This article contains discussions of violence and war crimes.
Summary
Warmovies fall into a wide variety of genres, but some are made with the intent of displaying a positive depiction of the military. These are not propaganda films, as those serve a different and more explicit purpose, butthey frequently have monetary backing from governmental institutions and might even encourage audiences to enlist.However, there are plenty of films that discuss the subject of conflict while trying to remain neutral or even taking a negative approach. Many of thegreat controversial war moviesspeak out against the military and directly interact with the impact that war has on civilians.
It’s typical of most pro-military movies to glance over some of the harsh realities of war.
Just because a movie has a plot or characters who support the military doesn’t mean they have themost realistic or accurate war scenes in movies. It’s typical of most pro-military movies to glance over some of the harsh realities of war. A film that uplifts the military might not be about war and could fall into another separate genre like sci-fi or fantasy. However,within the fictional conflicts that filmmakers create, there is a reflection of the real world,making it easy to draw comparisons to the battles onscreen and the fight of the military in the modern day.
The 20 Best War Movies Based On True Stories
War movies based on true stories may have their endings known but the best of them raise the drama with fantastic performances and stellar set pieces.
Top Gun
Cast
In this classic action flick, Tom Cruise stars as daring young pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Among the other students at the United States Navy’s elite fighter weapons school, he competes to be best in the class, and learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.
The score and editing make flying the jets seem more akin to a video game simulation than real life.
Today,Top Gunis remembered with reverence, asits popularity was revived with the release ofTop Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel, in 2022.It’s an exciting glimpse into Tom Cruise’s past as a budding action star, and watching him fly those incredible planes with ease makes it impossible for the audience not to feel the adrenaline coursing through their bodies. Even thoughTop Gun: Maverickhad more advanced technology at its fingertips when filming the in-air flight scenes,Top Gunremains one of the top examples of a movie made with the support of the military.
The film is one of many that received monetary contributions from the Department of Defense, and this led toTop Gunworking hard to create a military movie that was fun.Top Gunbecause of the story and the creative choices. The score and editing make flying the jets seem more akin to a video game simulation than real life. Additionally, the movie’s central conflict doesn’t include an enemy and is almost entirely about the characters moving up in the ranks of their team.
The Green Beretsis one ofJohn Wayne’s best war movies, and as one of America’s greatest movie stars, it makes sense that it was popular with viewers. Wayne’s reputation as a Western hero easily translated to his role as a Green Beret Colonel during the Vietnam War and was a huge draw at the box office.Despite its divisive nature,The Green Beretsis an interesting time capsuleof how Hollywood attempted to find common ground between the militaristic might of the U.S. and the audience’s perception of war.
Public opinion surrounding the Vietnam War has always been a sensitive and ideologically rife conflictin both the American public and the international community.The Green Beretswas clearly a response to the massive protests and opposition to the war. It attempted to turn the tide on how citizens were reacting to the conflict, even if Wayne claimed this wasn’t necessarily the case. Audience and critical reception ofThe Green Beretsdiffered strongly, as reviewers found the movie to be disingenuous and inauthentic when portraying both the American soldiers and the Viet Cong.
American Sniper
American Sniper is based on the true story of U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and his tour of duty in Iraq. The film explores his legendary career on the field as he battles hidden in enemy lines to protect his brothers in arms despite the growing bounty on his head and the havoc it wreaked on his personal life.
Bradley Cooper took on the role of Kyle, and it’s considered one of his best performances.
Based on the autobiography of the same name by Chris Kyle,American Sniperfollows a dramatized version of Kyle’s time as a sniper in the Iraq War.The film tracks Kyle’s life from early childhood. It focuses on how he became an expert marksman, centering his relationships and struggles over the larger questions of the ethics and effects of war. However, this doesn’t meanAmerican Sniperdoesn’t see Kyle grapple with his duty as a sniper. Bradley Cooper took on the role of Kyle, and it’s considered one of his best performances.
TheAmerican Snipermovie makes changes to the true story, including developing certain characters that played smaller roles in the book into major antagonists in the film. Additionally,aspects of Kyle’s tours in Iraq are elevated and made more intense by the film to increase stakesand tensions. All of these differences are typical of Hollywood adaptations of biographical stories. However, the film glamorizes war and the violence that accompanies it as much as it engages with Kyle’s difficulty returning to civilian life.
