The best films about the war. List of Russian and foreign films about World War II

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

War itself is a huge tragedy for any nation. Its consequences are colossal and terrifying. But it is precisely in such moments of history that great filmmakers draw inspiration in order to tell about some events that excite them, or to share the story of one person. For Russians, films about the war of 1941-1945 are something more than just a cultural value. Western countries that have suffered from certain military actions also reflect their stories in the cinema. Films about World War II find their audience. Probably the greatest value can be documentary, which reflects reality without any artistic background.

This article highlights just a few of the hundreds of worthy films.

War and Peace

The work of the great director Sergei Bondarchuk, a film epic that immediately won the recognition of filmmakers, was released on screens in 1966 (the first series). The theme voiced in the film has been covered more than once by other feature films. The Patriotic War of 1812 became for many an example of the invincibility and faith of the Russian people.

"War and Peace" isfilm adaptation in four parts of the brilliant novel of the same name by our writer L. N. Tolstoy. Therefore, the degree of responsibility of the director was huge. The work was supervised by E. Furtseva herself, at the disposal of the film crew were all the historical funds and museums of the country.

The picture lived up to expectations, winning the Oscar in 1969 as the best foreign language film, the main prize of the international festival in Moscow in 1966 and becoming the leader of the box office in the USSR.

The film is known for being shot with the latest technology. Thanks to the creation of a new system, it became possible to shoot the most beautiful battle scenes and panoramas of nature.

The fate of man

The best films about war are not about direct military action, but about people who, by the will of fate, had to face them. For the director and for the audience, the person, his feelings and thoughts, the pain that the war brought with it, is important. Soviet films about the war are striking in their depth and poignancy.

The picture "The Fate of a Man", filmed in 1959, fully meets these criteria. This is the directorial debut of Sergei Bondarchuk, based on the novel by M. Sholokhov. It tells about a simple Russian man, driver Andrey Sokolov. The war took his wife and three children away from him, he himself experienced a lot of suffering, having been captured by the Germans. Real hell awaited him in the concentration camp, but faith and hope helped Sokolov survive this struggle. He survived, but his soul was tormented.

In the post-war periodhe met the boy Vanyushka, whom the war left an orphan (his mother died, his father went missing). Sokolov, filled with kindness and faith in a good future, told the child that he was his father.

This scene is the most poignant in the picture. Films about the war of 1941-1945 are distinguished by their special drama and tragedy, every inhabitant of our country can see the history of his family there and remember or understand how cruel that time was, but, in spite of everything, it was full of faith in the best.

The cranes are flying

Feature films about the war of 1941 - 1945 have always attracted a wide audience. The film "The Cranes Are Flying" was filmed in 1957 based on the play "Forever Alive" by V. Rozov. The action of the two works is somewhat different from each other. Although the plot is the same: two lovers Boris and Veronika are preparing for the wedding, but the war begins and the young man goes to the front as a volunteer. In parting, he gives his favorite toy (a squirrel with a basket of nuts), in which he hides a note.

During one of the bombings, a girl loses her parents and her home, she finds shelter with the Borozdin family. Boris's cousin Mark lives in their apartment, and he immediately starts courting the girl.

Veronica, not getting any news from her fiancé, marries Mark. They are evacuated to the Urals, where the girl works in a hospital, and Mark plays tricks in the apartment of his mistress. After Veronica finally finds Boris's note, she leaves Mark.

Soon the Borozdins learn that Boris is dead. Veronica doesn't want to believe it andafter returning to Moscow, he is waiting for him at the station with a bouquet of flowers.

Russian films about the war have always gathered a wide audience of viewers. But only this film was able to win the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1958.

Star

Feature films about the war of 1941 - 1945 are always filled with some kind of entertainment, and many moments simply do not correspond to reality. So, in the film "Star", based on the novel by Kazakevich, the ending is very different from what happened in reality. All the characters in the film had prototypes in real life.

