Europe, like any continent, is no stranger to war. Multiple conflicts have erupted in and around the land mass for thousands of years, including many of the most important in world history. With so many stories to tell, not all of them are going to have the priviledge of making it to the silver screen. Fortunately, many European filmmakers took the reins and opted to tell some pretty powerful stories with their movies.
While most of them occur during the two World Wars, many of these European war movies are must-sees for any cinephile, with some being considered among the greatest of all time. So long as fans don’t mind reading subtitles (if they don’t speak the movie’s language, that is), these European war flicks are sure to be loved by any lover of cinema. They are intense, revealing, thrilling, and ultimately important.
10 ‘The Forgotten Battle’ (2021)
Country of Origin: Netherlands
The Forgotten Battle portrays the Battle of the Scheldt in the Netherlands, a pivotal moment in World War II. True to its name, the battle is not widely talked about, and the movie itself also flew mostly under the radar. In spite of how underrated it is, The Forgotten Battle is masterful in nearly every way. It takes the unconventional approach to show the battle from many different sides, showcasing not just Allied soldiers but Axis troops and even civilians. These stories end up intersecting in unique ways, making the movie consistently interesting.
Showing an important moment in the war that is largely ignored in the modern day, the movie scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It may not have totally deserved this score, especially considering it’s based on only nine reviews, but The Forgotten Battle is still an excellent and important movie. The sacrifice during this battle was immense, and it is not something that should be forgotten.
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9 ‘The Inglorious Bastards’ (1978)
Country of Origin: Italy
Image via Capitol International
The Inglorious Bastards should sound familiar to fans of Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino’s acclaimed alternate history movie was heavily inspired by this Italian original, though the two share differing plots and characters. This Italian film is definitely more of an action movie following a group of misfit soldiers escaping from their respective units.
Despite being produced in Italy by Italian filmmakers, the movie is in English and features English-speaking actors, but that doesn’t detract from anything at all. Its action is superb and feels refreshingly ahead of its time, mixing brilliant spectacle with death-defying stunts in service of a subversive narrative. It’s not just a great pick for war or Tarantino fans but for action movie lovers as well, who will be sure to appreciate its explosive sequences and stunning practical effects.
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8 ‘Das Boot’ (1981)
Country of Origin: Germany
Image via Neue Constantin Film
Das Boot is a German movie that takes place during World War II. It follows the lives of a crew on board a German U-boat, a submersible craft meant for sinking ships while staying hidden. This is a movie that is not for the faint of heart, as the story is far from heroic or inspiring. Instead, the movie shows the true horrors of war as the protagonists slowly realize that they are going to lose.
Claustrophobic and often challenging to endure, Das Boot is a unique piece of war cinema. Historians and critics were very much on board with this film, with the former deeming it an extremely accurate depiction of what life on a U-boat is really like. Critics also gave it good reviews, with famed critic Roger Ebert giving it a glowing review. Now, Das Boot is considered to be one of the greatest war movies of all time, thanks to its accuracy and brutality.
Das Boot
Release Date February 10, 1982
Cast Jurgen Prochnow , Herbert Grönemeyer , Klaus Wennemann , Hubertus Bengsch , Martin Semmelrogge , Bernd Tauber , Erwin Leder , Martin May
Runtime 149 Minutes
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7 ‘Downfall’ (2004)
Country of Origin: Germany
Image via Konstantin Film
2005’s Downfall is a World War II drama detailing the events leading up to the defeat of Germany at the hands of the Allies, along with the final days of ruthless dictator Adolf Hitler. Hitler is played by Swiss actor Bruno Ganz, who brings a legendary and terrifying performance as one of the most evil men in history. The film doesn’t inspire sympathy for him; on the contrary, it’s pretty satisfying to see the vise closing in on the Third Reich as Germany slowly loses ground to the Allies. Hitler grows more desperate and comes to the devastating realization that his backward vision for Germany is about to come crashing down.
Many historians approved of Ganz’s performance and the movie in general, stating that the actor effectively displays the paranoia and denial of reality that Hitler was often known for. However, other critics deemed that it does not effectively portray the evils Hitler committed while acknowledging that showing this on film is likely impossible because the scale of it is unmatched and difficult to comprehend. Regardless, Downfall is an absolute must-see for any cinephile or aspiring actor.
Downfall
Release Date September 8, 2004
Director Oliver Hirschbiegel
Cast Bruno Ganz , Alexandra Maria Lara , Corinna Harfouch , Ulrich Matthes , Juliane Köhler , Heino Ferch
Runtime 150 minutes
Writers Joachim Fest , Traudl Junge , Melissa Müller , Bernd Eichinger
6 ‘Ivan’s Childhood’ (1962)
Country of Origin: Russia
Ivan’s Childhood, known in some countries as My Name is Ivan, was the feature film debut of renowned Soviet-Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. In this movie, a young Soviet boy named Ivan (Nikolai Burlyayev) is orphaned as a result of Operation Barbarossa, which was the German invasion of the USSR in World War II. This was the deadliest military campaign in human history, with tens of millions killed in the process. While roaming the devastated landscape, Ivan comes across a few Soviet soldiers. Wanting to help the war effort as a way to avenge his parents, Ivan offers to spy on the Germans.
This film may not always be the most action-packed, but it does portray an interesting dynamic in Ivan. The war forces the young boy to grow up if he wants to survive, but pieces of his childhood try desperately to hang on through the horrors of war. This battle of childhood and trauma is what makes Ivan’s Childhood such an excellent film, showing that war spares no one, not even the innocent.
