One of cinema’s most beloved brands of film, thewar genrehas played host to some ofthe best movies ever made. From stunning historical epics to visceral accounts inspired by more modern conflicts, these gripping tales of wartime encompass everything from thrilling fictional premises to real-life historical events. Accordingly, it should come as little surprise that thegreatest war movies of all timeboast some of the most electrifying stories and unforgettable characters that wider popular culture has to offer.
Dotted in among these standout genre offerings are a number of iconic and timeless performances that have stood out from the pack, carving out an indelible cultural niche for themselves off the back of a dramatic bow for the ages. Breathing life into a diverse array of names that are widely regarded as some of the most enduring and influential movie characters of all time, the best war movie performances feature the talents of some of the most gifted actors that Hollywood has ever had to offer.
Apocalypse Now
Cast
In Francis Ford Coppola’s classic Vietnam War film, loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, an army Captain is tasked with assassinating a rogue Colonel who has created a cult-like compound in the Cambodian jungle and is currently waging his own war outside the army’s purview. Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando star as Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz respectively, with an ensemble cast that includes Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, and Dennis Hopper.
It’s a supreme state of irony that, while Marlon Brando is widely credited with the most famous and celebrated turn in Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War tour de forceApocalypse Now, his legendary bow as Colonel Walter Kurtz isn’t actually the best performance that the 1979 war movie has to offer. That honor belongs to Robert Duvall, with the cinematic icon producing a masterful bow to bring the movie’s larger-than-life Lieutenant Bill Kilgore to life in colorful fashion.
Apocalypse Now Referenced Marlon Brando & Francis Ford Coppola’s First Movie (5 Years Before The Godfather)
Before their historic collaboration on The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola & Marlon Brando both worked on a 1967 dramatic thriller.
Earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable efforts, Duvall brings this fervent warmonger to life in a manner that deftly walks the line between comical and outright disturbing. The man behind a large portion of this seminal genre offering’s most iconic scenes and pieces of dialogue, Duvall’s legendary turn as Kilgore is the crowning jewel on what is arguablythe greatest war film of the 1970s.
Come And See
Come and See is a 1985 Soviet war drama directed by Elem Klimov. The film follows a young Belarusian boy named Flyora as he witnesses and experiences the horrors of World War II. Through his eyes, viewers are exposed to the brutal realities of war and its devastating impact on humanity. Renowned for its stark portrayal of violence and suffering, the film is considered a powerful anti-war statement.
Contentiously thebest anti-war movie ever made, Elem Klimov’sCome and Seechronicles a harrowing array of Nazi atrocities from the perspective of Flyora Gaushin, a young Belarusian boy who sees his existence turned upside down by WWII. Flyora is brought to life in a haunting lead performance from Aleksei Kravchenko, a bow that is widely regarded as one of the most impressive pieces of acting from a child actor in cinematic history.
Come and Seeboasts a rating of 8.3 on IMDb.
Kravchenko captures every desolating nuance of his charge’s tribulations in devastating fashion across the course of the acclaimed 1985 war movie. One of the most heartbreaking and intensely moving performances of all time, irrespective of genre, Kravchenko’s incredible efforts are even more remarkable given that the Russian actor was no more than 14 years old when filming began.
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan: Directed by Steven Spielberg, this World War II drama follows Captain John Miller, portrayed by Tom Hanks, as he leads a group of U.S. soldiers on a mission to rescue Private James Ryan, the sole surviving brother of four, from behind enemy lines in German-occupied France.
A front-runner in the long-runningargument over cinema’s best war movie, 1998’sSaving Private Ryanowes a considerable portion of its success to an Oscar-nominated turn from Tom Hanks. Taking on the role of Captain John Miller, Hanks produced one of his best pieces of work to lend raw authenticity and devastating emotional heft to his dramatic charge, a character who serves as the central focus for Stephen Spielberg’s iconic war outing.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Nominated
Imbuing his charge with a facade of stoic neutrality, Hanks' character is a far more nuanced charge than the allegations that he was assembled out of dead body parts at OSC would suggest. In actuality, Miller is really a school teacher trying to get home to his wife, while desperately trying to keep the men under his command safe. A complex and relatable individual brought to life in stirring fashion, Miller is one of the genre’s most compelling characters as a result of Hanks' masterful performance.
