War shapes our past, our present, and our future. And that is why it continues to be the fascination of filmmakers and movie-goers alike. Be it current the Russia-Ukrain war or the recent case fight between Taliban fighters and the established Afghanistan govt. this recent situation got great attention from the media all around the world. In this blog, I am going to suggest some of the movies based on actual events. People like true stories because they feel like they live the situation through the big screen characters. They can immerse themselves in the story and feel all the emotions that come with it.

10. Dunkirk (2017)

• IMDb Rating: 7.8/10 stars
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Writer: Christopher Nolan
• Stars: Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance
• Where to watch – Apple TV, Amazon Prime

Christopher Nolan’s largely bloodless but profoundly harrowing war epic is the best film he’s ever made. Masterful visual storytelling on an epic scale. It is hard to imagine a better tribute to this victory of survival than Nolan’s spare, stunning, extraordinarily ambitious film. Technically awe-inspiring, narratively inventive, and thematically complex, Dunkirk reinvigorates its genre with a war movie that is both harrowing and smart. This is a grand spectacle, not an empty one, a rare example of the Hollywood blockbuster dollar well spent. I’d go so far as to say that Dunkirk could easily serve as its own master class in the art of film editing. Add to that an absolutely terrifyingly discordant score from Hans Zimmer and the result is, well, a bona fide classic.

9. Saving Private Ryan

• IMDb Rating: 8.6/10 stars
• Running time: 2h 49 min
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Writer: Robert Rodat
• Stars: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore

The movie is based on the Niland brothers, who served in the U.S. army when three of the four were thought to be killed in action. Fortunately, one was found escaping a Japanese prison camp, so two of the brothers actually survived the war. Set during the Second World War, the film follows a group of soldiers sent on a mission to save one man – Private Ryan. Ryan is the last of his four brothers to be still alive and fighting in the war, and they want to bring him home.

8. Platoon (1986)

• IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 stars
• Running time: 2h
• Director: Oliver Stone
• Writer: Oliver Stone
• Stars: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe

Platoon- brought the true horror of the Vietnam War to the big screen. Based on Stone’s own experiences as a soldier in the conflict, the film captivated millions of viewers all over the world.

The film presents the war through the eyes of new recruit Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen ). Taylor is a naïve middle-class young man who dropped out of college to volunteer in Vietnam for idealistic reasons. The movie begins with Taylor’s arrival at Da Nang in September 1967. He is assigned to an infantry division that is fighting near the border with  Cambodia. His platoon commander is Lieutenant Wolfe (Mark Moses), but authority in the unit actually rests with Barnes ( Tom Berenger). 

7. American Sniper

• IMDb Rating: 7.3/10 stars
• Running time: 2h 13m
• Director: Clint Eastwood
• Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner

American Sniper is an action drama that follows the story of Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, who is considered the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history. U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield. Even after returning home from the war in Iraq, Chris Kyle, a SEAL sniper, cannot let go of the horrors he has experienced. This begins to affect his marriage and his life.

6.Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

• IMDb Rating: 8.1/10 .
• Running time: 2h 19m.
• Director: Mel Gibson
• Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey.

The true story of Desmond t.Doss, the conscientious objector who, at the Battle of Okinawa, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his incredible bravery and regard for his fellow soldiers. We see his upbringing and how this shaped his views, especially his religious view and anti-killing stance.

Most of the movie was historically accurate, including Doss’s objection to carrying a weapon and his heroic acts in saving the lives of others. Although he is a pacifist, Doss manages to save the lives of around 75 soldiers during the battle.

5.1917

• IMDb Rating: 8.2/10 .
• Director: Sam Mendes
• Stars: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays

The new World War I drama from director Sam Mendes, 1917, unfolds in real-time, tracking a pair of British soldiers as they cross the Western Front on a desperate rescue mission.

The story is very simple…two lance corporals are sent on a mad dash across enemy territory to alert troops on the other side of this no man’s land that they are walking into a trap. The film shows their journey and the thrilling finale. Seemingly filmed in one continuous take the 117-minute epic has garnered accolades for its cinematography and innovative approach to a potentially formulaic genre.

4. We Were Soldiers (2002)

• IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
• Running time: 2h 18m
• Stars: Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear

This movie depicts the battle of la Drang  of 1965, which was first engagement between US Army and people’s Army of Vietnam. Some part of movie is fictional and depicts only little realism, but it still capture the realism of Vietnam war. What makes this movie more interesting is some of the actors cast were members of North Vietnamese army,

The intense part of this movie follows the Lieutents Colonel Hal Moore(played by Mel Gibson) and horror battle between US army and Vietnamese , and emotional ups and down of the soldiers

3.The Pianist (2002)

• IMDb Rating: 8.5/10 
• Running time: 2h 30m
• Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay

This movie depicts true story based on Wladyslaw Szpilman, Polish Jew who was famous pianist. This movie beautifully shows the struggle during Nazi occupation of Poland from where how manages to survive Holocaust.

Finally he was helped by a German police officer who neglected the Nazis policies and kept his life at risk to protect Szpilman after hid of two year in Warsaw. This movie show real struggle of people and horrific survival tale of human under infamous Nazi rule.

Adrien Brody who played the role of pianist revealed that he suffered from year long depression after filming disturbing scene from movie

2.Black Hawk Down (2001)

• IMDb Rating: 7.7/10 stars
• Running time: 2h 24m
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Stars: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore

This movie tells the real story of Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia during Us Army raid in 1993. The event recount of raid by 160 US rangers and Delta forces on Somalian compound in Somalian captial Mogadishu in attempt to capture the two  militant head Mohamed Farrah Aidid, who proclaimed to be president of Civil war affected Somalia.This movie beautifully depicts short raid become horrific 15 hours battle which result in casualties of 15  American soldiers and more than 100 Somalian.

1.Shershaah

• IMDb Rating: 8.9/10 stars
• Running time: 3h 10m
• Stars:Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani 
• Director: Vishnuvardhan

This movie depicts events of Kargil War of India and pakistan , of 1999 , Role played as Captain Vikram Batra by Siddarth Malhotra really touched the audience’s heart. Role of Vikram Batra beautifully played by Siddarth shows unparalled courage of Vikram Batra which immensely contributed to the India’s Victory in Kargil War

 The Kargil Conflict – which was one of the toughest conflict  between two countries at the height of unfavorable weather ,  this war had lot of stake. The Pakistani troops had infiltrated into the Indian state of Kashmir. Movies shows how Bikram Batra patriotically handled situation and dared his life to save motherland soil from foreign elements and flagged tricolor at highest point of conflict

Conclusion

War is hell. It’s brutal and bloody. It destroys lives, countries, cultures. It shapes our past, our present, our future. And that is why it continues to be the fascination of filmmakers and movie-goers alike. Stories about war reveal the true nature of humanity in its darkest times.

And just because these are dramas often dealing with the military—telling stories of brave soldiers and great victories—these aren’t always flag-waving patriotic films. A war movie can be deeply pacifist, it can be revolutionary, it can be critical of our leaders who bring us into conflict.

Let me know in comment which Movie you are planning to watch or which have you already watched