Top 15 World War II Films

The selections below represent fifteen films that shaped how audiences understand the conflict and its human cost.

15. Dunkirk (2017)

Christopher Nolan’s film reconstructs the evacuation from land, sea, and air. The structure places viewers inside three parallel timelines that record strain, uncertainty, and survival. Large format photography and limited dialogue create a clear focus on physical experience.

14. Downfall (2004)

Most of the action takes place in the corridors of Hitler’s bunker during the final collapse of Germany. The film examines the political and psychological conditions that defined the last days of the regime.

13. Rome Open City (1945)

Shot shortly after the liberation of Rome, this film uses real locations and a documentary influenced style. It presents life under occupying forces with a level of immediacy shaped by the proximity of events.

12. A Man Escaped (1956)

Based on the memoir of a French resistance fighter imprisoned in Lyon. The film studies routine, sound, and small objects to show how a prisoner constructs an escape plan through careful daily effort.

11. The Cranes Are Flying (1957)

A Russian production that follows two young lovers separated by the outbreak of war. Its photography and structure place emotional loss at the center of the narrative.

10. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Set in a Japanese prisoner camp in Burma, the story examines forced labor, officers’ responsibilities, and the building of a railway bridge. Alec Guinness anchors the film through a portrayal of discipline and duty.

9. The Pianist (2002)

Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Wladyslaw Szpilman’s wartime account shows the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto and one man’s effort to survive in an environment defined by scarcity and danger.

8. The Great Escape (1963)

A dramatization of the real mass breakout from Stalag Luft III. The film records planning, tunneling, and movement across occupied territory.

7. Army of Shadows (1969)

A study of resistance networks operating under German occupation in France. It shows the demands placed on those who lived entirely in secrecy.

6. The Thin Red Line (1998)

A reflection on combat during the Guadalcanal campaign. The film observes the tension between violence, fear, and individual perception on the battlefield.

5. Das Boot (1981)

A submarine crew operates in confined conditions during Atlantic patrols. The film builds pressure through close quarters, mechanical strain, and long stretches of uncertainty.

4. Casablanca (1942)

Set in Vichy controlled Morocco, the story uses a nightclub as the center of political tension, transit papers, and competing wartime loyalties.

3. Schindler’s List (1993)

A record of Oskar Schindler’s effort to protect Jewish workers from deportation. Shot primarily in black and white, it shows the administrative and personal mechanics of survival during the Holocaust.

2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

The film opens with the Normandy landings and follows a small unit searching for a missing paratrooper. Its structure highlights battlefield conditions and the responsibilities placed on infantry units.

1. Come and See (1985)

A Belarusian film that follows a young partisan recruit during German operations in occupied territory. Its sound design, visual style, and perspective create a direct confrontation with the destructive effects of war on civilians.