Based on the infamous Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, Ridley Scott's vivid, visceral war drama tracks an elite American force who stir up a hornets' nest of murderous resistance on the streets of the city when their operaton misfires. Scott sets out to depict - with unprecedented detail and intensity - one long day of street warfare. Just imagine the opening 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan extended to an entire film. The result is both horrific and exhausting.

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Tom Cruise proved that he really is a top notch actor with his mesmerising perfomance as a battle scarred Vietnam vet in Oliver Stone's gut-wrenching tale of the fall-out in America that followed the conflict. The movie, for which Stone landed the year's Best Director trophy (inexplicably losing the top prize to Driving Miss Daisy), is a powerful examination of the futility of war, and in particular the senseless carnage of Vietnam.

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Mel Gibson produced, directed and starred in this fictionalisation of the story of William Wallace (and copped a barrel-load of Oscars for his trouble). Braveheart is three hours' worth of gripping drama, which spares nothing on either the visceral or the emotional front. The ending, in which Wallace finally gets his come-uppance, is genuine lump-in-the-throat stuff.

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Edward Woodward stars in this Oscar-nominated Aussie courtroom drama set in the Boer War. Based on a true story, it's a rousing anti-war polemic from the director of Driving Miss Daisy, Bruce Beresford. British Lieutenant Harry 'Breaker' Morant (Edward Woodward) is among a group of soldiers scapegoated for the shooting of a German missionary, committed under orders. Given just a single day to mount their defence, the fate of Morant and his men is sealed before the trial even begins. Woodward gives a dignified performance as the professional soldier caught up in this mess and, the film suggests, his loyalty to the Establishment makes him as much a victim as everyone else involved in the war.

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The true story of the superhuman efforts of Allied POWs, who amid inhuman conditions were forced build a bridge to aid the Japanese war effort. When a plan is hatched to destroy the bridge, the POWs are faced with a dilemma - save the bridge that cost so many lives to build, or defend Allied interests buy demolishing it. It's the ironic complexity of the story, together with David Lean's trademark epic visual style that places this among the best British war films.

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