The 5 greatest WWI movies

This July 28 will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. The films it has inspired, from the 1910s to today, offer an often provocative take on one of modern history’s darkest periods. Matthew Hays — a journalism, film studies and communications studies professor and part-time faculty member at Concordia — explains.

War movies have long been one of Hollywood’s staple genres. But while many focus on WWII or Vietnam — think Saving Private Ryan (1998), Platoon (1986) or Apocalypse Now (1979) — some of the most poignant have been about, or set during, the “war to end all wars.”

It has proven fertile ground for the imaginations of a broad range of filmmakers, from Stanley Kubrick to Peter Weir. And, interestingly, each of these five WWI films is a powerful anti-war statement.
 

1. Lawrence of Arabia

David Lean, 1962

This is a very intense and long film (it clocks in at 216 minutes!). But the cinematography is stunning, and Peter O'Toole established himself as an extremely important screen presence, playing a sexually conflicted British officer doing WWI service in the Middle East.

For the record, Steven Spielberg cites this as one of the main reasons he got into filmmaking.

Watch the trailer for Lawrence of Arabia.

2. Paths of Glory

Stanley Kubrick, 1957

A significant film in that this harrowing story — about soldiers who defy the order to proceed with a doomed military advance — helped to establish two crucial figures in cinema: director Stanley Kubrick and star Kirk Douglas. It's a chilling work, and amazingly, in a mere 88 minutes, Kubrick manages to make a profound and memorable anti-war statement.

Recommended as a double feature with the director's anti-Vietnam War movie, Full Metal Jacket (1987).

Watch the trailer for Paths of Glory.
 

3. Wings

William A. Wellman, 1927

This is primarily a romance, but remains noteworthy for the fact that it won Best Picture at the first-ever Oscar ceremony. And, similary to films like Forrest Gump (1994) and Avatar (2009), Wings is seen as a landmark in terms of technical advancement: the scenes depicting dogfights between fighter planes set a new standard for action sequences.

Director William A. Wellman was a WWI veteran fighter pilot, and was thus committed to making the battle scenes as real as possible. Wings was recently restored and released on Blu-ray.

Watch the trailer for Wings.

4. Gallipoli

Peter Weir, 1981

Made on a shoestring by one of Australia's most important directors, Gallipoli stars a young Mel Gibson alongside Mark Lee. They are sent to Turkey on a mission that is clearly doomed: the soldiers are seen as expendable to their superiors.

This film is amazing because it doesn't look like it was shot on a budget (reportedly $2.8 million AUD). The plot may be an allegory: many Australian critics argue that it is, in fact, about the ethical and moral quandaries faced by their country’s soldiers in the Vietnam War.

It also has one of the most heartbreaking and disturbing climaxes I've ever seen. And it features Gibson before he got, you know, weird.

Watch the trailer for Gallipoli.

5. La Grande Illusion

Jean Renoir, 1937

The film that may well be Jean Renoir's greatest achievement is also a stunning argument for peace. That it would be released on the eve of WWII makes it all the more devastating.

Two prisoners manage to escape from a German camp, but then must make their way home while evading capture. Jean Gabin, Erich von Stroheim and the Alps are all rendered in black-and-white glory by cinematographer Christian Matras.

Watch the trailer for La Grande Illusion.

About the author

Matthew Hays has written about cinema for The Globe and Mail, The New York Times, The Guardian, Cineaste and The Daily Beast.

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