15 Best Anti-War Movies Ever Made

Since the birth of cinema, war movies have acted as powerful vehicles for delivering gut-wrenching anti-war messages exploring the deteriorating effects of conflict. While some films may present themselves as being anti-warfare, in the process, they often end up glorifying battle, and bloodshed looks like a heroic act to be lauded and praised. However, there have been some truly effective anti-war films that showcased the soulless, unnecessary, and inhumane nature of allowing citizens to fight and die for political causes from which they will not even benefit.

The greatest war movies of all time all echo themes around the need to end conflict, yet not all were entirely anti-war. Some of the most compelling anti-war movies were produced while conflicts were still ongoing and acted as pleas for those with the power to do so to end the needless violence and ensure soldiers were able to reunite with their families before facing unspeakable harm. With films that convey both the personal and the political, the best anti-war movies showcase the harrowing realism at the heart of all forms of violence.

15 Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Directed by Dalton Trumbo

The famed Roman Holiday screenwriter Dalton Trumbo adapted his own 1938 novel Johnny Got His Gun for one of the most terrifyingly bleak anti-war films ever made. Set in the midst of the First World War, this starred Timothy Bottoms as Joe Bonham, a young soldier who awoke to the discovery that after being hit by an artillery shell, he has lost eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and limbs. Yet, despite being unable to communicate, he remained conscious, a prisoner in his own body without the means to warn the world of the true price of warfare.

14 Born On The Fourth Of July (1989)

Directed by Oliver Stone

Born on the Fourth of July was Oliver Stone’s powerful anti-war story that detailed the life of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) over 20 years. While the young Kovic grew up with an unwavering desire to fight for his country, his military service during the Vietnam War left him paralyzed. This true story turned Kovic into a passionate anti-war activist as he could share with the world his own difficult experiences and the empty life of alcoholism and injury that awaited him when he returned home after trading his ability to walk to fight for a war he didn’t believe in.

13 The Great Dictator (1940)

Directed by Charlie Chaplin

As the defining comedian of the silent age, it’s incredible to note that when Chaplin finally decided to open his mouth, he had something vital to say. The Great Dictator was a hilarious satire that showcased the true absurdity and egomania of the tyrannical leader Adolf Hitler as it poked fun at fascism, anti-semitism, and the Nazis. While Chaplin later said if he knew of the true extent of the Holocaust, he may not have made The Great Dictator (via BBC), it remains the most pressing example of the general public’s opposition to the war as it was happening.

12 Platoon (1986)

Directed by Oliver Stone

Platoon was among the most realistic and pressing of all Vietnam War movies, whose harrowing ground-level view was made all the more effective due to writer and director Oliver Stone’s genuine war experiences. Stone was a veteran of the 25th Infantry Division from 1967 to 1968 and was twice wounded in action. He wrote Platoon based on his own wartime experiences. With a strong story elevated by fantastic performances from Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe, Platoon showcased the war in a way no one before him had and delivered an honest and powerful plea toward ending bloodshed.

11 Schindler’s List (1993)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

The true story of Oskar Schindler was one of the most inspiring of the entire Second World War, as he wielded his power as a factory owner to save the lives of thousands of Polish-Jewish refugees from the Holocaust. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this powerful anti-war drama signaled the director’s maturity as this Best Picture winner earned a reputation as one of the greatest movies of all time. With a poignant performance from Liam Neeson as Schindler and an astounding villainous turn from Ralph Fiennes as the soulless Nazi Amon Göth, Schindler’s List showed the horror and humanity of WWII.

10 All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)

Directed by Lewis Milestone

Despite being released nearly 100 years ago, All Quiet on the Western Front has remained among the most powerful anti-war movies ever, as its terror-inducing depiction of the First World War will forever be seared into viewers’ minds. With an astounding performance from Lew Ayres as Paul Bäumer, All Quiet on the Western Front showcased the shell-shocked nature of veterans of the conflict. As a gruesome and morbid tale of war, director Lewis Milestone made a document that would stand the test of time and has remained highly relevant, with an excellent 2022 remake even being made.

