Top 10 War Movies Of All Time

The Top 10 War Movies of All Time.

10. Paths of Glory – Stanley Kubrick (1957)

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There are few stand out WWI movies, and Paths of Glory trumps them all. Kirk Douglas as Lt. Dax drives this tour-de-force, anti-war opus that takes a look at where reason and logic go in the face of duty and following orders.

9. Saving Private Ryan - Steven Spielberg (1998)

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Although the message of sacrifice is clear in this film, Saving Private Ryan is on this list not for its overall theme or what it says about war, but rather, just for incredible filmmaking from start to finish. The characters, the script, the cinematography, heck, the opening Normandy invasion scene alone that had WWII veterans weeping due to its authenticity is reason enough to put this modern classic in the top ten.

8. The Pianist - Roman Polanski (2002)

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Most of the movies on this list focus on those on the front lines of conflict, but what about those who could merely sit by and watch as the horrors of war unfolded all around them? Polanski's The Pianist takes a fresh look at how the Jewish people suffered at the hands of the Nazis and embodies there will to survive in the face of utter evil. Adrian Brody knocks it out of the park as the talented piano player whose grace and beauty with the ivories is put up against the most awful terror the 20th century ever concocted.

7. Overlord - Stuart Cooper (1975)

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Here's a rare gem you might not have expected to find, little known director Stuart Cooper's in-depth look at how one English soldier processes being part of the massive war machine created to combat the Nazis in WWII. Equally interesting is how direct this movie showcases the idea of a soldier contemplating his very possible death when drawn into combat. Fun fact, this movie is composed of almost 1/3 documentary war footage.

6. Bridge of the River Kwai - David Lean (1957)

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It's a shame Alec Guinness is better known for Obi-Wan Kenobi (a role he despised by the way) and not for his wonderful performance as Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson. Another amazing war movie from '57, this film is the embodiment of the sacrifices the entire free world made to combat the Axis powers. With duty and honor in the face of evil and injustice its main theme, Lean goes beyond the bullets and bombs of war to look at morality in the face of conflict.

5. Full Metal Jacket - Stanley Kubrick (1987)

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How can't this movie make this list? From the amazing barracks scenes brilliantly hosted by R. Lee Emery (and fun fact: he was simply hired to give advice to another actor on how to play the drill sergeant, but when Kubrick saw him demonstrating his lines to the actor, well, he launched a career) to the brilliantly disturbing acting of Vincent D'Onofrio (another career launched) playing Private Pyle, not to mention the overlooked yet equally amazing second half of the film, Full Metal Jacket shows war's damage on not just a soldier's body, but perhaps more importantly, his mind.

4. The Act of Killing - Joshua Oppenheimer (2012)

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With documentary gods Errol Morris and Werner Herzog behind young Oppenheimer, you knew his first feature length film was going to be a doozy. The Act of Killing is about Indonesia's 1965-66 genocide. Oppenheimer interviews those who carried out these horrific acts, and even gets them to make a film about what they did. This interesting premise of a movie-within-a-movie spurs candid moments of bizarre, yet illuminating, self-reflection from the brutal killers giving away to the larger message of what the evils of war can do to a nation and its people.

3. The Deer Hunter - Michael Cimino (1978)

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War destroys innocence. No film better depicts this notion than the often overlooked director, Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter. This Vietnam epic has an all-star cast of Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, and in one of his very few roles, John Cazale. Famous for its brutal Russian roulette scenes, this movie goes beyond making a statement about just what the Vietnam War did to our country and others, but what is lost in the savagery of every war.

2. Apocalypse Now - Francis Ford Coppola (1979)

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“The horror...the horror.” 'Nuff said, right? Coppola's look at the insanity of war is one long, headfirst dive into madness. The stories surrounding this movie are almost as interesting as the film itself, such as a 38 year old Martin Sheen's cocaine-induced heart attack, or the fact that Coppala used dead bodies instead of dummies to litter Kurtz's jungle hideout. Oh, and they really slaughtered that cow in the climax by the way. Never has a movie gotten closer to its subject matter. And considering the theme of this film was war-driven derangement, it's a miracle this film exists at all.

1. Doctor Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – Stanley Kubrick (1964)

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There's little wonder Kubrick has the number one spot on this list considering he has two other movies on here. The man was a master storyteller and more often than not, war was his story. Dr. Strangelove tops this list because, all the other movies on this list tackle war as a serious subject – and justly so. However, the absolute post-modern genius that is this movie shows not only how horrible war is, but how absurd it is that man continues to carry out its ugliest, most depraved act despite knowing how ugly and depraved it is. And where will this pursuit of war eventually lead us? Why, with Slim Pickens riding a bomb that triggers the end of the world! Yaaa-hooooowwww!