Black Hawk Down
Black Hawk Down recounts the harrowing true story of a U.S. military mission gone awry in Somalia. Tasked with capturing a warlord, elite soldiers find themselves in a fierce battle against Somali militia forces.
Of all of Ridley Scott’s films,Black Hawk Downis one of the least fantastical, as the director initially made his name on sci-fi films likeAlienand historical epics likeGladiator. However,Black Hawk Downfeatures plenty of Scott’s trademark explosive actionscenes and fight choreography. The film tells the true story of a group of U.S. soldiers who were shot down in Somalia during the Battle of Mogadishu. Much of the controversy surrounding the film has to do with the morally one-dimensional depiction of the Somalian people in the movie.
The issue of U.S. intervention in toppling independent foreign governments is one that has a long history of conflicting tones and messages in Hollywood. When it comes toBlack Hawk Down,the film took many liberties with the actual events that took place, which led to criticism of the projectdespite its popularity and accolades. This positive reaction, despite the film’s issues, can be attributed to the fact thatBlack Hawk Downtreats war as fuel for an action thriller rather than face its grim reality.
Red Dawn
Red Dawn, starring the likes of Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and Lea Thompson, imagines World War III becoming a reality and a group of teenagers known as Wolverines fighting back against the Soviets. The film received mixed reviews but is notable for being the first PG-13 rated film to be released in the United States. In 2012, a remake was released starring Chris Hemsworth.
Red Dawnfollows the story of an alternate history where the U.S. was invaded by the Soviet Union and other world powers.
The 2012 remake ofRed Dawnpales in comparison to the 1984 original, which was deeply connected to the era of the Cold War and U.S. fears about nuclear war and foreign invasion. This makes sense, as these were the contemporary anxieties that many people were grappling with during this period.Red Dawnfollows the story of an alternate history where the U.S. was invaded by the Soviet Union and other world powers. In response,the characters in the film must form a guerrilla militia groupthat is formed by civilians and what remains of the U.S. military.
Throughout the film,recurring imagery of the American flag and patriotic symbolism make it impossible to ignore the film’s moral and political principles.Red Dawnfeatures a prolific cast of actors, including Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey, who all commit to the drama and intrigue of the story. One of the biggest issues withRed Dawnis that it lacks nuance in its depiction of opposing sides of a conflict. Additionally, it could be argued that the film is less about the United States prevailing against enemies than it is about individualism and nationalism on a state level.
Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel is set in the 1990s and introduces Carol Danvers, portrayed as one of the universe’s most powerful heroes. As Earth becomes entangled in a galactic conflict between two alien races, the film explores an unseen chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s common knowledge that Marvel has an ongoing partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, as the military branch of the American government has helped fun many of the biggest MCU films. This includes the most important Marvel project, the 2008Iron Man, but the recentCaptain Marvelmovies are even more enthusiastic in their support for the military. Brie Larson portrays the titular superhero, andthough she’s half-human, half-Kree, she remains thoroughly dedicated to the U.S. Air Forcethroughout the movie. The alien world’s communication with Earth often goes through the U.S. in Marvel projects.
The discussions of military propaganda in Marvel movies have garnered criticism, but it ultimately has not diminished audience engagement with the production company’s projects (viaGamerant).Larson underwent extensive training to make her character’s accomplishments in the Air Force believable,and this training and fight choreography links the Air Force with the aspirational aspects and moral goodness that audiences associate with superheroes. As one of Marvel’s few female-led films, it’s interesting thatCaptain Marvelis one of the most connected to the military.
GoldenEye
The seventeenth installment in Eon Productions' James Bond movie franchise, Goldeneye marks Pierce Brosnan’s first time playing MI6 agent James Bond. Goldeneye follows 007 as he works to prevent a former fellow agent from using a satellite weapon to attack London to cause a global financial crisis. Also stars Sean Bean, Famke Janssen, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, and Judi Dench.
Many of Pierce Brosnan’sBondfilms received funding, includingGoldenEyeandTomorrow Never Dies.
