Students are off from school on Veterans Day. Let this additional day of rest be an opportunity to recharge by indulging in some action-packed war films. From tragic tales of heroism to brutal combat, each movie on this list is an exhilarating watch that will keep you entertained.
To ensure you get the most from your viewership, I have prepared an itinerary to go along with each feature-length film. Included at the end is a miniseries that is a personal favorite of Speech and Debate teacher Tarin Almstedt, who served in the Iraq War.
1917 (2019)
Watch 1917 on Saturday, Nov 9 at 1 p.m.
1917 stands out among the other films on this list in that it is a contemporary account of World War I. It has a distinct style too. Seeming as though the camera never stops rolling during the entirety of the film, cuts are expertly made to bring Sam Mendes’s vision to life.
British Lieutenants Schoefield and Blake journey across France to deliver a message that could potentially save thousands of lives, including the life of Blake’s older brother. The film is shot beautifully, portraying the events in one long shot.
Warning: This movie includes scenes of graphic violence.
1917 is currently free to watch with a Netflix subscription. The movie is rated R.
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
Watch All Quiet On The Western Front on Saturday, Nov 9 at 5 p.m.
Lewis Milestone’s World War I film, All Quiet on the Western Front, brings the traumas endured by “the other side” of the Great War to the forefront of the public’s consciousness. Released before the Motion Picture industry’s strict censorship rules, this movie came out during a time when people were hungry for realism.
Based on Erich Maria Remarque’s bestselling novel, director Milestone translates the horrors of war relayed in the book onto the big screen. All Quiet on the Western Front captures the humiliation of young boys scolded by their elders, shipped off to the battlefield, and regarded as disposable bodies. Given its strong anti-war message, the movie was banned in Nazi Germany.
Warning: This movie includes scenes of graphic violence.
All Quiet on the Western Front is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99. This movie is unrated.
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
Suggestion: Watch Saving Private Ryan on Sunday, Nov 10 at 12 p.m.
With a gruesome opening, which made some veteran viewers claim it reeked of gasoline and sea salt, Saving Private Ryan is one of the most well-known World War II films.
Following their arrival at the beaches of Normandy, a troop of soldiers is sent on a noble mission to retrieve a young man and send him home to his aching mother. Saving Private Ryan depicts both the humanity and the cruelty of the soldiers, as they try to accomplish their mission and survive the events of D-Day.
Warning: This movie has foul language and includes scenes of graphic violence.
INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (2009)
Saving Private Ryan is currently available to watch on Apple TV for $3.99. The movie is rated R.
Watch Inglorious Basterds on Sunday, Nov 10 at 4 p.m.
In Inglorious Basterds, director Quentin Tarantino reimagines World War II. Presenting a hodgepodge group of Jewish-American soldiers and former Nazi officers as they conspire to kill Adolf Hitler.
With a memorable cast that includes Brad Pitt and Christopher Waltz, Inglourious Basterds tells an imaginary tale of vigilante justice.
Warning: This film contains graphic depictions of violence, death, foul language, and brief sexual content.
Inglorious Basterds is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video for $3.99. The movie is rated R.
FULL METAL JACKET (1987)
Watch Full Metal Jacket on Monday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m.
It’s been 63 years since the release of Stanley Kubrick’s impactful Full Metal Jacket. Implying that man is a machine, Kubrick chronicles the manic nature of war.
Casting Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Adam Baldwin respectively as Private Joker, Leonard Lawrence, and Animal Mother, the film’s premise follows Private Joker (Modine) from his days on Ellis Island to war-torn Tết, Vietnam.
For its combination of crude humor and haunting cinematography, Full Metal Jacket is sure to shock. Watch to the very end to hear The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” play in the background of the credits. Modines’ spectacular performance as Joker lingers even after the film reaches its end.
Warning: This film contains graphic depictions of suicide, death, foul language, and some sexual content
Full Metal Jacket is currently available to watch on Apple TV for $3.99. The movie is rated R.
Generation Kill (2008)
Watch Generation Kill on Monday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.
Combat and gunfire are just some aspects of war.
According to Almstedt, who was a Marine in the 7242 Air Traffic Control Support, most depictions of war onscreen are misrepresentative. But Generation Kill, a miniseries offering a unique perspective into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, comes close to right.
Adapted from a book by an embedded reporter with the US Marine Corps’ 1st Reconnaissance, Almstedt appreciates how Generation Kill spotlights those whose participation in battle was not on the front but behind the scenes providing crucial communication.
Warning: This film contains graphic depictions of violence and foul language
Generation Kill is currently available to watch with a Max subscription. The series is rated TV-MA.
