War and Anti-War Films
"War and Anti-War Films" often acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting or conflict (against nations or humankind) provide the primary plot or background for the action of the film. Typical elements in the action-oriented war plots include POW camp experiences and escapes, submarine warfare, espionage, personal heroism, "war is hell" brutalities, air dogfights, tough trench/infantry experiences, or male-bonding buddy adventures during wartime. Themes explored in war films include combat, survivor and escape stories, tales of gallant sacrifice and struggle, studies of the futility and inhumanity of battle, the effects of war on society, and intelligent and profound explorations of the moral and human issues.
Listed below are all the very best of this genre. Scroll yer heart out....
City of Life and Death (2009)
7.7/10
Director: Chuan Lu
Starring: Hideo Nakaizumi, Ye Liu, Wei Fan, Yuanyuan Gao
Director Chuan Lu pulls off a rare feat by providing a clear-eyed drama about an event in Chinese-Japanese history - the 1937 Rape of Nanking followin... Read more
City of War: The John Rabe Story (2010)
7.2/10
Director: Florian Gallenberger
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Daniel Bruhl, Dagmar Manzel, Anne Consigny, Jingchu Zhang, Ulrich...
Based on the shocking events of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, this German-French-Chinese historical drama tells the story of German businessman John Rabe... Read more
Classic War Collection: The Way Ahead / The Flemish Farm / Appointment With Venus (1951)
Director: Carol Reed, Jeffrey Dell, Betty E. Box
Starring: David Niven, Stanley Holloway, Trevor Howard, William Hartnell, John Laurie, Cli...
'The Way Ahead' - After an infantry battalion has suffered casualties at Dunkirk, the gaps in the ranks must be filled by 'call-ups'. The men that arr... Read more
Classic War: A Matter of Life and Death / The Purple Plain / The One That Got Away (1954)
Director: Michael Powell, Robert Parrish, Roy Ward Baker
Starring: David Niven, Gregory Peck, Hardy Kruger, Kim Hunter
Close the doors, dim the lights, take a seat and leave your troubles behind. The Classic Matinee Triple Bill is your exclusive gold pass to the Matine... Read more
Coach To Vienna (Blu-ray) (1966)
Director: Karel Kachyna
Starring: Iva Janzurová
A WW2 story of a young Austrian soldier running from the Russian army and a woman whom he forces to come along in order to save his wounded mate. Read more
Colditz (2005)
6.8/10
Director: Stuart Orme
Starring: James Fox, Tom Hardy, Damian Lewis, Sophia Myles, Jason Priestley, Timothy West,...
While being held prisoner in Germany's Colditz Castle during World War II, an Allied officer (Tom Hardy) attempts a series of daring escapes when he l... Read more
Come and See (1985)
8.2/10
Director: Elem Klimov
Starring: Alexei Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Vladas Bagdonas
The thoroughly mesmerising chronicle of the initiation of a young teen (impressively played by Alexei Kravchenko) into the horror and insanity of war,... Read more
Come In Spinner (1990)
8/10
Director: Robert Marchand
Starring: Kerry Armstrong, Justine Clarke, Rebecca Gibney, Lisa Harrow, Gary Sweet, Martin...
Adapted from the Australian war-time novel by Dymphna Cusack and Florence James, this acclaimed mini-series centres on the lives of three women runnin... Read more
Come See the Paradise (1990)
6.7/10
Director: Alan Parker
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Sab Shimono, Tamlyn Tomita, Shizuko Hoshi
From writer/director Alan Parker ("Mississippi Burning") comes this haunting romantic drama set against one of the darkest periods in U.S. history. In... Read more
Coming Home (1978)
7.3/10
Director: Hal Ashby
Starring: Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Robert Carradine
A powerful look at the effects of the Vietnam war on the people at home. Jane Fonda falls in love with paraplegic Jon Voight while her husband (Bruce... Read more