A cowardly sociopath and germaphobe commandeers a state apparatus and lines his pockets to the tune of, possibly, $200 billion. Having delusions of grandeur and forced into isolation by a world-wide pandemic, where he obsesses over perceived wrongs to himself, he launches an insane military attack against a neighboring country. The Arsenal of Democracy and its allies come to the defense of that neighboring country in a war that will seemingly last indefinitely. The sociopathic germaphobe continually threatens nuclear war and implies that if he goes, the world will go with him. The world situation itself has now become grist for the mother of all anti-war epics, may it survive.
David Mamet pointed out that war is always the failure of diplomacy – the politicians fail and the common soldier is called in to resolve the mess created by the incompetent and corrupt.
When we think of anti-war films, we tend to think of stuff like Saving Private Ryan – films that are anti-war because they turn our stomachs with horrific visual imagery. I would argue that the most effective anti-war films are, however, not bloody at all. They are human and moral dramas which reveal underlying absurdities and less-than-noble motives for armed conflict. They also show those who valiantly oppose war.
There may be some spoilers in the following list. In no particular order:
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) Nagisa Oshima
The novel on which this movie was based was The Seed and the Sower by Laurens van der Post. It was a Christian-themed novel of how an Allied soldier in a Japanese prisoner of war camp deeply influenced the Japanese commanding officer with his idealism and humanity. The irony is that although the officer was deeply affected and changes for the better, he is ultimately executed by the Allies anyway as a war criminal.
Oshima adds unique texture to the story of the novel by implying a homosexual attraction between these officers. At the end, Major “Straight-for” Jack Celliers (played by David Bowie) stops the commander (played by Ryuichi Sakamoto) from executing an English officer by kissing him on the cheeks. Throughout the film militarism and barbarity are countered by the deep and long-suffering humanity of Major Lawrence (played by Tom Conti). This is a film that sticks with you forever.
The White Rose (1982) by Michael Verhoeven
This is a film based on the true story of a group of German students at the University of Munich, and one of their professors, who opposed Nazism through pacifistic means – primarily the dissemination of knowledge as to what the Nazi government was truly doing during the war.
When siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl decided to flood their university with fliers outlining Nazi atrocities, they expected the students to rise up in protest. Instead, there was nothing but apathy among the students and the Scholls were accidentally discovered, arrested and executed.
This is an amazing story of how, even in the heart of a totalitarian society, it is possible to demonstrate resistance. At one point the Gestapo was convinced The White Rose was an enormous and wide-spread organization throughout Germany and was forced to divert resources accordingly – while, in fact, all this trouble-making had been accomplished by one small group based in one city.
Twenty-Four Eyes (1954) Keisuke Kenoshita
This is a film that spans the years 1928 to 1946 in a small village in Japan, as a young, modern, independent-thinking female Japanese teacher watches her beloved students grow-up and change during the period of rising militarism and war in Japan. No spoilers here, just a highly recommended film. A classic in Japan which was neglected at art houses in the USA. This film may cause you to cry numerous times.
There is a very moving scene toward the end as you see lines of US soldiers marching into the cavernous bellies of transport planes to Vietnam. The military culture of the USA is contrasted with the hippy culture of New York City. There’s not as much energy in the movie as in the original soundtrack, but there is more energy than the Broadway revival of 2009. The ending makes a strong anti-war statement. I loved seeing the thousands of young people singing Let the Sun Shine In at the end.
J’accuse (1919 and 1938) Abel Gance
“Friends! The time has come for us to rise again and see whether they valued our sacrifice!” In this amazing anti-war film, the dead from World War I rise from their graves to attempt to stop future wars. The first version was made immediately after WWI. When Gance saw that another war was looming, he made another version.
The Victors (1963) Carl Foreman
Carl Foreman begged to differ with all the ‘good war’ rhetoric about WWII in this anti-war classic.
The film shows a group of American soldiers who are not driven by idealism – they are basically pawns going where they are told and doing what they are told, including serving on a firing squad at Christmas time in the execution of a fellow American soldier. A strong statement against war which was produced just before the American involvement in Vietnam.
The Grand Illusion (1931) Jean Renoir
A lot has been made of the fact that this film shines a light on the changing class structure of Europe during the WWI period. The film also shows a glorification of nationalism accompanied by the dominance of an aristocratic war-mongering class. Rittmeister von Rauffenstein (played by Eric von Stroheim) still views war as a gentleman’s occupation and as a type of game guys in the upper class play against each other.
War is just a big World Cup where guys from the lower classes get killed. Against this attitude are the two heroes of the film Rosenthal and Maréchal – the “Jew” and the “mechanic” – both of whom have no place in the traditional war-as-game scenario and who just want to go home.
