150 Best War Movies of All Time

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, Jack L. Warner

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: 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, Mark Damon, John W. Hyde, Edward R. Pressman

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 starred in this autobiographical animated film. As a 19-year-old infantry soldier in the 1982 war with Lebanon, Folman… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yehezkel Lazarov, Mickey Leon

Directed By: Ari Folman

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: 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: 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, Tony Mark

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: 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: 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,” Władysław Szpilman, a Polish Jewish radio… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Roman Polanski, Timothy Burrill, Henning Molfenter, Lew Rywin

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: 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: 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, Bruce Berman, Gregory Goodman, Kelley Smith-Wait

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, Geoff Johns, Jon Berg, Wesley Coller

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: 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, Jake Myers

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: 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, Colin Wilson, Greg Shapiro, Ted Schipper

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, Paul Haggis

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: 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: 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, Francis O'Brien

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: 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, Graham Moore

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, Elie Samaha, Gerald Green, Nick N. Raslan

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, Sonja Ewers

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: 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, Jan Harlan

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: 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, John Daly, Derek Gibson

Critics Consensus: Hard-hitting, immersive, and an impressive technical achievement, 1917 captures the trench warfare of World War I with raw, startling immediacy.

Synopsis: During World War I, two British soldiers — Lance Cpl. Schofield and Lance Cpl. Blake — receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time,… View Full Synopsis

Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott

Directed By: Sam Mendes, Jeb Brody, Oleg Petrov, Ignacio Salazar-Simpson

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, Eilon Ratzkovsky

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, Scott Greenstein, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein

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: 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: 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, Richard Eyre, Robert Fox, Ian McEwan

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: 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: 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: 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 winds up in Bolivia, where he tries to ignite the same revolutionary fires as before. But, with… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh, Belén Atienza, Álvaro Augustin, Frederic W. Brost

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, Branko Lustig, Chad Oman, Mike Stenson

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, Andreas Grosch, Andrea Schmid, Marcus Schoefer

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: 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, Brad Pitt, Sasha Shapiro, Anton Lessine

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, George Furla, Simon Fawcett, Braden Aftergood

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 and his beloved horse, Joey, live on a farm in the British countryside. At the outbreak of World War I, Albert and Joey are… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Revel Guest

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

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., Frank Klein, Paula van der Oest, Mark van Eeuwen

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: Bolstered by a cast of memorable stars and an impressive sense of scale, The Guns of the Navarone fires with vivid characterization and entertaining spectacle.

Synopsis: In 1943, a small commando team is sent to destroy huge German guns on the Greek Island of Navarone in order to rescue Allied troops… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker

Directed By: J. Lee Thompson

Critics Consensus: Despite its somewhat disjointed narrative, Oliver Stone’s Salvador is a vivid and powerful political drama that sets an early tone for the director’s similarly provocative future projects.

Synopsis: Unable to find work in America because of his penchant for booze and drugs, photojournalist Richard Boyle (James Woods) heads to El Salvador with his… View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Woods, Jim Belushi, Michael Murphy, John Savage

Directed By: Oliver Stone, John Daly, Derek Gibson

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

Critics Consensus: Worthy themes and strong performances across the board make Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence an impactful story about bridging cultural divides.

Synopsis: During World War II, British soldier Jack Celliers (David Bowie) is captured by Japanese forces and held in a prison camp by the honor-bound Capt…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano

Directed By: Nagisa Ôshima

Critics Consensus: Private Benjamin proves a potent showcase for its Oscar-nominated star, with Hawn making the most of a story that rests almost completely on her daffily irresistible charm.

Synopsis: A Jewish-American princess, Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn), is devastated when her husband (Albert Brooks) drops dead on their wedding night. While she grieves a duplicitous… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Armand Assante, Robert Webber

Directed By: Howard Zieff, Goldie Hawn

Critics Consensus: Coming Home‘s stellar cast elevates the love triangle in the center of its story – and adds a necessary human component to its none-too-subtle political message.

Synopsis: The wife of a Marine serving in Vietnam, Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda) decides to volunteer at a local veterans hospital to occupy her time. There… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Robert Ginty

Directed By: Hal Ashby

Critics Consensus: Catch-22 takes entertainingly chaotic aim at the insanity of armed conflict, supported by a terrific cast and smart, funny work from Buck Henry and Mike Nichols.

Synopsis: This scathing war satire follows Capt. John Yossarian (Alan Arkin), a pilot stationed in the Mediterranean who flies bombing missions during World War II. Attempting… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alan Arkin, Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkel

Directed By: Mike Nichols

Critics Consensus: Gettysburg‘s reverent approach to history is balanced with the committed work of a talented cast – and the hard-hitting dramatization of a bloody turning point in the Civil War.

Synopsis: This war drama depicts one of the biggest events of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. The massive three-day conflict begins as Confederate… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang, Jeff Daniels

Directed By: Ronald F. Maxwell

Critics Consensus: Kelly’s Heroes subverts its World War II setting with pointed satirical commentary on modern military efforts, offering an entertaining hybrid of heist caper and battlefield action.

Synopsis: In the midst of World War II, an array of colorful American soldiers gets inside information from a drunk German officer about millions of dollars… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland

Directed By: Brian G. Hutton

Critics Consensus: While The King is sometimes less than the sum of its impressive parts, strong source material and gripping performances make this a period drama worth hailing.

Synopsis: Young Henry V encounters deceit, war and treachery after becoming king of England in the 15th century.

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Robert Pattinson

Directed By: David Michôd

Critics Consensus: The Wall makes the most of its limitations — albeit perhaps not quite enough to stretch its tight-focused action into a consistently gripping feature-length thriller.

Synopsis: U.S. soldiers Allan “Ize” Isaac and Shane Matthews answer a distress call in the desert of postwar Iraq. Suddenly, gunshots erupt, leaving Shane badly injured… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakli

Directed By: Doug Liman, Ray Angelic

Critics Consensus: Despite Kate Winslet’s superb portrayal, The Reader suggests an emotionally distant, Oscar-baiting historical drama.

Synopsis: Michael Berg (David Kross), a teen in postwar Germany, begins a passionate but clandestine affair with Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), an older woman who enjoys… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Lena Olin

Directed By: Stephen Daldry, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein

Critics Consensus: Though its muted storytelling keeps it from being the rousing epic it aspires to be, Young Washington delivers its portrait of America’s first president with earnest conviction, historical reverence, and rousing battle sequences.

Synopsis: Before he was the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting to survive. A single misstep thrusts young George Washington into the center… View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Franklyn-Miller, Mary-Louise Parker, Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis

Directed By: Jon Erwin

Critics Consensus: A simple-minded but visually exciting experience, full of blood, violence, and ready-made movie quotes.

Synopsis: In 480 B.C. a state of war exists between Persia, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Greece. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas (Gerard… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West

Directed By: Zack Snyder, Frank Miller, Deborah Snyder, Craig J. Flores