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Best war films

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Life is beautiful, war is hell. Who loves the smell of napalm in the morning? Whether you’re on the frontline or the home front, we want you to advance your 10 greatest war films. From satirical comedies to dam-busting schemes, doomed romances to epic homecomings, the war movie canon is an incredible cross-genre minefield. Base your list on any criteria: strength of character, evilness of enemy, realism of military life, implausibility of plan… and tell us why in the notes. Take your time: Showdown is going fortnightly from here on in (and send us your topic suggestions). They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom.

Most mentioned

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Paths of Glory
  • Dunkirk
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Schindler's List
  • Come and See
  • Platoon
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Grave of the Fireflies
  • The Hurt Locker
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Hacksaw Ridge
  • Black Hawk Down
  • Das Boot

Lists

Sort by
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Paths of Glory
  • Waltz with Bashir
  • Come and See
  • The Deer Hunter
Jim Cody

Jim Cody 10 films

  • Letters from Iwo Jima
  • Dunkirk
  • Many Wars Ago
  • Band of Brothers
  • The Great War
Max

Max 48 films

  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Come and See
  • Grave of the Fireflies
  • Saving Private Ryan
KMahon37

KMahon37 10 films

  • Schindler's List
  • Pan's Labyrinth
  • 1917
  • War for the Planet of the Apes
  • Dunkirk
Shawn Stubbs

Shawn Stubbs 25 films

  • Inglourious Basterds
  • The Monuments Men
  • The Counterfeiters
  • The Pianist
  • Captain America: The First Avenger
menina_alema

menina_alema 11 films

  • Black Hawk Down
  • Jarhead
  • Brothers
  • The White Ribbon
  • Wonder Woman
menina_alema

menina_alema 11 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • Dunkirk
Plainviewed

Plainviewed 10 films

  • Inglourious Basterds
  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  • The Ascent
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Paths of Glory
Shane Barlow

Shane Barlow 22 films

  • The Great Escape
  • The Dirty Dozen
  • Overlord
  • Dunkirk
  • Saving Private Ryan
Austin Green

Austin Green 44 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Hiroshima Mon Amour
  • Night and Fog
  • Come and See
  • The Thin Red Line
Leif

Leif 50 films

  • Kajaki
  • Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Schindler's List
  • Empire of the Sun
RigelDC

RigelDC 36 films

  • Paths of Glory
  • Schindler's List
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Letters from Iwo Jima
  • A Very Long Engagement
Pete Talbot

Pete Talbot 244 films

  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Casablanca
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Come and See
neilgrahamuk

neilgrahamuk 25 films

  • Inglourious Basterds
  • Dunkirk
  • American Sniper
  • Fury
  • Hacksaw Ridge
Blaine

Blaine 16 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Come and See
  • Paths of Glory
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • The Longest Day
Skraggs

Skraggs 83 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Paths of Glory
  • Letters from Iwo Jima
Sam Bertsch

Sam Bertsch 10 films

  • Grand Illusion
  • Sergeant York
  • Mrs. Miniver
  • Went the Day Well?
  • Dark of the Sun
CarcinoGent

CarcinoGent 10 films

  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Grand Illusion
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Foxtrot
  • Full Metal Jacket
Chad Marriotti

Chad Marriotti 10 films

  • Air Force
  • Shock Troops
  • The Steel Helmet
  • Sahara
  • Five Graves to Cairo
george_kaplan

george_kaplan 10 films

  • The Birth of a Nation
  • Shoulder Arms
  • J'accuse
  • Strike
  • The Big Parade
Jan Roger Gunvaldsen

Jan Roger Gunvaldsen 253 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • Das Boot
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Saving Private Ryan
Mike

Mike 10 films

  • '71
  • 300
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Ballad of a Soldier
Steven Flores

Steven Flores 53 films

  • 300
  • Gone with the Wind
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  • M*A*S*H
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
TajLV

TajLV 10 films

  • Gone with the Wind
  • Casablanca
  • Lust, Caution
  • Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!
  • The Cow and I
kierstonwoodley

kierstonwoodley 20 films

  • The Cranes Are Flying
  • Army of Shadows
  • To Be or Not to Be
  • Kanal
  • The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
Ivan

