War: 96

In Paradise Road (1997), an Australian war film directed by Bruce Beresford, a group of women from England, America, the Netherlands, and Australia are imprisoned by the Japanese in Sumatra during World War II. During a dance at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore for soldiers and their families, they are abruptly forced to flee when the Battle of Singapore breaks out and a bomb explodes outside. The women and children are quickly taken away on a boat for safety. However, the boat is soon bombed by Japanese fighter planes, causing them to jump into the water. Among them are three women – Adrienne Pargiter, Rosemary ...

Director Ridley Scott brought to the big screen the action drama G.I. Jane (1997). As part of the candidate selection process for Secretary of the Navy, a Senate Armed Services Committee holds interviews. Senator Lillian DeHaven of Texas voices her criticism of the Navy’s lack of gender neutrality. Behind closed doors, a deal is made: If women can prove themselves equal to men through a series of tests, the military will fully integrate them into all Navy occupations. The first task is completing the rigorous training course for the U.S. Navy Combined Reconnaissance Team. Senator DeHaven personally selects ...

The biographical period drama film, Michael Collins (1996), was written and directed by Neil Jordan. As the Easter Rising of 1916 comes to an end, the Irish republicans at their headquarters in Dublin surrender to the British Army. Tragically, several prominent figures of the Rising, including Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, Tom Clarke and James Connolly are executed by firing squad. The only exception is Éamon de Valera, who is spared due to his American citizenship but is detained with Michael Collins and Harry Boland. After Sinn Féin’s victory in the 1918 Irish general election, they unilaterally declare ...

Edward Zwick’s film, Courage Under Fire (1996), tells the story of Lieutenant Colonel Serling during his time in the Persian Gulf War. In a chaotic nighttime battle, Serling mistakenly strikes and destroys a tank belonging to his own team. Tragically, this action results in the death of his friend, Lieutenant Boylar. The Army tries to conceal the details of the incident and honors Serling with a bravery medal before moving him to a desk job. Later on, he is assigned to investigate whether Captain Karen Walden should be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor as she was the leader of a rescue mission for a downed ...

The movie Crimson Tide (1995), directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, is an American submarine action thriller. An opening title card introduces the three most influential figures in the world: The U.S. President, the Russian President, and the captain of a U.S. nuclear submarine. In post-Soviet Russia, a civil war breaks out due to ongoing conflict in Chechnya. Loyal military units of Vladimir Radchenko, a Russian ultra-nationalist rebel leader, seize control of a nuclear missile ...

Richard III (1995), a British Technicolor film based on William Shakespeare’s play of the same name, depicts King Edward IV’s ascension to the throne with the aid of his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Following Edward’s coronation in the Great Hall, where his siblings George and Richard bear witness, he departs alongside his wife and children. Meanwhile, Richard gazes upon the throne with contemplation before turning towards the audience and delivering a speech detailing his physical deformities – a hunched back and withered arm. He confesses to harboring envy towards his brother’s ...

The HBO film, The Tuskegee Airmen (1995), depicts the inspiring story of the first African-American combat pilots in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Directed by Robert Markowitz, the film follows Hannibal ‘Iowa’ Lee Jr. as he joins fellow flight cadet candidates Billy ‘A-Train’ Roberts, Walter Peoples III, and Lewis Johns on a train to Tuskegee, Alabama. Upon beginning their training, they are introduced to Colonel Noel Rogers and Major Sherman Joy, who each have their own perspectives on the cadets’ journey. While Rogers is optimistic and urges the cadets to prove ...

Directed by Thomas Carter in his debut feature, Swing Kids (1993) is a historical drama film set in 1938 Hamburg. The story follows the adventures of four young friends, Peter Müller, Thomas Berger, Arvid and Otto, as they visit the popular swing club Bismarck. The group enjoys themselves immensely, dancing and listening to the music. However, when Peter returns home, he finds his mother arguing with a member of the Nazi party known as the Blockleiter. The tense situation escalates when Herr Knopp from the local Gestapo arrives and abruptly dismisses the Blockleiter. He then begins questioning Frau Müller about her late ...

Heaven & Earth (1993) is an American biographical war drama film written and directed by Oliver Stone. The story centers around Le Ly, a young girl living in a Vietnamese village during the time of political unrest. Her life is forever altered when communist insurgents arrive to defend against French and American forces. As the conflict escalates, Le Ly is taken prisoner by South Vietnamese soldiers who accuse her of being a spy for the North. This accusation causes her to lose the trust of her village, leading to her family’s relocation to Saigon. In Saigon, Le Ly finds work with a family where she becomes ...

Schindler’s List (1993) is an epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. The movie is adapted from the 1982 novel Schindler’s Ark by Australian writer Thomas Keneally. Set during World War II in Kraków, Poland, the film depicts the Nazis’ forced relocation of local Polish Jews to the cramped Kraków Ghetto. Oskar Schindler, a Czechoslovakian member of the German Nazi Party, arrives in the city with dreams of riches. He uses bribery to obtain ...

