Since the end of the First World War on November 11, 1918, Veterans Day, as the holiday is now named, is celebrated to honor the courage and sacrifice American soldiers have made for our country. Over the span of the last century, the American war film genre has built an entire film archive to honor these veterans and tell their story to educate viewers on their sacrifice. This list outlines five of the most influential and important American war films that span over three different wars, and their unique approach in honoring U.S. veterans’ and victims’ stories through filmmaking.
The Thin Red Line
Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line is a massive 3-hour epic story based on a book written by James Jones about the 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal. The film's unique approach—to follow not just one main character but bounce between each character's internal struggles while at war—emphasizes the individuality of the struggle and sacrifice of each American soldier. Further, Malick focuses on the horror aspects of war, specifically the mental torment the battle puts the veterans through. Through this, Malick succeeds in fully immersing the audience in the feeling of knowing every soldier’s struggle yet not knowing who will make it back home. The film’s overall approach and story is a must-include when learning more about Veterans Day, as it represents the most realistic outlook on the mentality of the American soldier in the World Wars.
Check out Video Librarian's full review of The Thin Red Line.
Buy a copy of The Thin Red Line on DVD here.
Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg's film Saving Private Ryan is the second film from World War II on this list, as it represents a much different aspect of war film. Spielberg takes the brutality and stories of war and implements them into his wave of blockbuster films, adding a new level of popularity to the American war film. Saving Private Ryan is heralded for being the pinnacle of realism in war, producing one of the most realistic and brutal 30 minutes of war in any film to begin the story, as the American soldiers storm Normandy—only to be rivaled by the 30 minutes that end the film later on. While the film develops a main character's story as he is on a mission to save the last of three brothers in enemy territory, the combination of brilliant storytelling and sections of pure war makes the film stand out. In honoring the American veteran and soldier, the audience, in Spielberg's eyes, must understand the scale of the war before understanding the heroic stories that occurred within it.
Check out Video Librarian's full review of Saving Private Ryan.
Buy a copy of Saving Private Ryan on DVD here.
Hacksaw Ridge
The final of three approaches to WWII from the American perspective comes from Mel Gibson in 2016. American Army medic Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill, as he becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot. Hacksaw Ridge tells perhaps the most centralized story of the American hero in the World Wars, as it also turns slightly away from the realism seen in Malick’s and Spielberg's work. Mel Gibson focuses almost entirely on our main character, following more of a uniform hero story arc within a war film, as opposed to a more free-form representation of war for the American public to view. The film is perhaps more accessible for more audiences because of this and has a clear place in the new wave of Hollywoodized American war film, despite its clear left turn away from the depiction of horror and brutality. To celebrate and truly honor the war heroes, realism, sacrifice, heroism, and storytelling play key roles in overall education. Hacksaw Ridge takes a veteran's life of heroism and combines that story with the entertainment value of Gibson's ability of storytelling through film to provide a third unique perspective that is more accessible to a broader audience, honoring the American soldier.
Check out Video Librarian's full review of Hacksaw Ridge.
Buy a copy of Hacksaw Ridge on DVD here.
Platoon
Oliver Stone's Platoon follows Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) through the jungles near the Cambodian border of the 1967 Vietnam War—and that is where the main character's leading role ends in the film. Platoon is much less of a character study and much more of a war study on the dehumanizing aspects the American veterans put their bodies and minds through during the war. The film is perhaps the most horror-built of the list, as not only is the war it is portraying horrific, but the lack of real depth in character, in place of war being the main character, causes the filmmaking itself to be equally horrific. Veterans Day, as mentioned, is focused on honoring the American veterans for their sacrifice; a film such as Platoon is an essential piece of the film archive on the education of American war, as it provides the dehumanizing outlook of war—further acknowledging the importance of the men who sacrificed their humanity for the American people.
Check out Video Librarian's full review of Platoon here.
Buy a copy of Platoon on DVD here.
Warfare
Alex Garland's Warfare—perhaps the most controversial film on the list and also the newest released—takes the audience through perhaps the most realistic portrayal of a 2006 covert op in Iraq. The film is praised and criticized equally for its unique approach to war, the brutality of a film that chooses to leave behind all traditional cinematography and film style in place of immersing the audience in a real modern warfare situation. Perhaps the discourse on this film will be never-ending, as many of the war films produced and realized now continue to push the anti-war narrative—something this film clearly continues to do. Nonetheless, Warfare takes living veterans who sacrificed their body, friends, and lives for their country, as they worked closely with Garland to retell the horrific story they endured together almost 20 years ago. Many aspects of Veterans Day include acknowledgment, but film—most importantly—uses the holiday and war interpretation in general as education and documentation of history, something needed to honor and acknowledge.
Buy a copy of Warfare on DVD here.
Over the past century, American war films have evolved into more than pure entertainment, as they are now more of cinematic records of courage, sacrifice, and the cost of freedom. Each of these five films:The Thin Red Line, Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge, Platoon, and Warfare captures a different era and outlook on war that equally impacts the audiences view of American veteran's sacrifice and courage. From the chaos of WWII to the psychological wounds of Vietnam and the modern realities of combat. Together, they showcase how film preserves and educates, allowing audiences to truly understand the weight carried by those who served.
Looking for more curated film guides for educational and community programming? Subscribe to Video Librarian for expert recommendations, reviews, and resources to help you build your collection year-round.
As we celebrate Veteran’s Day, these stories remind and educate us that honoring veterans means more than acknowledgment it’s about understanding their experiences and sacrifices through the art that keeps their legacy alive.