Ivan 10 films

  • Grave of the Fireflies
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Come and See
  • Son of Saul
Ronny The Explorer

Ronny The Explorer 10 films

  • Paths of Glory
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Atonement
  • Princess Mononoke
  • Son of Saul
Annikin

Annikin 10 films

  • Soldier of Orange
  • The Pianist
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Schindler's List
  • Downfall
🧀 Almer

🧀 Almer 33 films

  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Paths of Glory
  • Hacksaw Ridge
  • Dunkirk
  • Full Metal Jacket
Darren

Darren 10 films

  • The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
  • The Civil War
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Hiroshima Mon Amour
  • Army of Shadows
Kyle

Kyle 44 films

  • The Thin Red Line
  • Land of Mine
  • Thirteen Days
  • Breaker Morant
  • Schindler's List
Mouldy

Mouldy 10 films

  • M*A*S*H
  • The General
  • Love and Death
  • Duck Soup
  • A Matter of Life and Death
Random 🎲 Arnold

Random 🎲 Arnold 10 films

  • Tropic Thunder
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  • Dunkirk
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Platoon
Conor Wade

Conor Wade 12 films

  • Gallipoli
  • Zulu
  • Platoon
  • Henry V
  • The Fog of War
Kurosawa

Kurosawa 44 films

  • Night and Fog
  • The Great Escape
  • Zulu
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Catch-22
louferrigno

louferrigno 10 films

  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • Das Boot
  • Downfall
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Davormkd

Davormkd 10 films

  • Ran
  • Barry Lyndon
  • Grand Illusion
  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Breadwinner
Marcelle Griffin

Marcelle Griffin 10 films

  • Heaven's Gate
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
  • Invaders from Mars
Zane

Zane 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • From Here to Eternity
  • War Horse
  • Foxtrot
morgan 🌃

morgan 🌃 10 films

  • Waltz with Bashir
  • Come and See
  • Das Boot
  • The Silent Village
  • Son of Saul
James_Wright

James_Wright 6 films

  • Schindler's List
  • Braveheart
  • Pan's Labyrinth
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Platoon
Boston Skinner

Boston Skinner 10 films

  • Downfall
  • Zulu
  • Platoon
  • Black Book
  • Saving Private Ryan
Andy Summers 🤠

Andy Summers 🤠 10 films

  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Come and See
  • Barry Lyndon
  • The Thin Red Line
🇵🇸 Asif Khan 🍉

🇵🇸 Asif Khan 🍉 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • My Way
  • Black Hawk Down
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Das Boot
BraveNeo

BraveNeo 10 films

  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Braveheart
  • Schindler's List
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Kingdom of Heaven
Alec Toombs

Alec Toombs 20 films

  • Dunkirk
  • Schindler's List
  • The 12th Man
  • Atonement
  • Ivan's Childhood
VladimirVader

VladimirVader 10 films

  • The Thin Red Line
  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Marriage of Maria Braun
  • October (Ten Days that Shook the World)
  • The Embassy
Revoltijo

Revoltijo 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • M*A*S*H
  • Come and See
  • Napoleon
Forrest With2Rs

Forrest With2Rs 10 films

  • Stalag 17
  • The Steel Helmet
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Paths of Glory
  • The Dirty Dozen
Chris

Chris 10 films

  • The Birth of a Nation
  • Shoulder Arms
  • The Big Parade
  • Wings
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
elvisisking

elvisisking 72 films

  • A Bridge Too Far
  • The Guns of Navarone
  • Where Eagles Dare
  • Army of Shadows
  • Kanal
Mark Cunliffe 🇵🇸

Mark Cunliffe 🇵🇸 25 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Patton
  • The Dam Busters
  • In Which We Serve
loureviews

loureviews 10 films

  • Gallipoli
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Glory
  • Hope and Glory
  • Platoon
John Hensler

John Hensler 12 films

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • The Burmese Harp
  • Catch-22
  • Come and See
Stotty

Stotty 25 films

  • Come and See
  • No Man's Land
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Dunkirk
Sondos

Sondos 23 films

  • Grave of the Fireflies
  • Come and See
  • Paths of Glory
  • Night and Fog
  • The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
maddy

maddy 15 films

  • The Thin Red Line
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Paths of Glory
  • Schindler's List
  • Dunkirk
Julps2

