(DML Top 20 Lists - Cold War Films ranked)

Honorable Mention

Gallipoli (1981), Director: Peter Weir, rated PG

From a place you never heard of...a story you'll never forget.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins, Charles Lathalu Yunipingu, Heath Harris, Gerda Nicolson, Robert Grubb

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"The thing I can't stand about you mate is you're always so bloody cheerful." - Frank Dunne

Why watch this? Many friends embarked to WWI together. Few of them both came home.

Plot Summary: The film follows two young Australian sprinters, Archy Hamilton and Frank Dunne, who become friends and decide to enlist in the Australian Army during World War I. They are sent to the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, where they encounter the harsh realities of war and slowly lose their youthful innocence about its purpose. Their bond is tested as they face the brutal conditions and devastating consequences of the Gallipoli campaign.

Dad's Preview: Two renown Australian sprinters, Archy and Frank, join the AIF and are sent to fight in Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I. The two friends are initially separated, then reunited. Both are part of a charge during the Battle of the Nek, which was a military disaster for the Australian troops. Weir's powerful anti-war film features an emotionally charged performance from newcomer Mel Gibson. It is considered the quintessential Australian film.

Associated R&R Films; Paramount Pictures

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #20 Top

The Last Samurai (2003), Director: Edward Zwick, Rated R for strong violence, battles

In the face of an enemy, in the Heart of One Man, Lies the Soul of a Warrior...

Starring: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton, Chad Lindberg, Ray Godshall Sr., Hiroyuki Sanada, Masato Harada, Timothy Spall

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"From the moment they wake they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seen such discipline. I am surprised to learn that the word Samurai means 'to serve'..." - Algren

Why watch this? It takes the viewer on a historical journey through feudal Japan.

Plot Summary: Set in 1870s Japan, this epic tells the story of an American army captain who is conscripted to train peasants in order to wipe out the rebellious Samurai. During the first skirmish, Captain Algren is wounded and taken prisoner. As he heals, he finds peace from his own demons, and respect for the Samurai culture. He also befriends their leader, Katsumoto.

Dad's Preview: This massive undertaking is set in wonderful natural scenery and has some of the best battle scenes on film. However, its most commendable trait is a rock-solid script that spends valuable time developing its characters. Film critic Roger Ebert noted, "... it's an uncommonly thoughtful epic." If you like historical films, this is one to check out.

Radar Pictures, The Bedford Falls Co.,
Cruise/Wagner Prod., Samurai Pictures, LLC;
Warner Bros.

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #19 Top

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), Directors: Edward Berger, rated R for graphic war violence

The Best Picture of the Year. It's as relevant as ever.

Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Moritz Klaus, Adrian Grünewald, Edin Hasanovic, Daniel Brühl, Thibault de Montalembert, Devid Striesow, Andreas Döhler

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"All that's left separating us from an armistice is false pride." - Matthias Erzberger

Why watch this? How could young men every be the same after war.

Plot Summary: Seventeen-year-old German student Paul Bäumer enthusiastically enlists in the army with his friends during World War I, dreaming of glory, but quickly encountering the brutal reality of the trenches. As he and his comrades endure horrific, life-threatening conditions on the front lines, their patriotic illusions shatter and their numbers dwindle rapidly. Amidst a parallel storyline of political negotiations to end the war, a battle-hardened Paul struggles to survive.

Dad's Preview: Called the "The War to End All Wars", World War I was a series of tragedies, all endured by the common foot soldier. Millions of young men from France and Germany battled across a border area known as "No Man's Land", which had deep trenches on each side. Prideful politicians and generals, who sat in comfort miles from combat, orchestrated the conflict. This brilliant anti-war film is so heartbreaking to watch as it follows a small group of German soldiers. It is brutally realistic and almost too much to bear. The cinematography and sound effects are noteworthy. Sadly, WWI did not end all wars, as the world would engage in another equally devastating mess less than 30 years later. When will we ever learn?

