War films are often inaccurate. They cut real-world events for time and to make the pacing and drama work better in a movie. However, sometimes a talented team can make a very realistic reproduction of a real battle work on the silver screen, like in these ten films.
Hacksaw Ridge
The brutal World War II film Hacksaw Ridge depicts a frightfully accurate recreation of the Battle of Okinawa. Desmond Doss’s actions in the film might seem too good to be true, having saved around 75 injured soldiers without firing a single shot. However, it’s all true, in a rare turn for a Mel Gibson movie. The real Doss even refused to carry a firearm, just like his screen counterpart.
We Were Soldiers
The 2002 Vietnam War film We Were Soldiers covers parts of the notorious conflict, including the Battle of Ia Drang. For the most part, this depiction is completely accurate. The only notable deviation from reality is when the film’s characters use a bayonet charge to end the battle. In the real world, the US military hasn’t used bayonet charges since the Korean War.
Waterloo
The 1970 historical film Waterloo contains a compelling reenactment of the battle of the same name. A few minor details are a bit off, including the conditions on the battlefield not being suitably muddy and the Household cavalry not making an appearance. However, overall, it’s an extremely realistic retelling of the climactic battle.
Glory
In the Civil War film Glory, the Second Battle of Fort Wagner plays a major role in the plot. The film accurately portrays the bloody nature of the battle due to its unusual start in the late evening as the sun went down. It also correctly depicts Colonel Robert Shaw being buried in an unmarked mass grave after the battle.
Battle of Britain
The 1969 WWII movie Battle of Britain is a startlingly realistic depiction of the battle of the same name. The film correctly emphasizes the Royal Air Force’s use of radar to detect the Luftwaffe and repel their aircraft. Notably, real British military veterans consulted on the film, ensuring its high degree of accuracy.
Tora! Tora! Tora!
The 1970 American-Japanese production Tora! Tora! Tora! was considered by some critics to actually be somewhat dull due to its emphasis on the cold facts of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Rather than sensationalizing the attack, like the later Michael Bay film Pearl Harbor, the movie completely accurately sums up the timeline of events and the attack itself.
Platoon
The New Year’s Day Battle of 1968 is completely accurately recreated in the Oliver Stone film Platoon. The film’s historical accuracy largely stems from Stone’s own time serving in the military during the Vietnam War. While some elements of the fighting are dramatized, the sequence of events is precisely accurate.
Dunkirk
The phenomenal Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk is extremely historically accurate, with the notable exception of its primary characters being works of fiction. The events of the Battle of Dunkirk are reproduced with excruciating clarity. Some small details might have been emphasized for the plot, such as the arrival of numerous civilian rescue boats at the same time. In reality, those vessels were likely a bit more spread out. Still, that’s quite the nitpick when the film gets so many other details exactly right.
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Saving Private Ryan
Spielberg’s brutal WWII film Saving Private Ryan opens with a now-iconic scene: the Battle of Omaha. Allied soldiers storm the beaches of Northern France and are met with fierce resistance from German machine gun nests. The film’s bleak and uncompromising vision of the battle has been called extremely realistic by critics, with many noting it’s the most accurate part of the movie.
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The Outpost
The 2019 Afghanistan War movie The Outpost is based on the non-fiction book of the same name. That makes its overwhelming historical accuracy regarding the Battle of Kamdesh unsurprising, as it relies on the meticulously-researched book to inform everything from the equipment used by the soldiers down to the precise sequence of events during the battle. Notably, some soldiers who fought in the actual battle portray themselves in the film, which is as literally accurate as a movie can be.
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