Best 20th Century War Movies

The best war movies depicting action that took place in the 1900's. Includes movies about WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and other engagements.
The Top Ten
1 Saving Private Ryan

Great, inspiring, realistic characters. Spielberg captures the European battlefield amazingly with fantastic performances from the likes of tom hanks. Moving and action packed from start to finish. definitely deserves its position at top. However I feel the thin red line deserves a higher position. Also a very moving film which illustrates how man has changed our natural world with war.

A good story without a political agenda that illustrates the dilemma faced by good men confronted by evil wearing the mask of humanity.

This one was tough because "Black Hawk Down", "Tears of the Sun", and "We Were Soldiers" were all classic war movies done very realistically.

2 Apocalypse Now

The most definitive war movie of all time. It is a classic, and to have Pearl Harbor on this list is obviously a disgrace!

A great movie which is very long and emotional! Stunningly brilliant and full of Drama!

3 Lawrence of Arabia
4 Platoon

A great movie with excellent story line and plenty of gore. Not better than SPR but certainly tops full metal jacket

5 Come and See

This movie shows what war is and not some American propaganda that makes Russians or any other enemy looking like idiots.

This movie exposes the true horrors of war and atrocious war crimes the Nazi Pigs committed.

6 Black Hawk Down

A brilliant war movie. It might not deserve number 1, but bravo.

One of my favorite war movie of all time! So amazing...

Brilliantly made... One of my favorite war movie...

7 Full Metal Jacket
8 The Deer Hunter
9 Downfall

Realistic and emotional! Bruno Ganz gives a fantastic Performance as Hitler!

10 The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Contenders
11 Threads

It's scary what nuclear war does.

12 We Were Soldiers

Based on a real battle, and considered by the UPI reporter who covered it to be 80% accurate, and who co-wrote the book with the 1st Cav officer who led the troops who said it was 60% accurate. It had its schmaltzy moments and corny dialog, but the war scenes and facts mentioned were right. The guy who narrated the opening scenes involving the French in 1954 mispronounced the place, "Ia Drang Valley" like the two letters imply in English, but it's actually pronounced like "Ya". The narrator of "Vietnam in HD" gets it right.

13 The Great Escape

The cast and the movie was one of the best POW type movies ever. I could watch it over and over. What strength!

14 A Bridge Too Far
15 The Great Dictator
16 Paths of Glory

Great anti-war film showing some absurd things people will do in positions of authority

17 Pearl Harbor

Great Movie. Shows what was happening at that time of war. Makes you feel the pain and sadness like if you were there at the war. This such a absolutely lovely movie you will enjoy this. You will love it.

It should be in the top ten because it had everything all rolled up into one, love, romance, action, comedy.. You name it it had it and of course the history factor... Come on it's a true war story...

Absolutely amazing. I went into this movie expecting something to just pass the time. And I ended up watching a masterpiece. Absolutely brilliant movie. Loved every minute of it.

18 From Here to Eternity
19 Patton
20 All Quiet on the Western Front
21 Das Boot
22 Tears of the Sun
23 The Longest Day

Great story about a great day. I've watched this in theaters, on tape and now DVD. Best war movie ever on recounting a great event. Excellent book also.

24 The Dogs of War
25 Three Kings
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