Cinema
2022 Highest Grossing Movies Worldwide
2022 was a memorable year for the silver screen, as some of the highest-grossing films attracted enormous crowds back to theaters throughout the year. It seems that the delight of viewing fascinating tales on the big screen returned with a boom after two years of repression due to the epidemic. Films performed brisk business and gave the cinematic experience a fresh lease of life. Let’s take a look at the top 10 cinemas worldwide that made highest earning in 2022.
World’s Top 10 Highest Grossing Films in 2022
Top Gun
The picture had a budget of 170 million dollars, but it grossed approximately $1.5 billion worldwide; thus, it was certain to be profitable. Top Gun: Maverick has already moved up to the 10th spot on the list of the highest-grossing films of all time, dislodging Furious 7.
It has been speculated that Miles Teller will play the lead role in a new installment of the Top Gun series that will be dubbed Top Gun: Rooster. It would seem that Tom Cruise and Joseph Kosinski, who is a filmmaker, are also participating. It is hoped that this time, Maverick and Rooster will be successful in tracking down the Russians. The movie was released on 27th May, 2022, and collected $126,707,459 in the opening weekend.
The movie got an overall score of 8.4 out of 10 on IMDb, and its cast includes Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, and Val Kilmer.
Read More: 5 Must-watch Hrithik Roshan Movies
Avatar: The Way of Water
The second installment in James Cameron's epic Avatar trilogy, The Way of Water premiered on 6th December 2022 in London and later it got the theatrical release in the USA on 16th December. It received an enormous response from the audience and earned $134,100,226 in the opening weekend.
It follows Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaa), the protagonists from the previous film, as they explore the waters of the planet Pandora with their family.
The sequel, which has been universally praised by reviewers, is predicted to earn between $1.6 billion and $1.9 billion by the conclusion of its theatrical run, according to reports. The movie is running with a 7.9 rating on IMDb. Apart from the protagonists, the movie also stars Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang.
Read More: Siam in line for first National Award, Nonajoler Kabbo to win big
Jurassic World Dominion
Dinosaurs and humans are compelled to coexist four years after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), which leads to multiple encounters that are hazardous to both species. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) must put their lives in danger to defend everyone they care about, even dinosaurs, as human greed introduces a new threat.
Jurassic Park: Dominion, theatrically released on 10th June 2022, made $145,075,625 in the opening weekend. It is praised for reuniting three of the movie's most well-known stars: Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill. It has earned around $1 billion world wide with an IMDb 5.6 rating.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The 28th movie in the MCU is a follow-up to Doctor Strange and is directed by Sam Raimi. Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and WandaVision (2021).
Strange and Chavez seek assistance from other sorcerers, notably Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), to fight an unidentified foe after sensing a greater danger to all worlds. The movie has an overall score of 6.9 out of 10 on IMDb and collected $187,420,998 on the opening weekend after it hit theaters on 6th May, 2022.
Read More: ‘I wasn’t necessarily acting’: Chanchal Chowdhury on ‘Karagar-2’
Minions: The Rise of Gru
The Rise of Gru is the highest-grossing animated picture released on 1st July 2022, surpassing even the widely anticipated, high-budgeted live-action feature The Batman. It has an opening weekend collection of $107,000,000. It has multiple directors like Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, and Jonathan del Val.
The comedy series is about 12-year-old Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) and his troop of charming yellow critters called Minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin for multiple characters). Gru wants to become a supervillain, but he becomes caught in a plot. It is then up to his subordinates to save their leader. The Rise of Gru ended with a total $939M and a 6.6 IMDb rating.
Roni Bhowmik’s New Short Film ‘Chakrakar’ released by Vivo
Roni Bhowmik directed short film ‘Chakrakar’ has recently been released by international smartphone brand Vivo Bangladesh, which has been shot on its latest flagship device Vivo X80 5G.
Receiving overwhelming responses on social media, the short film has been released on Vivo Bangladesh Facebook page.
Apart from its making, story, and acting; the most jaw-dropping surprise is that this short film has been made with the Vivo X80 5G smartphone, according to Vivo Bangladesh. Filmmaker Roni Bhowmik worked on this short film, as a part of vivo X80 5G campaign.
‘Chakrakar’ has been shot in different locations of Dhaka and Chattogram. The story revolves around a suburban middle-class family. It illustrates mother-son relationship, their mutual love and care and a sudden attack of Alzheimer's disease.
