War! What is it good for?
Well, it's been good for drama and Hollywood has been drawn to it almost since films began. Unfortunately, Hollywood tends to prefer the "glory" of war, rather than the truth of it and also prefers a good yarn to history. This list will include both the accurate and the action yarns, comedy and drama. I will mostly stick to films that revolve around an aspect of warfare or soldiering, rather than something that just happens to occur during a war. There will be some tv, as well. Unfortunately, I haven't seen as many Asian works, so the list will be rather Euro-centric.
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- DirectorRudolph MatéStarsRichard EganRalph RichardsonDiane BakerA small Army of Greeks spearheaded by three hundred Spartans do battle with the whole invading Persian Army.Thermopylae tends to be more the stuff of legends than fact and this film is no different. It has been see as a Cold War metaphor, with a battle between East and West. It was this film that inspired Frank Miller to create his graphic novel The 300, which was even more removed from history. That film has far more in common with pro wrestling than historical drama.
- DirectorRobert WiseRaoul WalshStarsStanley BakerRossana PodestàBrigitte BardotThe Iliad's story of the Trojan war, told from the Trojan viewpoint.Epic film from Warner Bros., which uses the Iliad as a source, though it departs substantially from Homer. The biggest point is in making Paris more sympathetic. In fact, the Greek leaders are portrayed as the villains.
- DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsBrad PittEric BanaOrlando BloomAn adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.This one pretty much jettisons the gods, but doesn't exactly go for history, either. It follows the structure of the Iliad, but not quite the dramatic elements. It was released to mix reviews and a box office take below its bloated budget, but ended up a success. It pretty much reduces the war to the rivalry between Achilles and Hector. It even places Achilles inside the Trojan Horse, though Achilles is killed by Paris before the fall of Troy. It's also fairly well noted for its beefcake ratio.
- DirectorRobert RossenStarsRichard BurtonFredric MarchClaire BloomThe life and military conquests of Alexander III of Macedon (July 20/21, 356 - June 10/11, 323 B.C.), commonly known as Alexander the Great.Epic drama, with Richard Burton as the Greek conqueror. The film ended up a failure and Burton is often fingered as one of the main problems. However, it's got plenty of action, in the battle scenes.
- DirectorPietro FrancisciStarsAnthony QuinnSophia LorenHenri VidalAttila, the leader of the barbarian Huns and called by the Romans "The Scourge of God", sweeps onto the Italian peninsula, defeating all of the armies of Rome, until he and his men reach the gates of the city itself.Anthony Quinn stars as the noted conqueror, alongside Sophia Loren in this French & Italian production. It was a huge hit in Europe. Of course, a later breathalizer test, by police constables, revealed that Attila the Hun (son of Mr and Mrs. Norman Hun) was in fact Alexander the Great.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczRouben MamoulianStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonRex HarrisonQueen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.This is mostly a costume drama, but it does feature scenes of the Battle of Actium, with plenty of extras and mayhem.
- DirectorStanley KubrickAnthony MannStarsKirk DouglasLaurence OlivierJean SimmonsThe slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.This isn't quite a war film, but it does feature some spectacular battles, as it depicts the slave revolt of Spartacus, including one with a pronounced Brooklyn accent.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsSophia LorenStephen BoydAlec GuinnessThe death of Marcus Aurelius leads to a succession crisis, in which the deceased emperor's son, Commodus, demonstrates that he is unwilling to let anything undermine his claim to the Roman Empire.Film depicts the civil war between Commodus and Livius, following the death of Marcus Aurelius (who is poisoned). The film has some spectacular battles, but does go on rather long. It is the chief inspiration for Ridley Scott's Gladiator.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.Ridley Scott's adaptation of The Fall of the Roman Empire, with a twist. The opening sequences depict, with some accuracy, the Roman method of warfare (at least at that stage). Like its predecessor, it throws history out for the rest of the film and even has Emperor Commodus fighting in the Coliseum. I guess being strangled in a bath isn't cinematic enough.
- StarsCiarán HindsSusan LynchVictoria SmurfitAfter returning from the Third Crusade in the Holy Land, Ivanhoe discovers that England is under the rule of the corrupt Prince John.This is probably the best version of the romantic tale, in regards to getting the history and combat right. The mini-series better illustrates the lives of the nobles and servants, while showcasing both the monastic martial orders of the Templars, as well as mercenary fighters and those of the nobles. The arms and tactics are relatively correct, illustrating medieval warfare.
- DirectorSergei EisensteinDmitriy VasilevStarsNikolay CherkasovNikolai OkhlopkovAndrei AbrikosovThe story of how a great Russian prince led a ragtag army to battle an invading force of Teutonic Knights.Segei Eisenstein's epic film about the Invasion of Novgorod, where Alexander Nevsky defeated the Teutonic Knights. Plenty of hacking and chopping in this one. The film was also a major piece of political propaganda, as it parallels then-curent relations between the USSR and Nazi Germany.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsMel GibsonSophie MarceauPatrick McGoohanScottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.The film is hardly accurate, but does a good job of illustrating combat in this period. It goes a little overboard in the gore department, but not nearly as much as it does in turning William Wallace into a messianic figure. Take it with a grain of salt, but enjoy the many fine performances.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira TeraoJinpachi NezuIn Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.Akira Kurosawa's last epic film, depicting medieval Japanese warfare on the grand scale. Watch the visuals of the mass of extras in the battle scenes and compare with the CGI trickery of the modern film. The eye knows the difference.