The Department of Defense has had a hand in backing and funding movies outside of the U.S. Even theJames Bondfranchise has received contributions from the military branch of the government in exchange for a few scenes that highlight the power and reach of the American armed forces. Many of Pierce Brosnan’sBondfilms received funding, includingGoldenEyeandTomorrow Never Dies. SinceJames Bondis a British creation, in recent years, it’s moved away from its connection to the U.S. and CIA, butthe American influence inGoldenEyeis obvious.
This comes through in changes made to character choices. For example, an admiral was tricked by an enemy spy and was written to be American but was changed to Canadian thanks to the Pentagon. Additionally, in the final moments ofGoldenEye, though Bond saves the day,he and his companion are saved by the U.S. Marines, who arrive to bring them to safety.In the Daniel Craig era films, this involvement is less obvious, but it’s still a large part of the history ofJames Bond.
Transformers
Transformers, directed by Michael Bay, introduces audiences to a world where two factions of alien robots, the Autobots and Decepticons, bring their battle to Earth. Shia LaBeouf stars as Sam Witwicky, a teenager who becomes an unwitting participant in their conflict. The film showcases the heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, as they strive to protect humanity from the malevolent Megatron and his Decepticon forces.
The firstTransformersmovie from 2007 set the tone and precedent for the franchise,which uplifts military involvement in international and intergalactic conflict to the point of celebration. On the surface, it’s easy to write off theTransformersmovies as action films like any other and not look for deeper meanings inside the story. However, movies likeTransformersinform audiences' interpretations and views on war from a young age. Lessons on morality and good versus evil are some of the biggest themes in the film.
The connection between theTransformerstoys andG.I. Joecan’t be ignored when analyzing how closelyTransformersis tied to the military. Though the enemies that the characters and Autobots face are alien invaders, they serve as a stand-in for foreign threats to the United States. TheseDecepticons directly attack U.S. military bases and intelligence networks,meaning the protagonists must align themselves with the strength and might of the military. Although Sam, the main character, isn’t part of the military, soldiers come to the rescue at every turn, and their advanced weapons are treated as a dazzling spectacle.
2Argo (2012)
Directed by Ben Affleck
Argostill went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture as well as Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
Ben Affleck starred in and directedArgo, a movie based on a real mission to recover a group of American citizens in Iran in 1979. It’s an exciting and romanticized story, as the operatives who are sent into the country are posing as a movie crew in a narrative that’s closer to a spy caper than a military mission.There’s little question thatArgotook great creative liberties with the storyand that the reality of the events diverges from the Hollywood movie magic that’s seen on screen.
However,Argostill went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture as well as Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. This was somewhat surprising, asArgowas up against the similarly pro-military filmZero Dark Thirty, butArgohad an uplifting and celebratory tone that could appeal to voters. When a story about true events takes on the thematic elements of an espionage thriller anduplifts the importance of U.S. involvement in the event,the ideology behind some of the creative choices becomes clear.
15 War Movies Military Experts Praised For Accuracy & Realism
While most war movies are criticized for their inaccuracy, there are many that got various details right, earning the praise of military experts.
Zero Dark Thirty
Zero Dark Thirty chronicles the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following the September 2001 attacks, culminating in his death by Navy SEAL Team 6 in May 2011.
The public opinion surroundingZero Dark Thirtyhas changed since its initial release in 2012. It garnered many Academy Award nominations for its depiction of the U.S. conflict with and search for al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. While this was one of the biggest political and militaristic topics of the 2000s,there is room to question the depiction of torture and other violent interrogation methods that the film portrays.It could be argued thatZero Dark Thirtycondones the use of torture based on how it’s characterized in the movie.
While there was no avoiding the topic of interrogation, as it was a well-known part of the story,Zero Dark Thirtyfailed to take a political stance, opting for a neutral tone that can be interpreted as approval.One of the strongest parts ofZero Dark Thirtyis Jessica Chastain’s performance as Maya, a CIA analyst who was loosely based on the real individuals who were tasked with tracking down Osama bin Laden. However, it’s important to remember that Chastain and the other actors represent a fictionalized account of a much more complex issue.