Read: Short film 'A Happy Man' shot entirely on vivo X70 Pro 5G
Popular actors Afsana Mimi, Yash Rohan, Nova Firoz and Aryan Mohammad Dihan acted in the short film. Alongside direction Roni Bhowmik has written the screenplay and Mohammad Towkir Islam did the cinematography.
Regarding this project, Roni Bhowmik said, “The advantage of shooting with a phone is that, since it is very easy to use, one can take multiple dynamic shots. My experience of shooting with a phone is pretty new. It is a bit challenging for people who work professionally."
"New filmmakers who want to tell stories, can resort to a smartphone for visualizing their stories. Young filmmakers can easily present their contents to the audience without bothering about large arrangements," he added.
Showcasing beautiful Bangladesh, ‘Raat Jaga Phool’ to hit the theatre on Dec 31
Portraying the picturesque rural and urban beauty of Bangladesh, popular actor Mir Sabbir’s film ‘Raat Jaga Phool’ is scheduled to be released on New Year’s Eve this Friday across the country, making it the very last release in 2021.
A storyteller by passion, the popular actor has been directing television plays and drama serials for a long time in his two-decades-long career in television. He left no stone unturned for his debut film as its director, actor lyricist and producer.
Talking to the journos at a press conference arranged at the Dhaka Club on Wednesday evening, Mir Sabbir alongside his cast and crew members described the journey behind the film, which has already created a buzz in the cinema sphere for its subtle, beautiful and promising presentation through its trailer, songs and unique promotional campaigns.
“This was certainly a great challenge for me and my team. As it is already known to all that we got Tk 60 lakh from the government as a grant, however, we had to add a lot more to our budget because I wholeheartedly wanted to make this film as enthralling as possible, for our beloved moviegoers,” Sabbir said at the press conference.
READ: 'Shaan' gets Censor Board clearance
With an ensemble cast featuring Mir Sabbir as ‘Roiss,’ the main protagonist of the film, alongside new generation actors Rashed Mamun Apu, Miss World Bangladesh 2018 Jannatul Ferdous Oishee, Abu Hurayra Tanvir, Tanin Tanha, Shahid Shahriar with seasoned actors Fazlur Rahman Babu, Dilara Zaman, Sharmilee Ahmed, Joyraj, Dr Ezaz, Naresh Bhuiyan, Ahsanul Haq Minu and more - the film has already created high expectations among the audiences before its release.
When UNB asked Sabbir about the idea behind the selection of this ensemble cast, Sabbir said: “I have been moving with the story of ‘Raat Jaga Phool’ with myself for a very long time, and when it came to select the casting, my imagination matched with these popular and versatile actors. We all have truly worked not just as co-workers but a family for the entire period of this beautiful journey.“
2021, the year a stricken film industry rose like the phoenix
After suffering the wrath of the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 for the majority of the past two years, the film industry in Bangladesh finally made its long-awaited glorious comeback this year with a handful of quality films and queues for tickets outside the cinema halls.
The “almost dying industry,” according to many tired and retired moviegoers and industry-experts, observed the return of the cinephiles at the multiplexes and cinema halls across the country, celebrating a few major releases - which set the year on a restarting mode, seeking an even better future.
According to the data collected from the producers, distributors and cinema hall authorities across the country, there are less than 60 active cinema halls currently showcasing films in Bangladesh. The number is astonishingly poor, considering the fact that Bangladesh had approximately 250 active cinema halls before the pandemic, and more than a thousand running halls back in the 90’s.
It is an undeniable fact that the cinema industry around the world suffered the havoc of the pandemic; however, the situation in Bangladesh had been worsening for such a long time even before the pandemic. The industry drastically drowned during the pandemic lockdown without the presence of in-house audiences, the bloodstream in the vessels of the entertainment industry through the cinema halls.
That being said, there was a lack of quality content over the years which did not thrive the moviegoers to the theatres, and thankfully that situation got slightly improved this year with the arrival of a good number of quality movies.
Read: Rickshaw Girl: A Movie by Amitabh Reza won Award in International Film Festival
Undoubtedly, the trailblazing film for this year has been the much talked about and several accolades conquering film ‘Rehana Maryam Noor’. The second directorial venture of talented filmmaker Abdullah Mohammad Saad earned the glory of becoming the first Bangladeshi film showcased in the prestigious Un Certain Regard category at the 74th Cannes International Film Festival this year.
