If there’s one thing in Hollywood that’s been milked dry, it’s the WWII movie genre. As we come upon the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, it’s important to take note of the tear-jerker movies that depict WWII because each adds an emotional facet to the war that goes beyond what we read in textbooks.
Here’s my top five WWII movies based on acting, portrayal of the war and Rotten Tomatoes ratings. Rotten Tomatoes is an online film review and news site known for its high standards and harsh critiques. Ratings are representative of the percentage of positive critic reviews from professional reviewers.
- “The Cranes are Flying” (1957)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
Cast: Tatyana Samoilova, Aleksey Batalov, Vasiliy Merkurev
Synopsis: In the Soviet Union, Veronika has plans to meet her lover Boris near a river where they watched cranes fly overhead. Boris, who is drafted into the war after he enlists—despite Veronika’s protests—never makes it to the river, and Veronika waits, sending letters until her house is bombed and she is forced to move in with Boris’ family.
War portrayal: It’s credited as the Soviet Union’s first movie portrayal of the tremendous loss of life that accompanies war, as well as draft avoidance and the greediness of war profiteers.
What made it great: It’s a minimalist movie with a story told by dramatic music and landscapes instead of dialogue. Its cinematographic effects that emphasize the cruelty of the war and the emptiness that it leaves behind have remained its sticking point almost 60 years after its debut.
- “Grave of the Fireflies” (1988)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi, Yoshiko Shinohara
Synopsis: Set in Kobe, Japan, this tragic animated film follows a teenaged boy named Seita and his younger sister Setsuko as they struggle to survive during the latter end of WWII. Separated from their parents, the siblings solely depend on each other to find shelter and food and face the harsh reality of a war-torn Japan.
War portrayal: The war tears apart Seito and Setsuko’s family; their father is fighting in the war, and an air raid kills their mother. The children are left to fend for themselves, and they find shelter in a bomb shelter after leaving their cruel aunt. As it is set at the end of the war, millions are dead, and the children watch the fireflies dance above the smoldering ashes of their country.
What made it great: Told from the unique perspective of children clinging to life, this movie captures the stark desolation and destruction of the war, despite the fact that it is animated. Dubbed one of the most depressing films ever made, this story boldly and relentlessly illustrates the after-effects of the Second World War.
- “Schindler’s List” (1993)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96%
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall
Synopsis: A greedy and pragmatic businessman named Oskar Schindler sets up shop in Kraków, Poland at the beginning of WWII, hoping to make a big profit. He staffs his factory with Jewish workers until the Nazi Party begins exterminating the Jews in a nearby ghetto. To keep his factory running, Schindler protects his workers but comes to realize he is doing it to save lives.
War portrayal: Instead of bombarding viewers with images of fighting, this movie portrays the effects of WWII on the Jews living in Poland. The fear, desperation and horror are made vividly clear by the film’s jarring depictions of the persecution of the Jews during WWII.
What made it great: As with anything directed by Steven Spielberg, this movie accomplishes the ultimate goal of making the audience feel every emotion under the sun; from anger to sadness to joy to pain to fear and back again, you’ll feel every emotion sharply as the story makes its poignant statement about the human spirit in the face of evil.
- “The Pianist” (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%
Cast: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Ed Stoppard, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox
Synopsis: A Polish Jew named Wladyslaw Szpilman, who happens to be an extremely skilled pianist, plays for the local radio in Warsaw, Poland until the station is bombed at the beginning of the German occupation of Poland. Immediately afterwards, conditions for Jews in Warsaw rapidly deteriorate, and while the rest of his family is gathered and en route to Nazi Labor camps, Wladyslaw escapes, and he witnesses first-hand the pain and suffering of the Jews.
War portrayal: This movie depicts the agony of knowing your family was sent to a concentration camp, the horror and desolation of ghettos and labor camps and Warsaw and Warsaw Ghetto Uprisings in vivid detail. The gritty reality of WWII is not pretty or romantic, as other movies would have you believe.
What made it great: Based on the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman, this movie manages what few others have done: presenting the tragedy of WWII in a hyper-realistic fashion. Accompanied by an exquisitely gripping soundtrack, this film lays out Szpilman’s memoir through sounds, images and emotion, seeking out and grabbing the most tender parts of your heart.
- “The Book Thief” (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 46%
Cast: Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Nico Liersch
Synopsis: Narrated by Death, this is the story of Liesel Meminger. While traveling on a train with her mother and younger brother, her brother dies, and she picks up the copy of “The Gravedigger’s Handbook” that is left on his grave. Because her mother is communist, Liesel is taken to live with foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. Liesel befriends the boy next door, Rudy Steiner, and the two are inseparable. Once Hans finds out Liesel cannot read, he teaches her, and what follows is the harrowing tale of WWII Germany and the destruction it leaves in its wake.
War portrayal: Loss is a major theme of this movie, which makes sense considering that it occurs in Germany during WWII. Each major plot point of the movie is directly influenced by the war, from the losses Liesel experiences to the book burning—and Liesel’s resulting fascination with books and reading—to the Jewish refugee she befriends and helps conceal.
What made it great: Do not be fooled by the way below-average rating. The film’s uniqueness lies in its narration by Death; the designation of such a narrator makes the commentary on human nature that much more heart-wrenching.
