Top 10 Twentieth Century War Movies

Exploring the spiritual toll of killing for God and country in the Pacific Islands, this film poetically intersperses the beauty of nature with the immense meaningless destruction of man. And it does this while simultaneously exploring the various viewpoints and beliefs of C-Company.

Several young men enlist in Australian during the First World War. Soon after, they lose all sense of innocence and purpose as they begin a futile attack at the Battle of Nek.

Following the Nazi invasion of Stalingrad, a Russian sniper must confront his German counterpart in the leveled city ruins. In the process, this war tale became one of the most intense games of cat and mouse on the battlefield.

Steven Spielberg’s World War II opus showcased boatloads of soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy. With gritty, sped-up cinematography and handheld camerawork, this film realistically captured the historical battle’s sense of outright confusion and bloodshed.

A naive college dropout volunteers for duty in Vietnam, only to discover that war brings out the very worst in human nature.

The film tells the story of the Allies attempt to break through German lines and seize several bridges, in order to outflank them. Mostly successful, they soon discover that they were overly ambitious in their goals.

Stanley Kubrick’s dark comedy is one of the most critical takes on the creation of America's homegrown killing machines. Plus, no one can forget the film’s drill instructor, the most foul-mouthed and scariest caricatures of a military man ever recorded.

Despite its age, this 1930 Oscar winner still has the power to move its viewers to tears. Focusing on a group of young German students who believe that war is heroic, they enlist in World War I only to discover its brutality has replaced any sense of glory.

This World War I melodrama details the power gap between officers and the men who serve under them. Centered on a general’s order for his regiment to carry out a suicide mission, they refuse and are labeled as cowards. Sadly, even Kirk Douglas’ sympathetic colonel cannot save the men from a firing squad.

Francis Ford Coppola trades in the realism for an overwhelming sense of madness. The result is our top film choice, a picture that forever linked Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" to the battlefield and the horrors of warfare. And no one can forget the battle hungry Colonel’s love for the "smell of Napalm in the morning."