Top 15 World War 2 Films of All Time - A Historian Reacts 

Just an FYI that there's about a 10 second spot near the middle of the video with no sound. Thank the youtube copyright detector for that. Hans Zimmer's score from Thin Red Line got dinged, and it was either mute that part or file an appeal which can take weeks. I just muted it.

My father was in a Japanese POW camp captured at Singapore, and he was put on the Burma Road. Bridge over the River Kwai was his most detested movie. He said it was complete rubbish. He said in his camp, if you spoke to the Japanese commander or really any of the Japanese, you were shot; if you didn't respond quickly enough you were shot; There was no parade, there were no officers; it was a labor camp and they were slaves. They worked, ate, slept, and talked in whispers after dark. And they mostly died.

1993 German Stalingrad Movie. Once again a movie entirely from the German perspective. The movie details as German soldiers struggle with their loyalty as the war progresses from victory to crushing defeat and retreat.

Downfall is easily one of the best - despite the endless memes, the portrayal of Hitler by the outstanding Swiss actor Bruno Ganz (rip - he listened to the very few recordings of Hitler’s natural speaking voice to get the Bavarian accent) is definitive, and the incredible attention to details in the bunker, and the portrayal of the collective psychological meltdown as the Red Army nears, are just brilliant.

Grave of the Fireflies will break your heart. From 1988, this animated feature is like no other and tells the story of a Japanese teen boy taking care of his toddler sister just before Hiroshima. It is hard to imagine a film so beautiful and brutal. Children are the most vulnerable of wartime and this film does not pull back when it punches. Roger Ebert claims there is no way the film makers could have done this live and still have the same affect. I agree.

I'd recommend "Die Brücke" (The Bridge). A German movie from 1959. No big budget or huge scenes, just a story about a few young friends who are ordered to protect a completely unimportant bridge in their hometown in Germany in the assumption that there won't be any action anyhow - and then the US army shows up. Extremely impressive exactly because the whole set is that small.

I walked out of the theater after the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan openly weeping. My grandfather was in the 29th infantry division and was on that beach at zero hour +30. You can even see the Blue and Grey Ying yang patches on some of the soldiers. His unit had a 90% casualty rate. He came home...for the most part. As much as you can from seeing something like that.

_Really_ pleasantly surprised to see "Come and See" at number 1. Thank God for Criterion kind of resurrecting it to be exposed to a whole new generation. It's like a nightmare being converted into cinema, hard to watch, but important to watch.

The 5-hour-version of "Das Boot" is actually the best of all three versions. That version has lots of passages where nothing really happens and the crew starts to get impatient, annoyed by and angry at each other. They feel that they don't contribute anything to win the war. It's the most realistic picture of what reality was like on a submarine in WWII. But that version was considered to be too long and too boring for the audience. They cut so much stuff away from it that the actors were shocked when they watched it at the premiere. The studio had turned a great study of war into a dull action movie. Luckily, after a few years, the 5-hour-miniseries was shown on TV and is loved since that day. The Directors Cut is something in between. It's much better than the theatrical version, but still lacks some things from the miniseries.

Can't deal with a list where Tora Tora Tora doesn't even make the honorable mentions.

I would heartily recommend "Unknown soldier" 2017, it's based on an old finnish novel written by a veteran who fought in the continuation war against soviet union. it has great characters and good historical accuracy aswell. it's one that's probably not so well known outside of Finland so I reccomend it to foreigners especially for insight about what was happening in finland during ww2

I agree about adding The Longest Day and Tora Tora Tora. Not only is The Longest Day one of the best WWII movies ever made, I think it's one of the best films ever made, with both breadth and depth of vision, bringing in perspectives of so many different people and different kinds of people. I also think it's a great soundtrack. If you didn't notice it that much, that's part of the point. When you do notice it, it's often the martial drumming. I think of it as one three hour piece of music with long, long rests. In its coming and going, even in its absences, it is controlling the rhythm of your responses to everything else.

Re: Downfall: it's the difference between an explanation and an excuse. We shouldn't excuse what Hitler did, but it is important to explain it, to understand the mindset. And frankly, we can talk about it in the clinical terms of xenophobia and such all we want, but for many, it is near impossible to truly understand such terms without an emotive example. That is what Downfall truly provides.

Generally, when I watch Dunkirk, I get bugged by the seemingly small number of people on the beach. I've heard this was because Nolan wanted to keep it practical and avoid adding more troops with effects, but I think it would've sold the situation more. I always felt very weird about it. The board walk is crammed full of people, and the ships showed tonnes of people, but very few (barely pushing 150 being generous imo) on the beach to fill those ships. Otherwise, I generally enjoy it.

