The closest that the average moviegoer can get to understanding the true nature of war is through the immersion of cinema, which is why war films are so popular, and why there have been so many remarkable additions to the genre through the decades. Only in front of the big screen can an audience experience the horrors and traumas of it, yet it remains adrenalizing and almost insatiable. In the 21st century, war films generate hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, and continue to hold huge sway over the cinematic landscape, particularly due to the fact that they are often helmed by prestigious directors.

The war film - an important subgenre of the historical motion picture - has evolved as both Hollywood and the wider cinematic landscape have since the end of the 19th century. From the devastating anti-war sentiments of 1920s and ‘30s historical epics to the patriotic and spunky British pictures that coincided with the outbreak of the Second World War, these films have always refused to be pigeonholed. The Vietnam War spawned numerous psychedelic cinematic masterpieces within the span of a few years, while conflicts from bygone eras continue to inspire well into the 21st century. Here are the top twenty war films of all time.

Related: 10 Most Harrowing War Movies You Can Only Watch Once

20 Kagemusha (dir. Akira Kurosawa)

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The Palme d’Or winner at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival was one of Akira Kurosawa’s later films, Kagemusha (1980), which details the struggles of a petty thief hired to act as a double for a samurai warlord, only for the latter to die and the thief take his place. This enables the clan to maintain their enemies’ fears, while the thief seeks to maintain its power despite his inexperience. A monumental musing on smoke and mirrors that is also remembered for its pictorial splendor, Kagemusha may sometimes be overlooked by Kurosawa’s Ran (1985), but wrongly so. Tatsuya Nakadai’s dual performance as two distinct characters who are yet shadows of one another is a triumph, while Kurosawa’s direction and eye for imagery are still unmatched today.

19 Braveheart (dir. Mel Gibson)

Mel Gibson as William Wallace standing proudly at the battlefield in in Braveheart

Inspired by Blind Harry’s 15th-century epic poem, Braveheart (1995) tells the story of Sir William Wallace leading the Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence that occurred in the late 1200s. Directed by and starring Gibson, Braveheart is an awe-inspiring, optimistic picture of bravery in the face of tyranny, that nevertheless retains the grittiness that one would expect from a medieval war epic. Its detractors have questioned its fidelity to the true life of the peasant-turned-renegade, but, much like some of the other films on this list, its greatness is not founded in its accuracy. Rather, Braveheart delivers and stirs raw emotion, it engages its audience, and it inspires.

18 Saving Private Ryan (dir. Steven Spielberg)

Tom Hanks and Matt Damon with guns facing the enemy in Saving Private Ryan

Though Michael Bay was initially attached to helm Saving Private Ryan (1998), he left due to fears he was incapable of adapting the script, and soon enough Spielberg was brought in to direct his second World War Two film in five years. Beginning with the unforgettable sequence set during the Allied attack on Normandy in 1944, Saving Private Ryan goes on to detail the search for James Ryan, a soldier whose three brothers have already been killed. Though it never quite lives up to its opening act, it remains as effective as any at imprinting the hell of war into an audience’s mind and is about as cinematic as any 20th-century film ever was.

17 Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) (dir. Ridley Scott)

Kingdom of Heaven
Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven

Having disowned the theatrical cut of Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Ridley Scott has made it clear that his cut is the definitive version – and he is right to do so. The story follows Balian, a French blacksmith, who travels to Jerusalem in the aftermath of the Second Crusade, just as the brittle peace between the Christian King Baldwin and Muslim military leader Saladin Ayubi begins to wane. Heavily fictionalized, overly long, and erratically paced, Kingdom of Heaven is nonetheless a triumph of a period piece, with astonishing visuals, poignant subplots, and delightful battle sequences. Scott has had issues with studio interference for decades, but his cut of Kingdom of Heaven once again proves his ability.

16 Schindler’s List (dir. Steven Spielberg)

Little girl in a red coat surrounded by adults in black and white.

Though he was initially skeptical about his own ability to make a Holocaust film (so much so that he tried to offload the project onto Roman Polanski), Spielberg was ultimately convinced to make Schindler’s List (1993) after a rise in neo-Nazism and Holocaust denial following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Refusing a salary and pessimistic about the film’s success, he went on to create one of the greatest biopics ever put to screen, and about a man that audiences were mostly unaware of prior to its release. Oskar Schindler’s portrayal by Liam Neeson is devastating, and Ralph Fiennes’s terrifying portrayal of SS functionary Amon Goth is equally memorable.

15 Inglorious Basterds (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) subtly interrogates Shosanna (Melanie Laurent) during a meal in Inglorious Basterds.

The first of Tarantino’s revisionist period dramas was the World War Two action film Inglorious Basterds (2009), set in Nazi-occupied France and following the coinciding stories of two factions vying to assassinate Hitler and his inner circle. Though numerous historical liberties are taken throughout the picture, Tarantino is by no means pretending to be a historian. The performances of Mélanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt, and Christoph Waltz are some career-bests, while the creative narrative about a commando unit infiltrating a cinema – wherein the Jewish proprietor is already hatching a plan to kill Hitler – is immaculately crafted.

