Top 20 Most Accurate War Movies
#20: “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022)
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All three film adaptations of the famous 1929 anti-war novel “All Quiet on the Western Front” were award-winning critical successes. The original, released in 1930, was the first Best Picture winner based on a novel. Like its predecessors, the hit Netflix adaptation tells the story of Paul Bäumer: a German teenager swept up in patriotic fervor. Paul enlists in the German Imperial Army in 1917 and fights in World War I. Over the course of the film, his patriotism is tested as his innocence is deflated by the horrors of war. While the film was criticized for excluding some of the book’s geopolitical critiques, it was praised for its highly realistic battle sequences.
#19: “The Thin Red Line” (1998)
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“The Thin Red Line” is the second film adaptation of a novel about the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. It was also director Terrence Malick’s first film in 20 years. While not as much of a commercial success as other, similar movies, it was praised for its cinematography. Like many of Malick’s films, “The Thin Red Line” takes a philosophical tone. Malick viewed Guadalcanal as an Eden corrupted by the poison of war. The film is more poetic than most war movies. Malick chose to portray the violence indirectly, with damage inflicted on nature rather than human bodies. As one critic put it, “Some films deal in plot truth; this one expresses emotional truth, the heart's search for saving wisdom.”
#18: “Hacksaw Ridge” (2016)
“Hacksaw Ridge” is a biopic about Desmond Doss, the first Conscientious Objector to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor. Doss was a devout Seventh-Day Adventist, believing deeply in a life of non-violence. He became a combat medic and devoted his service to saving the lives of soldiers who had previously tormented him for his beliefs. The film takes a number of liberties with Doss’ life story and combat career. He actually earned two Bronze Stars before ever reaching Okinawa. It also compresses the timeline of the battle - Doss actually spent weeks saving lives, not days. Still, the movie is praised for the accuracy of its battle scenes, portraying the hell Doss crawled through to serve his country and his faith.
#17: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” (2003)
The British navy has been the focus of Napoleonic War fiction for decades, and with good reason. Napoleon was a military genius whose strategic prowess helped him conquer much of Europe. In many ways, the British Navy was the one thing between Napoleon and total victory. “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” is an on-screen adaptation of the Aubrey/Maturin novels, following the careers of a naval captain and his best friend and doctor. The movie is well-loved by war historians. The representation of life aboard a naval vessel is immaculate; “Master and Commander” displays the cramped living conditions and smoky chaos of a battle at sea better than most films that came before it.
#16: “Rescue Dawn” (2006)
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“Rescue Dawn” is a Vietnam War biopic directed by German director Werner Herzog. Based on a true story, “Rescue Dawn” follows Dieter Dengler, a German-American pilot. After getting shot down over Laos, Dengler was held captive and tortured for months. He and his fellow prisoners learn that the guards plan to execute them, so they effect an escape. Most of the other prisoners were either killed or never recovered. The families of other survivors excoriated Herzog for changing details about the other prisoners and the planning and execution of the escape. Still, there was overall agreement on the portrayal of the conditions the prisoners faced. By the time Dengler was rescued, he had lost almost one hundred pounds and was severely injured.
#15: “Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
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We don’t see much warfare until the second act of “Full Metal Jacket”, but the opening scenes are arguably even harder to watch, as a cruel drill instructor pushes one vulnerable private over the edge of sanity. Lee Ermey, who plays Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, was actually a drill instructor in Vietnam and thus improvised many of his character’s callous insults. Ermey’s performance isn’t the only aspect of the film that’s shockingly accurate. Director Stanley Kubrick started researching the Vietnam War in 1983, drawing influence from documentaries, Vietnamese newspapers, and a plethora of photos. Kubrick also worked on the screenplay with Michael Herr, who was a war correspondent in Vietnam, and Gustav Hasford, a Vietnam veteran who wrote the semi-autobiographical book that inspired this film.
#14: “Lone Survivor” (2013)
Marcus Luttrell was a Navy SEAL who fought in Afghanistan. Lutrell was the only surviving member of a four-man recon team. During their mission, they encountered a local Afghan herdsman. As he was a non-combatant, the SEALs let him go, knowing he would inform the Taliban of their whereabouts. The entire team was killed except Lutrell, who was saved by local Pashtun villagers. Lutrell wrote a book about the ordeal, which was adapted into the 2013 film “Lone Survivor,” starring Mark Wahlberg. There are some controversies over the number of Taliban fighters and casualties, and some of Lutrell’s account is disputed. Still, the film is generally accepted to be an accurate depiction of the harrowing mountain and forest combat American soldiers faced in Afghanistan.