Amusement Park; Netflix

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #18 Top

The Four Feathers (1939), Director: Zoltan Korda, rated Approved

Alexander Korda's Epic Adventure... Based on the Novel by A. E. W. Mason

Starring: John Clements, Ralph Richardson, C. Aubrey Smith, June Duprez, Allan Jeayes, Jack Allen, Donald Gray, Frederick Culley, Clive Baxter, Robert Rendel, Norman Pierce

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"With me it was more than fear. My father despised me. He believed me to be a coward. His belief turned fear into reality." – Harry Faversham

Why watch this? It's a timeless classic about a man's cowardice and honor.

Plot Summary: Harry Faversham is a British Army officer who resigns his commission just before his regiment is deployed to Sudan to fight rebels. His friends and fiancée give him four white feathers, a traditional symbol of cowardice, prompting him to embark on a journey of redemption, in disguise, to prove his courage. This adventure sees him undertake daring feats to secretly aid his former comrades, ultimately striving to restore his honor and return the feathers that branded him a coward.

Dad's Preview: This epic rendition of the famous novel does almost everything right. It's actors are splendid, but what stands out most is the cinematography. We are whisked away to the surging head waters of the Nile. We see the red-coated British army in full formations. In awe, we witness the mounted Khalifa and Sudanese raiders. Our protagonist, Harry, is genuinely likeable, as he embarks on his hero's journey to regain his honor. This time-honored story has been filmed five other times (1915, 1921, 1929, 1978 and 2002), and this version is the best. Additionally, while I usually prefer a film's original version in black and white, this classic's recently colorized version is a must-see.

London Films; United Artists

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #17 Top

The Lion in Winter (1968), Director: Anthony Harvey, rated PG

It's about love and hate between a man and a woman and their sons.
It's also about politics, vengeance, greed and ambition. It other words it's about life.

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, Nigel Terry, Timothy Dalton, Jane Merrow, Nigel Stock, O.Z. Whitehead, Ella More

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"We are the killers. We breed wars. We carry it like syphilis inside. Dead bodies rot in field and stream because the living ones are rotten. For the love of God, can't we love one another just a little - that's how peace begins." - Eleanor of Aquitaine

Why watch this? ... The verbal sparring between Hepburn and O'Toole is legendary.

Plot Summary: Set in 1183 in the Angevin Empire, King Henry II, on Christmas, plans to announce his kingdom's successor. For the holiday, he brings in his exiled (and imprisoned) wife, Queen Eleanor, from England. She insists upon eldest son Richard, while Henry favors his youngest, Prince John. Middle son, Geoffrey, has schemes of his own in play to seize the crown. This is royal-family dysfunction medieval-style as everyone involved plots, pokes and enjoys turning the proverbial knife at every turn. There are lethal doses aplenty of ruthlessness, secrets, accusations and greed.

Dad's Preview: At the film's center is the tenuous relationship between Henry and Eleanor. He's a frustrated tyrant under the yoke of kingship, while she sports a stern, unyielding personality. This was the main reason for their estrangement. There are excellent, emotional performances from all the lead British male actors, and the brilliant O'Toole stands out as Henry. However, it is Hepburn's Oscar-winning performance, as Eleanor, that dominates. She's a strong, deftly-maneuvering matriarch, who manages to make the most of, even thrive, in a world of power-hungry, often irrational, men.

Haworth Prod.; AVCO Embassy Pictures

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #16 Top

Breaker Morant (1980), Director: Bruce Beresford, Rated PG

A Powerful True Story Of Bitter Revenge...

Starring: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, Jon Waters, Bryan Brown, Charles "Bud" Tingwell, Terence Donovan, Vincent Ball, Ray Meagher, Chris Haywood, Russell Kiefel, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Rod Mullinar, Alan Cassell, Rob Steele

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"The fact of the matter is that war changes men's natures. The barbarities of war are seldom committed by abnormal men. The tragedy of war is that these horrors are committed by normal men in abnormal situations. Situations in which the ebb and flow of everyday life have departed and have been replaced by a constant round of fear and anger, blood and death." - Harry Morant

Why watch this? This is a superb study on the Boer War, and what combat does to normal men.

Plot Summary: This military trial drama centers occurs at the end of the Second Anglo-Boer War in South Africa. Three Australian officers in the elite Bushveldt Carbineers who are accused of murder by their British commanders for the crime of murdering captured prisoners. The three, Harry "Breaker" Morant, Peter Handcock and George Witton, are assigned to Major Thomas, an inexperienced military lawyer with little time to prepare. The clear British goal is to use this event, showing their willingness to sentence their own soldiers to death, will hopefully help to end the conflict.

