The most interesting films about the war

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

"War" is a terrible word, because it means not just confrontation of the parties, but also the destruction of everything human in them in the name of victory. Despite this, directors around the world love to make films on this topic. In most of them, war is presented as something great and noble. Among the thousands of such projects, there are often really interesting films about the war, which give the audience a real idea about it. Let's look at what these paintings are.

The most "popular" wars in the movie world

Before looking at the list of interesting films about the war, it is worth knowing what battles are most often filmed about.

In the US, the "favorites" are the Civil War between North and South, as well as the struggle for independence. In addition, Americans often shoot films about the Second World War, however, most often they portray themselves in them, almost the only ones.saviors of mankind from fascism. At the same time, Hollywood directors do not often remember Vietnam and Iraq.

For Europeans, the most popular war is the First and Second World Wars, and even among the Germans.

In the USSR and Russia, the militaristic theme in the film industry has always occupied a special place. At various times, films about the Civil War, the Great Patriotic War, and even the Afghan War were popular.

The most interesting films about the war of 1941-1945. (American)

In the modern world, the champions in the number of militaristic films are the directors of the United States. Therefore, it is best to start with them.

In this aspect, it is worth clarifying why the palm remains with the Americans, and not with the Russians. The fact is that there is a clear distinction between movies and serials about the war. If the Americans shoot more full-length films, then the Russians are the undisputed world leaders in the number of military TV series filmed.

What film products did Hollywood please the audience with? First of all, it is worth noting that, although many American projects about World War II are rather superficial (for example, Treasure Hunters 2014), among them there are very interesting films about the war of 1941-1945 (the list of the most famous of them is below).

First of all, it is worth mentioning Charlie Chaplin's painting "The Great Dictator". Although it is considered a comedy and tells more about fascism than about war, this tape is one of the best of its kind. Behind the scenes of Chaplin's jokes and grimaces, the underside of any armed conflict is clearly shown, as well as the change in the psychology of the warringsides.

The drama The Thin Red Line (1998) is also known. In the center of the plot are several soldiers who find themselves in a military cauldron. Although each of them went to the front for their own reasons, now they are all driven by one desire - to survive.

Saving Private Ryan (1998) is unique in American cinema. Despite the fact that the plot and characters are completely fictional, the battle scenes, the equipment of the soldiers are shown with such incredible accuracy and authenticity that one can study the history of military affairs from this picture.

But "Pearl Harbor" (2001), despite the high box office, dramatic plot and a galaxy of talented actors, is significantly inferior to the three above projects. Although the creators of Pearl Harbor tried to show the reasons why the Americans took part in the Second World War, it was done somehow carelessly. Paradoxically, the many shortcomings of Pearl Harbor did not prevent him from becoming one of the most loved by viewers around the world.

Listing the most significant films on military subjects, one simply cannot ignore Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Although this tape is more of a parody movie (depicting an alternative version of the development of history), it shows the senselessness and ruthlessness of military luck in a very naturalistic way.

American Wartime Drama: "Schindler's List"

It is worth noting that not all Hollywood films about World War II feature American soldiers - the liberators of Europe (as theylike to call themselves). They have very interesting films about the war, describing the life of Poles and Jews in the occupied territories.

This is Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993). It practically does not show the horrors of hostilities, but very vividly depicts what it leads to and what fate could befall the whole world if fascism had not been destroyed.

At the center of the story is the German entrepreneur O. Schindler, who at first plans to get rich with the help of the war, but then repents and spends his fortune on saving the Jews.

German films about World War II

When considering the most interesting films about the war with Nazi Germany, it is useful to pay attention to German-made projects.

The most famous in this genre is the painting "Submarine" (1981). It tells about the everyday life and battles of the crew of a German submarine in early 1941. It is worth noting that this is one of the most reliable tapes on a military theme and still has no analogues.

When you watch the most interesting films about the war made by the Germans, you often get the impression that they are trying to justify themselves to the whole world for fascism. A prime example of this is the drama Academy of Death (2004).

It tells the story of a talented German boy boxer who got into the academy, where they train the future elite of the new Germany. For 110 minutes we are shown the evolution of the hero and hismoral insight and further conscious refusal to belong to the cream of German society.

German films about the post-war period in German history

However, not all German cinema about World War II is penitential. So, there are several tapes in which Allied soldiers are shown as real animals, cruelly torturing the unfortunate conquered inhabitants of Germany. To be fair, while some of these films are based on true events, they are often too one-sided.

Among the most democratic projects in this regard, it is worth mentioning "4 days in May" (2011) and "Nameless - one woman in Berlin" (2008).

They show how the valiant victors of fascism behaved in the liberated territories. Moreover, it is honestly depicted that there were both good and bad people among them. It is worth adding that wonderful Russian artists starred in these pictures: Alexei Guskov, Andrey Merzlikin, Evgeny Sidikhin and others.

Interesting films about the war of 1941-1945, filmed in other countries

There are also some really well filmed WW2 projects elsewhere in Europe. Among them is the European analogue of "Schindler's List" - "The Pianist" (2002) by Roman Polanski.

This tape (based on real events) tells the story of the Polish-Jewish composer and pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman. The hero does not participate in the war and does not see it. But he feels her influence on himself, and also gradually loses all hisloved ones, and only a miracle allows him to survive without going crazy.

The 1974 Italian psychological drama The Night Porter stands apart from all other films of this genre. Its plot focuses on the memories of a former concentration camp prisoner who, in peacetime, accidentally meets her tormentor. Unlike The Pianist and Schindler's List, this picture lacks an optimistic ending. After all, it turns out that the most important executioners manage to escape punishment.