#13: “Paths of Glory” (1957)
Most American war movies in the 1940s and 1950s tended to be jingoistic endorsements of the nobility of the military. In the middle of this era, Stanley Kubrick released “Paths of Glory,” a black-and-white World War I epic. Kirk Douglas stars as Colonel Dax, a French commander who loses a futile battle. Dax was forced into combat by the machinations of a politically ambitious general. The general decides to execute a hundred men for cowardice to cover up his poor decision. “Paths of Glory” is a cruel indictment of the indifference of governments and commanders to the lives and health of the soldiers on the ground. Governments and militaries hated the film; it was banned in all US military bases around the world.
#12: “Stalingrad” (1993)
In 1993, director Joseph Vilsmaier released his anti-war saga, “Stalingrad.” The film centers around a platoon of Wehrmacht soldiers as they are transferred from leave in Italy to the Russian Front. They find themselves knee-deep in one of the bloodiest battles in human history at Stalingrad. Vilsmair puts forward an anti-war masterpiece, boldly choosing to eschew spectacle for grounded, grim reality. Over and over, the camera hovers over weeping soldiers and mangled bodies. Over the course of the film, men die from combat, disease, cold, and despair in equal measure. There is no glory in “Stalingrad” only the harsh realities of the cost of war.
#11: “Downfall” (2004)
“Downfall” is a 2004 German film about Nazi Germany’s final days before the Soviets took Berlin. The writers and director built the look and feel of the film around a number of historical sources like eyewitness accounts and memoirs. In fact, the accuracy of the film is the source of its largest criticisms. Many critics were furious at the humanization of Adolph Hitler. But, as the writer put it, realism was the whole point of “Downfall.” A vulnerable, crying Hitler may not be palatable, but his self-pity was part of how he attracted followers. The “terrifying thing” about Hitler - and men like Hitler - is not that they are ‘monsters from Mars’ but that they are people like the rest of us.
#10: “Dunkirk” (2017)
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The evacuation of Dunkirk was one of the most harrowing events in British Military history. The Nazi blitzkrieg into France famously circumvented France’s defensive Maginot Line. The German Army swept through, encircling Allied troops. If the Brits hadn’t evacuated at Dunkirk, the entire British Army would have been crippled and utterly decimated. Chris Nolan’s epic 2017 film “Dunkirk” chronicles the ten-day ordeal. Universally lauded by critics as one of the best war movies ever made, Dunkirk veterans praised the film’s accuracy. While some details were changed for dramatic effect, the broad strokes were correct. Brief aerial dogfights and a fleet of civilian ships helped turn the tide and saved over 300,000 men.
#9: “Das Boot” (1981)
Top 10 Most Accurate War Movies
Wolfgang Petersen’s World War II masterpiece revolves around the real German submarine U-96. Sparing no expense, two full-scale replicas of the U-96 were built to capture the size and scope of Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s novel. Of course, “Das Boot” is also an incredibly claustrophobic film that floods the crowded submarine with tension. While this adaptation isn’t without a few creative liberties, it touches upon a notion that isn’t always explored in WWII movies: not all Germans were Nazi sympathizers. The German crew we center on is generally critical of Hitler and the war their government has landed them in. This puts our heroes in a difficult position when they’re forced into the Battle of the Atlantic, demonstrating that war is never clear-cut.
#8: “1917” (2019)
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Co-writer and Director Sam Mendes based his World War I film on stories that his grandpa Alfred used to tell him as a boy. He teamed up with acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins to give the film the feel of having been shot in two, very long takes. While Mendes took dramatic license with the events portrayed in the film, its depiction of combat resonated with audiences and critics. As one Military Times critic put it, “War is hideous—mud, rats, decaying horses, (and) corpses mired in interminable mazes of barbed wire.” The ‘one shot’ style firmly ensconced the audience in the perspective of Privates Schofield and Blake. You see the trenches as a young, scared kid would: ramping up the fear, terror, and loss.
#7: “We Were Soldiers” (2002)
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This American war film was based on the memoir of Lieutenant General Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L. Galloway. Discussing his wartime experiences, Moore argued that “Hollywood got it wrong every damned time.” Director Randall Wallace was thus committed to “getting it right” when he brought the story to the silver screen. In addition to Moore, Wallace spoke with numerous veterans of the Battle of Ia Drang, the first major clash between the U.S. Army and the North Vietnamese Army. The battle lasted three days and Wallace’s attention to realism puts us in the center of the chaos. Although there are a few notable differences between the book and film, particularly the ending, Moore ultimately felt that this drama succeeded where others had failed.