After being screened at the Sal Dubusi Theater in the Cane Pale Do Festival building on July 7, the film finally hit the silver screens across the country on November 12, and till now the Azmeri Haque Badhon starrer film is enthralling the local and international cinephiles and bagging awards all over the world, namely the "Best Actress" award for Badhon at the 14th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) for her stellar performance, while director Saad received the “Jury Grand Prize”. The film has also bagged the "New Talent Award" at the HongKong Asian Film Festival 2021, “Best Actress” award for Badhon at the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival 2021 and more, while also being nominated for the official nomination from Bangladesh for the Oscar 2022.
Another film which has similarly created the buzz around the world was young filmmaker Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's maiden film 'Nonajoler Kabbo’ (The Salt in our Waters), released for the moviegoers in Bangladesh on November 26. Regarding the film's unique and heart-warming promotional activities, Sumit told UNB: "We have successfully organised 3 screening sessions on November 23 and 24, as part of our coastal screening in Patuakhali, honouring the fact that the film is made on the life of our coastal fishing community - so they were the first ones to watch it in the country, as per my commitment to the community. The area which we used for the shooting, a remote fishing community in Patuakhali, has lost its existence due to river erosion. They were as emotional to see the land and story of their lives unfold on the silver screen, and it was emotional for me as well, also because of my 7 years long journey behind this dream project.”
DU seminar: Revolutionise cinema for evolution of reflective films
Reflective cinema creates political awareness, and for the evolution of such cinemas Bangladesh needs a revolution in films, said Dr Naadir Junaid, professor of Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Dhaka University in a talk on Thursday.
“Along with that, the government's interest is also needed”, he said at a seminar titled,” Thoughtfulness and political awareness in Bangladeshi cinema,” arranged by the Higher Social Science Research Center on the campus.
Prof Junaid said it is necessary to evaluate Bangladesh’s success in making reflective or thoughtful films after the liberation war.
It’s necessary to take up risk for realistic filmmaking, he said. He mentioned how Zahir Raihan had taken risk by making metaphorically political film “Jibon Theke Neya’ in then-East Pakistan and Tareque Masud by making “Matir Moyna” in independent Bangladesh.
Read: IAFM plans to produce 13 full-length films in 2022
“Even Satyajit Ray had to hear many times who would go to watch an 80-year-old woman in a song-less, dance-less film. Many times, the production of his masterpiece ‘Pother Panchali’ got hindered due to financial crisis but he didn’t compromise a bit with his film’s high artistic value.”
He said a film becomes reflective and political when a filmmaker, aesthetically through new and attractive filmmaking or film language, presents a story that reflects the depth of thoughts.
As one can’t make such films following typical formats and methods, reflective cinemas doesn’t prioritize commercial success, said Junaid
He questioned the audience whether any contemporary film in Bangladesh has challenged the ongoing issues of corruption, persecution of minorities, religious bigotry and intolerance, disinterest to learn history in youth, tailgating behind powerful people.
He mentioned films like ‘Dhire Bohe Meghna’ ( 1973), Surjo Konna (1975), ‘Rupali Soikot’ (1979) that have addressed issues of dilemma, depression of society of that time, the weak position of women in a patriarchal society, military regime, and political protests and thus created political awareness in the audience.
Read: Three Bangladeshi films selected for Busan International Film Festival
The seminar was presided over by Dr Zia Rahman, director of the research center and professor of the Criminology department while Dr AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, professor of the department of Television, Film and Photography was another key speaker.
Dr Shafiul Alam said film is a powerful mass medium to create political awareness and comedy can be used for that too if done in an unconventional way.
“It has become a challenge for the filmmakers nowadays to come out of the trend of following shallow scripts aiming at only earning money and making political cinema,” he said.
Disney’s 'Eternals' tops domestic box office for 2nd weekend
Disney and Marvel’s “Eternals” took a steep drop in its second weekend in theaters, but it’s still hanging on to first place ahead of newcomers like “Clifford the Big Red Dog.”