More optimistic is another Italian film about World War II. This is a painting by Roberto Benigni "Life is beautiful." It tells the lyrical story of a Jewish father who tries with all his might to protect his son from the horrors of Nazi concentration camps.

Considering the most interesting films about the war, it would be useful to pay attention to "Enemy at the Gates" (2001). This picture describes the fate of the Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev (a real person) and his "silent" confrontation with the German "colleague" Major Kening.

British Films

Studying the most interesting films about the war, it's time to pay attention to the directors of Foggy Albion.

One of the most famous British projects about the Second World War is recognized as "The English Patient" (1996). This story is about how war affects people and cripples their destinies, depriving them of the most precious thing.

Also of interest is the 2007 tape "Atonement". Like the previous one, it does not talk more about hostilities, but about their impact on people's lives, using the example of twolovers.

The best Soviet films about the Great Patriotic War

A lot of film projects were devoted to the theme of the fight against the Nazis in the USSR. Considering the most interesting films about the Great Patriotic War, it is worth stopping only at the most famous ones.

Even when there were several years before the victory, the film "Two Soldiers" (1943) starring Mark Bernes was filmed at the Soviet film studio in the evacuation. In addition to the story of heroic soldier friendship, it attracted the attention of the audience with the beautiful songs that Bernes performed in it.

Also filmed tapes about the work of the underground during the Great Patriotic War in the USSR. The most famous of them is The Young Guard (1948). Should I clarify that the script for this project was written based on real events?

Georgian film "Soldier's Father" (1964) was one of the most touching phenomena in the Soviet cinema of the post-war period. Perhaps this was facilitated by the fact that the script was written according to the memoirs of a real front-line soldier.

As the name implies, the main character is the father of a young man fighting at the front. Upon learning that his son is in the hospital, the man goes to him and soon goes to fight himself.

In 1967, another Soviet emotional film about the Great Patriotic War was released - "Zhenya, Zhenechka and Katyusha". It told about the adventures of a young intellectual soldier at the front.

In 1972, Boris Vasiliev's story "The Dawns Here Are Quiet…" was filmed in the USSR. Although subsequentlythe work was transferred to the big screen twice more, the first tape remained the best.

The plot of the painting “The Dawns Here Are Quiet…” is simple and tragic: it is the story of the heroic death of young girls-front-line soldiers in an unequal battle with the Nazis.

Leonid Bykov's picture "Only "old men" go to battle" (1973) became a real phenomenon in Soviet cinema and still rightfully bears the title of one of the best. She tells about the life of front-line fighter pilots. For greater credibility, frames from a real military chronicle are inserted into the tapes.

Among the Soviet film production dedicated to the theme of the war, there is simply nothing to compare the drama "Come and See" (1986).

She talks about the life of a teenager Flera during the Nazi occupation of Belarus. In its tragedy and naturalism, Come and See can only be compared with Schindler's List and The Pianist.

American paintings of other military conflicts

Having listed the most interesting films about the war of 1941-1945 (the list above), it's time to pay attention to films about other conflicts filmed in the USA.

Although Vietnam is a very disliked topic by Americans, there are several outstanding films dedicated to it. The first is Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979).

This picture tells about the special operation of the American troops to eliminate one of their colonels. At the same time, Coppola masterfully showsall the sickening horror of war and its devastating effect on the psyche.

The second outstanding American film about Vietnam is "Born on the 4th of July" (1990). She tells how a young man, who became crippled due to a wound, rethinks his ideals and begins to fight for peace.

In 1996, the drama "Courage in Battle" was released in the USA. This story is about the investigation into the circumstances of the death at the front of Captain Karen Walden, posthumously nominated for an award. The main character is trying to find out if she was a heroine or if it was a fake.

Soviet projects on other military conflicts

Having studied what the most interesting films about the war (the Great Patriotic War) were made in the USSR, it would be honest to consider other militaristic films.

The "Two Comrades Were Serving" 1968 is a gripping story about the Civil War. Unlike many paintings of the Soviet period, there is no only right side in it, since both individual Red Army soldiers and White Guards are shown as noble.

The picture "Officers" (1971) is dedicated to the events in the period of 1920-1960s. In the center of the plot is a combat officer Alexei Trofimov and his entourage. All of them will have to go through several wars and lose far more than one loved one, but at the same time remain honest and courageous people.

Modern Russian military films

Since the beginning of the 2000s, a large number of militaristic projects began to be filmed in the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, not all of them are worth considering. At the same time, there issome interesting war movies (Russian) to be proud of.

For example, the 2008 painting "Admiral" about the fate of the tsarist officer Alexander Kolchak. This is not only an interesting, but also a very beautiful film about noble people who managed to remain such to the end.

In 2005, Fyodor Bondarchuk made a film about the war in Afghanistan "9th Company". Despite some historical and technical inaccuracies, this project turned out to be not only one of the most expensive, but also the most worthy in this category.

Considering new interesting films about the war, filmed in the Russian Federation, one cannot fail to mention "We are from the future" (2008).

This fantastic tape tells how four black archaeologists from the XXI century. find themselves in 1942. Once in the conditions of real hostilities, each of the "guests from the future" reconsiders his life position.

This picture has a sequel - "We are from the future-2", but it turned out to be much less successful. One of the reasons for this was the refusal of many actors from the first part to act in the sequel. In addition, the ardent anti-Ukrainian attitude of the project scared away many potential viewers.

Modern foreign paintings about the war

Among the foreign films about World War II, only two films can be noted. This is "Fury" (2014) about the fate of the crew of the Sherman tank. As well as the tape "For Conscience" (2016), which tells about an American orderly, who was the first in history to refuse to take up arms due to religious beliefs.