War, sadly, has always been an integral part of human history. Needless to say, the 20th century was no exception—in fact, it was the century with the most war-related deaths in recorded history. As a result, the war movie genre was one of the most popular and prolific over the course of those 100 years. Sometimes used for propaganda, sometimes just for entertainment, and often as a healthy way to process the grief and trauma caused by the actual conflicts that plagued this chapter of human history, several war movies are among the very best films of all time.
But for every Casablanca and every Schindler’s List, there’s a dozen other war masterpieces that end up slipping under most people’s radars, or see success at first but eventually fade slowly into oblivion. Of course, saying that no one remembers them today is a bit of an exaggeration for the sake of dramatization; but it’s undeniable that these war films are terribly underappreciated, barely known by a handful of people, and not really remembered outside their countries of origin. That’s a shame, because they’re among the greatest war films of the 20th century as a whole.
‘The Last Command’ (1928)
Even after the invention of sound film in 1927, silent war movies remained the norm for a little while longer. It was in 1928 that one of the best war films of the 1920s came out: Josef von Sternberg‘s The Last Command, which very deservedly earned Emil Jannings the very first Leading Actor Oscar at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929. Jannings’ performance is, indeed, a powerhouse; but it’s hardly the only factor that The Last Command has going for it. The film is about Sergius Alexander, a former Imperial Russian general who ends up in Hollywood as an extra in a movie directed by a former revolutionary.
Another war movie that received excellent reviews upon release but didn’t have fittingly high box office earnings, The Last Command was eventually forgotten by the mainstream. That’s a shame, because it’s one of the greatest silent films of all time. Potently dramatic yet also unexpectedly satirical when it needs to be, the film is an exquisitely meta gem that was way ahead of its time in more ways than one.
‘Father of a Soldier’ (1964)
The Soviet Union gave birth to not only several of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century, but also several of the era’s greatest war films. Case in point: Rezo Chkheidze‘s Father of a Soldier, a drama where an old man visits his wounded son in a hospital, though it turns out that he’s already been released back to the front lines. Reluctant to go back home empty-handed, he tries to follow and find him. It is, without a doubt (and in spite of the lack of mainstream fanfare that accompanies it), one of the best war movies of the 1960s.
The scale of the combat scenes is such that you can’t help but watch them with your jaw on the floor, but what makes Father of a Soldier most effective is how much of an emotional roller coaster it is. Sergo Zakariadze’s lead performance is fantastic, and probably the main reason why the movie works as well as it does. It’s a beautifully powerful and sentimentally hard-hitting Georgian masterpiece.
‘The Message’ (1976)
Moustapha Akkad‘s The Message has a fascinating history. A three-and-a-half-hour-long biopic epic about the story of the prophet Muhammad, the film follows Islamic law by never actually depicting the prophet himself, but rather outlining his story through the lives of certain figures in his life. The result is one of the most fascinatingly unique and grand period pieces in history. Released in separately filmed Arabic and English language versions, the English version stars Anthony Quinn, while the Arabic version—undeniably the superior one—stars Abdallah Gaith.
It’s one of the most perfect war epics ever made, supported by gorgeous visuals and a soul-stirring Oscar-nominated score by Maurice Jarre. Marvelously shot battle sequences, an amazing cast, and a big budget where every last cent went to exactly the right place all help make this essential viewing for history buffs and hardcore cinephiles alike. There isn’t any war film quite like it out there, and that’s why, with its admirable rating of 8.9, it’s one of the highest-rated war movies of all time on IMDb.
‘Who’s Singin’ Over There?’ (1980)
Many films come from countries that don’t exist anymore, and the Yugoslavian film industry was one that was particularly prolific and high-quality throughout the nation’s existence. Far and away one of the greatest Yugoslav war films ever is Who’s Singin’ Over There?, an adventure dramedy set in 1941 Serbia, where a group of people get on a bus to Belgrade on a journey that will change their lives forever. Today, it’s remembered as one of the greatest films ever to come from the Balkans; but people outside the region may have never even heard about it.