As already mentioned by others "The Cruel Sea" could have made the list. "Das Boot" gave the German perspective of the Battle of the Atlantic, while The Cruel Sea depicted the British side and the task of protecting the convoys crossing that ocean. Filming in B&W gave it atmosphere that could not be replicated in colour, plus some great actors of the time.

a gem most people probably haven't heard about; "Land of Mine". it takes place immediately after the war, and is about teenaged German soldiers, now prisoners of war, who are forced to clear mines from Denmark's beaches. Their minder is a Danish officer, who harbors quite a bit of resentment, but gradually gets a more complex view of these boys and the horrible task they've been forced to perform. A great film.

I know it doesn't rank for many others but "Grave of the Fireflies" is an excellent film about the struggles of Japanese Civilians during the end of WW2.

The WWII film that made me fall in love with the genre was Memphis Belle. One of my childhood neighbors was restoring a B17 (now at the Boeing Museum of Flight in Seattle) and took part in the filming. There was a cheese factor at times, but it truly captured the terror of flying through hell and back in a tin can.

I’ve heard the British 1953 film, The Cruel Sea, starring Jack Hawkins is a very accurate depiction of the Royal Navy fighting Germany's U-boats.

‘Come and see’. Is not only the best Second World War film but the best war film ever. The pianist is a truly great film.

Come and see is the most defining ww2 film I've seen, it truly had a dramatic effect on how I viewed the 2nd world war, it made me really start to seriously read more civilian perspectives of the war and the horrors they faced. i will never watch it again but I'm so glad I did.

A movie I think is kinda left on the sidelines is the Empire Of The Sun. It shows a side of the war that is very rarely shown with Chinese prisoners and the invasion of Shanghai. Definitely on my top 5.

My faves, the Cruel Sea, Above us the Waves, Battle of Britain, Ice cold in Alex, Memphis Belle, the Dam Busters, Battle of the River Plate, Angels one five, first of the few, Reach for the sky, the list could go on.

Grave of the Fireflies is animated and one of the most heartbreaking stories set in WW2 I've ever seen.

Couple of films that came to mind right away that are not on the list: The Enemy Below (1957) - starring Robert Mitchum and Curd Jürgens. My favorite. Enemy at the Gates Stalingrad - the german version of Enemy at the Gates If Inglourious Basterds and The Dirty Dozen can make the list, so can Kelly's Heroes with Clint Eastwood. Escape to Victory (1981) is another, which is actually a remake of the hungarian movie Two halves in Hell (1961)

The Best Years of Our Lives. Too often, wars don't end in places like Potsdam or Tokyo Bay. Speaks to posterity better than perhaps any war film I've ever seen.

One of my first exposures to WWII was in the late 50s (I was born in '51), when my father invited an aviator over to our house who was in a German POW camp for most of the war. He told us numerous stories of the ingenuity of POWs at coming up with devices/plans to escape and create havoc for the German rear echelon troops. Based on this, one of my favorite WWII movies is a quiet but insightful (and highly rewatchable!) film about POWs called "Stalag 17", by the great Billy Wilder.

Relating to The Bridge Too Far, I was able to meet T. Moffatt Burriss who was part of that battle and was said to be loosely depicted in the movie. Amazing war hero. It was an honor to meet him.

It's not included but "Twelve O'Clock High" should be an honorable mention.

As someone who watched "Grave of the Fireflies" in two VERY different settings (Japanese class with a serious atmosphere but broken over days and Anime Club with jokesters and in one sitting), that is a movie that hits the "It should be watched at least once but not, necessarily, more than that" button for me.

'Battle of Britain,' and '12-o'clock High' should have both featured on this list.

The short movie Greyhound with Tom Hanks was one of the most realistic naval battle movies for CG historical accuracy. One or two glitches, but very good.

Idk how historically accurate it is, but I feel like Empire of the Sun by Stephen Spielberg is an underrated classic. The fascination of Christian Bale's character with WW2 aircraft definitely mirrored my own as a kid, and was only amplified when my dad showed me this film. It's also another of those WW2 movies about a lesser known area of the war, that being the affects of the Pacific theater on the British held areas of China.