"Zvezda" is the call sign of a reconnaissance group that operates behind enemy lines. At first, everything goes according to plan, but soon they are discovered and the chase begins. The scouts hide in the attic of an old barn, but even here the Germans find them. Help is late, the barn was set on fire by the Nazis, there is no way out…

In reality, the prototype group survived by completing the mission.

The best films about the war should touch the soul of the viewer, despite some inaccuracies. In fact, they are not even noticeable. Amazingly true acting, dramatic story and competent work of the film crew made this film incredibly poignant.

Schindler's List

Certainly, this is one of the most sentimental films that touch on military topics. Yes, and the story is very unusual, because the main character and savior in it was a member of the NSDAP, industrialist Oskar Schindler.

World War II films usually includescenes of a battle character, but this picture is about something else. The Holocaust is one of the most tragic pages in human history, and we should all thank God that there was a man like Schindler who saved hundreds of people from inevitable death.

Oskar is a very enterprising businessman who in 1939 opens a production facility in Krakow. As workers, he hires Jews from the ghetto, and he takes the accountant Itzhak Stern as his assistants.

Thanks to Schindler, 1,200 Jews survived, including women and children.

The film has collected all imaginable and unimaginable awards, including Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe.

Life is beautiful

This 1997 Italian tragicomedy also tells the story of the plight of Jews trapped in a concentration camp. The plot revolves around a young Italian Guido and his son Josue, who is too small to die. The father imagines everything that happens as a game in which you need to follow certain rules in order to win the tank.

After the camp is liberated, Josue is reunited with his mother, and Guido sacrifices his life for his son.

The best films about the war are highly rated at various film festivals. The painting "Life is Beautiful" won the main prize at Cannes, as well as the American "Oscar".

Pearl Harbor

Relations between people come to the fore in this military melodrama, of course. It's about Evelynnurse stationed at Pearl Harbor and two pilot friends Rafe and Danny.

First falls in love with Evelyn at first sight, and his feelings are mutual. However, he flies to England to fulfill his duty. And soon the news of his death comes from there. Evelyn and Danny find solace in each other's company. They get very close. And then, like a bolt from the blue, Rafe appears. He survived!

Perhaps this film would have remained a banal melodrama if not for the Japanese air attack on the Pearl Harbor base. Friends forgive each other for a common goal.

The best films about the war are most often based on either works or real life stories. Danny and Rafe also had prototypes, but one of them was dissatisfied with this film work, which distorted many of the circumstances of his life.

An interesting fact is that some of the planes for the film were built in Russia at the Orenburg plant. Some Russian films about the war were also shot with similar props.

Save Private Ryan

A 1998 Steven Spielberg film that won five Oscars.

The action takes place in 1944 in Normandy. During the landing, two Ryan brothers die in battle, and somewhere in the Pacific Ocean a third brother. The command decides to send the only living Ryan home to his mother to alleviate her suffering.

But his whereabouts are not exactly known… Therefore, Commander John Miller recruits a group and goes tolooking for a soldier. There will be many obstacles on their way, but the order is above all. Miller finds Ryan, but the latter refuses to leave the army and his friends before the attack, and then Miller's group goes into battle. At the cost of their lives, they manage to survive, and Ryan returns to his mother.

War documentaries

Any event these days finds a response in the media, especially if it is military action. Documentaries are intended to show without embellishment how the actions really are or were.

Of course, so many tragic conflicts have happened during the existence of mankind that they cannot even be listed in one article. Therefore, we will only touch on documentaries about the war of 1939-1945.

1. "World at War", 1974. The painting contains eyewitness accounts, chronicles of events from twenty participating countries. The viewer can see the actual footage of Hitler, listen to the memories of veterans.
2. "Apocalypse: World War II", 2009. National Geographic project, which also shows unique footage of the chronicle, battle scenes.
3. "The Great Battle of Kursk", 2003. A film about the turning point in the entire war.

Such works are designed to explain to mankind that life is beautiful and war is the worst fate, bringing only grief and suffering.