Devils on the Doorstep (2000) Jiang Wen
Complex, funny and ironic film in which a Chinese village is asked to hold a crazy, war-loving Japanese soldier as prisoner until he can be picked up again by the group that has captured him. The group never comes back and the prisoner changes from a nutty death-demanding soldier to a grateful guest.
Chicago 10 (2007) Brett Morgan
This is the story of how youth from around America came to Chicago to try to stop the Vietnam War, and how Mayor Richard M. Daley unleashed his police force on the peaceful protesters. It is also about how the US government used and abused the court system, starring Justice “Just” Julius Hoffman, to throw the leaders of the protests, and their lawyers, in jail.
Fires on the Plain (1959) Kon Ichikawa
Private First Class Tamura has TB and is not in much shape to fight a war, but the hospital won’t take him. When he goes back to his unit his officer goes nuts over Tamura’s lack of health and fighting spirit prompting Tamura to declare: “I PFC Tamura will try to check into the hospital again and I will kill myself if they won’t take me.” Thus begins his journey of survival which comprises this film.
Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005) Park Kwang-hyun
In a village called Dongmakgol, during the Korean War, an American pilot, North Korean soldiers and South Korean soldiers are brought together by fate (the American pilot’s plane crashes after he flies through a kaleidoscope of butterflies (yes a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope). Dongmokgol becomes a type of symbol for a united Korea as the villagers are not even aware of the war and all the men begin to work collaboratively to support the village after inadvertently destroying its food stock. Trouble ensues, however, when the US military feels it has to “free” the “captured” US pilot.
The Bridge (1959) Bernhard Wicki
A group of 16-year-old German boys are drafted into the army and told to hold a bridge on April 27th 1945, even though the war is obviously lost. The boys accomplish their mission, most of them dying in the process, because defending just one square meter of Germany is a priceless honor.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) Oliver Stone
This is the biographical film concerning Ron Kovic, a disabled Vietnam War vet who ultimately joined Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) due to his experiences in Vietnam and his treatment back in the states.
Breaker Morant (1980) Bruce Beresford
Kitchener wants to end the Boer War and seems willing to sacrifice some Aussie soldiers accused of war crimes to prove his sincerity. But are these guys as innocent as they look? Beresford wanted to show the factors that could push a guy beyond the rules of warfare.
Paths of Glory (1957) Stanley Kubrick
In WW I, if the French can capture a German emplacement called the Anthill, a French General will rise in prestige. But even stepping out of their trenches seems impossible for the French facing the Anthill, so they will not attack. A few French soldiers are chosen for execution as an example to get the rest motivated. Based on a true story.
So you want to get out of the military because you don’t like dropping bombs on civilians? Well, the only way to get out is if you’re nuts. Ah, but there’s a catch: only a nut would want to drop bombs on civilians, so if you tell them you want to leave, you must be sane.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Lewis Milestone
Young men are encouraged to go to war by one of their teachers. In the trenches there is little idealism or patriotism and in one of the most famous scenes in film history the hero gets shot reaching for a butterfly. Better than the recent remake.
Orders to Kill (1958) Anthony Asquith
Summers is an American who grew up in France, sent by the Allies into Paris to kill a man who is believed to be a double agent. Summers is, however, convinced he is not a double agent but kills him anyway because his handler is a French woman who plays on Summers’ insecurity concerning his masculinity. The man he kills is, of course, innocent.
King of Hearts (1966) Philippe de Broca
In WW I English soldier Charles Plumpick is to find a bomb the Germans have placed in a town before it detonates. The problem? Plumpick finds the town has been completely evacuated except for the folks who were in the local mental hospital. Plumpick can escape and save himself, but he won’t. A cool romantic comedy with a surprise ending that will warm your heart.
Dr. Strangelove (1964) Stanley Kubrick
This film is filled with images of surrogate male sex organs serving military functions. It’s all about real, macho men working toward the total obliteration of human civilization as we know it.
George C. Scott makes this film and allows one to forgive him for making Patton a few years later. Peter Sellers plays three roles in a film that openly mocks the military of that time and implies that it was comprised of insecure guys who continually need to prove themselves sexually or in mock sexual ways.
Come and See (1985) Elim Klimov
There are two great scenes in this film. One involves the depiction of the true story of the wanton and gratuitous murder of civilians who were locked in a Belorussian church which was then set on fire by Nazi soldiers. The other involves the capture of those Nazi soldiers and what the Soviet freedom fighters will do to them.
A version was originally published on Taste of Cinema: 20 Great Anti-War Movies That Are Worth Your Time – Taste of Cinema – Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
