30 best films about the Second World War. Part 2

Here is a list of the best war films in the history of cinema, including Soviet and American films nominated for an Oscar and other awards.

In 2017, several successful films about the war were released, two of them - "Dark Times" and "Dunkirk" - were nominated for an Oscar. "Dark Times" tells the story of Winston Churchill's rise to power, while "Dunkirk" represents almost the same time period of World War II from the point of view of the soldiers and sailors involved in the evacuation in Normandy. Of course, both of these films were included in our list, but the rest of the listed films are in no way inferior to them. So, here are the 25 best war films.

Also Don't Miss: 30 BEST WORLD WAR II FILMS - PART 1

15. "Bridge over the River Kwai", 1957

It is considered one of the best films about the Second World War. This is a fictional story about the construction of a railway in Burma. Alec Guinness plays Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson, captured with his squad and collaborating with enemies on the construction of the bridge. The British army should be remembered for its building skills, Nicholson said. In a strange coincidence, US officer William Holden is tasked with sabotaging and blowing up a bridge under construction. A heartbreaking sight.

14. "Platoon", 1986

The film's startling credibility stems from the involvement of director and screenwriter Oliver Stone in the Vietnam War. Stone was an American infantryman and brought his experience to the screen. Charlie Sheena's character drops out to serve his motherland. It is believed that this is the first film of its kind, filmed directly by a participant in the hostilities. Stone knows from his own experience how war traumatizes the human psyche. Plus, the dirt and horror of jungle war has never been more tangible. Stone was able to portray the battle on the scorched earth of a Vietnamese village differently.

13. "Dark Times", 2017

While there are plenty of Churchill film incarnations out there, Gary Oldman has done a great job and was nominated for an Oscar in 2018. Oldman's Churchill is majestic, stubborn, but human (even too much in some scenes). He is the type of ruler capable of challenging Hitler. Few films are able to explain how his unusual political views prevented him from staying as prime minister after the end of the war. The film is devoid of any battles and focuses on a narrow time frame, but is still considered one of the best in its genre, thanks to its regularity, unrelenting tension and great acting.

12. "The Pianist", 2002

To fully immerse himself in the role of Polish pianist Vladislav Shpilman, actor Adrien Brody broke up with his girlfriend, sold all his belongings, left home and lived like his hero in the Polish ghetto during World War II. The dedication shown on the screen, as well as the fact that the physical appearance of the actor corresponded to the inner experiences of his character, brought the actor an Oscar. The film is based on true events and serves as a reminder of what the Jewish people had to go through in order to survive.

11. "The Thin Red Line", 1998

With this film, Terrence Malick returned to the cinema after a twenty-year absence. This is a slow and drawn-out story about how human struggle destroys nature. The final cut was heavily shortened, and the actors were amazed that their lengths of their roles were also changed. According to Terrence, only a thin red line separates health from insanity, which he showed in his characters. Where exactly? Mad Lt. Col. Nick Nolte is arguably the best actor ever.

10. "Paths of Glory", 1957

Kubrick was inspired by Humphrey Cobb's novel to tell the story of a WWI colonel who refused to send his men to their deaths. Colonel Dax (Kirk Dougles) draws on his pre-war legal experience to save his death row soldiers. Kubrick is opposed to war, this is manifested in the tyranny of the Dax superiors. The finale finds the survivors of Dax's trial in a small pub drinking ale and listening to a local singer. Dax looks at them with tears in his eyes, and the viewer realizes that it will not be long before the next shock.

9. "All-metal jacket", 1987

This black comedy follows the Vietnam War from the perspective of "The Joker" (Matthew Modine), the man who scrawled "born to kill" on his helmet, but wears a pacifist badge and attributes it to "the duality of human nature." Yes, he has character. All the characters in the film are complex, troubled personalities trying to cope with the pressure of their abusive boss. Lee Ermei played the most memorable role in the film, his insults, designed to make the recruits harder, cannot be forgotten. This is the Kubrick war.