"The Longest Day" is a SPECTACULAR film all buffs should see. Also Cornelius Ryan (who wrote the book) was a great author who wrote A Bridge Too Far and The Last Battle. Great books I highly recommend

While certainly not comparable to any of these films, as an Australian I always tear up over the ending of 'Kokoda', because it is our story and our grandfathers who fought in some of the most inhospitable terrain on earth to save our nation. And many of these men were ill-trained 'militia', young men with little training, but who nevertheless held their own against the more experienced and battle hardened Japanese troops. I wish more of our stories would be told, particularly during the Kokoda campaign and in Libya against Rommel. As an aside, Come and See absolutely deserves top spot. You will not see a more grim or realistic depiction of the war on the Eastern Front. Utterly chilling. For all the history books I've read on the subject, I simply cannot imagine the destruction and wholesale slaughter. This is why 'The Great Patriotic War' is so engraved into the psyche of the Russian, Belarussian and Ukrainian people (and many more!) today.

I heard something the other day that really shocked me. Despite all the countless submarine movies with sub v sub action, there is apparently only been one actual battle involving a sub attacking another sub in WW2. I was shocked by this because there are so many movies about subs hunting other subs.

I might be biased since I am from Finland, but I think that the Unknown Soldier (2017) in its miniseries form is on par with Band of Brothers, the Pacific and Generation War.

Hacksaw Ridge I feel was an amazing film that was not only based on a true story, but did a great job depicting the horror of war.

Letters from Iwo Jima is one of my favorites. American films always portray the Japanese as ruthless people who did evil things which no doubt many were. But there were also regular people who didn’t want to be there like many Americans were and it showed that perfectly. General Kuribayashi was also brilliant.

My father was a chief electicians mate, later commissioned, during the war in the Pacific. I took him to see "Tora, Tora, Tora". The only thing he said about the movie was that the nighttime bridge lights weren't that color on that class of vessel (whatever it was). There was a scene in "Patton" during the Battle of the Bulge of infantry advancing across a field of snow. Every few seconds an artillery shell would illuminate the field and a soldier or two would fall. It was some of the best cinematography I've ever seen.

I would have Enemy at the Gates on my list for sure.

Sam Fuller, the writer and director of The Big Red One, served as a combat infantryman in the US 1st Division during the war and for that reason alone it is worth a watch.

None of these movies would crack the top 15, but they're all good movies and worth a watch. "Run Silent Run Deep" "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" "Murphy's War" "Von Ryan's Express" "Tobruk (1967)" "Castle Keep"

I would have included "The Dam Busters". When the actor Richard Todd showed the movie to Hollywood heavy weights he had to convince them that it was a factual movie. They had no idea.

I highly respect that this countdown didn't suffer from short-term memories like many RU-vid countdowns do. I really enjoyed Stalag 17!!!!

Personally The Cruel Sea, Ice Cold in Alex, Battle of Britain and Cross of Iron are all worthy of a mention. Also love the sheer escapism of Kelly’s Heroes if I want some light relief.

Talking about Das Boot, one of my roommates a couple of years ago was in NROTC and he spent a summer on a submarine and he said it was very claustrophobic. There was nowhere to go where you weren't in the way and you routinely saw stuff above your clearance level that you were expected to keep quiet about.

I always felt that when Hank's character told Ryan to "earn this", he wasn't talking to Ryan so much as to the audience.

Please make your own top 15. Would love to hear it.

Me as a German, I would definitely add "Stalingrad" from 1993 to the list. It shows the perspective of common German soldiers during the battle of Stalingrad. And I would add "Tora Tora Tora!"

I would add "King Rat" with George Segal , from the novel by James Clavell, a harrowing study of British POWs in Singapore. For fun, "Von Ryan's Express" ,Frank Sinatra hijacks an Italian train of British POW's on their way from Italy to Germany.

Disappointed that Valkyrie didn’t even get an honorable mention. Also if you haven’t seen Anthropoid, you should. I think it’s one of the most UNDERATED WW2 movies I’ve ever seen.

I will not fight you on your opinion on „Thin Red Line“ as I see your point. I personally love it and will always love it for giving an interesting depiction on what war does to you. I was blown away when I realized that we see no faces of the „enemy“ for the majority of the movie and no one really having issues with killing the Japanese. But from the attack on the village where the Americans need to go into hand to hand combat they start seeing the individuals on the other end of their weapons and question if they do the „right thing“.

