War and World War II in particular have always been popular choices for film and TV narratives. We have been given so many war epics and with the release of Fury hitting cinemas this Friday 24th October we take a look at some of the most accomplished war films. Of course the list to choose from is endless and when it comes to narrowing it down to five it becomes rather tricky. The likes of Pearl Harbour, Saving Private Ryan and Platoon all spring to mind however, there is so much more to a war epic than romance and actions scenes. To kick this off, a TV series that virtually everyone was talking about when it was aired back in 2011; the critically acclaimed Band of Brothers.
Going back a bit now to the classic three hour epic that is Doctor Zhivago (1965). Despite the films longevity this is a grant and elegant construction of the hardships of World War I and during the October Revolution in Russia. To make a film with such a running time in the 60’s just goes to show how important it was for the people who made it to get their message across – and that they did. We are introduced to a Russian physician and poet, who falls deeply in love with a politician’s wife and indeed not his own he goes home to every night. Essentially this is a romance, however it needs to be. The hardships and outright depression way of life during the October Revolution would have been simply too much to endure without such conventional aspects as love. Starring Julie Christie and Omar Sharif as the films lovers directed by David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, Passage to India) this is a real classic, that anyone who is indeed interested in film-making should watch and those who are fans of its genre.
Up next we have the incredible story that is Edward Zwick’s Defiance (2008). Yes perhaps this film is a tad ‘light’ on facts and what actually happened but by no means does this take anything away from the narrative. The film stars Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski in the true WWII story of three Jewish brothers who hid in the Belorussian forests and built a community of partisan fighters, saving over 1200 Jews by war's end. Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell star alongside Craig as his two younger brothers, who along with its leading man bring powerful and heartfelt performances to the screen. This film doesn’t shy away from anything and shows the intense reality of what happened to the people who stood up and fought for what they believed in. Of course Nazi’s have been explored widely in cinema, with Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards, Downfall and even American History X, but Defiance has that certain something that keeps you glued to the screen.
What Do You Think?
Are these the best War Epics?
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Fury is in Cinemas now!