The 10 best war films of all time ranked - including 1979 nailbiter that's a 'masterpiece'

Rotten Tomatoes has ranked the ten best war films of all time, from a 1979 nailbiter that's a Marlon Brando masterpiece, to a 2008 film, which was described as one of the "best recent dramatisations of the Iraq War".

Surprisingly, modern epics like Saving Private Ryan and Dunkirk didn't make the list, with older generation films taking the top spot for their cinematic excellence.

From harrowing survival stories during WWII to missions during the Vietnam war, Rotten Tomatoes listed the 100 best-reviewed war movies of all time, ranked by Certified Fresh films.

Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus describes it as "thus far the best of the recent dramatisations of the Iraq War", which is well-acted, intensely shot, and "action-filled war epic". " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Publicity Picture" data-licensor-name="Publicity Picture" /> World War II, manned by a crew that must contend with tense conflicts and long stretches of confined boredom.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics consenus reads it is "taut, breathtakingly thrilling, and devastatingly intelligent", and "one of the greatest war films ever made".

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, it was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="YouTube" data-licensor-name="YouTube" /> World War I by their teacher.

The story highlights the tragedy of war through the eyes of individuals, told entirely through the experiences of the young German recruits.

Edward Berger later recreated a film under the same name in 2022, following the gripping story of one young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I.

One reviewer said: "Director Lewis Milestone's brilliant anti-war polemic, headlined by an unforgettable performance from Lew Ayres, lays bare the tragic foolishness at the heart of war."

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Directed by Stanley Kubrick, one reviewer said it was a "political satire tackling a difficult and fraught subject matter and turning it into one of the greatest films in the genre".

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="YouTube" data-licensor-name="YouTube" /> " data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Getty Images" data-licensor-name="Getty Images" /> Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus reads: "Schindler's List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg's signature tender humanism to create the director's dramatic masterpiece."

Starring Liam Neeson, the film went on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="YouTube" data-licensor-name="YouTube" /> Emma Thompson and Judi Dench, it was described as "perhaps Kenneth Branagh's most fully realized Shakespeare adaptation".

One critic added: "Branagh has made a hotblooded, lively and moving Henry V that speaks pertinently to a new generation."

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Getty Images" data-licensor-name="Getty Images" /> The Battle of Algiers unfolds like a newsreel, depicting a raw and brutal story about the Algerian War, in which guerrilla fighters took action against the French government.

Co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, the 1966 film has some deeply disturbing and brutal scenes, with documentary-type editing which adds to its sense of historical authenticity, with mostly non-professional actors who had lived through the real battle.

One critic wrote: "One of the finest recreations of dramatic actuality in the history of the cinema - one of those movies which shouldn't be missed."

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="YouTube" data-licensor-name="YouTube" /> The American classic, set and filmed during WWII, focuses on the struggle of an American expat, who must decide whether to help an ex-partner and her husband, who is a resistance leader, escape from the city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis.

Casablanca is now regarded as an iconic classic, which won many awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture.

On Rotten Tomatoes, it was deemed "the greatest movie ever made" by one reviewer who said: "Casablanca is a heart-wrenching and inspiring tale of sacrifice, love, integrity, and the power of patriotism."

" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-portal-copyright="Getty Images" data-licensor-name="Getty Images" /> Directed by Robert Bresson, A Man Escaped is based on the true story of a French resistance fighter named Andre Devigny, who escaped from a Nazi prison during WWII.

Lieutenant Fontaine, who is imprisoned by the Gestapo, must plan an elaborate escape from the Montluc prison in France.

The minimalist style film is even believed to have influenced Christopher Nolan when making the modern epic, Dunkirk.

One reviewer wrote: "Robert Bresson was one of the most original and influential filmmakers in cinema history. A Man Escaped is an exhibition of his unique style and approach."

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