Dad's Preview: This film successfully uses flashbacks to flesh out the details. From this complex tale we learn two things - First, war and its brutality does change the men involved. Second, all parties have motives, some noble, some devious, and this makes it hard to determine fault and guilt. In the end, the ones in charge usually win. Speaking of wins, this film won an impressive 10 Australian Academy of Cinema and TV Arts awards.

Sout Australian Film Corp., Australian Film Comm.,
The Seven Network, Pact Prod.;
Roadshow Film Distributors

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #15 Top

Stalingrad (1993), Director: Joseph Vilsmaier, Not rated (Dad's guess: R for graphic war violence)

Bis zum letzten Mann... (Till the last man)

Starring: Dominique Horwitz, Thomas Kretschmann, Jochen Nickel, Sebastian Rudolph, Dana Dana Vávrová, Martin Benrath, Sylvester Groth, Karel Heřmánek, Heinz Emigholz

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"The best thing about the cold is, you feel nothing. Everything freezes. It's too cold to cry." - Lt. Hans von Witzland

Why watch this? The Battle of Stanlingrad was a human meat grinder.

Plot Summary: In 1942, a company of German soldiers is sent to fight in the brutal and relentless Battle of Stalingrad, where their initial enthusiasm for military service is slowly eroded by the horrific reality of urban warfare and the extreme harshness of the Russian winter. The film follows their physical and psychological descent as they face starvation, freezing temperatures, and the constant threat of death, challenging their loyalty and forcing them to confront the moral implications of their actions.

Dad's Preview: I picked up this VHS tape at a garage sale. I had no idea the power and despair this war film contained. The hell that Hitler and his generals put these men through was criminal. Moreover, it was for nothing. Hitler's impossible bid for world domination was as insane as fighting a winter war on two fronts, the European and the Russian. That's a good definition of war: "insane". The cinematography is incredible and beyond realistic. I literally had to put on extra blankets to watch the freezing, starving, men - huddled in snow, mud and ice. When this film is over, you will feel like you were there - with the desperate German soldiers... and that is a chilling experience.

Hanno Huth, Günter Rohrbach; Senator Film

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #14 Top

Darkest Hour (2017), Director: Joe Wright, rated PG-13

A man with the heart of a nation.

Starring: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Ronald Pickup, Stephen Dillane, Nicholas Jones, Samuel West, David Schofield, Richard Lumsden

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You cannot reason with a tiger, when your head is in its mouth!" - Winston Churchill

Why watch this? A brilliant man is brilliantly portrayed.

Plot Summary: In May 1940, with Nazi Germany rapidly advancing across Europe, Winston Churchill is reluctantly appointed Prime Minister of Great Britain and immediately faces pressure from within his own government to negotiate a peace treaty. While the British army is trapped at Dunkirk, Churchill battles against political rivals pushing for surrender, struggling to unite his skeptical cabinet and a reluctant King.

Dad's Preview: As a history buff, I found Churchill to be an enigma. His appearance was frumpy, his countenance usually sour, with a distinctive scowl. Yet, the people of Britain loved him. This film gives us a very good look at the man behind the cigar. One minute he is blasting away in the war room; the next he's quietly taking advice from his stern, loving wife. His courage to stand up to Hitler probably saved the world. He led in the most difficult of times. Gary Oldman, aided by incredible make-up, brings the legend to life in a career-defining performance. The film deservedly won Oscars for both Best Actor and Best Make-up/Hairstyling. This is a must see.

Perfect World Pictures, Working Title Films;
Focus Features

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #13 Top

Beasts of No Nation (2015), Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga, rated TV-MA for war violence, rape, disturbing images

Child. Captive. Killer.

Starring: Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Ama K. Abebrese, Kobina Amissa-Sam, Emmanuel Nii Adom Quaye, Kurt Egyiawan, Jude Akuwudike, Grace Nortey

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Bullet is just eating everything, leaves, trees, ground, person. Eating them. Just making person to bleed everywhere. We are just like wild animals now, with no place to be going. Sun, why are you shining at this world?" - Agu, narrating

Why watch this? Shut the hell up with your privileged American problems.