It’s a phenomenal and surprisingly effective dark comedy, though. It’s also a rather unconventional war film, in that the anxiety provoked by the narrative comes not from combat sequences, but from the threat of war erupting at any given second. It truly is a grim, grim kind of film (as anyone might expect from any war comedy movie worth its salt), but it’s also so genuinely laugh-out-loud funny from time to time that it’s difficult to resist its charm.
‘To Live’ (1994)
Europe is by no means the only source of tragically underrated war movie masterpieces from foreign countries. For proof, one needn’t look any further than the Chinese drama To Live, based on the novel by Yu Hua. Directed by Yimou Zhang, it’s about a wealthy landowner and his wife who lose their fortune and have to raise their family under difficult cultural changes in China from the ’40s to the ’70s. Though it’s only a little over two hours long, this is nevertheless a grand epic through and through—and one that all fans of the genre absolutely should check out.
Due to its critical portrayal of government policies, the movie was denied a theatrical release in mainland China—which, if anything, makes it even worth seeing even more, same as any heavily-censored film. It’s a gut-wrenching film, but also a rousing and deeply humanistic celebration of resilience and the heroism inherent to survival. Well-crafted and politically sharp, it’s one of the best Chinese films of the ’90s, as well as one of the most criminally underappreciated outside of China.
‘Pretty Village, Pretty Flame’ (1996)
Directed by Srđan Dragojević, the Yugoslav war drama Pretty Village, Pretty Flame is based on Vanja Bulić‘s book. One of the most essential war movies of the ’90s, it follows two childhood friends during the war in Bosnia, who eventually become enemies. The tragic circumstances that pit them against one another expose the most gruesome aspects of human nature in a way that’s impossible to look away from. It’s not an easy film to get through, but a must-see for fans of war cinema nonetheless.
The film received tons of praise after a successful festival run in North America, and critics even compared it to M*A*S*H in its dark sense of humor and Stanley Kubrick in the depth of its political themes. They were well-deserved comparisons, and yet, Pretty Village, Pretty Flame was soon forgotten. It’s time to change that. This is a grim, emotional, and creatively structured masterpiece, brilliant in its moral complexity and uncompromising in its anti-war messaging.
‘The Fifth Seal’ (1976)
Zoltán Fábri‘s Hungarian political psychological drama The Fifth Seal is far and away one of the greatest films ever to come out of the country, and certainly their best war film ever. Set in 1944 Budapest, it’s about a watchmaker, a bookseller, and a carpenter who are joined by a stranger while drinking in a bar. The watchmaker then asks a hypothetical question that will change their lives. Fiercely philosophical, perfectly paced, and with a uniquely artsy tone, it’s war filmmaking at its very best.
It’s a gripping and absolutely uncompromising morality tale, one that never pulls its punches and never shies away from the darkness of the existential questions that it asks its characters—and, of course, its audience as well. It’s a monumental work of art with some haunting surrealist sequences that could have only been achieved by a filmmaker of Fábri’s caliber, and one of the most introspective and piercingly deep studies of war that cinema has ever had to offer. The genre has rarely been this good since, and as such, it’s a shame that The Fifth Seal doesn’t have more fans.
‘Lion of the Desert’ (1981)
Starring Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn, the American-Libyan-British epic period piece Lion of the Desert is one of the most perfect movies of the 1980s. It’s a political drama set in 1929 Italian Libya, where Benito Mussolini (Rod Steiger) has appointed a new colonial governor with orders to stamp out all resistance from Libyan nationalists. Though the film received glowing reviews upon release, it was an unfortunate box office disappointment, and it was originally even banned in Italy.
Despite all that, this is still one of the greatest war film masterpieces of the ’80s. Everyone loves a good, inspirational David vs. Goliath story, and this overtly anti-fascist gem of a movie uses an emotionally stirring story and glorious combat sequences to appeal to everyone’s love for those kinds of tales. Grand, spectacular, and mostly historically accurate, this anti-colonial masterpiece deserves far more love from fans of war cinema nowadays.
Lion of the Desert
- Release Date
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April 17, 1981
- Runtime
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173 minutes
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Anthony Quinn
Omar Mukhtar
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Rod Steiger
Benito Mussolini
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Oliver Reed
Gen. Rodolfo Graziani
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