War Movies Based on True Stories – Many testimonies from the Second World War show that people can go above and beyond, especially in times of crisis.
Hollywood has devoted itself to these extraordinary endings on numerous occasions.
Some of them are so impressive that they almost appear to be the product of the film studio’s imagination. These eight films illuminate one of Europe’s darkest periods, and they are all based on true events.
The 10 War Movies Based on True Stories
War movies have always been popular with audiences. They offer an adrenaline rush and a way to experience the excitement of battle without having to put oneself in danger.
While some may be based on pure fiction, others are based on true stories. Here are eight war movies that are based on true stories.
1. Schindler’s List (1993)
War Movies Based on True Stories: Schindler’s List (1993)
Steven Spielberg’s film “Schindler’s List” is based on Oscar Schindler’s extraordinary biography.
Over 1,200 Jewish people were saved from concentration camps by a German businessman (Liam Neeson) who was only interested in making money. This was an appeal for humanity even in the worst of times.
Living history: Schindler came out of WWII impoverished and was aided by his “Schindlerjuden” for the rest of his life.
2. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
War Movies Based on True Stories: Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
The incredible story of a World War II pacifist is told in the war film “Hacksaw Ridge-The Decision.” Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a devout Christian, enlists as a US soldier during WWII, but refuses to use a weapon out of conviction.
While his friends think he’s a coward at first, he proves himself in battle and saves a lot of lives.
Doss is said to have saved 50 to 100 people during the fight with the Japanese. He was given the Medal of Honor, which is the highest military honor in the United States.
3. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
War Movies Based on True Stories: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Saving Private Ryan is a true story as well. A group of eight soldiers is given an unusual mission: to find missing paratrooper James Ryan (Matt Damon) in Normandy, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks).
His three brothers have already died in battle, and his mother cannot afford to lose another of her sons.
The film is based in large part on the case of the four Niland brothers. However, the truth is a little different from the movie. One of the brothers who was thought to be dead was a prisoner of war who later came back to the United States.
4. Defiance (2008)
War Movies Based on True Stories: Defiance (2008)
The focus of “Inflexible” is once again on four brothers. Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber), Asael (Jamie Bell), and Aron (George MacKay) flee into the woods after the German army captures the Russian-occupied part of Poland and kills their parents.
They form a partisan group here and engage in acts of sabotage against the occupiers. However, as more refugees join them, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous.
People in Poland aren’t happy with the way a movie called “Inflexible” portrays the Bielski brothers, who worked for the Soviet Union while the Soviet Union occupied eastern Poland.
5. Dunkirk (2017)
War Movies Based on True Stories: Dunkirk (2017)
The Battle of Dunkirk (English Dunkirk) in May and June 1940 brought unwanted attention to the French port city. The British and French were able to hold the position until 330,000 soldiers could be evacuated by water.
Christopher Nolan devotes himself to this pivotal experience of the Allies in World War II in “Dunkirk,” which has been filmed numerous times. Our review of the remarkable war film can be found here.
Operating under the name “Dynamo,” it was successful in evacuating 85 percent of British troops and a portion of the French army from Dunkirk.
6. Downfall (2004)
War Movies Based on True Stories: Downfall (2004)
Of course, German films about World War II are always available. Oliver Hirschbiegel’s “Downfall,” which depicts the events in the Führer bunker shortly before the German capitulation, is a particularly successful work from a German perspective.
Unlike other films about WWII, the historical drama takes an unusual approach: it focuses on Hitler (Bruno Ganz), demystifying the figure.
The film is based on the memories of Hitler’s private secretary, Traudl Junge, and historian Joachim Fest’s biography of Hitler.
7. Anthropoid (2016)
War Movies Based on True Stories: Anthropoid (2016)
While Stauffenberg’s assassination attempt on Hitler was known to fail, a similar attempt in Czechoslovakia was successful.
Resistance fighters Jan Kubi (Jamie Dornan) and Josef Gabk (Cillian Murphy) want to kill SS Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich, who represents the German Reich in Czechoslovakia and played a key role in propelling the Holocaust forward in “Operation Anthropoid.”
As a result of his injuries, Heydrich died a few days after the attack by a hand grenade.
8. The Monuments Men (2014)
War Movies Based on True Stories: The Monuments Men (2014)
The material losses suffered by the people were of secondary importance during the horrors of WWII.
When Hitler threatened to destroy historical works of art rather than leave them behind near the end of the war, a US platoon of art protection soldiers was formed under the command of Lieutenant Frank Stokes (George Clooney).
The fighting comrades, on the other hand, have mixed feelings about the unit’s mission.
During World War II, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section was a part of the US Army that worked to keep art safe.
9. 12 Strong (2018)
War Movies Based on True Stories: 12 Strong (2018)
“Horse Soldiers,” a book by author Doug Stanton, depicts the true story of a group of American soldiers. Following 9/11, they are stationed in Afghanistan, but are soon forced to work with a local warlord.
They must fight for their lives when they are ambushed. Director Nicolai Fuglsig adapted the book into a film, which starred Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon. The film will have its German premiere on March 8th.
10. Son of Saul 2015
War Movies Based on True Stories: Son of Saul 2015
After its premiere in 2015, the Hungarian war film went on to win numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The melodrama depicts one of the Auschwitz prisoner uprisings, in which the inmates revolt against their guards. The riots did happen, but the people involved are mostly made up.
Conclusion
War films are unlike any other genre in that they directly confront viewers with violence, drama, suffering, and death.
We can’t help but think that everything is made up and that the soldiers portrayed by the actors only die on the screen most of the time. Because a lot of war movies are based on true stories.
They reenact the First and Second World Wars, the Vietnam War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for example.
Defiance, Schindler’s List, Downfall, and Saving Private Ryan are among the most popular and best of these historically inspired war films.
One of the most immersive sequences in film history is the soldiers’ D-Day landing. War films from the perspective of the United States, on the other hand, are relatively uncommon. One of the best films in the genre is 1959’s The Bridge.
Voluntary self-regulation (FSK) is a natural response to openly depicted violence in order to protect young people from overly explicit depictions.
As a result, war films frequently receive the FSK 18 seal, indicating that they are not suitable for children.
We look at which new releases in theaters, on Netflix, and on Prime are causing a stir in this category, not only to present you with the best war films in history, but also to see which new releases in theaters, on Netflix, and on Prime are causing a stir.
Watch trailers, get movie advice, and learn more about war, both historically and fictionally.
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