Summary

• Testament of Youth tells the story of a nurse in World War I, highlighting love and the brutal realities of conflict.
• War Horse captures the powerful bond between a horse and various people during World War I's carnage.
• Wings is a groundbreaking silent film that pays tribute to fighter pilots and showcases the horrors of war.

World War I was one of the most significant conflicts the world has ever seen and has consistently acted as the basis for countless incredible war movies. As a global conflict that saw fighting occur throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia, it’s no surprise that the First World War was a topic that filmmakers have returned to again and again. Taking place during an era of hand-to-hand combat and trench warfare, the immediacy of battles in World War I still holds the power to shock film viewers with their intensity.

Some of the greatest movies about World War I were produced shortly after the conflict ended and were seen by audiences with personal recollections and connections to the war itself. Later films used the conflict to address wider issues surrounding the very nature of war and presented an anti-war stance that highlighted the true brutality of bloodshed. With films by some of the greatest directors who ever lived, the best movies about World War I represented some of the greatest cinematic accomplishments of all time.

10 Testament Of Youth (2014)

Directed by James Kent

One great war movie with a strong female lead was Testament of Youth, which was a British war drama based on a memoir by Vera Brittain. As a nurse during the First World War, Testament of Youth recounted Britaain’s (Alicia Vikander) experiences and journey toward pasism alongside a love story between herself and a soldier named Roland Leighton (Kit Harrington.) But make no mistake, alongside the romance, this drama highlighted the bloody and grim realities of war as the true horrors of conflict were brought to the forefront.

However, Testament of Youth also pushed a message about humanity's ability to persevere through even the most difficult times. By telling the story of a war nurse, Testament of Youth portrayed the seldom-seen experiences of those on the frontlines who chose to heal rather than hurt and the horrific consequences of soldiers who found themselves in need of medical attention. A powerful and poignant pontification on and love, Testament of Youth will leave audiences questioning the validity of warfare itself.

9 War Horse (2011)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

As a war movie that spanned the entire First World War, War Horse was a fascinating drama that explored how a horse named Joey touched the lives of various people throughout war-torn Europe. As a proudly sentimental and strikingly old-fashioned-style story, War Horse was the type of movie that only a director like Steven Spielberg could have made, as it expertly adapted the original 1982 novel and subsequent stage versions of this tale. As an emotional drama that touched on Spielbergian themes of family, hope, and childhood wonder, War Horse worked exceedingly well.

Featuring some of the greatest shots that Speilberg has ever directed, War Horse was an underappreciated gem in his vast filmography, which included other war-based classics like Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. With an ensemble cast that helped bolster a grand and effective adventure, War Horse captured the essence of classic Hollywood filmmaking. War Horse was a poignant and vulnerable look at World War I through the lived experience of an incredible horse.

8 Wings (1927)

Directed by William A. Wellman

As the first Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards, Wings was always destined to be a historical film, but what’s more impressive was that it has maintained its power almost 100 years later. An action-packed, silent wartime romance, Wings told the story of two young men in love with the same women who became fighter pilots during the First World War. As a conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918, Wings was notable as a film produced for a generation that still vividly ed the war, and many of its viewers likely even fought in it.

Wings acted as a tribute to fighter pilots and was praised for its authentic portrayal of aviation, which has gone on to influence subsequent movies such as Top Gun. With an exceptional lead performance by Clara Bow as Mary Preston, Wings had a stellar cast, excellent combat sequences, and, in many ways, was a truly groundbreaking film. Wings was produced before the production code came into effect, and one of its most notable claims to fame was being among the first widely released films to show nudity (via Collider.)

7 Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Directed by Dalton Trumbo

Johnny Got His Gun was among the most harrowing anti-war movies ever produced, as, more so than any film before it, it showcased the shocking realities of life for those left maimed and helpless by the ravages of war. With a story that involved an American soldier left blind, deaf, and limbless due to a shell attack in World War I, it does not get any grimmer than Johnny Got His Gun. Written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dalton Trumbo, Johnny Got His Gun was based on Trumbo’s own 1938 novel.

Johnny Got His Gun was produced after Trumbo had been blacklisted by Hollywood during the red scare of McCarthyism throughout the 1950s. Having already faced the destruction of his own career, it seemed Trumbo was not afraid to show the world as he saw it and highlight the true depravity of war in this highly effective film. Johnny Got His Gun was not for the faint of heart, but those who see it will witness an anti-war movie that truly succeeded in portraying the brutal realities of conflict.

6 Journey's End (2017)

Directed by Saul Dibb

Journey’s End was a British war film based on the 1928 play by R. C. Sherriff that has been adapted for the screen numerous times. The first version came in 1930 and was a powerful depiction of British army officers encountering trench warfare during the First World War; however, this story was effectively updated by director Saul Dibb with resonating urgency in 2017. Set in a dugout in Aisne in 1918, Journey’s End captured the tension and anxiety of soldiers preparing to face their uncertain fate.