Director Roger Spottiswoode’s comedy film, Air America (1990), follows the story of Billy Covington, a helicopter pilot whose license was suspended for violating safety regulations. Despite his rebellious nature, Billy catches the attention of a government agent who recruits him to work for Air America – an allegedly civilian company that is actually a front for CIA operations in Laos. Once there, he meets the unconventional pilots and becomes close with Gene Ryack, a seasoned pilot who uses his official flights to buy illegal weapons for personal use. Gene plans to save enough money through this job to ...

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Monte Merrick, Memphis Belle (1990) is a British-American war drama film. The B-17 Flying Fortress and her crew have been tasked with completing 25 missions in order to finish their tour of duty. As part of the squadron, they are assigned to attack a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft manufacturing plant in Bremen, Germany. While initially accompanied by P-51 Mustangs, the short-range fighters must later withdraw, leaving the bombers vulnerable on their journey to and from the target. The success of the mission is crucial as Belle ...

Casualties of War (1989) is an American war drama film directed by Brian De Palma and written by David Rabe. It is primarily based on an article written by Daniel Lang for The New Yorker in 1969, which was later published as a book. The story is told through the eyes of Max Eriksson, a Vietnam veteran, as he reflects on past events. Leading his platoon on a nighttime patrol is Lieutenant Reilly, with Eriksson among the soldiers. During this mission, they are suddenly attacked by the Viet Cong (VC) after being discovered by ...

The American epic biographical anti-war drama film, Born on the Fourth of July (1989), is based on Ron Kovic’s 1976 autobiography. Directed by Oliver Stone and co-written by Stone and Kovic, the film follows Kovic’s life in Massapequa, New York. As a child in 1956, he spends time playing with friends in a forest before attending an Independence Day parade with his family and best friend Donna on his birthday. However, after being inspired by President John F. ...

The  American drama film 1969 (1988), written and directed by Ernest Thompson, follows the story of two boys, Ralph and Scott. After hitchhiking home from college, they arrive on Easter morning and call out greetings to their families during a lakeside Easter Sunrise service. This brings amusement to Ralph’s sister, Beth, and mother, Ev, but embarrasses Scott’s parents, Jessie and Cliff. Later on, the boys take Scott’s older brother Alden to the bus depot as he is about to ship off to Vietnam. A fight breaks out between Alden and Scott when the latter accuses his marine brother of being afraid to go. ...

Gardens of Stone (1987), an American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is based on Nicholas Proffitt’s novel of the same name. Sergeant First Class Clell Hazard, a hardened veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, would prefer to serve as an instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, preparing soldiers for the conflict in Vietnam. However, he is instead assigned to the 1st Battalion 3d Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at Fort Myer, Virginia. This unit serves as the ceremonial honor guard for fallen soldiers’ funerals and guards the ...

Empire of the Sun (1987) is an American epic coming-of-age war film, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tom Stoppard. It is based on J.G. Ballard’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. Set amid Japan’s invasion of China during World War II, the story follows Jamie ‘Jim’ Graham, a British schoolboy from a privileged background living in Shanghai’s International Settlement. When Japan begins occupying the city after attacking Pearl Harbor, Jamie’s family evacuates but he ...

The American drama film Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986) features Tom Hanks and Cristina Marsillach. Lt. David Bradley, an American pilot, joins the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II before the United States enters the war. Shot down in North Africa, David sustains a leg injury and is eventually transferred to Jerusalem to recover. While staying at a boarding house until he fully heals, David meets Sarah Perrara, a calm girl of Spanish Jewish descent who is accompanying her cousin Victoria. Victoria has asked Sarah to be her alibi as she meets up with her RAF ...

Clint Eastwood produced and directed the American war film, Heartbreak Ridge (1986). Eastwood also starred in the film. Three years prior, Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Thomas ‘Tom’ Highway schemes a way to return to his former unit, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Second Marine Division. On his journey back, Highway crosses paths with Corporal ‘Stitch’ Jones who asks to borrow money for a meal at a rest stop. However, Jones ends up stealing Highway’s bus ticket, leaving him stranded. Upon arriving at his destination, Highway’s new ...

Platoon (1986), an American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone, follows the story of Chris Taylor as he volunteers for the U.S. Army in South Vietnam in 1967. His assigned infantry platoon, part of the 25th Infantry Division near the Cambodian border, is led by young and inexperienced Lieutenant Wolfe. However, the soldiers look to two older and more experienced members, Staff Sergeant Barnes and Sergeant Elias, for guidance instead. Taylor joins them for a night ambush against a North Vietnamese Army force and engages in a brief firefight when an NVA patrol appears. During a patrol, one new recruit is ...