14 Full Metal Jacket (dir. Stanley Kubrick)

R Lee Ermey pointing and yelling in Full Metal Jacket

Much of Stanley Kubrick’s creative output was devoted to exploring humanity’s folly when it came to war. Full Metal Jacket (1987), the tenth of Kubrick's thirteen movies, is a two-part examination of the philosophy of the military during the Vietnam War. In the first half, newly-recruited marines battle to survive the cruelty of an army boot camp. In the second half, numerous pre-established characters navigate through the Vietnamese city of Hue during the Tet Offensive. This second half is something of an anti-climax (surprisingly enough considering it’s set in a warzone), yet Full Metal Jacket never loses its biblical watchability and visceral depictions of a hellish place.

13 Incendies (dir. Denis Villeneuve)

boy in incendies

Before Québécois filmmaker Denis Villeneuve moved over to English-language motion pictures with Prisoners (2013), he adapted Wajdi Mouawad’s play Incendies, a mystery thriller set in the war-torn Middle East. Though the specific locations in the film are ambiguous, there is enough evidence to suggest that Incendies (2010) is based on the events of the fifteen-year Lebanese Civil War which began in 1975. Following twins Jeanne and Simon as they attempt to deliver letters from their late mother to their father and a brother they never knew they had, two timelines deliver audiences on a harrowing voyage through the sufferings of refugees, women, and children in the bowels of conflict.

Related: 10 Great War Movies With The Most Gut-Wrenching Endings

12 The Deer Hunter (dir. Michael Cimino)

The Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunter is a 1978 war drama film by director Michael Cimino that centers on three men in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania during the Vietnam War. The film explores the effects of the war on small-town workers, with the trio of Russian-American friends bonding over one last hunting trip. Holding onto the hope of bringing home militaristic glory back to their friends and families, their reality quickly comes crashing down when they experience the war in Vietnam firsthand.

Mike (Robert De Niro) holding a rifle in full hunting gear in The Deer Hunter.

Slow-burning and meditative, The Deer Hunter (1978) – which won five Academy Awards – is an irreverent story of soldiers’ lives before, during, and after the Vietnam War. Told in three distinct acts that correspond accordingly, The Deer Hunter follows the experiences of steel mill workers in Pennsylvania around the time of their conscriptions but also focuses on the effects of the war on their loved ones. The entire film’s centerpiece is a game of Russian roulette forced upon the soldiers, which comes to perpetually define their lives. There’s definitely less nuance in the script when it comes to depictions of the Viet Cong, which viewers ought to be advised are inaccurate and simplistic.

11 1917 (dir. Sam Mendes)

1917

Set against the backdrop of war-torn France during WWI, 1917 is directed by Sam Mendes and stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman as two young British soldiers tasked with delivering a dangerous message to stop an attack that could the lives of thousands of other soldiers at risk. The film uses long takes to make it appear that the entire narrative takes place over the course of two continuous shots. Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch also star. 

Richard Madden looks disturbed in 1917

The reimagined stories that Sam Mendes heard at his grandfather’s knee are what make up the crux of 1917 (2019), a two-shot World War One thriller beautifully shot by Roger Deakins. The plot is simple: two young British privates are tasked with delivering a message across no man’s land that will prevent an isolated regiment from walking into a trap wherein they will be inevitably slaughtered. The single-shot premise is well-earned and not at all gimmicky; the immersion an audience will feel trailing behind these men through the grimmest of battlegrounds – and with only one short reprieve when one is knocked unconscious – makes for riveting, harrowing viewing.

10 Das Boot (dir. Wolfgang Peterson)

The cast of Das Boot assembled in the submarine

War and youth have often been coupled in cinema, and Das Boot (1981), a West German film written and directed by Wolfgang Peterson, was no exception. Mostly set aboard a German U-boat stalking the cold waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean in 1942, Das Boot is a look at the many experiences of the crew aboard. Many of the new recruits are young men unaccustomed to the brutality of the conditions in the vastness of the ocean, but Das Boot makes no sweeping statements on the nature of war. Instead, it shows the comradery that can survive in spite of conflict, as sprinkled throughout are lighter moments of juvenile recreation.

9 Glory (dir. Edward Zwick)

Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington and Andre Braugher in Glory

Numerous American Civil War films have been released to widespread acclaim, but few have examined the impact of African-American people on the defeat of the Confederacy and the ultimate abolition of slavery. Glory (1989) follows the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment – one of the Union’s first African-American regiments – from its inception to its moment of glory during the attack on Fort Wagner, all while it suffers prejudice from both sides. It's often overlooked and wrongly so; Glory is a moving, vivid drama featuring outstanding performances from Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick, and it’s well in contention for the best American Civil War film ever made.

