Whereas once you would forgive inaccuracies, having served, you find yourself commenting “that would never happen” when directors sacrifice realism for drama, much to the annoyance of those around you.
But there is a wealth of fantastic films out there which mix accuracy with suspense, and though it will inevitably provoke debate, for me, there are ten films that any fans of war movies must see.
The film in isolation deserves to be higher, it has everything you can want in a war film: suspense, gore, drama etc.
But having read the book before watching it, I find myself critiquing the film throughout with cries of “that didn’t happen” and “that has been exaggerated”.
While the game of cat and mouse with the Iraqi sniper is documented in the book, it is not the central theme as it is in the film and detracts from the realism of protagonist Chris Kyle’s experiences.
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This film is less known, Eye in the Sky was first shown to me at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where it was essential viewing as we learned about the laws of armed conflict and the realities of war.
Starring Helen Mirren, the film sees her as a high-ranking officer at the centre of a mission to launch a missile strike on Al-Shabaab terrorists.
The film contains the nuance lost in so many war films, as Mirren’s character weighs up the legality of the strike and the ethical considerations of killing innocent civilians in collateral damage, in order to save dozens more.
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Released at the height of campaigns in Afghanistan, where the use of improvised explosives had become commonplace, The Hurt Locker shows brilliantly the psychological effects on soldiers in high-pressure situations.
The film follows a bomb disposal crew in Iraq and is considered one of the most influential war films of the 2000s and the 21st century, winning 5 Academy Awards in 2010.
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