10 Best War Films NOT About The US Military
The US military at war is often a major focus, but which films portray other nations in combat?
What's the first thing you think of when it comes to war films? Many would point to the many American efforts. Francis Ford, Coppola, Oliver Stone, Katherine Bigelow, these are just some of the big names that have made the country's presence in cinema just as well-known as their real-life participation. Authenticity and respect to those who served are often key in making the genre work, but it's not just the land of the free that has succeeded in this regard.
While many of the best war movies ever made have come from and involved America in some way, there are some real hidden gems from both past and present if you look hard enough. The following ten productions venture outside the States to explore conflicts around the world, sometimes going into detail on lesser known battles.
From various European efforts all the way to Asia, to make this list a film can be set in any time period or scale. So long as it shows a staunch commitment to representing their historical events with . Suit up, we're going in...
10. A Bridge Too Far
It follows the ill-fated Operation Market Garden, a plan devised by the British Army to liberate the Netherlands. A coalition of allied forces parachuted in aiming to capture territory and clear a route into Northern Germany. Military leaders believed it would allow the Second World War on the European Front to be ended more quickly.
Unfortunately due to failures in communication and slow progress, the operation was a failure as the British, Polish and American forces were either killed or captured attempting to take the bridges. Some thirty-three years after the battle, director Richard Attenborough took on adaptation work with A Bridge Too Far.
Focusing mostly on the British and Polish forces, it was a grand undertaking for its time, aiming to portray one of the biggest aerial assaults in history. Arguably its most impressive moment is the real-life shots of 1000 men air-dropping over Europe within camera. In terms of the epic war genre, this was massive technical achievement, as was the all-star cast which included Michael Caine, Sean Connery and Anthony Hopkins.
While it wasn't so well received at first, the film scooped several BAFTAs and is now viewed as a classic, one that's certainly worth your time.