Cross of Iron is excellent in my opinion.

for American films that came out during and post WWII I would include Battleground (1949), 30 Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), The Story of G I Joe (1945), 12 'Clock High (1949) and Guadalcanal Diary (1943). And yes Come and See is the greatest movie ever made concerning WWII

"A Man Escaped" ... a true story and one of my top 10 WWII movies. The story revolves around a lone man escaping from an inescapable cell in an inescapable prison. The entire dialog is of the prisoner's reasoning and plans for escape. This is a French movie but since the dialog is in the escapee's mind the English version works seamlessly.

I like ' Sink The Bismarck ' , great story , tremendous stuff from both sides . Das Boot is ,for me ,the particularly outstanding one because of the atmosphere , the claustrophobia , the action , the remorseless story .

No Tora Tora Tora, I already am crying about the lack of it.

You could probably add "The Dam Busters", "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "Battle of the Bulge" and "Sink the Bismarck" to the list.

I’d recommend “Ballad of a Soldier” (a Soviet soldier is rewarded with 6 days’ leave to fix his mother’s roof but keeps getting sidetracked on the way home; the film opens with a voiceover that explains that he never made it through the war and his aging mother keeps waiting for him every day). “Only ‘Old Men’ Are Going Into Battle” (about the lives of Soviet fighter pilots, intercut with archive footage of aerial battles; the “Old Men” are the experienced pilots)

I'm kinda mad that Empire of the sun was not on the list.

21:58 where eagles dare and Kelly's heroes are amazing.

I would add two Dutch ww2 movies to your list: 1.black book 2006 and 2. Soldier of Orange 1977

The Winds of War miniseries is a drama, but the way it manages to offer perspectives from so many different places throughout WWII is unmatched.

What I get from the stabbing scene in Saving Private Ryan isn't just the intimacy, but the feeling of betrayal. They spared a soldier earlier in the movie and then he's the one stabbing his saviour later on.

I totally agreed with you on that Saving Private Ryan scene. Everytime i go and watch that movie i still hope Upham actually goes up those stairs to save Mellish.. god that scene always brings me to tears.

'Tora! Tora! Tora!' (Tiger, tiger, tiger) Certainly the best film on Pearl Harbor. Made in the early '70's it would be considered 'slow going' for today's audiences because much of the movie is going meticulously through what was known about the events leading up to it but the authenticity and slow build to that event for those who know or want to know WW2 history it is superb. The comedy of errors, brought on by the mindset of 'we can't be attacked', is a study complacency. And The Longest Day is in the top five of WW2 films ever made easily. Spielberg took some of the scene directly and put them in Saving Private Ryan.

Come and See #1? Hell yes. I'd say it's the greatest war movie ever.

Yeah, Come and See is THE masterpiece!! I love that movie! I've heard they used live ammo filming that movie. Aleksey Kravchenko was magnificent in his role as Flyora.

As an Italian I didn't expected "Rome, Open City" to be in a foreign list, at all. I'm very happy they did. As for other WW2 movies that didn't show on the list that I would have putted probably "Enemy at the Gates". It deserved at least an honourable mention.

My Favorite is "The Gallant Hours" followed by "They Were Expendable", "The Best Years of our Lives", "In Harm's Way", "The Battle of Britain", "A Bridge Too Far", "The Longest Day", "Sink the Bismark", "The Dam Busters", and "The War Lover". Could also throw in "T-34", "Tankers", "White Tiger", and "The Winter War".

How Battle of Britain never made any of these lists is perplexing.

The Thin Red Line felt so different that when I first saw it that I didn't understand it at all, but the more I watch it, the more I understand it, and actually love it. It's not really a film about the Battle of Guadalcanal, but an introspection into the minds of the young men who fought on that Island. I remember seeing it for the first time with my Uncle Mike who flew UH-1's as a Marine, was shot down in Vietnam, and it shook him to his core. I didn't understand until years later after he passed and read a journal he kept when he was MIA. It is almost impossible to understand the terror, and utter helplessness being hunted through miles of jungle whilst being surrounded by the beauty of nature. Trying to gain a perspective of what that was like is not something easily understood but The Thin Red line comes close to providing understanding of trauma in a very ethereal way.

Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. Also a great film set in WW2

"Controversy aside" is an interesting way to sweep his crimes under the rug.

Not really a “war movie,” per se, but it beautifully relates the experiences of an English boy in the early days of the Second World War: John Boorman’s “Hope and Glory.” A wonderfully heartfelt and witty film.

For all of its floors I think hacksaw Ridge would at least be an honourable mention for me

The original Midway what an all star cast, The quality of which we will probably never see again.

