11 brilliant war films that might be even better than Saving Private Ryan
As an avid movie watcher and a keen historian, these are my most recommended war films.
Here are my top 11 war films of all time
(Image: Netflix)As a person with a deep interest in history and a love of films, it's only natural that I would delve deep into the war genre. Films are a perfect medium to look back at the past and understand where we as human beings came from, the experiences that others faced and the sequence of events leading to today. Despite the harsh realities of war, it is important that we acknowledge the vulnerabilities felt by our predecessors and educate ourselves about the history. That, and a guilty pleasure for action films, is what makes the genre so appealing for me. Here are 11 brilliant war films that might be even better than Saving Private Ryan.
11. The Battle of Algiers
The Battle of Algiers is an Italian-Algerian war film co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. The 1966 film is based on action undertaken by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–1962) against the French government in North Africa. The most prominent action was the Battle of Algiers, the place of Algeria. The film was shot on location in black and white with documentary-style editing to add to its sense of historical authenticity. The participants were mostly non-professional actors who had lived through the real battle.
(Image: IMDb)
10. Narvick
Narvik is a Norwegian historical film depicting the Battles of Narvik from April 9 to June 8, 1940. Directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg and made by Nordisk Film, it stars Kristine Hartgen, Carl Martin Eggesbø, Cristoph Gelfert Mathiesen and Henrik Mestad. The film premiered in Norway in December 2022 and was released worldwide on Netflix in January 2023. The film's synopsis reads: "In April 1940, the eyes of the world are on Narvik, a small town in northern Norway, a source of the iron ore needed for Hitler's war machine. Through two months of fierce winter warfare, the German leader is dealt his first defeat."
(Image: Netflix)
9. Ran
Ran, released in 1985, weaves Shakespeare’s King Lear tale into the storyline, which is inspired by the life of the 16th-century feudal ruler Mori Motonari. Ran’s IMDb synopsis reads: “In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the newfound power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.” It is a story of one man’s horrifying regret and his tragic end, where a rush of reflection leads to humbling even the proudest of people.
(Image: Greenwich Film Productions)
8. The Winter War
The Winter War is a 1989 Finnish war film directed by Pekka Parikka and based on the 1984 novel Talvisota by Antti Tuuri. It is set in the 1939 Winter War and tells the story of a Finnish infantry regiment from Southern Ostrobothnia fighting on the Karelian Isthmus. It focuses mainly on a platoon of reservists from Kauhava.
(Image: National Filmi Oy)