Julps2 10 films

  • The Lord of the Rings
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Princess Mononoke
Matthew Lewis

Matthew Lewis 10 films

  • Paths of Glory
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Come and See
  • Ballad of a Soldier
  • Waltz with Bashir
Jacob

Jacob 10 films

  • Throne of Blood
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • The Last Metro
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Beau Travail
Chris Hormann

Chris Hormann 10 films

  • Band of Brothers
  • Generation Kill
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • The Pacific
  • Black Hawk Down
Michael SweatpantsDisco

Michael SweatpantsDisco 10 films

  • Come and See
  • Grave of the Fireflies
  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Ascent
  • Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Captain Rowdy

Captain Rowdy 10 films

  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Apocalypse Now
  • City of Life and Death
  • The Thin Red Line
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
Alan P

Alan P 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Paths of Glory
Daniel Charchuk

Daniel Charchuk 25 films

  • Paths of Glory
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • Lessons of Darkness
  • Apocalypse Now
Lara Hill

Lara Hill 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • Schindler's List
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • The Deer Hunter
Julie

Julie 25 films

  • The Devil's Backbone
  • City of Life and Death
  • Come and See
  • Casualties of War
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Buboven

Buboven 15 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Salvador
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Gallipoli
  • Das Boot
Ruth Scouller

Ruth Scouller 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
David Kuskie

David Kuskie 10 films

  • Cries from Syria
  • The Imitation Game
  • Downfall
  • Black Hawk Down
  • Schindler's List
Nichtsbesondern

Nichtsbesondern 13 films

  • Stalag 17
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • The Longest Day
  • The Great Escape
  • American Sniper
John Quinn

John Quinn 12 films

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Sergeant York
  • Schindler's List
  • Gallipoli
  • The Imitation Game
Lauren Stoolfire

Lauren Stoolfire 10 films

  • Wings
  • Atonement
  • Ip Man
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • Mrs. Miniver
Erik [Auk]

Erik [Auk] 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Come and See
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Saving Private Ryan
Luis_989

Luis_989 25 films

  • Across the Universe
  • Atonement
  • Band of Brothers
  • Before the Fall
  • Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Cindy

Cindy 34 films

  • Tropic Thunder
  • First Blood
Kash Hammer

Kash Hammer 2 films

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Paths of Glory
  • The Red Badge of Courage
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • The Big Red One
Black Rabbit of Inlé

Black Rabbit of Inlé 10 films

  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Paths of Glory
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • The Thin Red Line
E.M. Lees

E.M. Lees 10 films

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • The Burmese Harp
  • Paths of Glory
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Saving Private Ryan
Martin

Martin 10 films

  • Captain America: The First Avenger
  • Casablanca
  • Duck Soup
  • Fury
  • Good Morning, Vietnam
lonestarr357

lonestarr357 10 films

  • The Thin Red Line
  • Inglourious Basterds
  • Platoon
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Grave of the Fireflies
ItzMeister

ItzMeister 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Stalingrad
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Paths of Glory
ruthless1939

ruthless1939 15 films

  • Das Boot
  • Tora! Tora! Tora!
  • Army of Shadows
  • Eye in the Sky
  • Letters from Iwo Jima
DisposableMiffy

DisposableMiffy 10 films

  • Full Metal Jacket
  • Paths of Glory
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Platoon
Rory

Rory 10 films

  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Dunkirk
  • The Hurt Locker
Wilson Carter

Wilson Carter 10 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Big Red One
  • Twelve O'Clock High
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • The Steel Helmet
Goodwin

Goodwin 10 films

  • Saving Private Ryan
  • The Breadwinner
  • Schindler's List
  • 300
  • Hacksaw Ridge
Wearon

Wearon 10 films

  • Paths of Glory
  • The Deer Hunter
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Ran
  • Full Metal Jacket
Eduardo Morais

Eduardo Morais 10 films

  • Come and See
  • Das Boot
  • The Hurt Locker
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Saving Private Ryan
lurk_moar

lurk_moar 12 films

  • Apocalypse Now
  • The Big Red One
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Hamburger Hill
Billy Ray Brewton

Billy Ray Brewton 10 films

Still from Tigerland (2000)