9 The Deer Hunter (1978)

Directed by Michael Cimino

The Deer Hunter showcased the deteriorating effects of the Vietnam War on the psychology of soldiers better than any other film. What started as a group of three tight-knit friends from Pennsylvania heading off to fight for their country quickly turned into a heartbreaking story of personal destruction best encapsulated by Christopher Walken as Corporal Nikanor Chevotarevich, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a veteran who’d rather stay in Vietnam and play underground Russian roulette than address the horrors he went through. At over three hours long, The Deer Hunter was a captivating and terrifying anti-war film.

8 The Thin Red Line (1998)

Directed by Terrence Malick

The Thin Red Line was Terrence Malick’s powerful adaptation of James Jones’s 1962 novel, which fictionalized the Battle of Mount Austen in World War II. With an impressive cast including Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, and George Clooney, this darkly philosophical film captured the emotional depth and harrowing intensity of those engaging in conflict. While The Thin Red Line underperformed at the box office and was overshadowed by the success of Saving Private Ryan the same year, it remains a vital document of anti-war cinema.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Director Stanley Kubrick made several incredible anti-war movies throughout his career, all tackling different aspects of conflict. Full Metal Jacket itself played out like two different movies as viewers were subjected to the rigorous challenges of army boot camp before being dropped right into the pure intensity of ongoing conflict in Vietnam. While the entire film boasted a powerful anti-war message, the most effective aspect of this film was Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Private Leonard “Gomer Pyle” Lawrence, an overweight and ridiculed recruit who suffered a mental breakdown and ended his own life before even making it to the war.

6 Das Boot (1981)

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

The West German submarine movie Das Boot depicted both the excitement and tedious nature of life for the crew of the U-96 during the First World War. However, as the crew set out on a hazardous patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic, they experience the pure terror and claustrophobic nature of war at sea, where no matter where they turn, there’s no way to avoid the conflict of battle. As a grand and epic story, Das Boot captured the intensity of its conditions with a believability that most war movies never reach.

5 Paths Of Glory (1957)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

The anti-military stance of Paths of Glory was highly controversial when it was first released in 1957, but this was the exact reason it has endured so well over these past decades. With Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax, director Stanley Kubrick showed the courage it takes to stand up for what’s right as Dax refused to send his men on a suicidal mission. This refusal to engage in unnecessary bloodshed meant that Dax was court-martialed for cowardice in a development that highlighted with poignant precision the hypocrisy of war and the men behind the scenes who see human life as disposable.

4 Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata

It’s rare for Western audiences to see the conflict of World War II from the Japanese perspective, which made the Studio Ghibli animated film Grave of the Fireflies all the more powerful. As the story of two orphaned siblings struggling to survive in the closing months of World War II, horror and heartache were on full display as this anime showcased the true cost of war to society’s most vulnerable citizens: children. With a chilling story that concluded with the death of a four-year-old child, Grave of the Fireflies did not shy away from presenting a sternly anti-war stance.

3 Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

The political satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb starred the unmatched comedian Peter Sellers playing three roles. As a satire of Cold War conflict and fears of an impending nuclear holocaust, Dr. Strangelove has come to be regarded as one of the finest comedies ever produced and among the most effective anti-war movies of all time. With razor-sharp humor that’s as relevant today as it was 60 years ago, Stanley Kubrick truly made an eternal time capsule exploring the ridiculousness of conflict with Dr. Strangelove.

2 Apocalypse Now (1979)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola powerfully transferred the horror of Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness to the conflict-ridden landscape of the Vietnam War for his masterpiece of filmmaking, Apocalypse Now. As the winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, this timeless classic showcased the deteriorating effects of war as displayed by Martin Sheen’s impeccable performance as Captain Willard and Marlon Brando’s astounding turn as Colonel Kurtz. From iconic quotes like “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” to its classic “Ride of the Valkyries” helicopter sequence, Apocalypse Now tapped into the very heart of darkness.

1 Come And See (1985)

Directed by Elem Klimov

While Hollywood has produced its fair share of influential anti-war movies, none ever achieved the gut-wrenching intensity of Elem Kilmov’s Soviet war drama Come and See. As the story of a child soldier named Flyora, Come and See did not shy away from portraying the intense and soul-destroying nature of life during the Nazi German occupation of Belarus. With a mix of hyperrealism and disorienting surrealism, Come and See was the most potent anti-war movie ever made, forcing viewers to confront its existential, psychological, political, and apocalyptic themes.

Source: BBC