<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3XN5Y7_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3XN5Y7_0w8M4nOA00" width="1140" height="570" ><figcaption>Custom Image by Nimesh Perera&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><p>War never changes. People can see this throughout history, but they have never experienced it firsthand, with the closest thing being war movies. This versatile genre can show the horrors of war, glorify patriotism, or portray it as a comedy. While some of these things may seem wrong for such a heavy topic, they can become some of the greatest movies of all time, including The Hurt Locker and Rambo.</p><p>However, while there are many fantastic war movies, a certain few stand out among the rest for various reasons, making them essential must-watch films. Whether that be because of their <b>critical acclaim, genre-defining aspects, revolutionary elements, or how they best represent war in its intended fashion</b>, these ten movies prove to be a staple among war movies and, ultimately, films that every fan has the duty to watch, even if it's only once.</p><h2><b>10</b> <b>'The Deer Hunter' (1978)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Michael Cimino </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3h6IvC_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3h6IvC_0w8M4nOA00" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Universal Studios</figcaption></figure><p>The Vietnam War is a common event that Hollywood movies cover, and <b><i>The Deer Hunter</i></b> is one of many on this list. With an oversaturation of Vietnam War movies, <i>The Deer Hunter</i> is a refreshing take that focuses on the characters' relationships and the effect the war has on their small town. The film follows three lifelong friends who eagerly enlist together, only for the horrors of war to ruin their and their family's lives.</p><p>While some critics <b>criticize</b> <b>The Deer Hunter</b> for its drastic shift in nature and depiction of the Vietnamese, the film is an overall beautiful film about rural, blue-collar America and the war. The film excellently portrays the bonds and friendships of the characters while systematically breaking each of them down. Its gorgeous wide shots in both settings mirror each other perfectly, and <b>the cinematography alone is enough to make</b> <b><i>The Deer Hunter</i></b> <b>an essential war film.</b></p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4EvJvH_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4EvJvH_0w8M4nOA00" width="960" height="1416" ></figure><h2><b>9</b> <b>'1917' (2019)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Sam Mendes </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0I3lar_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0I3lar_0w8M4nOA00" width="1650" height="825" ><figcaption>Image via&nbsp;Entertainment One</figcaption></figure><p>Every fan loves a long one-shot, but few movies decide to make the entirety of their runtime one shot. While 1917 doesn't exactly do that, it cleverly uses cuts to give off that impression. The film follows two soldiers in the First World War who must travel across enemy territory to give commands calling off the attack. Said journey is impossible but would save thousands of lives, including the protagonist's brother.</p><p>As time passes, more and more great war movies emerge, making it difficult to decide which recent one is essential. While films like Dunkirk or Inglourious Basterds may be more well-known and critically received, <i>1917</i> sets itself apart by providing a more thrilling, technically impressive, and tight story. As one of the greatest war movies of the 2010s, <i>1917</i>'s one-shot may feel like a gimmick, but it only adds to the weight and tension of this modern essential film.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2G6I7E_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2G6I7E_0w8M4nOA00" width="960" height="1521" ></figure><h2><b>8</b> <b>'Platoon' (1986)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Oliver Stone </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4cJnXB_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4cJnXB_0w8M4nOA00" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Orion Pictures&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><p>While war movies will often receive input from actual veterans, director <b>Oliver Stone</b> provides firsthand experience from his time in Vietnam to <b><i>Platoon</i></b>. Amid the jungle, the film depicts the conflict and lack of communication as a soldier, his sergeant, and the squad leader argue about the morality of their actions. The soldier's idealism is put to the test as he encounters the horrors of war in a movie that earned multiple Oscar wins, including Best Picture.</p><p>Like most movies on this list, <i>Platoon</i> manages to depict these horrors spectacularly because of the director's experience. As one of the bleakest war movies, <i>Platoon</i> doesn't hold back its criticism of the cruel treatment of soldiers. The harrowing tale about the degradation of humanity is truly haunting. This authentic and bleak depiction easily makes <b><i>Platoon</i></b> <b>an essential war movie to see the product of a veteran</b>.