Best War Movies of All Time

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

25. 'The Pianist' (2002)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: Oscar winner Adrien Brody starved himself to play a Polish Jew evading capture in Roman Polanski's devastating drama, and his suffering gives the film not just cerebral but almost physical effects. Soak in this masterful work, and watch how much you enjoy your next meal.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

24. 'Sergeant York' (1941)

War Time: World War I
What It's Good for: What do war and turkey shoots have in common? In one of his best turns, Gary Cooper plays a drafted pacifist drafted who becomes an American hero when he single-handedly captures an enemy position using common hunting tactics. It's inspired by a true story, and truly inspiring.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

23. 'Stalag 17' (1953)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: Before 'The Great Escape,' there was Billy Wilder's POW triumph, in which he reteamed with 'Sunset Blvd.' star William Holden. Wilder's screwball sensibilities account for the "vintage" humor, but luckily it doesn't detract from the film's intensity. But that's right, today it'd be called "dramedy."

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

22. 'The Thin Red Line' (1998)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: Terrence Malick's trancelike ensemble is unlike any war movie made before or since. For those who prefer moral complexity and visual poetry to macho bonding and gore, it was this film, not 'Saving Private Ryan,' that won the battle of WWII flicks in 1998.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

21. 'The African Queen' (1951)

War Time: World War I
What It's Good for: Bogie and Hepburn are two old salts on a riverboat: he, a drunken sea captain; she, a staid missionary. Will tender feelings develop? Natch. Will the movie blow you away? Yep. As unsentimentally romantic as it gets, this flick is a gem on the Nile.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

20. 'M*A*S*H' (1970)

War Time: "Korean War"
What It's Good for: It ain't easy finding humor in war, which is exactly why Robert Altman's Vietnam satire (he avoided any references to Korea) is such a classic work. Only miles from madness, the doctors are more concerned with booze and skirts than the bloody soldiers they operate on.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

19. 'Downfall' (2005)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: For all the Nazi/WWII movies we've seen over the years, few have attempted to paint an intimate portrait of that demon Hitler, perhaps in fear of humanizing him. This startling reenactment of his last stand is that bold film, and Bruno Ganz delivers the "best" Hitler the screen has ever seen.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

18. 'Patton' (1970)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: The most complete and fascinating biopic in the military movie ranks (yes, it bests 'Major Payne'), it's an unforgettable journey through the eyes of General Patton (George C. Scott), a man who lived for war. Scott would've made Patton proud by refusing that horse-dung Oscar.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

17. 'All Quiet on the Western Front' (1930)

War Time: World War I
What It's Good for: Though most modern war films are considered "anti-war films," this adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's classic novel was the first prominent movie to take such a stance. It's an utterly heartbreaking, disturbing illustration of the horrors of combat.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

16. 'Letters from Iwo Jima' (2006)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: 'Flags' is powerful, but Eastwood's companion piece is a masterpiece -- an ambitious counterpoint that displays the absurd resistance of a prideful army facing inevitable death. The "grenades" scene rivals 'Deer Hunter's' roulette in its haunting resonance.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

15. 'Three Kings' (1999)

War Time: Gulf War
What It's Good for: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube are a dream team as soldiers searching for hidden gold in post-war Iraq. The premise sounds frivolous, but the film explores the war's ramifications on both the U.S. combatants and the Iraqi people. In other words: It's gold.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

14. 'The Longest Day' (1962)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: Though the realism of 'Saving Private Ryan's' opening scene will stick in the mind of many forever when envisioning D-Day, this re-creation is the most thorough. If that's not a selling point, did we mention the film has 42 stars? That's more than 'Bobby.'

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

13. 'Glory' (1989)

War Time: Civil War
What It's Good for: Denzel Washington, as a fugitive slave in an all-black infantry, is whipped for desertion. His back is already scarred; and though he remains defiant, a tear rolls down his cheek. Full of anger and pride, it's a scene that's tough to get out of your head -- just like the rest of this powerful film.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

12. 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' (1957)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: If there's one thing to learn from war movies, it's to specialize. The "demolition expert" is never unemployed. Best Actor Alec Guinness is a British officer whose obsession proves to be his undoing in one of the most memorable death scenes on film.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

11. 'The Deer Hunter' (1978)

War Time: Vietnam War
What It's Good for: This Best Picture Oscar winner -- with Robert De Niro, John Savage and Christopher Walken as steelworker buddies in 'Nam -- depicts with eloquence and heartbreak how war can shake the foundations of sanity, friendship and even the ideals for which we fight.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

10. 'Braveheart' (1995)

War Time: First Scottish War of Independence
What It's Good for: Say what you will about Mel Gibson, but both 'Gladiator' and 'Lord of the Rings' owe a huge debt to 'Braveheart.' Mel's rousing, romantic epic revolutionized the way battle scenes are filmed and brought a tear to even the toughest guy's eye with one word: "Freedom!"

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

9. 'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962)

War Time: World War I
What It's Good for: Peter O'Toole is T.E. Lawrence, real-life Brit who headed up guerrilla forces in the desert; O'Toole should've picked up a Best Actor Oscar, but lost to Gregory Peck ('To Kill a Mockingbird'). At least the sweeping epic won Best Picture though.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

8. 'The Great Escape' (1963)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: While you won't get any thought-provoking insight into man's inhumanity to man (save that for work), you do get to spend time with the kings of '60s cinema, including Steve McQueen (showcasing his trademark driving skills on a motorcycle chased by Nazis).

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

7. 'Paths of Glory' (1957)

War Time: World War I
What It's Good for: Stanley Kubrick's early take on war is shocking for its realistic -- and cynical -- view of the politics of combat, and for Spartacus himself, Kirk Douglas, as Col. Dax, a jaded soldier who won't let his men go down for court martial without a fight.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

6. 'Das Boot' (1981)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: German director Wolfgang Petersen's U-boat drama realistically captures the claustrophobia and uncertainty of a fighter sub and portrays the German soldiers as real people, not Aryan monsters. It's part undersea thriller, part cogent docudrama.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

5. 'Full Metal Jacket' (1987)

War Time: Vietnam War
What It's Good for: It's Kubrick's gritty look at the dehumanizing effects of basic training and the even more brutal experience of combat during the Tet Offensive. Matthew Modine stars, but Vincent D'Onofrio, as the seriously disturbed Pvt. Pyle, will haunt your dreams.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

4. 'Schindler's List' (1993)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: Steven Spielberg's movie about a reluctant Nazi hero (Liam Neeson) manages to be both sweepingly cinematic and intensely personal. Winning Spielberg his first Oscar, this film proved once and for all that there was far more to this guy than aliens and big sharks.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

3. 'Saving Private Ryan' (1999)

War Time: World War II
What It's Good for: Spielberg's brutally realistic, expertly executed opening sequence, in which U.S. troops storm Normandy, is arguably the most impressive war scene ever shot. But with fine performances by Tom Hanks et al, the actors are the true heroes of this flick.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

2. 'Platoon' (1986)

War Time: Vietnam War
What It's Good for: Oliver Stone's good-versus-evil epic is only the second-best war movie starring a Sheen, but that ain't shabby. As the chopper pulls out of the jungle that final time, Charlie's (and a generation's) innocence has been bombed to oblivion.

Films That Receive Our Medal of Honor

1. 'Apocalypse Now' (1979)

War Time: Vietnam War
What It's Good for: Most of us have never actually smelled napalm in the morning, which is probably a good thing. But we still love it, because it reminds us of this epic work of genius, a single man's journey through the madness of Vietnam that still leaves us shocked, awed and blown away today.