Top 10 Best War Documentaries

The conflict in Vietnam has long been a subject of varying documentarian viewpoints, from 1967’s “Far from Vietnam” to 1974’s “Hearts and Minds.” “In the Year of the Pig,” from 1968, was controversial right from the jump. This was thanks to accusations that its director, Emile de Antonio, possessed leftist sympathy, an accusation that de Antonio didn’t attempt to deflect or avoid. “In the Year of the Pig” brings up an important question that comes up again and again with documentaries, and that is bias. Even the most objective of documentarians, such as Frederick Wiseman, has been accused of carrying certain messages within his films. “In the Year of the Pig” feels both decidedly anti-war and critical of American policy within that war. And it feels by design.

The movie-viewing experience can be very different for a lot of people and can change, depending on where you happen to be in your life. Parents, for example, will likely be deeply moved by 2019’s “For Sama,” perhaps even more than those without children. This is due to how director Waad Al-Kateab frames “For Sama” as a harrowing true story about her life amidst the 2011 Syrian Revolution. This documentary takes viewers on an emotional journey where Al-Kateab faces some truly heavy questions, as she and her husband attempt to care for a young child in a very chaotic atmosphere. “For Sama” pulls at the heartstrings while also pulling no punches about how war is hell, and how it takes a toll upon families everywhere.

“No End in Sight'' takes on another comparatively recent military conflict, the Iraq War. Specifically, director Charles Ferguson places the administration of George W. Bush straight within his documentarian crosshairs. Remember what we said earlier regarding bias? “No End in Sight'' makes no bones about how it wants to expose all of the perceived wrongdoing and blunders that went on during the American occupation of Iraq. It does so with informative insight, along with engaging interviews that detail some of the inner workings of the war’s timeline, from beginning to end. Be warned, however, because many of the accusations and revelations contained within “No End in Sight'' can feel positively infuriating.

It’s fairly commonplace today for even the fluffiest of Netflix documentaries to feature some sort of animated section to help carry its visual aesthetic. This doesn’t always sit well with some, including documentary buffs who feel that the medium can occasionally dilute the message at hand. Thankfully this is NOT the case with 2008’s “Waltz with Bashir,” primarily because the end result is so engaging. This is despite the film’s controversial reputation within Lebanon and other Arab nations, where it is often banned. “Waltz with Bashir” tells the story of writer/director Ari Folman’s time as a soldier during the Lebanon War (also known as “The Invasion” from the Lebanese perspective), and does so in a fashion that felt groundbreaking, both in 2008 and now.

Not every war documentary necessarily follows soldiers on the battlefield. Others, such as 2015’s “Frame by Frame,” document photojournalism in war-torn countries. This film focuses specifically on Afghanistan, where a new generation of homegrown photojournalists are attempting to navigate a new world after the Taliban fell out of power in 2001. “Frame By Frame” utilizes archival footage that paints a picture of an Afghanistan where photography was outlawed under Taliban law. It then juxtaposes this against four photojournalists who aren’t only exploring a newly free press in their country, but balancing that freedom against their status as women, as well. It’s sincerely fascinating and captivating stuff.

There is a lot to emotionally unpack with regard to Japanese culture in the aftermath of World War II. From the analogy of 1954’s “Godzilla” and the horrors of nuclear war to the other violent atrocities committed within the Pacific Theatre of that war. “The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On” takes this very large conceptual umbrella and attempts to make it personal, following the journey of one Kenzō Okuzaki, a former Japanese soldier who is seeking answers to the wartime deaths of his comrades. The film is charged with pathos and anger, and drives home the point that even the biggest of wars were macrocosms consisting of smaller, yet no less powerful, stories.

“Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers” makes a perfect “feel bad” sort of double feature with the aforementioned “No End in Sight.” This isn’t only due to the crossover of their content, but also how both films can evoke some righteous anger and indignation within the viewer. This doc from 2006 really narrows its focus upon four private companies and criticizes their policies and actions during the Iraq War. Blackwater, Titan, Halliburton, and CACI are all set within this film’s crosshairs, and are presented as companies that put profits over human life at every step of the way. “Iraq for Sale” also hypothesizes how some very high-profile and important political dots could be connected to better illustrate the map of those at the very top.

Graphic, often disturbing content can often accompany even the most venerable of war documentaries. “Night and Fog” from 1956 may be over fifty years old, but the severity of its content is arguably unparalleled, even by modern standards. This French film vacillates back and forth between contemporary footage of German concentration camps, and some of the most disturbing images of the Holocaust ever put to celluloid. “Night and Fog” isn’t even an hour long, yet it still possesses enough power and shock value to leave viewers reeling from its nightmarish imagery. This film is not for the faint of heart, yet remains essential viewing to underline one very important sentiment with regards to World War II: Never. Again.

The stories of those who served in World War I received a new lease on life from director Peter Jackson, and his 2018 documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old.” Jackson was able to enhance and colorize centennial footage from The Great War, and combine it with audio interviews adapted from BBC archives. The end result is both revelatory and immensely powerful, as “They Shall Not Grow Old” places viewers directly within these soldiers’ military experiences, from basic training and camp life to the absolute horror that was “going over the top.” Seeing these soldiers as they ensure some of the most traumatic situations ever experienced doesn’t get any easier, even a hundred years later.

“The Sorrow and the Pity” is over four hours long, but make no mistake: this film is absolutely worth your time. Investing in “The Sorrow and the Pity” is to stare straight into the abyss of one of humanity’s darkest periods. Director Marcel Ophuls examines how France’s Vichy government collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II, and does so with a balanced and measured look into the human psyche. “The Sorrow and the Pity” shines a light upon the Venn Diagram of issues that brought France and Germany together during the war, and does so in a manner that has rarely been equaled, then or now.