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Xp3va_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Xp3va_0w8M4nOA00" width="480" height="725" ></figure><h2><b>7</b> <b>'All Quiet on the Western Front' (1930)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Lewis Milestone </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4TIglC_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4TIglC_0w8M4nOA00" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Universal Studios</figcaption></figure><p>As the oldest film on this list, All Quiet on the Western Front is a classic depiction of the First World War with many adaptations of its story. This is one of the earliest anti-war movies, depicting an enthusiastic German soldier enlisting in the war to make his country proud. However, all he experiences is trauma as the soldier learns why war is hell, helping make this movie the best war film of the decade.</p><p>Many war movies depict an eager young soldier going into war only to experience how bad it truly is. <i>All Quiet on the Western Front</i> is <b>one of the first movies to do this, becoming an essential early classic</b>. Not only did it pave the way for war movies, but it is also interesting to witness a war movie filmed between the First and Second World Wars. It adds <b>a disturbing meta layer as no one in the film expected a second event even worse than they had just experienced</b>.</p><h2><b>6</b> <b>'Das Boot' (1981)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Wolfgang Petersen </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4BtBEK_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4BtBEK_0w8M4nOA00" width="1650" height="825" ><figcaption>Image via&nbsp;Neue Constantin Film</figcaption></figure><p>While Das Boot isn't directed by a veteran, the novel it adapts is by one, <b>Lothar-Gunther Buccheim</b>, who also helped give notes along with some of his crew. This foreign film follows the crew of the German submarine U-96 and its horrifying true story. On a pointless patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War Two, a captain must manage his crew as they sway between extreme boredom and high-stress action.</p><p><b>Das Boot</b> has brilliant acting as each actor is able to give their all in this enclosed and tight film. This bleak film does an excellent job of portraying the war very realistically, as it doesn't focus on the usual large-scale battles on the ground. <i>Das Boot</i> is a unique war film that excels by giving the audience a claustrophobic feeling, <b>showing the war from a completely different angle than most other war movies</b>.</p><h2><b>5</b> <b>'Come and See' (1985)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Elem Klimov </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4eOaYI_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4eOaYI_0w8M4nOA00" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via Sovexportfilm</figcaption></figure><p>Facing censure because of its vivid realism and anti-war message, </p><p>is a classic Soviet war film based on the novel of survivor testimonies, <i>Khatyn</i>. Like many films, this one is about an eager young soldier looking to earn glory in war, but also, like many films, <i>Come and See</i> is about the terrors they experience. The journey is gut-wrenching and tragic to the point where fans won't want to watch it a second time, even if it is a perfect film.</p><p>While all movies on this list do a phenomenal job at displaying the horrors of war, none match the haunting journey fans experience in <i>Come and See</i>. The film is a nightmarish experience accentuated by the actors' brilliantly disturbing performances, specifically <b>Aleksei Kravchenko</b> as Florya. <i>Come and See</i> is the most accurate depiction of war in a film because of the authentic testimonials and the incredibly realistic action and directing, making it an essential movie fans must watch once if they have the stomach for it.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3NbCjK_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3NbCjK_0w8M4nOA00" width="960" height="1474" ></figure><h2><b>4</b> <b>'Full Metal Jacket' (1987)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Stanley Kubrick </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3GjW9v_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3GjW9v_0w8M4nOA00" width="1650" height="825" ><figcaption>Image via Warner Bros</figcaption></figure><p>Based on the 1979 autobiographical novel <i>The Short-Timers</i>, <b><i>Full Metal Jacket</i></b> is a psychological war movie set during the Vietnam War. The film is split into two distinct parts. The first follows two soldiers in their platoon in a boot camp, training under their abusive drill sergeant. The second half follows Private Joker (<b>Matthew Modine</b>) and other soldiers in the line of duty as they travel across multiple cities.</p><p><b>Stanley Kubrick</b> has produced many essential movies in their respective genres, from sci-fi to horror, and now he does so in the war genre with <i>Full Metal Jacket</i>. While another Vietnam War movie is higher up on this list, <b><i>Full Metal Jacket</i></b> <b>is a definitive war movie that excels at highlighting the dehumanization of soldiers</b>. Many movies delve into the horrors of war, something this film also does, but it's at its best when in boot camp, providing a unique perspective that speaks louder than any combat could in this perfectly acted war movie.