Ask someone to name the greatest war films ever made and you’ll likely hear Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, or something else drenched in American spirit. But ask a UK defence expert and you’ll get a very different list.
The military minds at Think Defence have compiled a top 25 list of the best war films ever, not considering Oscar buzz, Hollywood casts or big budgets, but favoured audience enjoyability.
From gritty minefields to devils in kilts, here are the five best war films ever, listed by military experts.
5. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Directed by Richard Attenborough and featuring a cast list longer than the actual bridge in Arnhem, A Bridge Too Far is as much a war movie as it is a who’s who of 1970s cinema. Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Robert Redford, and a Bailey bridge.
Think Defence praises it not just for its cast or large scope, but for the fact that it delivers “an incredible storyline” with enough memorable moments to last the full runtime. One of their favourite scenes involves a harried Major General Urquhart being offered a cup of tea as communications collapse and his plan goes up in smoke – very British indeed. Though the real Operation Market Garden was a disaster, the film adaptation triumphs as a polished epic.
4. Kajaki (2014)
There are no medals for subtlety in Kajaki – just sand, sweat and mines. Based on the true story of British soldiers trapped in a dried-up riverbed in Helmand province, the film (retitled Kilo Two Bravo for US audiences) strips away glory and grandeur in favour of something deeper.
Think Defence calls it a “humbling story of brave men,” and lauds it for telling the tale “with no sentimentality or commentary on some of the more obvious issues it raises.” Which is exactly why it hits so hard.
Kajaki is full of claustrophobic, nerve-wrecking realism, shot almost entirely in one location. Not a film for background viewing, but one that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
3. Carry On… Up the Khyber (1968)
Sandwiched between tales of military sacrifice and battlefield courage, Carry On… Up the Khyber earns its spot for its brass and comedic brilliance.
It may be draped in 1960s stereotypes, but Think Defence urges readers to “soak up the glorious and magnificently inappropriate late sixties-era humour,” complete with Welsh landscapes and short kilts. It is, in its own way, a perfectly pitched portrait of British absurdity in a military context.
2. The Guns at Batasi (1964)
If Richard Attenborough’s acting in The Guns at Batasi doesn’t scare you a little, you may need to check your pulse. In what Think Defence calls “the best portrayal of an RSM ever seen on screen”, this post-colonial gem offers a rare look at British military life during the dying days of empire.
Attenborough’s RSM Lauderdale is everything in this film, especially in a specific chilling scene, when tearing into the young Mr. Boniface for daring to wear his hat in the mess.
Though it’s less well-known than some others on this list, Batasi has built a quiet cult following – thanks in part to Attenborough’s unforgettable performance and a script that is full of tense military dialogue.
1. Zulu (1964)
Zulu is the grandfather of British war films – and it has it all: bayonets, bridge-building, and a soundtrack of harmonised fear.
It’s based on the 1879 Battle of Rorke’s Drift, where 150 British soldiers held off thousands of Zulu warriors, and it remains a towering cinematic achievement.
Think Defence calls it “memorable” in every sense, praising its final battle scene, the unforgettable volley fire, and what they describe as “singing, bayonets, and guts.”
Michael Caine, in his first major role, drips with upper-crust swagger, while Stanley Baker leads with cool defiance. Of course, the film takes some liberties – for example, its harsh portrayal of real-life Private Henry Hook, who was in fact a model soldier. But most audiences won’t watch Zulu for accuracy anyways, so it might get a pass.