Top 10 Cold War Movies
The arms race, the space race, international espionage and an on-going threat of worldwide nuclear destruction, the Cold War was as fascinating as it was frightening, making it the perfect fodder for some brilliant filmmaking. In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com counts down our picks for the top 10 Cold War movies. For this list, we picked films that were either a product of the period or offered a valuable retrospect of that day and age. In each case, these films aptly reflect the real fears, convoluted paranoia and difficult paradoxes that characterized this troubling period in our recent history.
Special thanks to our users jkellis and Hilda van der Heide for submitting the idea on our Suggest Page at WatchMojo.comsuggest
#10: “The Bedford Incident” (1965)
The Cold War turns hot in the Arctic Ocean. Photographer Ben Munceford boards the USS Bedford for a feature piece on its captain, Eric Finlander. But when Finlander’s crew detects a soviet sub beyond international boundaries, Munceford watches the hard-lined captain come unhinged, hunting down the enemy, risking his crew and his country’s precarious peace. Loosely based on historical events, “The Bedford Incident” demonstrates the danger of giving too much power to one man.
#9: “Good Night, and Good Luck.” (2005)
This film managed to portray television as a tool for education and change. Edward R. Murrow was the intrepid journalist who challenged Senator Joseph McCarthy and his notorious anti-communist witch-hunt on his show “See It Now.” Capturing a small but significant moment at the height of the Cold War, this film blends historical re-enactment with archival footage to explore the complex interrelationships between political ideologues, corporate interests, and reporters struggling to fulfill their journalistic responsibilities in a period of suspicion, uncertainty and fear.
#8: “Fail-Safe” (1964)
A routine military exercise runs awry and an American president must make the impossible choice… or face nuclear annihilation. A bona fide classic, this Cold-War thriller depicts the catch-22 scenario of full-blown warfare between two Cold War superpowers. Released just two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, “Fail-Safe” depicts the worst case scenario of what could have been, illustrating that when there’s a nuclear arms build-up any country’s “fail-safe” will never be safe enough.
#7: “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” (1965)
Based on a spy book that was actually written by a spy, this film follows Secret Agent Alec Leamas as he stealthily executes an elaborate ruse to undermine enemy operations and rescue a British intelligence officer from behind the Iron Curtain. Filled with suspenseful plot twists and a little idealistic love, this film forgoes Hollywood-style heroism in the interest of a harsher, grittier picture of the secret world that a Cold War spy must navigate and survive.
#6: “The Lives of Others” (2006)
Georg Dreyman is a celebrated East German playwright loyal to his country and its cause. Captain Gerd Wiesler is the diligent Stasi agent who spies on him. Set in 1984, this beautiful, bleak film explores the intersecting lives of two men who struggle to survive in the Orwellian world behind the Iron Curtain. Praised by those who actually lived through the period, this film captures the tension, fear and paranoia of a not so far off past.
#5: “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (2011)
There’s a rat at the “circus” and George Smiley must find it. Like “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,” it’s based on a John le Carré novel; but “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” enters the clandestine operations of the British Intelligence Service. Calculated manoeuvring and double-crosses are punctuated by gruesome violence and star-crossed love. A cerebral thriller where the heroes look less like James Bond and more like your dad, this is a fascinating look at the murky world of Cold-War espionage – no glitz, just guts.
#4: “WarGames” (1983)
A high school computer genius hacks into the American military mainframe and inadvertently starts WWIII! Yes, that is actually the premise of this movie. Though it’s got a seemingly out-there plot, “WarGames” does explore the significant quandaries and real fears of the Cold War period – the never-ending arms race, the potentially devastating effects of simple human folly, and the frightening possibilities of artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, it’s just believable enough to be really scary; but just thrilling enough to be really entertaining.
#3: “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962)
With brainwashed soldiers, karate kicking spies, dubious politicians, and one overbearing mother, “The Manchurian Candidate” is a movie which both reflects and parodies the Cold War paranoia of 1960s America. A box office success when first released, it received mixed reviews from critics who found the plot too outlandish. But with some of the more farcical elements shown to be frighteningly close to historical reality, this film has aged well, becoming a true Cold War classic.
#2: “The Hunt for Red October” (1990)
Jack Ryan is the brilliant CIA analyst tasked with deciphering the curious actions of Marko Ramius, a Soviet commander who’s taken his nuclear-armed submarine off course, and is headed for the U.S. Is this the start to WWIII or something a little more complicated? An action flick at its heart, this movie shows the complex diplomatic workings of Cold-War superpowers and the challenges faced by people stuck in the middle.
Before we unveil our pick for number one, here are a few honourable mentions:
- “Red Dawn” (1984)
- “Thirteen Days” (2000)
- “From Russia with Love” (1963)
- “Rocky IV” (1985)
- “The Day After” (1983)
#1: “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)
Classic! An army General has lost his mind. A B52 has lost its radio. Has everyone lost control? Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece depicts the frightening paradox of Cold War warfare; the mutual destruction of East and West as seen through the comedic lens of the mutually absurd. Released in 1964, “Dr. Strangelove” was a biting commentary on the political environment of the period and is now universally regarded as one of the best Cold War films ever made.
Do you agree with our list? Which film made you want to cower under a table? For more entertaining top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
