When you decide to watch a War movie, you have to be prepared to see the horrible truths. War movies can take you back to the scariest and saddest moments in history. Even the film industries also were the victims of the consequences of the war. After watching the most popular war movies, you may think that they are no less appalling than horror movies.
Top 10 Unforgettable Best War Movies across the Generation
Red Cliff | 2008-2009 | China | IMDb 7.4/10 (Red Cliff I), 7.6/10 (Red Cliff II)
This masterpiece was written by Sheng Heyu, Kuo Cheng, Chan Khan, and the film's director, John Woo. The film’s story originates from the historical battle between north and south china in Red Cliffs.
The masterpiece showcased the most impeccable strategies in medieval war. The film stars Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, and Fengyi Zhang.
Both versions won Hong Kong Film Award for the Best Sound Design.
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Brotherhood of War | 2004 | South Korean | IMDb 8/10
Han Ji-Hun, Kim Sang-Don, and Kang Je-Gyu, also the movie's director, wrote the screenplay of this war movie. The film, originally titled Taegukgi, dramatized a heartbreaking story of two brothers forced to join the Korean War.
The film, starring Jang Dong-gun and Won Bin, became the biggest hit during its releasing year.
Hong Kyung-Pyo won Grand Bell Award and Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best Cinematography. Moreover, this action film won Baeksang Arts Award and Asia Pacific Film Festival award as Best Film.
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The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1957 | UK | IMDb 8.1/10
The main concept of this film comes from Pierre Boulle's renowned novel published in 1952 with the same name. The story of the film centered on the historical Burma railway bridge during the 2nd World War.
Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson wrote the screenplay of this film in the direction of David Lean. The film stars Alec Guinness, William Holden, and Jack Hawkins.
This aesthetically significant movie won Oscar in seven categories out of eight nominations.
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Downfall | 2004 | Germany | IMDb 8.2/10
This movie, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and screenplay by Bernd Eichinger, was the most elegant presentation of the last moment of Adolf Hitler's life.
The film featured two books- Inside Hitler's Bunker (1947) by Joachim Fest and Until the Final Hour (2002-2003) by Traudl Junge and Melissa Muller. Bruno Ganz played Hitler in this biography film.
The film was first shown at the Toronto Film Festival in 2004. Despite all the controversies, Downfall got an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
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Come and See | 1985 | Russia | IMDb 8.3/10
The movie depicts the horrors of World War II in the eyes of an ordinary village boy who was forced to join soviet resistance against Nazi atrocities. The plot was taken from the book titled ‘I Am from the Fiery Village’ (1978) by Janka Bryl, Vladimir Kolesnikand Ales Adamovich. The film's director Elem Klimov along with Ales Adamovich scripted the film accordingly.
This film, starring Olga Mironova and Aleksei Kravchenko, contained a combination of hyper-realism, surrealism, and philosophical themes.
The film won the FIPRESCI and Golden prize at the Moscow International Film Festival.
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Ayla: The Daughter of War | 2017 | Turkey | IMDb 8.4/10
The film shows a sweet friendship between a little Korean girl and a Turkish soldier in the ravages of war. The screenplay writer Yigit Guralp portrays the Korean War in the background of the film in the direction of Can Ulkay.
Cetin Tekindor, Kyung-Jin Lee, and Ismail Hacioglu were in the film's prime casts.
The movie got the Audience Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival and Platinum Remi Award at WorldFest Houston as Best Foreign Language Film.
Grave of the Fireflies | 1988 | Japan | IMDb 8.5/10
This animated film, directed and screenplay by Isao Takahata, is one of the greatest war movies ever made. Based on Grave of the Fireflies, by Akiyuki Nosaka, this film focused on the adorable interaction between the two little siblings rather than the war violence.
Tsutomu Tatsumi and Ayano Shiraishi gave their voice in the film as siblings.
The film, centered on World War II, won the Animation Jury Award and Rights of the Child Award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.
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The Pianist | 2002 | German, France, Poland, UK | IMDb 8.5/10
This war drama features the memoir of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist who survived the Nazi Holocaust.
Ronald Harwood scripted the film under the direction of the influential filmmaker Roman Polanski. Adrien Brody played the pianist in this joint production of Poland, France, Germany, and the UK. Moreover, the film also stars Thomas Kretschmann and Frank Finlay.
This biographical movie bagged world-renowned awards, including three Oscar, a Palme d'Or, two BAFTA awards, and seven Cesar awards.
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Life Is Beautiful | 1997 | Italy | IMDb 8.6/10
The movie is about a cheerful Roman-Jewish man who presents the whole war as a fun game to his only little boy.
Vincenzo Cerami contributed to the screenplay with the film's director- Roberto Benigni. The film was inspired by ‘In the End, I Beat Hitler’ written by Rubino Romeo Salmonì and Benigni’s father. Here the authors shared their experience of the days of captivity in the Nazi concentration camp.
Benigni also starred in the film along with his wife, Nicoletta Braschi.
This Holocaust film won Oscar in three categories, including the one of Benigni as Best Actor.
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Schindler's List | 1993 | America | IMDb 8.9/10
This epic drama features the true story of Oskar Schindler, who rescued around a thousand Polish-Jewish prisoners from the Nazi Holocaust. The story originates from the booker prize-winning novel Schindler's Ark (1982) by Thomas Keneally. Steven Spielberg, one of the best filmmakers of all time, directed the film with the screenplay by Steven Zaillian.
This remarkable World War II movie stars Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley.
The film won Oscar in seven categories, including Best Picture out of twelve nominations.
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Summing up
These top-rated war movies have shown glimpses of bad times the whole world had gone through during different wars! Meanwhile, they point the grave mistakes behind it. Besides highlighting the facts, the films preach the message of love and sacrifice over greed and self-worship. Thus we can make this world livable for future generations.