The 1960s were an incredible year for film, with the decade seeing films like Cleopatra, Handful of dollarsand dr. no, and war movies were no exception. Since the 1960s were just a few decades after World War II and a decade after the Korean War travesty, there was enough hindsight and cinematic progress to make more realistic and thoughtful films about war. At the same time, Hollywood still had an idealism and patriotism that would be crushed later in the decade by the failures, atrocities and divisions of the Vietnam War. So the 1960s are a unique era for the war film, and these are some of the best of the decade.
8/8 Hell is for Heroes (1962)
Hell is for heroes is about a unit of American soldiers who have to hold back an entire Nazi company for 48 hours until reinforcements can reach them. The film is directed by Don Siegel and stars Steve McQueen as Private John Reese. The film is a great black and white war film that will have you on the edge of your seat.
7/8 King Rat (1965)
King Rat is about Corporal King (George Segal) an American prisoner in a Japanese POW camp during World War II. The film is an adaptation of James Clavell’s novel, which was based in part on his own experiences as a prisoner at Changi Prison in Malaya during the war. King Rat is written and directed by Bryan Forbes and gives a real insight into the struggle of the allied soldiers who were captured during this time.
6/8 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Lawrence of Arabia is one of the longest Hollywood movies ever made, clocking in at 227 minutes, and is considered one of the greatest movies ever made. The film, directed by David Lean, is a wonderful example of a moving image. While the film is long, it’s hard to take your eyes off Freddie A. Young’s beautiful cinematography. Lawrence of Arabia is a great film about a meditative journey starring Peter O’Toole and Alec Guinness. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won seven, including Best Picture and Best Director.
5/8 The Longest Day (1962)
The longest day is an epic war film based on the 1959 non-fiction novel by Cornelius Ryan about the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The film had one of the largest international casts of its time, including John Wayne, Sean Connery and Henry Fonda. It was directed by three separate directors: Ken Annakins for the British and French material, Andrew Marton for all the American material and Bernhard Wicki for the German recordings. The longest day employed several military advisers who were there on June 6, 1944, which can really be seen in the accurate depictions of the film. The longest day was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two.
4/8 Spartacus (1960)
Spartacus is based on the 1951 novel by Howard Fast, inspired by the leader of a Roman slave revolt, Spartacus. The classic was directed by Stanley Kubrick and is one of the longest Hollywood films ever made. The film stars Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier and Jean Simmons and won four Academy Awards. Considered to be one of the best revolution images on film, Spartacus was adapted into a three-season series by Starz.
3/8 dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Considered one of Stanley Kubrick’s best films, dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is a black comedy about the Cold War. The film denounces the fear of nuclear fallout between the Soviet Union and the United States when a rouge general of the United States Air Force orders the first nuclear strike on the Soviet Union.
Peter Sellers is hilarious in three different roles: group captain Lionel Mandrake, US President Merkin Muffley and the titular character Dr. Strangelove. dr. Strangelove In addition to being considered one of the greatest comedies of all time, it is also considered one of the greatest films of all time and was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1989.
2/8 The Dirty Dozen (1967)
The Dirty Dozen is based on EM Nathanson’s 1965 bestselling novel, inspired by the real-life demolition specialists of World War II, the “Filthy Thirteen,” whose job it was to go behind enemy lines and destroy Axis targets. In The Dirty DozenMajor John Reisman (Lee Marvin) is tasked with taking 12 of the Army’s worst POWs and training them for a suicide mission to destroy a Nazi target just before D-Day.
The film was a blockbuster when it was released and features an incredible cast of characters including Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland and Telly Savalas. The Dirty Dozen was even planned for a remake under the direction of suicide squad director David Ayer, but there isn’t much news from Warner Brothers on that subject.
1/8 The Great Escape (1963)
The Great Escape is one of the best WWII movies ever made. The film, though heavily fictional, is based on Paul Brickhill’s 1950 non-fiction novel about the mass escape of British POWs from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III. The Great Escape was directed by John Sturges and features a long list of stars including Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson and James Garner. The Great Escape was one of the highest-grossing films of 1963 and is credited with one of the greatest stunts ever performed.