Unfortunately,waris, was, and still will be part of the human experience as time goes on. Therefore, it has become a genre all on its own. Some are heartbreaking tales of the atrocities that humans can do to one another in wartime; others are stories of grit and determination and overcoming all odds to achieve victory. War films have been around since the dawn of cinema and have only gotten better as budgets have gotten bigger. They are also globally made, giving viewers different perceptions of what wartime is like in different countries.
The British have always had a different approach to their style of filmmaking. In terms of telling stories of war, you can feel their sophistication and the rich history they have. They are a country with a long military history that always seems to be around during times of conflict. British war films are not globally known like many other countries' contributions to the genre, but they still have something to say about the casualties of war and the grand scale of how these stories must be told.
12A Field in England (2013)
A Field in England
Ben Wheatley directed this film set in the 17th century during the English Civil War.A Field in Englandis about a group of deserters who are fleeing a battle through an empty, overgrown field. The men then get captured by an alchemist after taking some mind-altering substances and must assist in his quest for a hidden treasure somewhere in the field.
The Absurdity of the War Genre
Ben Wheatley is one of the best indie filmmakers out there right now, with other great films such asFree Fire, Kill List,and his venture into big-budget blockbusters likeMeg 2: The Trench. However, people flock to seeA Field in England(especially on the big screen) for its striking black-and-white visuals and utter absurdity.
There are going to be a lot of films on this list that line up well with what you would likely see in a war movie, but this movie blends art-house cinema with the brutality of what happens to those who venture into the field of battle.A Field in Englandis available to stream on Pluto TV.
11It Happened Here (1964)
It Happened Here
Initially released in 1964,It Happened Hereis a twist on the Nazis being victorious in World War II. With a grim twist on history, the film follows Pauline (Pauline Murray), an Irish nurse in Great Britain that is now under Nazi law. She finds herself torn between the resistance of Great Britain and Hitler’s Third Reich as she struggles with the crumbling world around her.
A Dreadful ‘What Could’ve Been’
PairIt Happened Herewith a television show likeThe Man in the High Castle. The film’s dread can creep up on you once you realize that this could have been the reality for many if the Nazis had succeeded in their plan of invading Great Britain at the start of World War II. The film was also shot on a bit of a low budget, as it took directors Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo eight years to finish the film, as they kept running out of funds to make it.
However, they got some help from acclaimed directors like Stanley Kubrick,who donated some short ends from Dr. Stangeloveto the film to help up the imagery of the film a bit.It Happened Hereis available to stream on Pluto TV.
Related:The Man in the High Castle: Best Episodes, Ranked
10Hope and Glory (1987)
Hope and Glory
Hope and Gloryshift the focus from the military fronts of war to the innocent bystanders who have to suffer through the battles that take place. The film follows a character by the name of Billy Rowan (Sebastian Rice Edwards), who has to try and survive the night of bombings in London from the German front, but in the morning, he and his friends have adventures in the rubble.
Coming of Age in War-Torn London
Director John Boorman pulled from his real-life experiences when making this film.Hope and Glorytakes the war drama and turns it into a coming-of-age tale of atrocities being seen through the eyes of a child. It’s an interesting perspective to see Billy being a carefree kid in the rubble after the nightly bombings, while we see his family trembling in fear as to what they are going to do to survive.Hope and Gloryis streaming on Tubi.
9The Guns of Navarone (1961)
The Guns Of Navarone
The Guns of Navaroneis about a group of allied forces who are sent out to the Greek island of Navarone to destroy a Nazi base and rescue some allied troops while doing so. The team of commandos is led by British allied leader Major Franklin (Anthony Quayle), but as he gets injured on the task at hand, American Capt. Keith Mallory (Gregory Peck) takes the lead of the team.
Heightened Drama
The era of the late 1950s and early 1960s gave us World War II films that don’t thrive on the brutality of war but rather on the tactical drama of it all.The Guns of Navaronemakes your palms sweaty due to the nerves it causes its audiences.
Will this team make it out okay or not? It’s another great team-up movie of characters that seem like they don’t belong together but share a common goal, and it’s another great performance by the great Gregory Peck.The Guns of Navaroneis available to stream on Netflix.
Related:Best Gregory Peck Movies, Ranked
8Fires Were Started (1943)
Fires Were Started
Director Humphrey Jennings madeFires Were Startedwith a very documentary style to it. The movie takes us away from the battles that Great Britain has had to fight and shows us something new with the clean-up crew, as the film gives us a glimpse at the firefighters who have to put out all the fires from the bombings the Germans implemented in London during the Great Blitz.
The Unseen Enemy
What’s very interesting aboutFires Were Startedis that we know who the enemy is in this film, but the Nazis never really get seen. We see the aftermath of their destruction.
