The First World War has been discussed in greater detail in recent years following its 100th anniversary. The earlier conflict was given secondary prominence due to the global scope, significance, and ongoing media attention of WWI. After the war was done, movies about it were everywhere, but movies about WWI were rare, with the rest of the 20th century seeing only one sizable movie about it every ten years. The Great War is usually seen as a dreadful period in human history where fear, trauma, and bloodshed were brought to an enormous scale as the conflict’s components have now been examined in greater detail. As the new century began, the decline of the European emperors unleashed a terror unlike anything else on the rest of humanity.
Many of the movies on this list condemn such events and make a point against war, with some focusing on the horror, others on the humanity it reveals, and others on both. Others utilise the tragedy as a window into the lives of individuals it permanently alters. Here is a closer examination of the top World War One movies.
1917
The technically astounding voyage that is 1917 was inspired by Sam Mendes’ grandfather’s World War I memories. To emphasise the visual strain of the frontline and trenches prevalent in the conflict, renowned filmmaker Roger Deakins’ stunning editing and cinematography give the impression that the movie is two lengthy continuous shots. The story revolves around two British troops tasked with delivering a critical message to stop a disastrous offensive.
A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms trades in some of Hemingway’s hard-edgedness for a creative examination of love in a time of conflict. The context of the picture is set on top of the sad romance between an American soldier and a British nurse; certainly, there is tragedy and the war is raging, but the purpose of the movie is to put love on top of everything. Although A Farewell to Arms does not downplay the battle, it argues that the capacity of human compassion to outweigh its potential for carnage.
All Quiet on the Western Front
The anti-war novel All Quiet on the Western Front, which was adapted for the big screen two years later, was inspired by Erich Maria Remarque’s time in the trenches and published in 1928. Lewis Milestone, the second recipient of an Academy Award for directing, expertly guides his ensemble through the most difficult parts of the human experience. The movie relates the tale of German schoolboys who were persuaded to enrol by their passionate instructor. When the conflict they experience is not the one they anticipated, they feel intense disappointment, pain, and horror.
Lawrence Of Arabia
“Young men start wars, and the virtues of war—courage and optimism for the future—are the virtues of young men. The vices of peace, which include distrust and caution, are those of old men who make peace. Near the close of this four-hour epic, Prince Faisal, played by Alec Guinness, sums up the pain and contradiction that T.E. Lawrence had after helping the Arabs fight the Ottoman Empire in these lines.
Lawrence Of Arabia is not only one of the best movies ever produced, but it also makes a wonderful statement about how war damages youth and identity by primarily following Lawrence (a legendary Peter O’Toole) throughout the course of his tremendous travels.
Paths Of Glory
the first Stanley Kubrick movie to properly highlight his abilities as a director. His acute observation of battle draws stark contrasts between the courts and the trenches, between the palaces of senior commanders and the claustrophobic quarters that men must endure. An outstanding movie that serves as both a courtroom drama and a protest against senseless killing is complemented by incredibly clever use of visual images and sound design. Kirk Douglas plays an officer in Paths Of Glory who defends three of his comrades in court-martial after they refuse to participate in a suicide mission.
Sergeant York
The inner battle a man has between duty and philosophy was examined in Sergeant York. The life of Alvin York, one of the most well-known soldiers in World War I, is examined, beginning with his modest upbringing in Tennessee, his conversion to Christianity, and his subsequent military prowess (as seen through the Academy Award–winning performance of Gary Cooper). The first part of the film is excellent in exploring why anyone, especially a devout man, would ultimately decide to kill in the service of their country, despite the fact that it is now widely seen as propaganda.
The African Queen
This exuberant and charming John Huston escapade earned the legendary Humphrey Bogart his lone Oscar. Bogey is paired in The African Queen with Katharine Hepburn, another legendary personality from old Hollywood. In the movie, a dedicated missionary and an alcoholic boat captain in German East Africa plot to torpedo a German vessel that is patrolling a river so that British troops can launch an attack.
The movie finds its strength in a firm idealism in the face of ominous times, choosing to believe in the best in people and their capacity to improve. This is true even more so than the stellar performances and cinematic magic from Bogart and Hepburn.
The Grand Illusion
A call to go back to a more civilised era, the great Jean Renoir’s ageless examination of socioeconomic classes amid warfare is a cinematic jewel. The Grand Illusion makes a powerful statement on the futility of battle, calling for a more humane approach over divergence, choosing to focus on social cues, distinction, and human relationships over the brutality and horror of war. This is studied through the accounts of French officers who dealt with their social differences and relationships with their German captors while incarcerated in prison camps.
They Shall Not Grow Old
The public now has a more thorough and thoughtful understanding of the tragedy that occurred more than a century ago thanks to Peter Jackson, a filmmaker for Warner Bros. The restoration of historical video from World War I, They Shall Not Grow Old, paints a harrowing picture of a period that must never be forgotten. The documentary, an intimate look into soldiers’ life, focuses on how it felt to be there rather than providing a history of the conflict, making it the most contemporary and human examination of the Great War.
Wings
The first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture still holds audiences’ attention now as it did in 1927. Wings is a breakthrough piece of photography that still holds up today because to its seemingly impossible long views, aerial battle scenes, and top-notch acting. Although film may not include a strong political message, its extraordinary cinematic achievements marked a historical turning point and encouraged many other artists to find a way to discuss the conflict.