“Eternals” added $27.5 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $118.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film, directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao and starring Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani and Gemma Chan, fell 61% from its debut. Though not uncommon for a big superhero tentpole, it was significantly steeper than the 52% drop seen by the last Disney and Marvel offering, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Both played exclusively in theaters, but the main difference is that “Shang-Chi” simply got better ratings from audiences and critics. “Shang-Chi” also became available to stream on Disney+ this weekend. “Eternals” has made $281.4 million globally to date.
Read: 'Sesame Street' debuts Asian American muppet
Second place went to “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” which opened in theaters during the week and was also available to stream at home for Paramount+ subscribers. It made an estimated $16.4 million from 3,700 theaters over the weekend and $22 million across its five days in release.
Though critics were not impressed (it has a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences were more forgiving, giving it a promising A CinemaScore. And “Clifford” managed to do this in the face of uncertain moviegoing conditions for families.
“There’s been a lot of talk about family audiences and whether or not they want to go to the movie theater," said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “I think this is a really solid debut. It shows there is a demand for family films on the small screen and the big screen."
Blockbusters rounded out the top five with “Dune” in third place with $5.5 million, “No Time to Die” in fourth with $4.6 million and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” in fifth with $4 million. Notably, “Venom 2” this weekend became only the second pandemic-era film to cross the $200 million mark at the domestic box office. The other was “Shang-Chi.”
More and more awards hopefuls are entering the specialty box office as well, and many are making their way into the top 10. This weekend Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film “Belfast” made $1.8 million from 580 screens in its debut. In its second weekend, “Spencer,” featuring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, pulled in $1.5 million from 1,265 screens. And even in its fourth weekend, Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch" continues to do well, adding $1.8 million and bringing its total to $11.6 million.
Outside the top 10, the Julia Child documentary “Julia” opened on five screens to $20,796.
“These films are in fewer theaters, but there is a demand for independent film which is one of the categories that everyone thought would be really hurt by the pandemic,” said Dergarabedian. “We’re really seeing signs of a much more normalized marketplace."
Read:Now silent under Taliban, a Kabul cinema awaits its fate
Next weekend, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” faces off against the Will Smith awards hopeful “King Richard.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Eternals,” $27.5 million.
2. “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” $16.4 million.
3. “Dune,” $5.5 million.
4. “No Time to Die,” $4.6 million.
5. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $4 million.
6. “Ron’s Gone Wrong,” $2.2 million.
7. “The French Dispatch,” $1.8 million.
8. “Belfast,” $1.8 million.
9. “Spencer,” $1.5 million.
10. “Antlers,” $1.2 million.
Now silent under Taliban, a Kabul cinema awaits its fate
The cool 1960s-style lines of the Ariana Cinema’s marquee stand out over a traffic-clogged roundabout in downtown Kabul. For decades, the historic cinema has entertained Afghans and borne witness to Afghanistan’s wars, hopes and cultural shifts.
Now the marquee is stripped of the posters of Bollywood movies and American action flicks that used to adorn it. The gates are closed.
After recapturing power three months ago, the Taliban ordered the Ariana and other cinemas to stop operating. The Islamic militant guerrillas-turned-rulers say they have yet to decide whether they will allow movies in Afghanistan.
Like the rest of the country, the Ariana is in a strange limbo, waiting to see how the Taliban will rule.
The cinema’s nearly 20 employees, all men, still show up at work, logging in their attendance in hopes they will eventually get paid. The landmark Ariana, one of only four cinemas in the capital, is owned by the Kabul municipality, so its employees are government workers and remain on the payroll.
The men while away the hours. They hang out in the abandoned ticket booth or stroll the Ariana’s curving corridors. Rows of plush red seats sit in silent darkness.
The Ariana’s director, Asita Ferdous, the first woman in the post, is not even allowed to enter the cinema. The Taliban ordered female government employees to stay away from their workplaces so they don’t mix with men, until they determine whether they will be allowed to work.
The 26-year-old Ferdous is part of a post-2001 generation of young Afghans determined to carve out a greater space for women’s rights. The Taliban takeover has wrecked their hopes. Also a painter and sculptor, she now stays at home.
Read: Taliban says US will provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
“I spend time doing sketches, drawing, just to keep practicing,” she said. “I can’t do exhibitions anymore.”
During their previous time in power from 1996-2001, the Taliban imposed a radical interpretation of Islamic law forbidding women from working or going to school — or even leaving home in many cases — and forcing men to grow beards and attend prayers. They banned music and other art, including movies and cinema.