With a talented cast, Journey’s End not only highlighted the brutality of war but also showcased the class distinctions and expectations faced by soldiers during this era. As a deeply psychological film filled with hand-to-hand combat and bloody carnage, Journey’s End showcased the disintegration of humanity amid the tortuous realities of war. Through tackling urgent themes such as this, Journey’s End made for disturbing, albeit highly important, viewing.

5 Sergeant York (1941)

Directed by Howard Hawks

With an Oscar-winning performance by Gary Cooper and fantastic direction from filmmaking legend Howard Hawks, Sergeant York was a powerful World War I biopic based on Sergeant Alvin C. York. As one of the most decorated soldiers of the First World War, York was a true American hero who fought bravely in the Meuse–Argonne offensive, one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict. As the highest-grossing film of 1941 (via The Numbers), Sergeant York has maintained its incredible power after all these.

Released in the summer of 1941, Sergeant York was a powerful war movie that came out just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor and U.S. involvement in the Second World War. With a highly relevant story about a man who chose to fight for his country, many young men would have watched Sergeant York while considering doing the same in the ongoing conflict at the time. With an involving story and heartfelt performances, Sergeant York holds up to this day.

4 Gallipoli (1981)

Directed by Peter Weir

Gallipoli was a moving and engaging film that addressed the rarely depicted Australians involved in the First World War. Directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, Gallipoli was about the Gallipoli campaign that took place in modern-day Turkey but also told a compelling story of friendship and connection. As one of the best-loved Australian films of all time, Gallipoli deserved to reach a much larger audience worldwide, as its director went on to make classics like Dead Poet’s Society and The Truman Show.

Although Gallipoli has received criticism for its alternation of the true historical story, it's impossible to deny its effectiveness as a movie. Gibson gives an extraordinarily vulnerable early career performance as a young soldier taking part in one of the most horrific battles in the entire First World War. Gallipoli was a slow-moving but highly effective film and a must-see for anyone interested in World War I cinema.

3 All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)

Directed by Lewis Milestone

For nearly 100 years, All Quiet on the Western Front has remained one of the greatest s of the First World War ever committed to screen. From the harrowing performance of Lew Ayres as the shell-shocked young soldier Paul Bäumer to the way it highlighted the brutal realities of bloodshed, this was a timeless film for the ages. Expertly capturing the anti-war ethos of Erich German author Maria Remarque's original novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, had something truly urgent to say as it was released just as Hitler and the Nazi Party were taking hold.

As the first Best Picture winner based on a novel, it was appropriate that such an important story be told across different mediums to allow it to reach the largest possible audience. The relevance of All Quiet on the Western Front’s story has not diminished in the years since, which can be seen through the acclaim that the 2022 remake received. A true classic of the war genre, All Quiet on the Western Front was among the most rewatchable war movies ever made, as it stood the test of time for nearly a century.

2 1917 (2017)

Directed by Sam Mendes

The World War I drama 1917 presented a raw and unflinchingly graphic depiction of the conflict but was also notable for its technical achievements, which made the film look like it had been shot as one long continuous take. This highly immersive experience made it feel like viewers were directly in the heart of battle as they followed two British lance corporals, William Schofield and Tom Blake, through the battlefield. As the young men sought to deliver an urgent message to call off a doomed attack, 1917 was a heart-racing war drama like the world had never previously seen.

With startling immediacy, director Sam Mendes captured the harrowing realities of trench warfare and powerfully showcased for audiences the struggles of day-to-day existence as a soldier on the frontlines. As an almost overwhelming film-viewing experience, 1917 highlighted cinema's power to showcase warfare's brutalities. While much of the conversation surrounding 1917 was dominated by its technical wonders, this would not have been nearly as effective without the powerful story of human resilience at the center of it all.

1 Paths Of Glory (1957)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Among the greatest works ever produced by filmmaking visionary Stanley Kubrick, Paths of Glory was the best film about World War I, as it tackled its subject with unflinching intensity. Starring Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax, Paths of Glory first told a story of warfare before becoming a thrilling look at a man charged with cowardice in a court-martial. This was because Colonel Dax refused to send his men into a suicidal attack, and in the process, Paths of Glory highlights the despicable thought process of those in power who saw soldiers as simply pawns in their horrific war games.

The perceived anti-military stand of Paths of Glory made it a controversial release at the time, but this willingness to address miscarriages of justice and those who dictated war was also what made it a timeless classic. While Kubrick would go on to address the subject of war in later films like Dr. Stranglove and Full Metal Jacket, Paths of Glory was one of his bleakest and most effective explorations of the subject. A powerful depiction of not just the hardships of war but also the bureaucracy behind it, Paths of Glory was a truly great World War I movie.

Sources: Collider, The Numbers