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket, directed by Stanley Kubrick, follows U.S. Marine recruits through rigorous boot camp training and onto the battlefields of Vietnam, highlighting the war’s impact on soldiers' psyches. Released in 1987, the film stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio, and R. Lee Ermey.
One of the most spectacularly authentic performances in cinematic history, R. Lee Ermey’s turn as the foul-mouthed Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in 1987’sFull Metal Jacketis the stuff of legend. Despite only appearing for around half of the revered war outing, the abusive drill instructor is virtually synonymous with Stanley Kubrick’s nihilistic masterpiece, courtesy of an unforgettable performance and some of the most gloriously obscene soundbites that have ever been put to recording.
An implacable vessel of sadistic torment and unrelenting abuse, the late Ermey lent every shred of legitimacy that he could physically muster into bringing his terrifying charge to life onscreen. A performance that becomes even more impressive given Ermey’s lack of formal acting education, the veteran stole every second of every scene that he appeared in to earn unquestionable status as one of the genre’s most immortal characters.
The Pianist
The Pianist is a historical drama directed by Roman Polanski, featuring Adrien Brody as Władysław Szpilman, a Jewish pianist in Warsaw during World War II. The film follows Szpilman’s harrowing journey of survival amidst the horrors of the Holocaust, capturing his struggles and resilience. The Pianist showcases the impact of war on individuals and art, emphasizing themes of perseverance and human spirit.
Adrien Brody’s recent Best Actor win has cast fresh light on the role that earned him his first Oscar. Thesimilarities between 2024’sThe Brutalistand 2002’sThe Pianistare hard to ignore, with both films focusing on Jewish perspectives of WWII and the Holocaust while boasting powerhouse performances from their shared leading man. Becoming the youngest performer in history to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, Brody utterly loses himself in bringing Władysław Szpilman’s true story to life onscreen.
Brody was just 29 when he won his first Oscar for his work inThe Pianist.
Chronicling Szpilman’s miraculous survival during the German occupation of Warsaw, Brody produces a devastating performance for the ages. An iconic bow that turned him into a household name, the actor’s performance inThe Pianistcaptures the visceral desperation at the heart of his charge’s fight for survival in unflinching clarity. Carrying an indescribably powerful true story through the sheer intensity of his incredible performance, Brody’s work inThe Pianiststands as one of the greatest dramatic performances of all time.
Letters from Iwo Jima
Letters from Iwo Jima, directed by Clint Eastwood, offers a unique perspective on the World War II battle for Iwo Jima, depicting the struggle from the viewpoint of Japanese soldiers. Released in 2006, the film serves as a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, highlighting different wartime experiences.
One ofClint Eastwood’s finest war movies, 2006’sLetters from Iwo Jimais spearheaded by masterful direction from theDirty Harrystar and an exemplary turn from Ken Watanabe as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi. An account of the titular WWII battle told from the perspective of Japanese forces, Watanabe’s stirring performance as the leader of the outnumbered defenders isLetters from Iwo Jima’scrowning jewel.
…Watanabe effortlessly captures the bravery, compassion, and honor at the heart of this real-life individual.
A widely respected soldier who insisted on sharing the hardships of his men and refused to allow banzai-charges during combat, Watanabe effortlessly captures the bravery, compassion, and honor at the heart of this real-life individual. Wanatabe’s failure to win an Oscar off the back of his stirring take on Kuribayashi is arguably one of the Academy’s most egregious oversights in modern cinematic history, to say nothing of the mind-boggling fact that he wasn’t even nominated.
Downfall
Downfall is a historical drama depicting the final days of Adolf Hitler in his Berlin bunker during April 1945. The film explores the collapse of the Third Reich as the Russian Army advances, showcasing the tension among Hitler’s inner circle as they face inevitable defeat. Released in 2004, it provides a detailed portrayal of Hitler’s last moments.
Chronicling the final days of one of the most evil men in history, 2004’sDownfallplays out from the perspective of Adolf Hitler and the men and women in his bunker during the Battle of Berlin. Despite an array of stellar reviews, the movie unsurprisingly courted controversy for its fraught subject matter and allegations that it painted Hitler in a sympathetic light. However, commentators remained united on one front;the exemplary quality of Bruno Ganz’s leading performance.
