4 Most Accurate and Realistic War Movies, Ranked 

Directors of war movies face a real challenge as they have to depict the horrors of war in the most realistic way possible and also deliver an original and powerful message to the audience.

Here are four examples of where the filmmakers succeeded in this task.

4. Paths of Glory (1957)

Colonel Dax commands an infantry regiment of the French Army during the First World War. He has to confront the corps commander who forces his men into a suicidal attack on an impregnable enemy position and demands that three random soldiers be shot after the attack fails.

Director Stanley Kubrick not only managed to show the unreasonable cruelty of the military leadership, but also set the new standard for realism in cinema.

His filmmaking techniques were quite groundbreaking for his time: for example, one of the scenes where the generals are shown communicating with the soldiers was filmed in one continuous take without editing. There are dozens of actors involved in the scene, which runs for more than a minute, and explosions are heard in the background.

3. Empire of the Sun (1987)

During World War II, a young boy named Jim loses his parents during the Japanese invasion of China. He ends up in a prison camp and has to fight to survive and maintain his dignity.

The role of Jim in Steven Spielberg 's movie was one of the first screen appearances for 12-year-old Christian Bale. Despite his young age, Bale gave a powerful performance in the film, showing how a young man can create his own world to overcome the hardships of war.

2. Black Hawk Down (2001)

When Somali authorities fail to stop a civil war, the American government sends its best peacekeepers to resolve the conflict.

Ridley Scott had to work hard to get his hands on real Black Hawk helicopters — the US government was afraid to allow the director to shoot the real rotorcraft. Scott was ready to buy the German ones and paint them black, but the officials met him halfway and agreed to provide the Hawks.

1. Act of Valor (2012)

Act of Valor shows the difficult life of an elite group of Navy SEALs who are assigned to rescue CIA agents from captivity. In the process, they destroy the terrorist group whose plans include a large-scale attack on the US.

It's noteworthy that the movie's breathtaking action sequences were designed by the SEALs themselves. The filmmakers sent the script to the unit's headquarters and asked the experts to plan the proposed operation as they would in real life.