Under international pressure, the Taliban now say they have changed. But they have been vague about what they will or won’t allow. That has put many Afghans’ lives — and livelihoods — on hold.
For the Ariana, it is another chapter in a tumultuous six-decade history.
The Ariana opened in 1963. Its sleek architecture mirrored the modernizing spirit that the then-ruling monarchy was trying to bring to the deeply traditional nation.
Kabul resident Ziba Niazai recalled going to the Ariana in the late 1980s, during the rule of Soviet-backed President Najibullah, when there were more than 30 cinemas around the country.
For her, it was an entry to a different world. She had just married, and her new husband brought her from their home village in the mountains to Kabul, where he had a job in the Finance Ministry. She was alone in the house all day while he was at the office.
But when he got off work, they often went together to the Ariana for a Bollywood movie.
After years of communist rule, it was a more secular era than recent decades, at least for a narrow urban elite.
“We had no hijab at that time,” said Niazai, now in her late 50s, referring to the headscarf. Many couples went to the cinema, and “there wasn’t even a separate section, you could sit wherever you wanted.”
At the time, war raged across the country as Najibullah’s government battled an American-backed coalition of warlords and Islamic militants. The mujahedeen toppled him in 1992. Then they turned on each other in a fight for power that demolished Kabul and killed thousands of people caught in the crossfire.
The Ariana was heavily damaged, along with most of the surrounding neighborhood, in the frequent bombardments and gunbattles.
It lay abandoned in ruins for years, as the Taliban drove out the mujahedeen and took over Kabul in 1996. Whatever cinemas survived around Kabul were shuttered.
The Ariana’s revival came after the Taliban’s ouster in the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. The French government helped rebuild the cinema in 2004, part of the flood of billions of dollars of international aid that attempted to reshape Afghanistan over the next 20 years.
With the Taliban gone, cinema saw a new burst of popularity.
Read:Taliban say they won’t work with US to contain Islamic State
Indian movies were always the biggest draw at the Ariana, as were action movies, particularly those featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, said Abdul Malik Wahidi, in charge of tickets. As Afghanistan’s domestic film industry revived, the Ariana played the handful of Afghan movies produced each year.
They had three showings a day, ending in the mid-afternoon, at 50 afghanis a ticket — about 50 cents. Audiences were overwhelmingly men. In Afghanistan’s conservative society, cinemas were seen as a male space, and few women attended.
Wahidi recalled how he and other staffers had to preview all foreign films to weed out those with scenes considered too racy — with couples kissing or women showing too much skin, for example.
Letting something slip through could bring the wrath of some movie-goers. Offended audiences were known to hurl objects at the screen, though it didn’t happen at the Ariana, Wahidi said. He remembered one patron at the Ariana, outraged by a scene, storming out and shouting at him, “How can you show pornography?”
Ferdous was appointed as the Ariana’s director just over a year ago. She previously led the Kabul municipality’s Gender Equality division, where she had worked to gain equal pay for women employees and install women as senior officers in the capital’s district police departments.
When she came to the Ariana, the male staff were surprised, “but they have been very cooperative and have worked well with me.”
She focused on making the cinema more welcoming to women. They dedicated one side of the auditorium for couples and families where women could sit. Those entering the cinema had to be patted down by guards as a security measure, and Ferdous brought in a female guard so women patrons would feel more comfortable.
Couples began coming regularly, she said. In March 2021, the cinema hosted a festival of Afghan films that proved very popular, attended by Afghan actors who held talks with the audiences.
Now it has all been brought to a halt, and the Ariana’s staff is left not knowing their fate. The male employees have received part of their salaries since the Taliban takeover. Ferdous said she has received no salary at all.
“It is women who suffer the most. Women are just asking for their right to work,” she said. “If they are not allowed, their economic situation will only get worse.”
Inanullah Amany, the general director of the Kabul Municipality’s cultural department, said that if the Taliban do ban movies, the Ariana’s employees could be transferred to other municipal jobs. Or they could be dismissed.
The staff said they couldn’t even guess what the Taliban will decide, but none held out much hope they would allow movies.
That would be a loss, said Rahmatullah Ezati, the Ariana’s chief projectionist.
