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Culture Film The 20 Best World War II Movies Ever Made The 20 Best World War II Movies Ever MadeFrom 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
By Esquire US Editors Published: 13 July 2017
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1 20. Stalingrad A complicated love affair erupts amid the Nazi invasion of Stalingrad in this celebrated Russian film
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2 19. Defiance Four brothers join Russian resistance fighters in the Eastern-European woods, slowly building camps of Jewish refugees. Rent/buy on Amazon .
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3 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 .
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4 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 .
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5 16. Empire of the Sun A young Christian Bale stars as an English boy separated from his family in Japan-controlled China. Rent/buy on Amazon and iTunes .
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6 15. Patton George C. Scott gives a tour-de-force performance as the complex and controversial general George S. Patton. Rent/buy on Amazon .
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7 14. Letters From Iwo Jima Clint Eastwood finds sympathy for the enemy in this Oscar-nominated epic. Rent/buy on Amazon .
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8 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 .
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9 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 .
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10 11. Downfall This Oscar-nominated thriller depicts Adolf Hitler's final days as he hides in a Berlin bunker. Rent/buy on Amazon .
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11 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 .
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12 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 .
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13 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 .
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14 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 .
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15 6. Inglourious Basterds Tarantino's absurdist take on propaganda film depicts the brutal death of Adolf Hitler. Rent/buy on Amazon .
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16 5. Grave of the Fireflies Two Japanese children struggle to survive in the waning days of WWII in this highly celebrated animated film. Rent/buy on A mazon .
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17 4. Schindler's List Steven Spielberg's magnum opus is the definitive on-screen depiction of the Holocaust. Rent/buy on Amazon .
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18 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 .
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19 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 .
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20 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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