War is hell, but it also makes for some great movies. Nightmarish as it is, there are few real-world events that present such natural conduits for drama, suspense, horror and heroism, and filmmakers have taken advantage from nearly the beginning of cinema: Lewis Milestone’s adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front won one of the first Oscars for Best Picture, in 1930.
The best war movies aren’t just historical recreations, though. They use combat as the basis for exploring a slew of existential questions. Why do we fight? Why do people enlist? What happens afterwards? Is war ever justified? Rarely is there a clear answer, but simply broaching those subjects can produce compelling cinema. For this list, we’ve compiled films that span the historical and fictional gamut, from both World Wars, to Vietnam, to the so-called War on Terror, to imaginary interplanetary conflict. It’s impossible to really convey the horror of war if you haven’t been there – done right, though, movies can provide some small window into what those who’ve fought have seen, experienced and felt. These 50 films come closest.
Written by David Fear, Keith Uhlich, Joshua Rothkopf, Andy Kryza, Phil de Semlyen and Matthew Singer
Recommended:
🎖️ The best World War I movies
💥 The 50 best World War II movies
🔥 The 100 best movies of all-time
💣 The 101 best action movies ever made
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