Plot Summary: A young boy named Agu is forced to flee his small West African village after it is torn apart by a brutal civil war and his family is separated. He is captured by a ruthless rebel militia commanded by a charismatic leader who indoctrinates him into a life of guerrilla warfare and violence. The film follows Agu's harrowing journey as he loses his innocence, struggles for survival, and faces the horrors of being a child soldier.

Dad's Preview: This harrowing film, shot mostly in Ghana, exposes its audience to a sobering account of a West African civil war (based on the Sierra Leonean Civil War - 1991 thru 2002). It follows a young boy, Agu, who is captured, then forced to become a guerrilla fighter for a band known as the Native Defense Forces (NDF). The NDF is mostly teenagers and young boys. They are led by the Commandant (portrayed masterfully by Idris Elba), who demands loyalty to the cause. It was ingenious to have Agu's gentle narration take us on his journey. His innocent voice gives us hope that there's a possibility for this child to escape. His thoughts of vengeance turn to longing, to find his mother and play with friends again... even if he feels he is becoming a monster. This film is intense and unrelenting, yet somehow, through this boy's sheer will to survive, we walk away hopeful.

Participant Media, New Balloon Primary Prod.,
Parliament of Owls; Netflix

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #12 Top

Cross of Iron (1977), Director: Sam Peckinpah, Rated R for war violence

The Power of Peckinpah Has Never Been So Real...Or So Brilliant!

Starring: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner, Klaus Lowitsch, Vadim Glowna, Roger Fritz, Dieter Schidor

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"It's all an accident... an accident of hands mine, others... all without mind... one extreme to another... and neither works... nor will ever, and we stand in the middle... in no mans land, you and I... go home." - Sgt. Steiner releasing the Russian boy

Why watch this? WWII, the German foot soldiers endured severe war hardships, too.

Plot Summary: Set during the German retreat on the Eastern Front in 1943, the story centers on a clash between a cynical, battle-hardened sergeant and a newly arrived, arrogant Prussian officer seeking personal glory. The sergeant prioritizes the survival of his men, while the captain's ambition for the Iron Cross leads him to make morally questionable decisions. This friction escalates amidst the brutal realities of war, ultimately placing the sergeant and his squad in extreme peril.

Dad's Preview: As Germany began to lose the war, it's army has to retreat from Russia. This is famed director Sam Peckinpah's only film about war. Its perspective (from the viewpoint of the German solider) and realistic, slow-motion violence, drives home the truism that war itself is futile and most costly on those who do the actual fighting. Coburn is excellent as the battle-wise Sgt. who knows how to keep his men alive. Though a war movie, it is certainly anti-war, and it's one of the best World War II films ever made.

Anglo-EMI Productions, Rapid Film,
Terra-Filmkunst, ITC Ent.; EMI Films

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #11 Top

Zulu (1964), Director: Cy Endfield, rated Approved, war violence

Excitement Fills the Screen in This Towering African Adventure!

Starring: Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Ivor Emmanuel, Paule Daneman, Glynn Edwards, Neil McCarthy, David Kernan, Neil McCarthy, Patrick Magee

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Haven't you had enough? Both of you! My god, can't you see it's all over! Your bloody egos don't matter anymore. We're dead!" - Adendorff

Why watch this? One thing British soldiers demonstrate is courage in the face of utter disaster.

Plot Summary: This depicts the true story of a small, outnumbered British garrison holding off a massive force of Zulu warriors during the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879. As the British soldiers prepare for the seemingly impossible battle, tensions arise between the aristocratic and working-class officers in command.

Dad's Preview: This film is based on a true story of a single unit of English soldiers, approximately 150 men, who were ordered to defend a small remote outpost in Natal, Africa. Heading quickly their way are 4,000 Zulu warriors intent on driving out the Brits. This unforgettable war epic is well-made, utilizing great character development, namely the lead officers portrayed by Stanley Baker and a young Michael Caine. One theme clearly driven home is that war is useless, ugly and such a waste of life for all involved, black or white. The men doing the fighting and dying don't give a damn about politics - it's simply survival. One final laud must be the stunning cinematography. I kept thinking how beautiful each scene was shot: the massive African marriage ceremony; the vast valley surrounded by mountains; the natives' adorned with furs, claws, swords, and shields; the red-coated Brits in stark contrast to a dry landscape of mostly yellows and browns. While not a fan of British imperialism, I do recognize Zulu as a cinematic feat that is a visual wonder to behold.