Alternating between abject despair and despotic rage as he comes to terms with his impending doom, the actor produces a mesmerizing snapshot of an old and sickly tyrant…
Widely regarded as the most convincing onscreen depiction of the dictator in cinematic history, Ganz captures the paranoia-laced delusion at the heart of Hitler’s last days in jarringly realistic fashion. Alternating between abject despair and despotic rage as he comes to terms with his impending doom, the actor produces a mesmerizing snapshot of an old and sickly tyrant, rapidly coming apart at the seams as the walls of the world close in around him.
The Deer Hunter
The Deer Hunter is a 1978 war drama film by director Michael Cimino that centers on three men in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania during the Vietnam War. The film explores the effects of the war on small-town workers, with the trio of Russian-American friends bonding over one last hunting trip. Holding onto the hope of bringing home militaristic glory back to their friends and families, their reality quickly comes crashing down when they experience the war in Vietnam firsthand.
A devastating war movie masterpiece fromone-hit wonder directorMichael Cimino, 1978’sThe Deer Huntersees cinematic icon Robert De Niro at the top of his game.TheGoodfellasstar plays Mikhail"Mike"Vronsky,serving as the main character for this harrowing commentary on the physical and mental scars left by wartime. The movie follows three working-class friends who enlist to serve in Vietnam, depicting their subsequent nightmarish experiences of the conflict.
Best Sound
Won
While Christopher Walken also produces a generational turn as the broken Nick Chevotarevich throughout Cimino’s picture, De Niro’s Oscar-nominated leading bow remains one of his finest performances in a career littered with seminal bodies of dramatic work. In particular, the movie’s iconic Russian roulette scenes see De Niro virtually burst out of the screen through the sheer intensity of his acting, whether he’s laughing maniacally in his tormentors' faces or weeping inconsolably at the heartbreaking loss of his friend.
Schindler’s List
Schindler’s List is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, chronicling the efforts of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust. Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, the film vividly portrays the atrocities committed during World War II while highlighting Schindler’s transformation from a profit-driven industrialist to a humanitarian savior.
Acknowledged by many as thefinest war movie villain performancein cinematic history,Ralph Fiennes' career-best turn as Amon Göth is as close to the living embodiment of pure evil as one is likely to find onscreen.The chief antagonist of Stephen Spielberg’s heart-rending masterpiece, 1993’sSchindler’s List, Fiennes' performance as Göth was so terrifyingly convincing that he allegedly left a real-life Holocaust survivor shaking uncontrollably after he was introduced to her on set.
While Fiennes somehow failed to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, losing out toThe Fugitive’sTommy Lee Jones, the Englishman’s bow as the despicable lead antagonist ofSchindler’s Listis still widely regarded as one of the most unforgettable villain performances of all time. Cultivating an unrelenting aura of terror through his mere presence alone, Fiennes' turn as this real-life sadist is one of the most chilling performances of all time.
Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds is a film set during World War II in Nazi-occupied France. It follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers, known as “The Basterds,” led by Lt. Aldo Raine, who engage in ruthless anti-Nazi efforts. Their actions intersect with a French-Jewish theater owner in a plot against the regime.
The breakout star of Quentin Tarantino’s subversive triumph, 2009’sInglourious Basterds,Christoph Waltz was a relative unknown before he was cast as Colonel Hans Landa.A ferociously intelligent SS officer, Landa is nicknamed"The Jew Hunter"as a result of his near-preternatural ability to locate Jews hiding throughout occupied France. A part that Tarantino had feared was"unplayable,“Waltz blew the doors off in a star-making turn for the ages with a generational performance.
Surprisingly, This Inglourious Basterds Character Only Kills 1 Person On Screen
Inglourious Basterds has a very high kill count, but surprisingly, one of its main characters, despite his job, only kills one person on screen.
Winning his first of two Oscars for Best Supporting Actor off the back of his work in a Tarantino movie, Waltz is the star of the show from the movie’s very first scene. A calculating pragmatist, Landa is such a terrifying antagonist due to his penchant for switching between genteel and murderous at the drop of a hat, with Waltz’s demure manners and eloquent dictation serving to distract from the ruthless disposition lurking behind his polished smile. As memorable as he is abjectly evil, Waltz’sendlessly quotable war characteris the end product of one of the greatest performances thewar genrehas ever witnessed.
