10 World War II Movies That Veterans Loved

One of the main requirements for great World War II movies is that they have to maintain some semblance of realism unless they’ve opted to go for a completely off-the-wall, fantastical tone. Most World War II movies generally try to make things as realistic as possible, but many have failed miserably in doing so, whether through poor research or ill-planning. The war itself ended 80 years ago, which means that there are still a handful of veterans left in this world who were around when these World War II movies actually came out.

Very few war movies have earned the seal of approval from those who actually lived through the conflict. Indeed, it’s downright impossible to show the horrors of war exactly as they were—it’s hard enough to imagine them—but a few movies have come close. These are the best World War II movies that were loved by veterans, which is enough to attest to their quality without necessarily relying on critical reviews.

10

‘Unbroken’ (2014)

Directed by Angelina Jolie

Unbroken is a war survival movie about three British RAF pilots who are shot down over the Pacific and must survive on a life raft, awaiting rescue. Critics weren’t very nice to this movie, but it was a bigger hit with general audiences, including one Navy veteran who attended a special screening of the movie during its year of release. Not only did this veteran view the movie, but he also read the best-selling novel upon which it was based.

Veteran Al Exner told of his experiences as a Navy surgical technician. Exner felt that, while there were obviously some exaggerations, he liked the movie and thought its portrayal of life during the war and survival at sea was pretty spot-on. Hey, if it’s good enough for someone who was actually in the war, it’s good enough for plenty of viewers who weren’t, right? Sure, Unbroken could have been better, but it’s pretty clear that there were veterans who commended it.

9

‘Fury’ (2014)

Directed by David Ayer

Fury follows a fictional tank crew as they advance into Germany in the final weeks before the Reich’s surrender. They are often at odds with each other and with the local civilian population, but their camaraderie remains strong, intending to see their mission through until the end. Unfortunately, the Germans have superior firepower when it comes to tanks, and the crew can only do so much against the odds before they are overrun.

The film received favorable reviews, one of which came from a veteran by the name of Bill Betts, a radio operator in one of the very same tanks featured in the film. Betts stated that, while no movie can capture what a nightmare war really is, he enjoyed Fury and felt that it was pretty realistic in terms of the finer details, from the chemistry between the crew to the combat with German forces. Betts did find the final scene a bit far-fetched, but overall, he was relatively pleased with Fury.

8

‘Hacksaw Ridge’ (2016)

Directed by Mel Gibson

Hacksaw Ridge is a biopic about American combat medic Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a conscientious objector who willingly chose never to touch a weapon. During the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, Doss’ battalion retreated from the eponymous ridge, but he opted to stay behind by himself. Doss worked through the night, non-stop, tending to the wounded and saving the lives of 75 soldiers, both American and Japanese. For this monumental feat, Doss was awarded the Medal of Honor, becoming the first conscientious objector ever to receive this highly coveted prize.

It was a movie that critics and audiences alike loved, with one of the audience members being Elmer Hart, a fellow combat medic who was also a conscientious objector. Hart served in this very same battle, not too far from where Doss’ division was fighting, though the two did not personally know each other. Hart stated that he doesn’t really watch many movies but that he made the extra effort to see Hacksaw Ridge in theatres because he lived through the events of the battle. Upon returning from the theatre, Hart stated that he very much enjoyed it and found it fast-paced but realistic, although some parts were played up by Hollywood, which is to be expected.

7

‘Hart’s War’ (2002)

Directed by Gregory Hoblit

Hart’s War is far from the greatest World War II film ever made. It’s not awful, but many found it pretty average or good but not great. The movie stars Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell as two US military officials tasked with defending a Black American fighter pilot accused of murder. Much of the film revolves around life as a prisoner of war; thus, many found it a bit dull.

One US veteran and former POW viewed the movie, and though there were some things he didn’t like, he actually defended it, saying that the best part was how it captures the monotony of being a POW. Day in and day out is much of the same thing—it’s an unpleasant, boring, torturous existence, and the movie surprisingly nailed this aspect. Hart’s War is based on a novel, which is, in turn, based on the stories that the author’s father told him. His father felt that the movie was as realistic as it could be and was pretty happy with it.

6

‘Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo’ (1944)

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo actually came out during World War II. It is about the Doolittle Raiders, a group of American pilots who execute secret bombing missions in Japan shortly after Pearl Harbor to bring the war home to the Japanese. This Pacific War movie boasts some incredible critical and audience reviews, many of these reviews coming from the actual Doolittle Raiders themselves. Since the movie came out while the war was still on, the Raiders who survived the events depicted in the movie had the chance to see it.

