rich color and ingeniously including a typical performance at the Globe Theatre as it might have been... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laurence Olivier, Robert Newton, Renée Asherson, Leslie Banks

Directed By: Laurence Olivier

Critics Consensus: Ostensibly an atypical Tarkovsky work (less than 100 minutes!), Ivan's Childhood carries the poetry and passion that would characterize the director from here on.

Synopsis: When Nazi invaders destroy his Russian village and kill his family, 12-year-old Ivan (Kolya Burlyayev) is placed in a German prison camp. Ivan escapes from... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nikolay Burlyaev, Valentin Zubkov, Evgeniy Zharikov, Stepan Krylov

Directed By: Andrei Tarkovsky

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In WWII's final years, a soldier in the German army, a British glider pilot, and a Dutch resistance fighter's paths intertwine. Their choices shape destinies,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gijs Blom, Jamie Flatters, Susan Radder, Jan Bijvoet

Directed By: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In April, 1940, the eyes of the world are on Narvik, a small town in northern Norway, a source of the iron ore needed for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Billy Campbell, Stig Henrik Hoff, Henrik Mestad, Benjamin Noble

Directed By: Erik Skjoldbjærg

Critics Consensus: As effectively anti-war as movies can be, Come and See is a harrowing odyssey through the worst that humanity is capable of, directed with bravura intensity by Elem Klimov.

Synopsis: The invasion of a village in Byelorussia by German forces sends young Florya (Aleksey Kravchenko) into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius, Vladas Bagdonas

Directed By: Elem Klimov

Critics Consensus: Major Dundee is a Western-type with big war scenes, shot with bombast typical of Sam Peckinpah.

Synopsis: During the end of the Civil War, Major Dundee guards Confederate prisoners, Union deserters and ordinary hard-bitten criminals in a remote fort. When Apaches attack... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, James Coburn

Directed By: Sam Peckinpah

Critics Consensus: A moving evocation of both British values and the passage of time, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is an epic portrait of a singular character by Powell and Pressburger.

Synopsis: General Candy (Roger Livesey), who's overseeing an English squad in 1943, is a veteran leader who doesn't have the respect of the men he's training... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook, John Laurie

Directed By: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Critics Consensus: Zulu patiently establishes a cast of colorful characters and insurmountable stakes before unleashing its white-knuckle spectacle, delivering an unforgettable war epic in the bargain.

Synopsis: In 1879, the Zulu nation hands colonial British forces a resounding defeat in battle. A nearby regiment of the British Army takes over a station... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, Michael Caine

Directed By: Charles De Latour

Critics Consensus: Twelve O'Clock High is a high-stakes, high-tension war drama powered by great, well-written characters.

Synopsis: In 1942, an American Air Force unit stationed in England is plagued with morale problems until no-nonsense Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) assumes command.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gregory Peck, Dean Jagger, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe

Directed By: Henry King

Critics Consensus: Funny, suspenseful, and spectacularly entertaining, Gunga Din is an expertly calibrated adventure flick with some unfortunately outdated ideas about race.

Synopsis: British army sergeants Ballantine (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), Cutter (Cary Grant) and MacChesney (Victor McLaglen) serve in India during the 1880s, along with their native water-bearer,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Victor McLaglen, Joan Fontaine

Directed By: George Stevens