World War Movies

Top Period Movies of the War

I thought of making a list of my favourite Period Movies of the War since I am so keen on them. The subject of most of these movies remains to be World War II, because of the obvious brutality and the mass killing all over the world.

Anyway, these are my favourite war time movies which really get you as close to the war scene as you could go within the safety of your home and comfort of your flat screens.

Schindler's List (1993)

#1. Schindler’s List (1993) – I don’t have words to describe this movie, probably the best I ever saw, in all aspects. The movie has been directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in the lead. It is a long movie and the one which gives you creeps, showing the truest horrors of the Second World War. A must watch for everyone who has the slightest inclination towards cinema or war movies. Mind you, it’s very disturbing.

Downfall (2004) Downfall (2004)

#2. Downfall (2004) – The movie is about the last days of the devil Adolph Hitler, as seen by his last secretary, Traudl Junge, in his Berlin bunker, at the close of the Second World War. The movie is directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel and stars Bruno Ganz and Alexandria Maria Lara in the lead. It gives an honest picture about the whimsical last days of Adolph Hitler and how he decided to commit suicide alongwith his mistress, Eva Braun. A movie very well directed and worth watching.

The Diary of Anne Frank (2009)

#3. The Diary of Anne Frank (2009) – A classic, one of my most favourites. I have already posted about The Diary of Anne Frank in one of my posts. The story is about a young thirteen years old girl, living in hiding during the Nazis Holland occupation. It stars Ellie Kendrick in the lead, as Anne Frank, although she is not a known name in the industry as yet, she did a great job in this series. The last scene of the series, as I have already mentioned before, is remarkably well directed, without any dialogues, conveys everything. Catch it!

#4. Nuremberg (2000) and The Way Back (2010) – Here’s a tie between Nuremberg and The Way Back, both of which are super good.

Nuremberg (2000)

Nuremberg (2000) is a movie about the war crime trials committed during the World War II, with the Nazi defeat. It is directed by Yves Simoneau and stars Alec Baldwin in the lead. Though nothing brutal has been shown in the movie, but it does give an account on the consequences of the war and the crime committed by the Nazi.

The Way Back (2010)

The Way Back (2010) is a movie about a group of convicts who escape the Russian Gulag during the World War II and walk 4000 miles to find their freedom across the Himalayas. The movie has been directed by Peter Weir and stars Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, in the lead among others.  To tell you the truth, it is quite surprising and inspirational, all along the way. The ensemble of cast has done a great job.

Enemy at the Gates (2001)

#5. Enemy at the Gates (2001) – This movie is about the battle of Stalingrad during the World War II, where two snipers, a German and a Russian indulge in a battle of skills. The movie is directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and stars Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz in the lead. It’s an excellent movie, though a little deviated at times from the central war theme, and more bent upon skills of two people alone, it makes a great watch still.

This was just a brief something about my favorite movies; do tell me about your favorites. As we are on the topic of World War movies, there are some other movies I would like to mention here:

• The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas
• The Courageous Heart of Irena Sandler
• Letters from Iwo Jima
• My Boy Jack
• Defiance
• Saving Private Ryan
• Valkyrie

Again, I love comments so feel free to post some!