Diamond Films; Paramount Pictures

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #10 Top

The Hill (1965), Director: Sidney Lumet, rated Approved

Outside the prison walls they were fighting the enemy!
Behind the prison bars they fought the deadliest war of all... with each other.

Starring: Sean Connery, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Alfred Lynch, Ossie Davis, Roy Kinnear, Jack Watson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You'd prop up dead men and inspect them if you was ordered to!" – Trooper Joe Roberts

Why watch this? This film examines the cruelty of a British military prison in Libya.

Plot Summary: This war drama is set in the scorching heat of the Libyan desert, at the end of WWII. A British Army outpost deals with military prisoners. The officers in charge conduct brutal punishments on the men, including forcing the men to hike up and down a sand mound called "The Hill".

Dad's Preview: This movie is an exercise in failed leadership, when those in charge simply do not step up and stop something they know to be wrong. Connery is excellent as a former Sergeant Major who assaulted his superior officer. I loved to hate the brutal performance by Brit Harry Andrews. He drips of evil, as he hides his own failings, and takes it out on the helpless prisoners.

Seven Arts Prod.; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #9 Top

The Wind and the Lion (1975), Director: John Milius, rated PG

Between the wind and the lion is the woman. For her, half the world may go to war.

Starring: Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith, John Huston, Geoffrey Lewis, Steve Kanaly

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"The American grizzly embodies the spirit of America. He should be our symbol! Not that ridiculous eagle - he's nothing more than a dandified vulture." - Theodore Roosevelt

Why watch this? Connery knew how to pick a great script. This epic is breathtaking.

Plot Summary: In 1904 Morocco, a powerful Berber chieftain kidnaps an American woman and her children to incite an international incident and challenge European colonial powers vying for control of the region. Meanwhile, President Theodore Roosevelt, seeking re-election, uses the kidnapping as an opportunity to project American strength and influence on the world stage.

Dad's Preview: Connery is superb as the Raisuli, the arab leader of a band of Berber insurrectionists. Bergen is likewise effective as the kidnapped American. However, it's Brian Keith who steals every scene as feisty, iconic U.S. President, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. This film is epic, broadly romantic and a beautiful look at American foreign policy in the early 1900s.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Herb Jaffe Prod.;
United Artists

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #8 Top

Gladiator (2000), Director: Ridley Scott, rated R for graphic, combat violence

A Hero Will Rise.

Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, David Schofield, Tomas Arana

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next." - Maximus

Why watch this? It's an award-winning film featuring Russell Crowe at his manly best.

Plot Summary: Maximus is a respected Roman general who is betrayed and cast into slavery when the power-hungry Commodus seizes the throne. Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and fight for his life, but his determination to avenge his family and the former emperor fuels his rise through the ranks of the arena. His journey becomes intertwined with a quest for justice against the corrupt Commodus and the hope of restoring honor and freedom to Rome.

Dad's Preview: Not since the epic Spartacus (1960) has a film captured the life of a gladiator with such brutal elegance. Russell Crowe, at the high point of his career, is excellent as Maximus. The other gladiators also render strong performances, namely Djimon Hounsou. That said, I must confess that I found Phoenix's portrayal of Commodus very tiring. And because of his irritating performance, I enjoyed the film's ending all the more!

Universal Pics, Scott Free Productions,
Red Wagon Ent.; DreamWorks Dist.

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #7 Top

The 13th Warrior (1999), Director: John McTiernan, rated R for bloody battles and carnage

An Ordinary Man...An Extraordinary Journey!

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, Vladimir Kulich, Dennis Storhøi, Omar Sharif, Richard Bremmer, Mischa Hausserman

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #40 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The 13th Warrior

"Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing." - Herger, the Joyous

Why watch this? It took McTiernan and Crichton to create superb Viking film.

