War! What is it good for? Making awesome movies, perhaps? Okay, so we're not trying to justify the fact that war is actually "a bit of all right" because it presents filmmakers with the opportunity to render explosions and battles and chase sequences and badass men on badass missions, but... well, actually, we kind of are saying that. The war genre, after all, is one that seems made for the cinematic medium; and given the way in which war affects us all in some way, shape or form, movies of this kind can be hugely important in their attempts to deconstruct history. Also: explosions, battles and chase sequences, right? So war is hell and there's no arguing the outright truth of such a candid statement. Over the years, filmmakers have used the filmic medium to explore the casualties, repercussions, and semantics of war to great effect. Some of the best and most acclaimed movies of all time happen to fall into this genre, of course, so join us now as we fix our gaze on the essential 20; those definitive war movies that you should ensure to have seen before your time on this Earth runs out. It was a toughie, but we've done our best to assemble an eclectic mix of undeniable classics...
20. Zulu
Michael Caine is wonderful as a by-the-books lieutenant in this exciting, action-packed, dramatic re-telling of the Battle of Rourke's Drift, in which less than 100 British troops managed to fight off over 4000 Zulu warriors. Stuffed with bravado and gorgeously shot, the action scenes are brilliant - it's also something of a rollocking good time.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