Das Boot : Nearly passed out from holding my breath so long.

Disagree with a number of these films - Battle of Britain, Sink The Bismarck!, Battle of the River Plate, I Was Monty's Double... Hell, Theirs Is the Glory should have been right up there because it was more of a documentary as most of the "actors" were former troops who had been at the real events during the war - it is said that is the closest to HD black and white combat recording as possible

I hadn't seen Schindler's List since high school, but I re-watched it recently and I'm glad I did. It really scares me that so many young people aren't aware of the Holocaust, or they deny its existence. That was the whole reason Spielberg made the film in the first place.

Haven't seen most of the European films. With that in mind, I would've ranked Dunkirk a bit higher. I loved the approach that Nolan took in that one. Not sure how "The Longest Day" doesn't even get an honorable mention. Good list though.

Some war films that would be on my list (not including ones you have mentioned such as longest day and Tora Tora Tora 1. Midway 2. Sink the Bismark 3. Valkyrie 4. Anthropoid 5. Battle of Britain 6. The Dambusters

Thank you for the review. I would suggest the following films are worth watching, "The Heroes of Telemark", "The Dambusters", "The Battle of Britain", "The Cruel Sea", "Went the Day Well" and "Ice Cold in Alex". Kind regards, Graham.

I know he didn’t include mini series but “The Pacific” is an amazing watch. It’s up there with other mini series like “Band of brothers” and “generation war”. You can watch band of brothers and the pacific on HBO max btw

Darkest Hour is a great one, don't know about Top 15 but great non the less. Battle Of Britain is also a classic and worth the watch.

Along with 'Tora Tora Tora', I would have given 'The Enemy Below' at least an honorable mention.

I would suggest Memphis Belle. Flying Heavy Bombers in Daylight raids was even more dangerous than Submarine service. This movie, just like Das Boot, captures the horror of that experience. Though I could be a bit biased. My Uncle was a B-17 Copilot in the 8 Army Air Force and he was nearly killed on several occasions including when his B-17 was shot down, crash landed and he was taken prisoner.

I once saw (on youtube of all things, I hope it's still there) a joint German-Danish film called 'Land of Mine', about the post-war clearing of minefields in Denmark. They used German POWs to clear the mines, which in 1945 mostly consisted of kids and old men. It gave me a lot to think about the policy of collective responsibility and revenge, and what you're supposed to do with a whole generation of German kids who grew up propagandized since they were teenagers.

This may be my Navy bias kicking in ,But Tora!Tora!Tora!, Midway(1976),Greyhound and Patton.

My grandfather served as an MP with Patton and always said that George C Scott absolutely became the general in that movie. That was his absolute favorite WWII movie.

Being a veteran my favorite parts of Saving Private Ryan were the interactions between the soldiers and of course the Captain's speech. "I'm a schoolteacher. I teach English composition... in this little town called Adley, Pennsylvania. The last eleven years, I've been at Thomas Alva Edison High School. I was a coach of the baseball team in the springtime. Back home, I tell people what I do for a living and they think well, now that figures. But over here, it's a big, a big mystery. So, I guess I've changed some. Sometimes I wonder if I've changed so much my wife is even going to recognize me, whenever it is that I get back to her. And how I'll ever be able to tell her about days like today. Ah, Ryan. I don't know anything about Ryan. I don't care. The man means nothing to me. It's just a name. But if... You know if going to Rumelle and finding him so that he can go home. If that earns me the right to get back to my wife, then that's my mission. You want to leave? You want to go off and fight the war? All right. All right. I won't stop you. I'll even put in the paperwork. I just know that every man I kill the farther away from home I feel."

"The Longest Day" is indeed a great movie and I was growing increasingly indignant that it was not on the list. While it sanitizes war, like many movies of the time (as opposed to the graphic representations of more modern movies), it does a wonderful job of showing the complexities of the many operations of D-Day and the chaos and uncertainties that the allies were facing during.

I'd recommend the German film Stalingrad(1993). It's pretty gut-wrenching and shows brutality of the fighting really well

Kelly’s Heroes, Went The Day Well, Sink the Bismarck, Angels One-Five, Reach for the Sky, The Dam Busters and Ice Cold in Alex are among my favourites.

Haven't seen a mention of Sam Peckinpah's "Cross Of Iron" from 1977. Tremendous movie with a great performance from James Coburn in the starring role.