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5 ‘The Pianist’ (2002)
Country of Origin: Poland
Image via Pathé Distribution
The Pianist comes from Polish film director Roman Polanski, known for directing the classic horror film Rosemary’s Baby among many other ambitious and iconic projects. Poland was one of the countries hit hardest during the Holocaust and World War II; in fact, Germany’s invasion of it is often considered the start of the conflict. With these harrowing facts in mind, it’s obvious that The Pianist isn’t going to be a happy movie.
Adrien Brody plays real-life Jewish piano player Władysław Szpilman as he is subject to unspeakable horrors at the hands of the Nazis. Many critics deemed this depressing flick to be one of Polanski’s best thanks to its raw imagery, spectacular performances, tragic irony, and morbid beauty. Subtle and striking, The Pianist is touching and rewarding yet undeniably demanding and emotionally exhausting. However, it’s also powerful and insightful, making it well worth the watch.
The Pianist
Release Date September 17, 2002
Director Roman Polanski
Cast Adrien Brody , Emilia Fox , Michal Zebrowski , Ed Stoppard , Maureen Lipman , Frank Finlay
Runtime 149 minutes
Writers Ronald Harwood , Wladyslaw Szpilman
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4 ‘Narvik’ (2022)
Country of Origin: Norway
Image via Netflix
Narvik is a recently released flick portraying the doomed offensive at the titular town in Norway. Invaded by German forces, Norwegian defenders race to defend the port town and the families within, though this defense is destined to fail. Showcasing great action and familial divide, Narvik stands as a modern triumph in the war movie genre and shows the importance of hunkering down and fighting oppression against all odds, even if the outcome looks bleak.
It also depicts a country that is often overlooked while discussing World War II. Norway suffered just as much as many other European nations did under the shadow of the Reich, and it’s nice to see that struggle appear in a stellar movie. The movie received a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which speaks to its quality. Any fan of war movies is not going to want to miss this one.
Narvik
Release Date December 25, 2022
Director Erik Skjoldbjaerg
Cast Kristine Hartgen , Carl Martin Eggsbø , Cristoph Gelfert Mathiesen , Henrik Mestad , Stig Henrik Hoff
Runtime 1h 48m
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3 ‘The Battle of Algiers’ (1966)
Countries of Origin: Algeria, Italy
Image via Allied Artists
The Battle of Algiers is an Italian-Algerian joint project focusing on the titular battle, which occurred from 1956-1957 as part of the Algerian War, based on the novel Souvenirs de la Bataille d’Alger by Saadi Yacef. The movie initially premiered domestically at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received the Golden Lion award. From there, its reach expanded to many other countries, where it received near-perfect reviews from critics and audiences alike.
It was also highly controversial on account of the Algerian War being a hot-button issue in France at the time. The Battle of Algiers was one of the first movies to confront imperialism head-on, which was extremely daring at the time. It performed particularly well in America because of it, as many Americans were opposed to their nation’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The Battle of Algiers influenced several real-life movements, cementing its importance in and out of the silver screen. The movie’s cynicism was unrivaled, making it way ahead of its time and a true masterpiece that holds up every bit now as much as it did then.
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2 ‘Come and See’ (1985)
Country of Origin: Belarus
Image via Sovexportfilm
Come and See was way ahead of its time and is known to be one of the most horrifying and deeply moving anti-war flicks ever made. Coming from the Eastern European nation of Belarus, formerly part of the USSR, the movie depicts a young Belarusian resistance fighter named Flyora (Aleksei Kravchenko) during World War II. Many dark concepts appear in Come and See, exploring surrealism while simultaneously looking at hyper-realism. In fact, the movie was so dark that director Elem Klimov had to fight Soviet censorship laws for nearly a decade before he was allowed to put the movie into production.
Despite how visceral the imagery is, it proved to be a huge success, with multiple entertainment outlets such as Timeout, Empire, and Vulture ranking it as among the 100 best movies of all time. It was actually so harrowing that Klimov reported ambulances were called to movie theatres in the USSR and other countries for people who were so emotionally distressed by it; one German veteran even testified that the visuals were spot on. Those looking for an anti-war movie that paints a brutally realistic picture of what it’s like, this is it. But it’s also a good choice for those looking for a movie that is emotionally moving or deeply scarring.
Come And See (1985)
Release Date September 3, 1985
Director Elem Klimov
Cast Aleksey Kravchenko , Olga Mironova , Liubomiras Laucevicius , Vladas Bagdonas
Runtime 142 minutes
1 ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022)
Country of Origin: Germany
Image via Netflix
Erich Maria Remarque penned his novel All Quiet on the Western Front in 1929 and based it on his experiences serving in World War I. The book has been adapted to film numerous times: once by Hollywood in 1930, another time as a British direct-to-television film in the 70s, and more recently as a German Netflix film in 2022. The 2022 adaptation is by far the most visually spectacular and gruesome. It portrays war as the harsh reality it is: it is senseless slaughter, with many people losing their lives for no real reason. There are no heroic sacrifices, no great crusades, only death.
The story follows 17-year-old Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer), who is deceived into joining the war effort via the use of propaganda. All Quiet on the Western Front uses hidden details to drive its anti-war message home and an unorthodox but masterful soundtrack. It won several Oscars, including one for its score and three more for Best International Feature Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. All Quiet on the Western Front is easily one of the best movies ever made and by far the best European War Film in recent years, perhaps even of all time.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Release Date October 28, 2022
Director Edward Berger
Runtime 148 minutes
Writers Edward Berger , Lesley Paterson , Ian Stokell
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