- DirectorKen HughesStarsRichard HarrisAlec GuinnessRobert MorleyPuritan statesman Oliver Cromwell leads England in a civil war against the absolutist and Catholic-sympathetic King Charles I.Another that is not strictly a war film, but it captures major elements of the English Civil War.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsRyan O'NealMarisa BerensonPatrick MageeAn Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.Kubrick's film revolves greatly around the Seven Years War and does a fine job of depicting the life of a soldier and the battles. However, it is slow as molasses and not one of Kubrick's more engaging films.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsDaniel Day-LewisMadeleine StoweRussell MeansThree trappers protect the daughters of a British Colonel in the midst of the French and Indian War.Set during the French and Indian War, the film depicts many elements of the frontier fighting, including the siege of a British fort. This one is far more accurate than previous film versions, as actual frontier experts were consulted and the actors put through training courses to teach them wilderness and fighting skills. The film does a fine job with the source material, thankfully cutting down on Cooper's long-winded tale.
- DirectorKing VidorJack ConwayW.S. Van DykeStarsSpencer TracyRobert YoungWalter BrennanLangdon Towne and Hunk Marriner join Major Rogers' Rangers as they wipe out an Indian village. They set out for Fort Wentworth, but when they arrive they find no soldiers and none of the supplies they expected.One part war film (frontier fighting) and one part exploration/survival drama. The film is a little too "Hollywood" and wasn't exactly cast with authenticity in mind. However, it captures the high points of the first part of the book and succeeds in being entertaining and engaging.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsClaudette ColbertHenry FondaEdna May OliverNewlyweds Gil and Lana Martin try to establish a farm in the Mohawk Valley but are menaced by Indians and Tories as the Revolutionary War begins.Henry Fonda stars in this adaptation of the novel of frontier fighting, set at the onset of the American Revolution. It's early Hollywood, so it isn't exactly played for accuracy. However, it has a fine cast and is worth watching.
- DirectorRobert HarmonStarsJeff DanielsRoger ReesSebastian RochéA dramatization of George Washington's perilous gamble of crossing the Delaware River and attacking the Hessian forces at Trenton.This cable movie depicts the Battle of Trenton, showcasing Washington's leadership, as well as the skill of his officers and men, as the carry out a surprise attack on the Hessian mercenaries. The battle was little more than a morale victory, as it gained no advantage and the ground was soon surrendered. however, it went a long way to showing that Washington could win a battle and built confidence in the fledgling Continental Army.
- StarsBarry BostwickPatty DukeDavid DukesThe early life and career of the American General and President through his participation in the Revolutionary War.This is mostly a biography of Washington, but it does showcase some of the fighting during the Revolution, including the Battle of Yorktown.
- DirectorHugh HudsonStarsAl PacinoDonald SutherlandNastassja KinskiA trapper and his young son get pulled into the American revolution early as unwilling participants and remain involved through to the end.Box office failure, shot in England. The film shows a trapper who is forced into fighting in the Revolution, but it is less than convincing. It was widely panned for its performances and for the casting of the very Italian Al Pacino as a frontier trapper.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsMel GibsonHeath LedgerJoely RichardsonPeaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.This is beyond ridiculous, in terms of history. It sugarcoats slavery, gives a completely inaccurate depiction of Cornwallis, and perpetuates the image of Banastre Tarleton as a butcher. The character (with a slight name change) is played as a pulp villain. The film depicts several actions in the war, though it is mostly in the climax, where it gets in some history, as it recounts the Battle of the Cowpens. However, it leaves out Daniel Morgan and his sharpshooters, but gets the basic strategy of the battle correct.
- DirectorRobert GuenetteStarsJoe FlynnJan LeightonRichard MatthewsThis was a dramatization that recounted the Battle of Yorktown, and the end of fighting in the American Revolution. Good luck finding it.
- DirectorKing VidorStarsAudrey HepburnHenry FondaMel FerrerNapoleon's tumultuous relations with Russia, including his disastrous 1812 invasion, serve as the backdrop for the tangled personal lives of two aristocratic families.The film greatly condenses Tolstoy, but does showcase Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Russia. Henry Fonda, Audrey Hepburn, and Mel Ferrer lead a terrific cast.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsKeith CarradineHarvey KeitelAlbert FinneyFrance, 1801. Due to a minor perceived slight, mild-mannered Lieutenant d'Hubert is forced into a duel with hot-headed irrational Lieutenant Feraud. The disagreement ultimately results in scores of duels spanning several years.Ridley Scott's first motion picture was derived from a Joseph Conrad short story. It features two officers of different Hussar (cavalry) regiments of Napoleon's armies. Harvey Keitel is Gabriel Feraud, of the 7th Hussars, who has mortally wounded the nephew of the Mayor of Stassbourg, in a duel. A General sends young Armand d"Hubert (Keith Carradine)to deliver orders placing him under arrest. d"Hubert encounters Feraud at the home of Madame De Leon, with whom Feraud is infatuated. Feraud takes offence at d"Hubert, as they are conversing in the street and challenges him to a duel. The pair end up fighting a series of duels across Napoleon's various campaigns, with the final encounter occurring after the "100 Days." Although no one seems to understand the basis of the duels, it becomes clear through watching the initial duel, it is probably sparked by jealousy on the part of Feraud, as Madame De Leon shows infatuation with the dashing young d'Hubert. Feraud rationalizes the encounters as defending the name of Napoleon, though this is just a front. d'Hubert wishes to avoid the duels, but never seems to truly escape. Very well done and beautifully shot by Scott. The story is a bit obtuse, but becomes clearer with rewatching. It walso gives a nice snapshot of Napoleon's campaigns.