391254 07: Actor Donnie Wahlberg (as Carwood Lipton) acts in a scene from HBO''s war mini-series "Band Of Brothers." (Photo by HBO via Getty Images)

Humanity loves retelling stories, and war movies are a popular way of showcasing famous wars. The human race, or “homo sapiens,” have existed for around 200,000 years. When you look at Earth’s existence, humans have been alive for less than 1% of the planet’s history. Historians debate whether the first war occurred around 2700 B.C. or technically through “repeated conflicts” in Sudan 13,400 years ago. The fact is that humans have conflicted with each other for a very long time.

Retelling History Through Cinema

Over thousands of years, humanity has kept a record of these wars or conflicts through both oral and written history. In the past 100 years the entertainment industry has produced a new way of informing the masses about these conflicts. War movies are now widely popular. Some of the most memorable war movies are products of historical non-fiction.

While many war movies are nonfiction, many directors and screenwriters adjust certain exact details that may have been too gruesome or unknown in the history books. This is done to make the movie more digestible or manageable for the viewer to follow.

War Movies are Unique

What makes war movies unique is that they typically don’t follow traditional movie tropes. For example, the hero’s journey is used in many different action movies. In a war movie, there is generallyn’t a stereotypical ending. Given that many war movies are based on real history, they have atypical endings. This is part of the reason why war movies are so epic.

Another reason these films are so great is that they contain deep and meaningful emotions. The best war movies try to capture some of the raw emotion that war instilled. Of course, there is no comparison to real war, which is also why it’s a massive responsibility for historical war movies to be exceptionally well done.

Directors risk offending millions of people by messing up a movie that covers a real war. This is why these are always some of the longest movies you will ever watch. They take time and an incredible amount of effort to execute correctly. Find out which nine movies about war every history fan should watch below!

Saving Private Ryan
Widely regarded as one of the all-time best movies in general, Saving Private Ryan is easily one of the best war movies ever to hit the big screen. This movie features an all-star cast, an incredibly compelling plot, and true aspects of the story that make this a gut-wrenching and memorable film.
The Patriot
Perhaps Mel Gibson’s greatest performance in any movie. The Patriot is a compelling film about the Revolutionary War and the legendary violence that changed this country forever. This movie has incredible acting performances from Heath Ledger and Mel Gibson, as well as many others. I highly recommend watching this movie to any fan of war movies or American history in general.
Troy
It is one of my all-time favorite films and a legendary epic about the famous Trojan War. Brad Pitt plays the larger-than-life character Achilles, who plays a pivotal role in the outcome of the siege of Troy. For a war movie fan, this is an amazing watch. Bonus points if you call yourself a fan of Greek Mythology.
Hacksaw Ridge
The amazing true story of World War II Army Medic Desmon Doss. Desmond saved 75 men in the bloodiest battle of the war, all while refusing to fire a bullet. This is an incredible movie that is sort of unique when it comes to war movies, as most war movies don’t follow a main character who won’t fight.
The Last Kingdom : Seven Kings must die
Some may think this is a curveball being on this list, but as far as medieval war epic, this is one for the books. This movie is the perfect conclusion to the Netflix series under the same name. With groundbreaking battles and a compelling plot, I strongly suggest any Viking or medieval England fans give this one a watch. I would suggest giving the Netflix series a watch beforehand though.
Dunkirk
Platoon
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, and Keith David make this movie what it is. Within the horrors of the Vietnam War lie Sergeants who are on totally different ends of the morality scale. This leaves a recruit stuck in the middle of battle while fighting to stay alive during the Vietnam War. This film tried to shed some light on some of the horrible things that occurred during this ugly war. It’s an exceptionally well-done film that every war movie fan should see at least once.
Braveheart
The legendary fight against all odds defined the Scottish Revolution towards the tyrannical rule of England. King Edward Longshanks thinks very little of the Scots, that is, until a hero that echoes through history books emerges from the dust… William Wallace! It is one of the best medieval war films ever made and truly a staple of war movies.
Full Metal Jacket
This movie shouldn’t be judged on the budget and gross profit alone. Full Metal Jacket is widely regarded as one of the bloodiest and “realest” feeling movies covering the Vietnam War. It’s not a comfortable concept to watch these Marines come to grips with how dehumanizing a thing war truly is. I give massive props to the director Stanley Kubrick for pulling off a film like this, as it could not have been easy. This is a movie that every war buff should watch at least one time for its powerful content.