You know a WW2 movie I always felt was highly underrated and often forgot? "Hell is for Heroes". One of Steve McQueen's first roles if I remember. All about a few under supplied men who had to hold a position against a vastly superior German opponent in France, until days later men could be moved in to relieve them and continue the offensive. It's kind of everything I'd want out of a War Movie in a way. Both very somber, particularly with its ending, action packed, but also not afraid to have some moments of levity and even black humor at times. All in all, it's just about basically 3 days in this lonely little position, from when a few men were left to hold a line, to the eventual attack pressed through. Not a big event in the war. No iconic battle or assault depicted. Just something that felt very "real". Something that might have happened in a dozen different places in the wake of things like the failure of Market Garden. I never expect the movie to be on any sort of list like this. I don't think many people (comparatively) these days have watched it. Or really had a strong impression of it. One I was surprised wasn't in, was "To Hell and Back". The movie about Audie Murphy, starring the man himself. It did a lot of very interesting things that just don't happen in War movies. For example the studio wanted Audie to have a "band of war buddies" who went through the entire war with him. Audie himself however staunchly held the line and demanded that NOT happen (unlike basically every War Movie/Series before or after). As he pointed out, "No one with me at the final battles were there with me in my first. All my friends died. And I won't disrespect their memories by pretending otherwise". Which resulted in the ending montage honoring those who fell in battle with him. That and Audie Murphy is just a fascinating, inspiring figure in general. I think knowing the man himself was involved so deeply on it, and really wanted to keep it honest to his time in the war, lends it a sort of impact for me that other movies just don't quite reach. If it was just "A war movie" that was loosely based on a figure, or adapted, or didn't really have that rigor of Murphy himself on set putting his foot down as I know he did? It probably wouldn't hit the same way. Definitely something you appreciate more knowing about the figure. Army of Shadows though is something I have issues with mostly because of the romantic revision feel of it, to me. The French Resistance is a bit... overly done in popular culture. It was a real clown shoes thing in reality. There wasn't really "A French Resistance" (though de Gaulle wanted to portray that and really popularized the idea when he was given the honor of liberating Paris and making his speeches, possibly for the better in terms of unifying France around his cult of personality after the war when it was deeply divided before and during). Most of the time the various French Resistance Groups were very disorganized, and often spent more time fighting each other instead of the occupiers. The Communist Groups didn't like the Monarchist Groups who didn't like the Nationalist Groups who didn't like the Republican Groups who didn't like... you get the idea. They spent more time doing things like robbing fellow Frenchmen of what little they had over harming the occupation. They did, eventually, have an effect. Mostly due to British and US organization and support in both training and supplies right before D Day. But it was kind of the exception to the general rule. I don't discount the effect that had on D Day, it was notable for its organization which really is something to give props to both UK and US organizers. But it's always really weird to see the common depiction of this highly effective and driven French Resistance making life hell for the occupying Nazis. Which outside of that one, titanic, amazing effort of foreign organizers just... didn't really happen. Well, didn't happen often. There's always individual stories of various things (usually the likes of saving and protecting downed allied pilots). But it was a far cry from the usual depiction in TV, Movies, Books, etc of this highly organized national network that was constantly getting key intelligence, assassinating officers, blowing up supply depots ever night, staging prison breaks on the regular, etc.

Interesting watch with intelligent criticism and recommendations. Given my current collection of 24 WWII films, I was, of course, mildly pleased that 7 of my collection featured. Others that I also have and love include: Battle of the River Plate, The Man Who Never Was (remake due for release soon as 'Operation Mincemeat'), The Cruel Sea, The Desert Fox, The Eagle has Landed, Ice Cold in Alex and Enemy at the Gates. Though, in all honesty, I would only push Man Who Never Was, Cruel Sea, Desert Fox and Ice Cold in Alex as top 15 candidates. Nice brief appraisal, thanks

Perhaps not top 15 material, but definitely worth seeing: 1.) Cross of Iron; 2.) The Gallant Hours; 3.) several Japanese films like -- "The Harp of Burma," and "Fire on the Plain." 4.) Die Bruecke (The Bridge); 5.) Empire of the Sun; 6.) The Enemy Below; 7.) Stalingrad. Plus the obvious ones you mentioned and their HMs.

Patton was one of my dad’s favorite movies. He died when I was 14 and I’m 52 now so that was 1986. We had a VCR before anyone we knew had one. He was very much a tech guy. We also had the first computer of anyone I knew. Anyway he taped Patton and used to watch that and a few others on this list all the time. My husband’s grandfather was a radio operator at Iwo Jima.