Top 6 military films you likely haven’t seen

Updated Mar 24, 2022 11:13 AM PDT

A black-and-white photo of a man and a woman standing close together, both looking slightly upward and to the right. The woman has short curly hair and is wearing a military uniform with a "U.S." pin on her lapel. The man has wavy hair, a thin mustache, and is dressed in a leather flight jacket with a shearling collar and a parachute harness. The background is blurred with indistinct figures and shadows.

So many films have been released and even more so with the streaming platforms in the digital age. Some timeless classics may have slipped by you that are worth giving a look. Here are 6 of the top military films you maybe haven’t seen and should be on your viewing list.

1. The Victors.

Movie poster for "The Victors" featuring six black-and-white headshots of women at the top with their names: Melina Mercouri, Jeanne Moreau, Rosanna Schiaffino, Romy Schneider, Elke Sommer, and Senta Berger. Below the headshots, bold text reads "THE SIX MOST EXCITING WOMEN IN THE WORLD... IN THE MOST EXPLOSIVE ENTERTAINMENT EVER MADE!" The title "THE VICTORS" is prominently displayed in large, red, stylized letters. The lower half shows a black-and-white image of seven soldiers in uniform, some sitting and some standing, holding rifles and resting around a stone structure. Additional credits and names are listed at the bottom in red text on a black background. — Photo courtesy of IMDB.com.

Logline: Intelligent, sprawling saga of a squad of American soldiers, following them through Europe during World War II.

A dark look at the toll taken on soldiers during and after the war in Europe. Excellent performances across the board, especially from Eli Wallach, George Peppard and Romy Schneider. It has deep anti-war sentiments while being a film full of engaging performances and cinematography. It is directed by Carl Foreman, of Bridge on the River Kwai screenwriting notoriety.

2. A Matter of Life and Death.

A black-and-white photo of a man and a woman standing close together. The woman is wearing a military uniform with a US insignia and has short, curly hair. The man is dressed in a pilot's leather jacket with a fur collar and a parachute harness, and he has a mustache. Both are looking slightly upward with serious expressions. The background is blurred with indistinct figures and shadows. — Kim Hunter and David Niven in A Matter of Life and Death. Photo courtesy of tcm.com.

Logline: A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.

David Niven and Kim Hunter star in this fantasy-romance film set within the confines of World War II. Niven plays a pilot who jumps from his plane without a parachute, yet survives. Hunter finds Niven and they spend the entire film piecing clues together on whether he is actually dead or alive. Think Inception minus the heist with the addition of an afterlife made in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Then add a few dashes of class and cinematic style to get A Matter of Life and Death.

3. Attack

Picture courtesy of wikipedia.org.

Logline: In 1945, an American Infantry company sets up an artillery observation post, but tensions between Captain Cooney and Lieutenant Costa run high.

An all-star cast, many of which are real veterans, make Attack a rare gem that peers into the depths of a company at the latter stages of World War II that is run by a cowardly captain played by real-life hero Eddie Albert. Jack Palance, Lee Marvin and Buddy Ebsen turn out strong performances. Director Robert Aldrich lends his talents and shows us the seeds of further greatness which we would witness in the 1967 film The Dirty Dozen.

4. Farewell to the King

Three men dressed in military-style clothing walk through a dense jungle. The man in front is shirtless with a large tattoo on his chest, wearing a red and black headband and carrying a rifle slung over his shoulder. The two men behind him wear wide-brimmed hats and green military uniforms, each holding weapons. The background is filled with lush green foliage. — Nick Nolte (center) in Farewell to the King. Photo courtesy of see-aych.com.

Logline: Borneo, 1942: An American soldier escapes WWII and becomes the king of the headhunters in the jungle. Two British soldiers are parachuted into the area to find local support for the battle against the Japanese.

Nick Nolte stars as a deserter from World War II Learoyd who escapes from a Japanese firing squad. He is deified by the locals and is a “god” to them. He is the king for the natives and resists rejoining the Brits to continue fighting the war. He then leads his tribe against the Brits in jungle warfare and insurgency style rarely seen on the silver screen.

5. Cross of Iron

A man in a worn military uniform and cap stands in a foggy, wooded area, holding a rifle. He faces a young boy with blonde hair, who is also dressed in a similarly worn military-style jacket. The scene is muted and smoky, with bare tree branches visible around them. — James Coburn (left) in Cross of Iron. Photo courtesy of https://cinapse.co.

Logline: German commander Hauptmann Stransky (Maximilian Schell) places a squad in extreme danger after Sergeant Rolf Steiner (James Coburn) refuses to lie for him.

In great director Sam Peckinpaugh’s only war film Coburn and Schell shine brightly in this morality tale set on the battlefield of the European theater in World War II. His directing style is first-rate. Gritty, real, nasty and just what should be ordered when examining war. There is little if any romanticism here, as it should be.

6. Breaker Morant

A man dressed in a khaki military uniform and wide-brimmed hat sits confidently on a dark horse, holding a long rifle upright. The sky behind him is cloudy, and the scene has a rugged, outdoorsy feel. Text on the image reads "Breaker Morant" and "A Film by Bruce Beresford," with "The Criterion Collection" and the year "1980" noted on the left side. — Edward Woodward as Harry “Breaker” Morant in Breaker Morant. Photo courtesy of amazon.com.

Logline: Three Australian lieutenants are court-martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.

Woodward has never been better than in Break Morant. The courtroom scenes are high drama with well-interlaced flashback sequences to the battlefield. Woodward’s description of what is rule “303” is chilling as it is memorable. He should have won an Oscar for his portrayal and the film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. First time seeing that high of a rating for anything.