The firefighters' daunting task fills a viewer with a lot of dread, even if at times the movie hits on some propaganda notes. There’s still a lot played up for the camera as some of these firemen are re-enacting incidents from Blitzkrieg, but the weight of what they needed to do is still felt.Fires Were Startedis not available anywhere to stream.
7Darkest Hour (2017)
Darkest Hour
Winston Churchill was the glue that kept Western Europe together during World War II, a topic that is studied in the filmDarkest Hour.It’s a movie that is not just a biopic of Prime Minister Churchill (Gary Oldman) during this time of war, but rather a study of Great Britain at the time and how he cemented his legacy in history.
An Oscar for Gary Oldman
Under prosthetics, makeup, and a brilliant performance,Gary Oldman walked out with a Best Actor winat the Oscars that year for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. To go along with Oldman’s win,Darkest Hour is directed by Joe Wright, a filmmaker who hails from London and knows how to give a film a lot of European sophistication.
This is the same director who gave us films likeAtonementandPride & Prejudice.There are some small historical changes in the film, but the message is clear: Churchill holds a strong place in the history of Britain, and the film shows you why.Darkest Houris available to stream on Netflix.
6The Dam Busters (1955)
The Dam Busters
The Dam Bustersis based on true events with the tale of World War II fighter pilots and a bit of science mixed in as well. It’s the true story of Dr. Barnes Walls, who, for years, develops an explosive device that can skip across water and destroy enemy bases, specifically dams. It’s a concept titled “The Bouncing Bomb.” Once developed, he enlists a crew of fighter pilots to use these new bombs on Germany’s Ruhr Dams.
The Dam Busters Raid
The real Dam Busters raid happened on May 16th and 17th, 1843. The Royal Air Force lost a total of fifty-three men during the mission and eight aircraft. The film about the event had some minor changes for dramatic purposes and had some specific effects that in no way hold up today.
However,The Dam Bustersisn’t a bad idea for a bit of a reboot of sorts. It’s a war film that is based on truth and falls in line with some of the many small stories of World War II about men who achieved what many thought was impossible.The Dam Bustersis not available for streaming at the moment.
5The Hill (1965)
The Hillis a 1965 prison war dramadirected by Sidney Lumetand starring Sean Connery. In the movie, Connery plays Sergeant Major Roberts, one of five new prisoners in a North African prison who now must face the hardships of being in a disciplinary camp after being court-martialed, as well as going toe-to-toe with sadistic prison guards.
Compelling War Drama Without Actually Seeing the War
Leave it to director Sidney Lumet to take us out of the battlefields and the high-stakes life-and-death moments of war, put us in prison, and still create a compelling drama. Outside of portraying James Bond, this may be Sean Connery’s best performance of this period of his career.
Other great actors who deliver memorable contributions are Ian Hendry as the tough-as-nails Sergeant Williams and the great Ossie Davis as Jacko King. This film once again adds to the idea that there are so many different kinds of stories that come out of war. Disciplinary jails for soldiers are often overlooked. There are so many opposing personalities inThe Hillthat you think the place explodes from tension rather than a
bombing.The Hillis available to rent on Prime Video.
41917 (2019)
1917takes place during World War I and is about two British soldiers; Lance Cpl. Blake and Lance Cpl. Schofield, who receive orders for what sounds like a suicide mission. In a race against time, the two must sneak across enemy lines and relay a message to another superior officer that could save thousands of lives, one of whom is Blake’s brother.
A Personal Film for Sam Mendes
Sam Mendesbased the story of this film on his grandfatherand a story he told Mendes about during his time in the war. If anything, many call this film one of the most gripping tales of World War I in recent memory. It’s an era of war in the history of the world that gets overlooked a lot.
Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins shot the film with immersive long takes and quick cuts for the audience to not spot for the most part, so the whole film feels like one big long take. The climax of the film is epic, with the long tracking shot across a battlefield with explosions going off. It feels all too real.1917is available to rent on Prime Video.
3The Imitation Game (2014)
The Imitation Game
The Imitation Gamefollows Alan Turning (Benedict Cumberbatch), a Cambridge mathematics genius who is hired by the newly formed British intelligence agency MI6 to crack Nazi codes. Turning and his team solved many codes during World War II, received high praise, and became war heroes. However, years later, the government that stood by him and his work put him in jail due to his sexuality.
The Dark Side of Great Britain’s History
Turning and his team’s work were pivotal in the war effort to defeat the Nazis and the Enigma code. Benedict Cumberbatch has never been better than in The Imitation Game. He captures all the necessary character traits that someone like Turning would have. Like many geniuses, he’s a bit of a tortured soul, making it more of a shame how he was treated years after World War II.
The Imitation Gamehas a victorious first half of the film that unfortunately shows us a dark side of history in the last half as Turning’s personal life is used against him, and it is just a sad thing to watch unfold.The Imitation Gameis available to stream on Tubi.
