On the occasion of Victory Day, here are the names of some war movies that will entertain you and ignite your spirit of patriotism in equal measure. Each of these movies has won the hearts of millions over the years, and has brilliantly portrayed the brutality of war and its effect on the people.
Dark Blue World (2001)
Jan Sverak (Koyla) directs an uplifting movie about a brilliant Czech fighter pilot (Ondrej Vetchý) who trains his less experienced colleague (Krystof Hádek). Conflict arises when the Nazi’s invade their country in 1939. In order to escape, they band together with other pilots and join the English Royal Air Force, a decision which will haunt the men years later.
Director: Jan Svěrák
Stars: Ondrej Vetchý, Krystof Hádek, Tara Fitzgerald, Charles Dance
Awards: Czech Lion Award for Best Cinema Attendance, Czech Lion Award for Best Director, Czech Lion Award for Best Film Editing, Czech Lion Award for Best Music, Czech Lion Award for Best Cinematography, Czech Lion Cinema Magazine Readers Award, Czech Lion Film Reviewers' and Theoreticians' Award for the Best Feature.
Charlotte Gray (2001)
Set in the backdrop of Nazi-occupied France, Charlotte Gray tells the gripping story of a young Scottish woman who works with the French Resistance to rescue her lover, a missing RAF pilot. The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Sebastian Faulks.
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Adapted from: Charlotte Gray
Music composed by: Stephen Warbeck
Stars: Cate Blanchett, James Fleet, Abigail Cruttenden, Charlotte McDougall
Nominations: Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Drama
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
A captivating story of love, hope and despair in times of war, “Captain Corelli's Mandolin” tells of a light hearted and musically talented Italian army officer (Nicholas Cage) who falls in love with the daughter of a village doctor (Penélope Cruz), during Italy’s occupation of the breathtakingly beautiful Greek island of Cephalonia. The movie is based on the 1994 novel of the same name, written by Louis de Bernières.
Director: John Madden
Story by: Louis de Bernières
Music composed by: Stephen Warbeck
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, John Hurt, Christian Bale
Nominations: European Film Audience Award for Best Actress, Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Music - Musical Feature.
The Pianist (2002)
The Pianist is an adaptation of the autobiography titled "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945". It showcases the story of Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Polish Jewish radio station pianist who sees and suffers the traumatic changes in Warsaw as World War II sets in.
Director: Roman Polanski
Featured song: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. Posth.
Stars: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox
Music composed by: Wojciech Kilar
Awards: Academy Award for Best Actor
Downfall (2004)
Set in the backdrop of 1942, a young Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara) lands her dream job as the secretary to Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz) as he is at the peak of his regime. The story is based on the real-life Traudl’s accounts on Hitler’s final days, as he rages against betrayers and barks orders to phantom armies while his mistress, Eva Braun (Juliane Köhler), fusses over the emotional distance.
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Screenplay: Bernd Eichinger
Awards: Bambi - German film, Bodil Award for Best Non-American Film, London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year, British Independent Film Award for Best International Independent Film, Robert Award for Best Non-American Film
Stars: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Ulrich Matthes
Languages: German, Russian, Italian, Hungarian
Flame & Citron (2008)
Set in Denmark, the film tells the story of Flame (Thure Lindhardt) and his partner Citron (Mads Mikkelsen) as they assassinate Nazi collaborators for the Dutch Resistance. However, deceit is standard in the world of espionage, and betrayal just around the corner.
Director: Ole Christian Madsen
Distributed by: Sandrew Metronome
Awards: Robert Award for Best Costume Design, Robert Award for Best Production Design, Robert Award for Best Makeup, Robert Award for Best Sound Design, Bodil Award for Best Cinematographer, Robert Award for Best Visual Effects.
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