8 Rome, Open City (dir. Roberto Rossellini)

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The overwhelming fear that the Nazis inspired is in part what makes the retreat from them such a compelling plot point in various Second World War films. Rome, Open City (1945) is the story of resistance leader Giorgio Manfredi as he attempts to escape Nazi-occupied Rome in 1944, while the SS troops attempt to track him down. It’s considered one of the most influential contributions to the Italian neorealism subgenre, and won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Rossellini draws compelling performances from his actors and navigates around the crude technology used in production, which serves to make Rome, Open City a profound take on war, though it is not without optimism at its end.

7 The Pianist (dir. Roman Polanski)

The lead of Roman Polanski's 2002 film The Pianist

After turning down Steven Spielberg’s Holocaust film Schindler’s List (1993), it seemed unlikely that Polanski would venture into the stories of Nazi control, particularly as his mother was killed in Auschwitz, having previously survived in the Krakow Ghetto with her son. The Pianist (2002) is the true account of a Polish musician named Szpilman (played by Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody), through whom the audience has a lens to view the atrocities of Nazism in Warsaw. Separated from his family by Operation Reinhard, Szpilman is forced to navigate the ruins of the Polish capital. It is a dedicated encapsulation of the real experiences of Polanski, expertly brought to life in his best film.

6 Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (dir. Stanley Kubrick)

Peter Sellers smoking a cigarette in Dr Strangelove

Probably the best war comedy ever – and in contention for simply the best comedy – Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove is a riveting satire of the Cold War, starring Peter Sellers with his finest work, playing three characters including the titular role. Beloved not only for tastefully portraying the ‘60s hysteria surrounding nuclear apocalypse but also for its depiction of erratic army generals, mediocre politicians, and the superficiality of international diplomacy, Dr. Strangelove tells the story of a congress of statesmen frantically trying to avoid a nuclear accident. The one-liners are biting, the performances (many of which are Sellers’) are unforgettable, and the use of Vera Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again” is one of cinema’s greatest needle drops.

5 The Bridge On The River Kwai (dir. David Lean)

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Based on Pierre Boulle’s novel of the same name, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is an almost entirely fictional, seven-time-Oscar-winning depiction of British prisoners of war in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand. Like many great war movies, its thematic scope is not restricted to only the horrors of conflict (though it showcases them deftly) but encompasses the inner suffering of man during times of trauma. Madness and pride, both shown through William Holden’s Shears and Alec Guinness’s Nicholson as they fight for separate goals despite their shared interest in escape, are both inescapable realities of wartime imprisonment, and River Kwai shows it.

4 Ran (dir. Akira Kurosawa)

A scene from Akira Kurosawa's Ran.

Akira Kurosawa’s third movie homage to William Shakespeare was another late-life masterpiece: Ran (1985), a brutal, kaleidoscopic retelling of King Lear in feudal Japan. The most expensive Japanese film in history at the time was the culmination of decades of creative struggle for Kurosawa, who was the least prolific he had been after attempting suicide in 1971. He related himself to the elderly warlord Hidetora; both suffering the stagnation of their earlier successes, and this is partly why Hidetora remains such a deft and relatable character. His devastations throughout Ran resonate deeply with audiences. On top of this, bloody battles and visionary use of color make Ran one of the finest works of a cinematic master.

3 Apocalypse Now (dir. Francis Ford Coppola)

Colonel Kurtz sits in shadow in Apocalypse Now

With its famously troubled production, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now took 238 days of shooting in the Philippines before finally releasing in the spring of 1978. Perhaps the picture that best exemplifies the madness of war, Apocalypse Now invites its audience up the Niang River in a Dante’s Inferno-esque odyssey into the psychedelic hellscapes of war-torn northern Vietnam in 1969. With the constant, unnerving promise of a final showdown with the godlike madman Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), Apocalypse Now paces itself so impeccably that the finale acts as the climax to an ascending nightmare. Filled with blood, insanity and meditations on the futility of war, it remains the best Vietnam War film ever.

2 Come And See (dir. Elem Klimov)

A soldier points a gun at a man on his knees, while three other soldiers stand next to them in Come and See.

No picture has so accurately and immersively portrayed the horrors of Nazi punitive action as Come And See (1985). This USSR production follows the sufferings of a Belarusian boy named Flyora as he is cast into the hopelessly disorganized Soviet resistance, wherein he begins to lose his sanity in the fog of war. It is a harrowing, despairing tour-de-force by Klimov, who once claimed that – though the film is indeed based on his own experiences in World War Two – he had to omit various real traumatic moments from it, in order for both he and audiences to be able to stomach it. Such was his desire for veracity that live ammunition was used in production.

1 All Quiet On The Western Front (dir. Lewis Milestone)

All Quiet On The Western Front Cropped

Adapted from Erich Maria Remarque’s German novel of the same name, All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) is an English-language depiction of German schoolboys caught up in the jingoistic frenzy that was engulfing their country at the beginning of the First World War. What occurs thereafter is their enthusiastic enlistment and consequent traumas in the trenches, which slowly erode their optimistic preconceptions about the war, ultimately painting a harrowing, honest portrait of propaganda. All Quiet On The Western Front has since been reimagined twice (1979 and 2022), with each being released to critical success, proving that the story’s themes are both timeless and relevant in any era.