All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Directed by Lewis Milestone
Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, who experienced the war at first hand, All Quiet on the Western Front tells the story of ordinary German soldiers ravaged by their experiences on the frontline. Denounced by the Nazis as anti-militaristic, this film won great critical and commercial success, and is arguably one of the best anti-war films ever made.
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Waterloo Bridge (1931)
Directed by James Whale
Based on the Robert Sherwood play, Waterloo Bridge was Whale's second feature and was made immediately prior to his classic Frankenstein. Mae Clarke plays an American chorus girl who marries an officer in London during World War I. He is then reported missing in action, and when his family rejects her, she gradually drifts into prostitution. A young Bette Davis features in a minor role.
This film - made prior to the imposition of the censorious Hays Code - is generally considered to be much better than the pallid 1940 remake starring Vivien Leigh.
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La Grande Illusion (1937)
Directed by Jean Renoir
La Grande Illusion offers an insightful commentary on the war's social legacy in Europe. The prevailing climate of social and political change is captured through Renoir's study of the relationship between French and German officers and men. Released just before World War II, the film warns against the 'grand illusions' of war. It was immediately banned by the Nazis who destroyed many European copies of the film.
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Dawn Patrol (1938)
Directed by Edmund Goulding
Originally directed by Howard Hawks in 1930, this 1938 remake (starring Basil Rathbone, Erroll Flynn and David Niven) is generally believed to be superior. It conveys a strong message concerning the futility of war and the waste of young lives. The film was in production during the Munich crisis and was completed in a rush because Warner Bros feared that Niven and other British actors would be called up to serve their country. Throughout the film, Rathbone wears his own World War I medals.
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Sergeant York (1941)
Directed by Howard Hawks
Based on the true story of the United States' most decorated World War I hero, Alvin C York, Gary Cooper plays the part of the Tennessee farmer and pacifist who is forced to serve his country during World War I. Stationed in the Argonne Forest, York witnesses the death of his best friend and wreaks revenge on the Germans, killing 20 before taking 130 prisoner. The film was the highest-grossing release of 1941, and Cooper won his first Oscar for his engaging portrayal of York.
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Paths of Glory (1957)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Kubrick's anti-war film stars Kirk Douglas as a colonel attempting to defend three soldiers condemned to death in an attempt to cover up their superiors' blunders. Although widely regarded as one of Kubrick's best films, it was considered controversial at the time and was banned in France and Switzerland for 20 years. Its trench warfare scenes are some of the most realistic ever filmed.
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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Directed by David Lean
This classic film, adapted from T E Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom, tells the epic story of Lawrence and his relationship with the Arabs of the Hejaz during World War I. Starring Peter O'Toole, it combines a fascinating wartime story with stunning cinematography and an award-winning score. Lean's film was nominated for 10 Academy awards and won seven.
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King and Country (1964)
Directed by Joseph Losey
Hamp (Tom Courtenay) is a young World War I private who deserts his post to walk home and escape the sound of gunfire. Hargreaves (Dirk Bogarde) is the aristocratic officer chosen to defend him at his court martial. Hargreaves approaches Hamp's case with disdain but becomes increasingly impassioned and earnest when he discovers the true facts about Hamp's circumstances (his wife has been unfaithful, and he is the last survivor of his unit). Losey's gritty courtroom drama exposes the dry cruelty and unnerving boredom of army life during the First World War.
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Oh What a Lovely War! (1969)
Directed by Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough's directorial debut is an adaptation of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop production of Charles Chilton's play The Long Long Trail. With a cast that includes Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, John Gielgud and Ian Holm, this quirky anti-war satire tells the story of the First World War through contemporary songs. The film's music-hall style contrasts strongly with the war's brutal realities.
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Gallipoli (1981)
Directed by Peter Weir
Gallipoli tells the story of the participation of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) in the ill-fated attack on Turkey during the First World War. It stars a young Mel Gibson, and although it contains some historical inaccuracies, its box-office success assisted the development of the infant Australian film industry. It won the Australian Film Institute's Best Film and Best Actor awards and was nominated for a Golden Globe.
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Colonel Redl (1984)
Directed by Istvan Szabo
Colonel Alfred Redl was the chief of Austria-Hungary's military counter-intelligence in the early 1900s and a secret homosexual. Unable to afford the lifestyle he craved on his regular salary, he sold military secrets to the Russians and committed suicide when discovered in 1913. Szabo's film offers a rich character portrait of a troubled individual and insight into the crumbling Austro-Hungarian empire just prior to World War I.
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Good Morning Babylon (1987)
Directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
This film tells the story of two Italian brothers who migrated to the United States in search of work and ended up by making props and sets on early Hollywood films. The brothers are eventually separated but meet again while fighting on opposite sides during the First World War. The film offers a nostalgic tribute to early filmmaking.
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Regeneration (1997)
Directed by Gillies MacKinnon
Adapted from Pat Barker's prize-winning novel, Regeneration studies the psychological impact of war on soldiers, and is set in Craiglockhart Castle in Scotland, used as a military hospital during World War I. It was also where Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen met each other. This sometimes harrowing film features strong performances from Jonathan Pryce, James Wilby and Jonny Lee Miller.
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The Trench (1999)
Directed by William Boyd
The Trench tells the story of a group of young British soldiers in the 48 hours leading up to the start of the Battle of the Somme. Directed by award-winning novelist William Boyd from his own script, this film explores the personalities of its principal characters while eschewing cliché and sentimentality. This well-directed film creates a palpable sense of tension before battle commences.
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