More than 80 years after World War Two began, the catastrophic events of a time passed continue to resonate with filmmakers, critics and war movie fans. Hollywood’s obsession has not yet wavered and neither has the apetite for movie goers, who continue to watch.
But the accuracy of those events of that time period continue to be debated, dissected and investigated. Have the film directors and screenwriters accurately portrayed one of the most deadliest conflicts in history, which saw an estimated death toll between 40 to 85 million, compared to the shocking loss of life of around 15 to 22 million people in World War One.
World War II was a global conflict that lasted for six years, officially spanning from 1 September 1939 to 2 September 1945. The war began with Germany’s invasion of Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war, and concluded in 1945, with nations across the world heavily involved in the conflict.
Express.co.uk has counted down the top seven war films of the 21st century as ranked by fans for their historical accuracy, including ratings on Rotten Tomatoes to insights from historians.
7. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson, and starring Andrew Garfield as Desmond Doss, an American combat medic in World War II who, as a Seventh-day Adventist, refused to use a weapon of any kind.
The movie: It tells the true story of American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, who refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honour without firing a shot.
Accuracy: Hacksaw Ridge is highly accurate regarding Desmond Doss’s Medal of Honor actions, with veterans praising its realistic depictions of war. However, there are some dramatisations. Historian John McManus told Insider the movie heavily exaggerates certain aspects of the battle, such as the height of Hacksaw Ridge and the presence of excessive flame, and also how soldiers would have reacted during bombardment. But overall, praised the film’s accuracy in depicting certain combat details.
Rating: The film received a solid score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes as one audience reviewer said, “While the early parts of the movie could probably be condensed without losing any significance of the story or its impact, the battle scenes are superb, and Garfield represents Doss in a way befitting a true war hero.”
(Image: Courtesy IMGlobal)
6. Downfall (2004)
The 2004 historical drama Downfall (Der Untergang) portrays the final days of the Third Reich, starring Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler, Alexandra Maria Lara as his secretary Traudl Junge, and Juliane Köhler as Eva Braun. The film depicts the chaotic atmosphere inside the Berlin bunker in April 1945.
The movie: The Battle of Berlin rages on and the Russians move unstoppably towards the centre of the city and the bunker from which Hitler and his inner circle are attempting to direct the German forces. As defeat looms, an increasingly unhinged Hitler braces himself for the inevitable end and makes his final declarations to a dwindling crowd of loyalists.
Accuracy: Downfall is considered a controversial movie for humanising Hitler with the Nazis at the brink of defeat. The film is considered highly accurate exploring the Fuhrer’s final days in a bunker, drawing heavily on memoirs, particularly Traudl Junge’s Until the Final Hour, and Joachim Fest’s Inside Hitler’s Bunker, although some events have been dramatised.
War historian James Rogers praised the film telling Screen Rant that actor Bruno Ganz, “shows that power, those moments that shine through with Hitler, show how he got to the position that he was in to rule the country, but then he shows those moments of weakness – so many actors have failed that”.
Rating: The movie received a solid score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes as one praised, “Bruno Ganz should have got an Oscar for this”.
(Image: Netflix)
5. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Letters from Iwo Jima is a 2006 Japanese-language American war film directed and co-produced by Clint Eastwood, starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari Ninomiya.
The movie: Tells the story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
Accuracy: While the film is considered accurate from an historical perspective, focusing largely on the psychological toll, tunnel warfare, and desperate conditions the soldiers faced, some parts of the movie are fictionalised. However, all of the Japanese characters depicted in the film died during the battle, and that those in the film who survived are fictional characters, it is not totally accurate in the literal sense.
Rating: Film lovers of the war genre scored the movie 91% on Rotten Tomates. One reviewer raved, “This may be the best war movie ever made.” Another remarked: “One of Clint Eastwood’s best films and best war films of the century so far.”
(Image: Imdb)
4. Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk is a 2017 historical war film produced, written, and directed by Christopher Nolan that depicts the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II. It features an ensemble cast including Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles and Barry Keoghan.
The movie: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Accuracy: The events of the movie follow the history of WW2 pretty closely. While the characters of Dunkirk are fictional, some of the figures tell the true story of the time period. The filmmakers went to extraordinary lengths to accurately portray the events of the Dunkirk evacuation, told from the perspective of the encircled British Tommies, a handful of pilots, and the hundreds of intrepid British civilians who helped evacuate more than 338,000 British and French soldiers from France. History aficionados might pick up on slight inconsistencies in the film – for example, the use of a Spanish variant of a German Messerschmitt Bf-109, which wouldn’t be seen until later in the war, but overall the film stays true to historical accounts.
Rating: The film received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 92% as one reviewer said, “Solid watch. Great visual representation of war”.
(Image: BBC/Warner Bros)