In honor of Memorial Day, we've assembled some of our favorite war movies that show the price of freedom --- both at home and abroad. Did we miss one of your favorites? Add it in the comments below. (P.S. We've also included a few exceptional bonus movies from British and South Korean perspectives.)
American Revolutionary War
The Patriot (2000)
Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.
John Adams (2008 Miniseries)
The life of Founding Father and second president, and his role in the nation's first 50 years. Based on David McCullough’s biography, the details include some rather ugly, but accurate, views of American civil violence and dissent.
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
Newlyweds Gil and Lana Martin try to establish a farm in the Mohawk Valley but are menaced by Indians and Tories as the Revolutinary War begins.
The Crossing (2000)
A dramatization of George Washington's perilous gamble of crossing the Delaware River and attacking the British forces at Trenton.
American Civil War
The Civil War (1990 Miniseries Documentary)
Ken Burns' Emmy Award-winning nine-part series, which gives a comprehensive survey of the American Civil War.
The Red Badge of Courage (1951)
Truncated adaptation of Stephen Crane's novel about a Civil War Union soldier who struggles to find the courage to fight in the heat of battle.
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Manipulative southern belle Scarlett O'Hara and roguish Rhett Butler conduct a turbulent romance during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods.
Glory (1989)
Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army and the Confederate Army.
Gettysburg (1993)
In 1863, the Northern and Southern forces fight at Gettysburg in the decisive battle of the American Civil War.
Lincoln (2012)
As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate slaves.
World War I
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
A young soldier faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I.
Paths of Glory (1957)
After refusing to attack an enemy position, a general accuses the soldiers of cowardice and their commanding officer must defend them.
Gallipoli (1981)
Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.
War Horse (2011)
Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and to the front lines as the war rages on.
World War II
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Following the Normandy landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
The Longest Day (1962)
The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.
Midway (1976)
A dramatization of the battle that was widely heralded as a turning point of the Pacific theatre of World War II.
The Great Escape (1963)
Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.
Patton (1970)
An epic biographical film of General George S. Patton in World War II. The opening monologue, delivered by George C. Scott as General Patton with an enormous American flag behind him, remains an iconic and often quoted image in film.
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Operation Market Garden, September 1944: The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking German lines. However, mismanagement and poor planning result in its failure.
Band of Brothers (2001 Miniseries)
The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne division and their mission in WWII Europe from Operation Overlord through V-J Day.
Korean War
Mash (1970)
The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and high jinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war.
Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004)
A drama about the fate of South Korean brothers forced to fight in the Korean War.
Vietnam War
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
Platoon (1986)
A young recruit in Vietnam faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.
Hamburger Hill (1987)
A very realistic interpretation of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. Though anti-war sentiments come through loud and clear, the film is squarely on the side of those courageous, much-maligned Americans who fought and died in Vietnam.
The Hanoi Hilton (1987)
A drama focusing on the suffering, torture and brutal treatment American P.O.W.s had to deal with daily while in North Vietnam's Hoa Lo Prison, the most infamous P.O.W. camp in Hanoi.
Rescue Dawn (2006)
A U.S. fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War.
Iraq War & Afghanistan Wars
The Hurt Locker (2008)
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
American Sniper (2014)
Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.
Lone Survivor (2013)
Marcus Luttrell and his team set out on a mission to capture or kill notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shah in late June 2005. Marcus and his team are left to fight for their lives in one of the most valiant efforts of modern warfare.
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