3. Henry V
Kenneth Branagh + Shakespeare = Marvelous. Easy equation. In this film, Branagh plays the eponymous Henry who must battle to cement his position as king of England and also to establish a claim to the French throne. He is a noble figure, who fights alongside his men and at one point, goes from camp to camp in disguise to see what they really think of him. Say what you will about Branagh, but if there's one thing he's good at, it's delivering a powerhouse St Crispin's Day Speech. You can't
not fight a war after someone gives that speech. Seriously. Try it. While other film versions of this story tend to be heavily stylized, as director, Branagh went out of his way to portray the horrors and inherent grittiness of war.