#6: “Glory” (1989)
Compared to World War I and II, Hollywood hasn’t paid much attention to the American Civil War or the soldiers who fought in it. “Glory” transports its audience back to the 1860s while also shedding a spotlight on a lesser known chapter in this particular war. The film focuses on Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, a white Union soldier who led the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, an African American unit. Drawing inspiration from Shaw’s personal letters, “Glory” has been praised for its honest portrayal of race relations at the time and the brutality of war. The climactic battle at Fort Wagner, despite getting some minor details wrong, is a mostly accurate account that doesn’t romanticize or sugarcoat the aftermath.
#5: “Come and See” (1985)
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We’ve seen numerous movies about Nazi evil, although few have been as chillingly realistic as this Soviet drama. Taking place during the occupation of Belarus, the film follows a young boy as he’s exposed to Nazi Germany’s crimes against humanity. Director Elem Klimov co-wrote the screenplay with Ales Adamovich, who also contributed to the source material, “I Am from the Fiery Village.” This book is comprised of first-hand accounts from survivors of the Belorussian genocide. Klimov’s film is largely inspired by the Khatyn massacre, in which 149 people, including 75 children, were burned to death. To be as faithful as possible, actual bullets were often used instead of blanks, real Nazi uniforms were worn, and the film was shot in Belarus with villagers as extras.
#4: “Platoon” (1986)
It’s no secret that director Oliver Stone is a veteran, and “Platoon” is debatably the most personal entry in his so-called “Vietnam War trilogy.” Stone started writing a semi-autobiographical screenplay that would inspire “Platoon” not long after his tour concluded in 1968. Stone was meticulous when it came to recreating Vietnam as he remembered it, even having red dirt imported to the Philippines where filming took place. To get into the mindset of soldiers, much of the main cast underwent intense training for 30 days under the watchful eye of Dale Dye, another Vietnam veteran. After the film hit theaters, Dye recalls people telling him, “I never understood your experience, or why you didn’t want to talk about it, until I saw ‘Platoon.’” (xref) It’s a depiction of Vietnam that’s perhaps only rivaled by “Apocalypse Now.”
#3: “Black Hawk Down” (2001)
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In “Black Hawk Down,” director Ridley Scott plunges the audience into explosive anarchy and never gives us a second to catch our breath. This exceptionally edited film chronicles the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu from the perspective of American soldiers. That being said, it doesn’t draw much attention to the Malaysian or Pakistani soldiers who aided US troops. Nevertheless, this adaptation of Mark Bowden’s non-fiction book takes gritty realism to new levels. Scott and cinematographer Sławomir Idziak approach the US-Somalia conflict with the finesse of a documentary. Perhaps the most authentic aspect of the film is the comradery between our central characters. Some of the cast members trained with real soldiers, creating a sense of brotherhood that shined through in the final product.
#2: “Letters From Iwo Jima” (2006)
In 2006, Clint Eastwood released two films about World War II: “Flags of Our Fathers,” which was told from the viewpoint of U.S. soldiers, and “Letters of Iwo Jima,” which shifted the focus to Japanese soldiers. Between the two, the latter film is the more ambitious and insightful piece. Ken Watanabe stars as general Tadamichi Kuribayashi, whose non-fiction book provided the basis for this war drama. The film remains truthful to Kuribayashi’s account of the Battle of Iwo Jima and even borrows some of his exact quotes. Being an American production, you’d expect the filmmakers to take major liberties, or even have the Japanese inexplicably speak English. Eastwood never takes the easy way out, though, keeping his film grounded in history.
#1: “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
Nothing can prepare you for the horrors of war, but “Saving Private Ryan” might be the closest you can get without enlisting. As a matter of fact, the film’s opening D-Day sequence proved so believable that some veterans experienced PTSD while watching it. Everything about the film’s depiction of the Omaha Beach landings rings true, from the sea sickness many soldiers felt upon arriving to the relentless mayhem that ensued. Rather than storyboarding the sequence, Spielberg allowed the action to naturally play out with 1,500 extras and actual amputees participating in the shoot. While that first 27 minutes is what most people discuss, the entirety of “Private Ryan” is a lovingly-crafted salute to the men who gave their lives during World War II.