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3J4hiB_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3J4hiB_0w8M4nOA00" width="960" height="1441" ></figure><h2><b>3</b> <b>'Schindler's List' (1993)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Steven Spielberg </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1X0R8g_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1X0R8g_0w8M4nOA00" width="1650" height="825" ><figcaption>Image via&nbsp;Universal Pictures</figcaption></figure><p>Adapted from <b>Thomas Keneally</b>'s 1982 novel <i>Schindler's Ark</i>, Schindler's List takes place in Poland during the Second World War. The movie follows a businessman affiliated with the Nazi party who hires Jewish workers for business reasons. However, after the war began and the SS started to exterminate the Jewish population, he protected his workers for selfish reasons, only to discover he could help save thousands of innocent lives.</p><p>Most war movies depict the horrors firsthand through brutal combat and tragic loss, but what separates <i>Shindler's List</i> is that it tells a more tragic and personal story. <i>Schindler's List</i> is one of the best recent war movies because of its authentic story of pain and hope, making it <b>the quintessential Holocaust movie</b>. This movie is a vital work which educates and painfully details the Holocaust, making it an essential war movie that does something different.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=30uhVB_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=30uhVB_0w8M4nOA00" width="960" height="1440" ></figure><h2><b>2</b> <b>'Apocalypse Now' (1979)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Francis Ford Coppola </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0UskUs_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0UskUs_0w8M4nOA00" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via United Artists</figcaption></figure><p>The final Vietnam War movie on this list, Apocalypse Now, is based on <b>Joseph Conrad</b>'s 1899 novella <i>Heart of Darkness</i>, but they changed the setting to 1970s Vietnam. After a promising soldier goes insane and allegedly murders some allies, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) must go on a capricious journey downriver to terminate the soldier. However, the deeper they go into the jungle, the darker it gets as they slowly lose their minds.</p><p>Despite the on-set catastrophes of broken sets, heart attacks, and unprepared actors, <b><i>Apocalypse Now</i></b> <b>managed to create the most essential Vietnam War movie</b>. Instead of focusing on the combat against the Vietnamese soldiers, this film delves into the psyche of the American soldiers and their grip on reality when encountering these horrors. <b>Apocalypse Now</b> is a perfect movie that brilliantly showcases the effect the war has on the soldiers in a haunting fashion.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=18m7sv_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=18m7sv_0w8M4nOA00" width="960" height="1475" ></figure><h2><b>1</b> <b>'Saving Private Ryan' (1998)</b> </h2><h2>Directed by Steven Spielberg </h2><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Vn5ph_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Vn5ph_0w8M4nOA00" width="825" height="413" ><figcaption>Image via DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures</figcaption></figure><p>There's a rule in a war that when multiple siblings go to war, if all but one dies, the last must return home. This is the premise of Saving Private Ryan, <b>Steven Spielberg</b>'s iconic war movie. The movie follows Captain Miller (<b>Tom Hanks</b>) and his squad as they trek through the reality of war as they search for Private Ryan (<b>Matt Damon</b>). On their journey, they each go on their own mental quest, coping with the brutal atrocities they need to push through.</p><p>No director has done the Second World War like Spielberg, who, after perfecting a Holocaust movie, created the most iconic war movie of all time. The film is best known for its extremely realistic depiction of the most infamous day in human history. This accuracy is unmatched by any war movie today, helping make <b>Saving Private Ryan</b> the most essential war movie because of its authentic depiction of the war. Becoming the definitive war movie, it inspired many other films and excels at showcasing the horrors of war in a horrifically vivid and honest way.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2QMcBm_0w8M4nOA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2QMcBm_0w8M4nOA00" width="480" height="716" ></figure></div></body>

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10 Essential War Movies Everyone Should See At Least Once

War never changes. People can see this throughout history, but they have never experienced it firsthand, with the closest thing being war movies. This versatile genre can show the horrors of war, glorify patriotism, or portray it as a comedy. While some of these things may seem wrong for such a heavy topic, they can become some of the greatest movies of all time, including The Hurt Locker and Rambo.