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The 20 Best World War II Movies Ever Made
From war-torn romances to bloody battles, these are the best films that depict the horrors of war—and the humanity at the center of the conflicts
From war-torn romances to bloody battles, these are the best films that depict the horrors of war—and the humanity at the center of the conflicts
20. Stalingrad
A complicated love affair erupts amid the Nazi invasion of Stalingrad in this celebrated Russian film
19. Defiance
Four brothers join Russian resistance fighters in the Eastern-European woods, slowly building camps of Jewish refugees. Rent/buy on Amazon.
18. Black Book
A Jewish singer goes undercover for the Dutch resistance in order to infiltrate the Nazi headquarters in Netherlands. Rent/buy on Amazon.
17. Son of Saul
A prisoner in Auschwitz saves the body of a young boy from the crematorium in this intense depiction of morality and spiritual survival. Rent/buy on Amazon.
16. Empire of the Sun
15. Patton
George C. Scott gives a tour-de-force performance as the complex and controversial general George S. Patton. Rent/buy on Amazon.
14. Letters From Iwo Jima
Clint Eastwood finds sympathy for the enemy in this Oscar-nominated epic. Rent/buy on Amazon.
13. The Dirty Dozen
A rag-tag group of convicts bind together for a suicide mission on the eve of D-Day in this Oscar-winning epic. Rent/buy on Amazon.
12. From Here to Eternity
On the eve of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, three Army soldiers find themselves in a variety of romantic entanglements while stationed in Hawaii. Rent/buy on Amazon.
11. Downfall
This Oscar-nominated thriller depicts Adolf Hitler's final days as he hides in a Berlin bunker. Rent/buy on Amazon.
10. The Thin Red Line
Terrence Malick returned from a 20-year hiatus for this quiet reflection on the horrors of war. Rent/buy on Amazon.
9. The Longest Day
This Oscar-winning epic tells the story of D-Day through various points of view—from both the Allied and German sides. Rent/buy on Amazon.
8. Life Is Beautiful
A dutiful Italian father tries to shelter his son from the dangerous truth of the Holocaust in Roberto Benigni's Oscar-winning film. Rent/buy on Amazon.
7. Das Boot
This celebrated drama gives an inside look at what happened beneath the surface on a German U-boat. Rent/buy on Amazon.
6. Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino's absurdist take on propaganda film depicts the brutal death of Adolf Hitler. Rent/buy on Amazon.
5. Grave of the Fireflies
4. Schindler's List
Steven Spielberg's magnum opus is the definitive on-screen depiction of the Holocaust. Rent/buy on Amazon.
3. Casablanca
One of the greatest films ever made—period—this one practically set the standard for the war-torn romance genre. Rent/buy on Amazon.
2. The Bridge on the River Kwai
A British colonel leads a team of POWs in a Japanese camp to build a bridge for their captors—and plans an uprising. Rent/buy on Amazon.
1. Saving Private Ryan
Spielberg brought the horrific violence of war front and centre with the staggering depiction of the Invasion of Normandy. Rent/buy on Amazon.
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