Stories of triumph and tribulation on the battlefield have captivated humanity since the dawn of narrative. Viewers have been fascinated by the worlds of the heroic men who serve, as well as the awful atrocities of war. As a result, there have been more films about the military than can be tallied. There are obviously those that are easily forgotten or simply awful films, but the best military films are iconic and profound.
These best war films cover a wide range of conflicts and historical periods, offer different viewpoints on the same battles or wars, and even have different tones in how they approach these issues. Some are action-packed and amusing, while others are grueling. In this article, we will see the top 10 Best Hollywood Military Movies every Defence Aspirant should watch.
10. All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front (German: Im Westen nichts Neues, lit. ‘In the West nothing new’) is a 2022 epic anti-war film based on Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 novel of the same name. It is set during World War I and chronicles the life of Paul Bäumer, an idealistic young German soldier. Baumer finds himself exposed to the realities of war after enlisting in the German Army with his buddies, shattering his early ambitions of being a hero as he does his best to live. The film adds a parallel storyline to the novel that follows the armistice negotiations to end the war.
9. Hacksaw Ridge
Desmond Doss, a World War II battlefield medic who refused to carry a weapon, inspired the film, Hacksaw Ridge. Regardless, he received the Medal of Honour for saving 75 lives during the Battle of Okinawa. Doss lowers the injured to safety and tends to their wounds during the violent conflict. The film is recognized as a riveting depiction of Doss. While the film contains intense battle scenes, these are paired with Doss’s efforts to keep the pacifist commitment he made to himself. It’s an unusual sensation to watch a war film from his point of view. Andrew Garfield’s characterization, which is both tenacious and sweet, propels the film. He even received his first Academy Award nomination for the part.
8. The Hurt Locker
The Hurt Locker is the only film on this list that addresses the brutality of the Iraq war. When a new sergeant is assigned to a bomb squad, tensions rise almost immediately due to his dangerous but very effective methods. As a result, this sergeant’s tactics are called into question by others around him in a dramatic military drama. Jeremy Renner stars in one of his early leading performances, and he portrays a tragically prevalent side effect of war: addiction to the lifestyle.
7. Platoon
Platoon, one of the darker films on this list, tackles the various factors that might fully ruin a person. A young man (Charlie Sheen) with a desire for fame enlists in the Vietnam War, only to discover the various consequences as his unit turns on one other over how they treat the locals. Platoon gradually exposes itself to be more of a psychological thriller than a combat film, blurring the borders between right and wrong in the manner that the best war films frequently do. It also works well as a thriller, though it didn’t quite make our ranking of the top thriller films of all time.
6. Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a poetic commentary on the harshness of the Vietnam War from the perspective of a rational soldier, focusing almost solely on the brutalities suffered by young American soldiers in boot camp. This film, from Stanley Kubrick’s imaginative mind, is an unvarnished look at what it truly means to be a guileless recruit in training. The film deals with mental instability and features plenty of verbal smackdowns from R. Lee Ermey (a real-life boot camp sergeant). Furthermore, this film demonstrates how conflict may take a toll on soldiers long before they reach the front lines.
5. Top Gun
Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Lieutenant Junior Grade Nick “Goose” Bradshaw fly the F-14A Tomcat aboard the USS Enterprise in the Indian Ocean. Maverick’s missile locks on one of two hostile MiG-28s during an interception, while the other hostile missile locks on Maverick’s wingman, Cougar. Maverick drives it away, but Cougar is so shaken that Maverick ignores landing instructions and escorts him back to the carrier. Cougar resigns from the army. CAG “Stinger” sends Maverick and Goose in his place to Top Gun, the Naval Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar.
4. American Sniper
Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a U.S. Navy SEAL, takes his single responsibility to protect his friends to heart and becomes one of the most lethal snipers in American history. Not only does his pinpoint precision save numerous lives, but it also makes him a prime target for insurgents. Kyle conducts four tours of service in Iraq, despite considerable danger and his effort to be a good husband and father to his family back home. However, when he goes home, he discovers that he is unable to leave the conflict behind.
3. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Libya, 2012. A group of ex-military contractors is providing protection at an unofficial CIA base in Benghazi. There is a power vacuum in the aftermath of Gaddafi’s demise, and the situation is combustible. Military equipment is widely available. Chris Stevens, the US Ambassador to Libya, pays a visit to the area and stays at a facility near the CIA base. The Ambassador’s compound is assaulted by hordes of heavily armed locals on the night of September 11, 2012; the only forces willing and able to defend it are six CIA contractors.
2. Lone Survivor
Navy SEALs Marcus Luttrell, Michael Murphy, Danny Dietz, and Matthew “Axe” Axelson travel to Afghanistan in 2005 on a reconnaissance operation to assassinate Taliban commander Ahmad Shah. Despite being observed by goatherds, Luttrell, and his squad decide not to kill them. However, one of the Afghans notifies a group of Taliban fighters to the invaders, resulting in a brutal confrontation in which the SEALs are badly outnumbered and outgunned.
1. Act of valor
Act of Valour is a stunning story of modern global anti-terrorism that involves a group of active-duty Navy SEALs in an unusual blend of real-life heroism and original filmmaking. The film, based on true events, blends magnificent combat sequences, cutting-edge battlefield technology, and heart-pounding emotion to create the ultimate action experience. Act of Valour immerses audiences in the shadowy realm of the most elite, highly trained corps of fighters in recent history. When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA agent leads to the uncovering of a deadly terrorist plot against the United States, a squad of SEALs is sent on a global manhunt.
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