Overall, they felt it was a fitting tribute to their deeds and were rather pleased with it. Even some of their wives, who knew of their missions, were thrilled with the depictions of their husbands on screen. Getting the thumbs up from the very same people that one’s film is about is pretty much the highest form of honor a director can receive, so it should go without saying that this movie is definitely a winner. Unfortunately though, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo has been mostly lost to the sands of time and has kind of fallen into obscurity.

5

‘Dunkirk’ (2017)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Dunkirk takes place in the early days of World War II, following France’s surrender to Nazi Germany. This left hundreds of thousands of Allied troops, many of them British, stranded on France’s northern shore, so close yet so far from their homeland. As they waited for their evacuation back to Britain, the Nazi war machine crept ever closer behind them. Christopher Nolan‘s film about the Battle of Dunkirk is pulse-pounding and anxiety-inducing—each passing second feels like a waste of something valuable, as the sense of urgency and desperation only increases.

The movie is pretty intense, so much so that it can be tricky for those prone to nerves to watch it more than once. However, Dunkirk also received a seal of approval from some of the survivors of the real-life battle. British veteran Ken Sturdy, who lived in Calgary, Alberta, at the time of the film’s release, had the opportunity to see it and stated that it was like he was back there all over again. Sturdy stated he spent a lot of time crying because he felt he could see his fallen comrades in front of him for the first time in decades. It’s sad, but it’s at least good to know that Christopher Nolan got it right.

4

‘Stalag 17’ (1953)

Directed by Billy Wilder

Stalag 17 is a war movie set during Christmastime and focuses on the inner workings of a German POW facility of the same name, along with the torture and psychological warfare experienced by the Allied troops incarcerated there. The movie came out just eight years after the end of the war, so luckily, many veterans witnessed it in all of its glory. One of these veterans was actually imprisoned at the real Stalag 17 and had quite a bit to say about the movie’s depiction of the place.

Harold Blake, a British veteran and former prisoner at Stalag 17, said he felt that the movie effectively depicted the squalid conditions the Allied prisoners lived in and the way that they were treated like animals by the Nazis. As with any movie, not everything is one hundred percent on the mark, but for the most part, Stalag 17 was a movie that Blake and many other veterans loved.

3

‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ (2006)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Letters from Iwo Jima may be an American film, but it was shot almost entirely in Japanese, depicting the Battle of Iwo Jima from the losing side. It makes an extra effort to dive into the life stories of the Japanese infantry stationed on the island, exploring their personal feelings about the war, their families, and how they ended up there in the first place. It’s a rare movie that approaches a fallen enemy with compassion, emphasizing that it is not the common soldier that is evil but the regime that they have been forced to serve.

After its release in 2006, a journalist spoke with veterans of Iwo Jima. Many appreciated how Letters from Iwo Jima humanized their former enemy and showed how badly the Japanese were oppressed by their government. They also praised how it showed that, in war, any side is capable of good and evil. In short, many veterans had a lot of good things to say and liked Letters from Iwo Jima for its human aspects, which are often all too forgotten during wartime.

2

‘Come and See’ (1985)

Directed by Elem Klimov

Come and See takes place during the German Invasion of the Soviet Union, specifically in present-day Belarus. As brilliant as the movie is, it’s probably one of the most challenging to watch because of its brutal realism and unwavering cruelty. Indeed, Come and See is known as one of the most distressing depictions of war ever committed to film due to how visceral it is. It was actually enough of a problem that some viewers had to be rushed away in ambulances because they were so overcome with emotion.

Director Elem Klimov attested to this fact, along with the story that there was a panel held after a pre-screening to discuss the brutality of the film, during which a veteran stood up and avowed that every single thing he saw was nothing but the cold, hard truth. So, veterans didn’t “love” Come and See per se, but it was approved by them for how unflinching it is. Knowing that the violence isn’t exaggerated at all is horrifying, but in a way, perhaps this is a good thing because it’s enough to scare people away from ever going to war.

1

‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Saving Private Ryan opens up on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when Allied troops invaded Normandy, marking the beginning of the end for the Third Reich. The day began with British, Canadian, and American troops parachuting behind enemy lines to clear the way for beach landings the following morning. For the most part, it was a success, but the American landing sector known as Omaha Beach saw some of the heaviest casualties.

The film came out in 1998, so many veterans of D-Day were able to actually sit down and watch it in theatres. When they did, many confirmed that the bloody and terrifying assault on the beach was extremely accurate, so much so that the filmmakers had to set up a hotline for traumatized veterans who were having episodes of PTSD. Right from the get-go, many veterans have confirmed the accuracy of the D-Day landings, with some stating that it felt like they had been taken back in time and were there on the beach again. Like Come and See, Saving Private Ryan wasn’t exactly “enjoyed” by veterans, but it was liked and appreciated for its realistic violence and for telling the story as it was without sugar-coating it.

NEXT: 10 Essential Movies About World War II, Ranked