Plot Summary: In 922 A.D., an Arab envoy named Ahmad Ibn Fadlan travels north and encounters a group of Viking warriors. When a nearby village is threatened by a mysterious and deadly foe, Ibn Fadlan is compelled to join the Vikings as the thirteenth warrior to face this unknown enemy. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to protect the innocent and confront the formidable force terrorizing the land.

Dad's Preview: Antonio Banderas and director John McTiernan, somehow pull off perhaps the greatest film EVER about Vikings. The superb plot comes from prolific writer Michael Crichton's book, Eaters of the Dead. Director McTiernan was wise to spend time early on to develop these characters. We get to know each Viking warrior, their unique personalities and skills. As the various skirmishes ensue, we feel genuine loss when one loses a head or takes a quiver full of arrows into their chest. This often overlooked epic is vast, heroic, and so much fun to experience!

Touchstone Pics; Buena Vista Pictures Dist.

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #6 Top

Excalibur (1981), Director: John Boorman, rated PG for some nudity, Medieval violence

Forged by a god. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a King.

Starring: Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Nicol Williamson, Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, Cherie Lunghi

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #38 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Excalibur

"You will be the land, and the land will be you. If you fail, the land will perish; as you thrive, the land will blossom." - Merlin

Why watch this? ... because it is the Arthurian legend in vivid, wonderful detail.

Plot Summary: Told here is the epic tale of King Arthur, tracing his journey from humble beginnings to the throne of a unified Britain. Guided by the enigmatic wizard Merlin, Arthur establishes the legendary Round Table and builds the realm of Camelot, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity. However, the kingdom's glory is threatened by internal strife, including betrayal, forbidden love, and the insidious plots of Arthur's treacherous half-sister, the sorceress Morgana.

Dad's Preview: You've heard the stories... the wise King Arthur... the sword in the stone... the mysterious sorcerer Merlin... Sir Lancelot the brave. British director John Boorman masterfully wrought this film about those legends, and it is perfection to behold. Like a spell's dream, we witness each event in many instances through Merlin's eyes. It's hypnotic, heroic, tragic, and wonderfully allegorical. It really is a fable come to life.

Orion Pictures, Cinema '84; Warner Bros.

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #5 Top

Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Director: David Lean, rated PG for battle scenes

A Mighty Motion Picture Of Action And Adventure!

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer, Claude Raines, Omar Sharif

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"He was a poet, a scholar and a mighty warrior. He was also the most shameless exhibitionist since Barnum & Bailey." – Jackson Bentley

Why watch this? An epic movie about a man who's life was, in itself, an epic.

Plot Summary: T. E. Lawrence is a British officer, who navigates the complex politics of the Middle East during World War I. Tasked with liaising between the Arabs and the British against the Ottoman Turks, Lawrence becomes increasingly drawn into the Arab cause for independence. He unites disparate Arab tribes, leading them in daring raids and victories against the Turks, but struggles with his identity and the conflicting loyalties between his British origins and his adopted Arab allies.

Dad's Preview: This sprawling, grand adventure covers the life of T. E. Lawrence, a British soldier advancing England's interests in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Though huge in scope, the film does mange to create complex, intimate characters. This classic film is top-ranked on just about every film list there is. It was nominated for ten Oscars, winning seven including Best Picture, Director, and Musical Score.

Horizon Pictures; Columbia Pictures

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #4 Top

Seven Samurai (1954), Director: Akira Kurosawa, Not Rated (Dad's guess: PG)

The Mighty Warriors Who Became the Seven National Heroes of a Small Town

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Isao Kimura, Daisuke Katō, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Inaba, Minoru Chiaki

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"This is the nature of war: By protecting others, you save yourselves. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself." - Kambei Shimada

Why watch this? This is Kurosawa's great masterpiece about farmers at war with invading bandits.

Plot Summary: In feudal Japan, desperate villagers facing repeated bandit raids decide to hire samurai for protection. They find Kambei, an aging but skilled samurai, who reluctantly agrees and recruits six other masterless warriors to defend the village. The seven samurai train the villagers in defense tactics and prepare for the bandits' inevitable return.