8. "Casablanca", 1942

Hollywood war propaganda mingles with the personal drama of lovers separated by military conflict. The stars of this WWII movie by Michael Curtis are Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, playing the roles of Rick and Ilsa. Rick is the owner of a cafe in Casablanca, Ilsa is his old lover who comes to town with her husband, a notorious rebel seeking to destroy the Nazis. The tension between the characters is created by Rick, who cannot sit idly by and wants to help Ilsa's husband. The actors were friends in reality, which resulted in such chemistry on the screen, which you rarely see now. Casablanca is a wartime love story that will leave no one indifferent.

7. "Come and See", 1985

The most gruesome wartime videos include children. They are little saints in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Come and See" shows the horrors going on in the Nazi-occupied Soviet republic, from the point of view of the boy Fleur (Alexei Kravchenko), who left for a partisan detachment. Only after trying to return home, Fleur becomes a witness to the horrific cruelty to which the name refers - the villagers are herded into the church, which is then pelted with grenades. The firm and unwavering approach to storytelling is striking. No one will remain indifferent when they see the atrocities committed by the Nazis in Belarus.

6. "Schindler's List", 1993

Steven Spielberg has been criticized for ignoring the six million Jewish deaths in the Holocaust, but the film is still heart-chilling and tear-inducing nonetheless. His attempt to sanctify a huge tragedy by telling the story of a thousand lives saved works flawlessly. He, in his own way, approaches the description of the duality of man, capable of performing indescribable atrocities along with innumerable good. The story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) tells the story of one man's attempt to save as many Jews as possible from death by developing the art of eavesdropping to the ideal. The character's actions prove that even in the darkest times, light can be found.

5. "The great commander Georgy Zhukov", 1995

The film by Yuri Ozerov, filmed in 1995, is dedicated to the Soviet military leader, four times Hero of the Soviet Union, the great commander G.K. Zhukov, with whom many associate Victory in the Great Patriotic War. And if Stalin is an odious figure, then Zhukov has always enjoyed and enjoys honor and respect among the people. The film very vividly reflected the iron character and uncompromising patriotism of this man. The film is addictive from the very first minutes, and can rightfully be considered one of the best films on the theme of the Second World War.

4. "Liberation", 1970

Perhaps the largest historical epic about the Second World War ever filmed. The director was Yuri Ozerov. Liberation consists of five films.The first film - "Fire Arc" is dedicated to the grandiose battle on the Kursk Bulge in the summer of 1943, when a record number of tanks collided in a direct battle. history of wars. This battle was decisive for the entire Soviet people and humanity. An incredibly spectacular film is replete with really grand scenes with real tank armies.

3. "Apocalypse Now", 1979

Francis Ford Coppola conveyed in his "Apocalypse Now" a degree of terrifying madness that you will not find in any other Vietnam War film. This is a typical story of the "either us or them" genre. Captain Willard Martin Sheen is sent on a deadly mission. He must kill the unbalanced Colonel Kurtz, who has gone too deep in his actions. It is the purest cinematic pleasure to watch Willard struggling to maintain his mind and psychological stability in the company of helicopter attacks, tigers, Playboy bunnies, and the crazy photographer Dennis Hopper embodied. The film asks the question, who is really going crazy? Shin or Absolutely Riding Kurtz performed by Marlon Brando? The victim of war in this film is the mind of people.

2. "... The Dawns Here Are Quiet", 1972

Soviet film, deservedly marked by many awards, about a small group of female anti-aircraft gunners, whose task was to protect the rear. However, the fragile girls were forced to enter into an unequal battle with the enemy paratroopers. The film is very dramatic and spectacular, because the heroines were not warriors, they were not prepared for a serious war. All they dreamed about was to find love and build a family hearth - but fate offered them something else, and they fulfilled their military duty to the end ...

1. "Saving Private Ryan", 1998

What is a person's life worth? This is the question Steven Spielberg asks in his intense 1998 action movie. From the very first frames, the film captures the viewer, telling the story of how a detachment of the US Army is trying to track and send home an ordinary soldier, the last surviving Ryan brother. The acting is perfect. Tom Hanks walks through the darkest abyss of conflict, and the viewer sees the reality of war without embellishment and gloss. Saving Private Ryan is a brutal and decisive plunge into the horrors of wartime.