“If a country doesn’t have cinema, then there’s no culture. Through cinema, we’ve seen other countries like Europe, U.S. and India.”
National Film Awards 2020 sees lowest submissions in recent years
The National Film Awards 2020 has received only 27 film submissions this year, the lowest in recent years.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which presents the awards every year to encourage filmmaking, called for film submissions in August, and the deadline ended Sunday.
Md Mominul Haque, the secretary of the Bangladesh Film Censor Board, said 27 films were submitted, including 14 full-length, seven short and six documentary films.
For the 2019 awards, 43 movies were submitted, including 29 full-length, 11 short-length, and three documentary films, he said. "The ongoing pandemic and the closure of major cinema halls amid repeated lockdowns were the main reasons behind the low submissions."
The full-length films submitted for the award are "Bir," "Shahenshah," "Gor (The Grave), "A Great Leader," "Holud Boni," "Gondi," "Unoponchash Batash," "Rupsha Nadir Banke," "Amar Maa," "Chal Jai," "Joy Nogor er Zamindar," "Subarnarekha," "Hridoy Jure" and "Bishwoshundori."
"Kothay Pabo Tare," "Ator," "Fera," "Shada Golap," "Arang," "The Squares," and "Amar Babar Naam" are the short films.
The documentary submissions are "Swadhinatar Daakticket," "Rathyatrar Baki Itihash," "Political Life of Bangabandhu and Emergence of Bangladesh," "Biography of Nazrul," "The Front Pearsman Fazlul Haque" and "Neel Mukut. "
The National Film Awards are given in 28 categories – lifetime achievement, best film, best short film, best documentary, best film director, best actor (leading), best actress (leading), best actor (leading), best actress (supporting), best actor-actress (antagonist), best actor-actress (comedy), best child artist, a special award in the child artist category, best music director, best choreographer, best singer, best singer, best lyricist, best composer, best storyteller, best screenwriter, best dialogue writer, best editor, best art director, best cinematographer, best photographer, best costume designer and best decorator.
Greatest War Movies of All-times: Be the Witness of the Historical Warfares
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.
Read Greatest Business Movies for Entrepreneurs: Inspiration to Start Something New
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.
Read: Best Olympic Movies of All Time: The Greatest Films Enlightening the Kingdom of Olympians
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.
Read Best Sports Movies of All-times: Where the Cinephilia Meets the Sports Mania
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.
Read Greatest Thriller Movies of All Times: Suspense that can mess with your mind
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.
Read: Greatest Biographical Movies Ever Made in History
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.
Read Greatest Animated Films Ever: The Animation movies that will never lose charm
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.
Read Best Action Movies Ever Made in Film Industries Worldwide
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.
Read: Best Sci-Fi Movies Ever: The Catalysts of Unleashing the Boundless Imagination
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.
Read Best Comedy Movies of All Time: Humour in Films through Century
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.
Cinema preserves time through narrating real-life stories: KM Khalid
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said that film is an important medium of art and culture, especially in today's world that is largely regulated by social media platforms.
“Film is a very timely medium of entertainment and universally admired as the most engaging and close medium for projecting life as realistically as possible through reflecting the joys-sorrows-laughter and tears, within a limited timeframe”.
The State Minister made his remarks while inaugurating the 3rd Bangladesh Short film and Documentary Festival 2021 on Friday, as the chief guest at the virtual inauguration ceremony.
Mentioning Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA)’s various activities in the medium of cinema, KM Khalid said, “BSA has been conducting activities with films since its inception in 1974. As part of its continuation in upholding our films through connecting the filmmakers and audiences, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organized ‘Bangladesh Film Festival’ in 2015 and 2017, and 'Bangladesh Short Film and Documentary Festival' in 2016 and 2018, in 64 districts of the country simultaneously.”
Also read: Top 5 Most Followed Athletes Across Social Media Platforms
Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Badrul Arefin, noted filmmaker Amitabh Reza Chowdhury and prominent film scholar-researcher Anupam Hayat also joined the inauguration ceremony as special guests and shared their thoughts on this special festival.
Also read: The Cultural Hegemony of Social Media
BSA's Director of Theatre and Film department and prominent thespian Afsana Karim Mimi delivered the welcome speech at the inauguration ceremony, which was chaired by BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky. The inauguration ceremony was hosted by media personality Nabanita Chowdhury.