Dad's Preview: Kurosawa's work would influence many films, including Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and The Magnificent Seven (1970). A small group of samurai warriors agree to protect a farmer village from forty marauding bandits. Each samurai's personality is unique, the most charismatic being Kikuchiyo, a fiery fighter with a hidden past. The group is led by the steady and wise Shimada. They train the meek farmers in self-defense and basic fighting. Its composition, pace, and action are incredible. Don't miss this cinematic classic.

Toho

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #3 Top

Paths of Glory (1957), Director: Stanley Kubrick, rated Approved

It explodes in the no-man's land no picture ever dared cross before!

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Joe Turkel, Peter Capell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I apologize, sir, for not telling you sooner that you're a degenerate, sadistic old man. And you can go to hell before I apologize to you now or ever again!" - Colonel Dax

Why watch this? ... it's a superb war film set in the trenches of the first World War.

Plot Summary: Colonel Dax, a French officer in World War I, is ordered by his superiors to lead his men in a suicidal assault on a German position known as the "Ant Hill". The mission ends in disaster and the French General, in an effort to deflect blame from himself, demands that three soldiers be court-martialed and executed for cowardice. Dax, a former lawyer, volunteers to defend his men against the blatant injustice of the proceedings.

Dad's Preview: The significance of Kirk Douglas on American cinema cannot be overstated. Where his contemporaries (Wayne, Stewart, Peck, or Tracy) filled roles as the dependable hero, Douglas often played the more complex man. He was usually conflicted, sullen, explosive, difficult to read. He was an acting force. In this film he plays a French commander who refuses to send his men on a suicide attack and faces trial by court-martial. This powerful anti-war effort is engrossing, mostly attributed to Douglas' performance.

Bryna Productions, Harris-Kubrick
Pictures Corp.; United Artists

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #2 Top

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Director: Lewis Milestone, rated Passed

The Human Side of the War as Seen Through the Eyes of Youth!

Starring: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray, William Bakewell, Arnold Lucy, Ben Alexander, Scott Kolk, Owen Davis Jr.

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"He tells you, 'Go out and die! But if you'll pardon me, it's easier to say 'go out and die' than it is to do it." - Paul Bäumer

Why watch this? WWI was a brutal, horrible war. This shows that nobody wins.

Plot Summary: Inspired by patriotic fervor, a group of young German schoolboys enlists in the army at the outbreak of World War I. They soon find their romantic notions of war shattered by the harsh realities of trench warfare, witnessing death and disillusionment firsthand. The film follows their experiences on the Western Front, emphasizing the dehumanizing effects and futility of the conflict.

Dad's Preview: This is a perfect example of early, almost amateurish, film-making that enhances the film's impact. Made in 1929, a mere 14-years after WWI, the film has a distinctive authenticity regarding this era in history. It is an unapologetic anti-war film. Back then, it was not popular to be anti-war, especially with Hitler gearing up in Europe for what would become the second World War. Here our protagonist is a German soldier who finds out that real war is not what he expected - the war is over-glamorized at home; leadership is incompetent; the only bond a soldier has is with his fellow soldiers. In sum, war is futile. You will forever remember the scene in the bomb crater with the dead Russian soldier.

Carl Laemmle Jr.; Universal Studios

Top 20 Non-U.S.A. War Films #1 Top

Spartacus (1960), Director: Stanley Kubrick, rated PG-13 for gladiator violence

The finest cast ever assembled re-lives history's most powerful story of love and rebellion.

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin, Tony Curtis

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"And maybe there's no peace in this world, for us or for anyone else, I don't know. But I do know that, as long as we live, we must remain true to ourselves." - Spartacus

Why watch this? It's the first great gladiator masterpiece.

Plot Summary: This is the story of a Thracian slave, Spartacus, sold into brutal gladiatorial training in the Roman Republic. Witnessing the cruelty and oppression of his masters, Spartacus inspires and leads a burgeoning slave rebellion against the might of Rome. This revolt sparks a major conflict that challenges the Roman establishment and its ambitious figures vying for power.

Dad's Preview: This sweeping epic chronicles the life of Spartacus, a slave, who becomes a fiery, yet wise, leader. This drama is superb, painful, and historically interesting. Kirk Douglas carries much of the film, but Tony Curtis also renders a strong performance as Spartacus' second in command. This Kubrick masterpiece garnered four Oscars.

Bryna Prod.; Universal International