Since the beginning of film, directors and actors have used the art to spread awareness, tell a story, and teach history. Some of the most memorable movies that have made an impression are war films. Everyone has their favorites from Saving Private Ryan to American Sniper, and each one has had its own individual impact on their viewers. As they show not only the history of the event but the lives affected on all sides. In honor of Veterans Day next week, here is my own personal ranking of the Top 5 war movies of all time. 

Full Metal Jacket:

Made in 1987, this movie has always had an impact on me since I first watched it as a child. Lee Ermey plays the drill sergeant in the film and produces some of the most well-known and realistic depictions of boot camp due to his actual service as a drill sergeant in the U.S. military. 

The film has some of the most realistic characters and opinions from them. From hazing, the constant belittling of recruits, and even the suicide and murder performed by the character Gomer Pyle while still in boot camp. It shows the mental deterioration and loss of humanity during the war as the main character “Joker” is always depicted as being against the Vietnam War, and eventually has to witness all of his friends die in battle. This movie is subtle with its anti-war messages, and due to that, I think it’s perfect in every sense of the word. It’s realistic and helps to show the deep effects of war on the average person. This movie can be watched on Tubi for free.

Fury:

Premiering in 2014, Fury takes place in Nazi Germany. This movie is packed with great action scenes and a star-studded cast. The favorable characters you follow throughout the whole film, help you feel as if you’re actually there. Whenever something happens you experience their panic, but also their will to stay alive. 

This movie has one of the most memorable endings, showing the connection between the young men on both sides who were drafted into war against their will. It does a great job of showing how Nazi Germany used children to fight their war and forced them to go die for them. This movie is inspired by the experiences of real tank crews during World War 1, and you can feel it throughout the 134-minute run time. It depicts tank warfare in a way that has never been seen in a war movie before, and it does a fantastic job of showing the way characters are forced to become killers in hopes of surviving, despite it being against their nature. This movie can be watched with a Netflix subscription. 

Inglourious Basterds:

Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 film is a war comedy that is incredibly violent yet entertaining. Following Jewish American soldiers in Nazi Germany, viewers watch as they begin to retaliate and plan assassinations against the main Nazi leaders. 

This movie doesn’t follow history at all, but that’s what makes it so entertaining and memorable. It lets viewers explore their imagination, and not just focus on the facts of war and how things actually happened. It’s a take on war movies you don’t see often. Although it received some backlash and praise, this movie is still something we’ve yet to see done again. Brad Pritt plays the sergeant who leads the Jewish Soldiers and he does a fantastic acting job throughout the entire film. This movie is funny, violent, and wildly unrealistic in all the right ways, which is what makes it so great. This movie can be watched with a Paramount+ subscription. 

Apocalypse Now:

Set during the Vietnam War, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film is in my opinion one of the best depictions of the effect war has on the human psyche. Viewers follow a Navy boat of American soldiers, as they proceed on their mission to kill a colonel in Cambodia. 

This film dives straight into the fragility of the human mind, and we watch as the main character, Captain Benjamin Willard, slowly loses all mortality once in war and in Cambodia. Throughout the movie, viewers are made aware of Willard’s deteriorating mental state as he falls victim to his circumstances and the violence that surrounds him, as well as his crewmates’ departure into madness, as crewmate Lance falls into a drug-induced psychosis, leading him to participate in a ritual with a native tribe in Cambodia. 

This film highlights the dark aspects of war and the effects it has on the human mind and morality as a whole. It is packed with metaphors and symbolism, making it confusing to some, but overall this movie is a great example of how the human mind can fall into primal urges and a loss of reality in war. This movie can be found on Plex for free.

All Quiet on the Western Front:

Netflix’s 2022 film depicts the horrors of propaganda and patriotism during World War 1. Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, it follows the main character, Paul, who is based on Remarque’s experiences during his own service in WW1. Paul is a young German Soldier who joins the war to honor his country but quickly faces the horrors and realities of war after fighting in the trenches of Germany. 

This film is packed with action and anxiety, as you watch the characters continuously come in close contact with death and destruction. The German film highlights the challenges of war on a soldier’s mental state and the obstacles they face returning home after losing their morality.

 The film is unapologetically anti-war and beautifully depicts the effects of propaganda, especially on the young male psyche, as all of the main characters have their expectations shattered by the realities and horrors of war. This film can be watched with a Netflix subscription.