Americans love their war movies. Well, a lot of countries love their war movies, but when people think of war on the big screen, images of John Wayne and John Rambo immediately come to mind.
Though war may be hell, it is also a moneymaker – especially for Hollywood. The first full-length motion picture in history was a war movie (The Birth of a Nation), the first Academy Award-winning film for best picture was a war movie (Wings), and many cinematic milestones were met with war movies (All Quiet On The Western Front, The Deer Hunter, Saving Private Ryan, etc.).
Out of sheer curiosity, I went back and reviewed the first film of every major American war. Some are unknown classics while others are obscure for a good reason. Each selection may be debatable, but every film was the earliest that I could find for each conflict. This list is meant to provide something both educational and entertaining to any equally curious viewer. Plus, it introduced me to films I had no idea existed – and a good chunk of these films deserve their share in the spotlight.
1. 1776, or The Hessian Renegades (1909)
This 10-minute silent film by DW Griffith (the future director of the infamous Birth of a Nation) is possibly the earliest known American Revolution film to date.
Released in 1909, Griffith’s film portrays a young American Revolutionary tasked with delivering a message directly to General George Washington. Pursued by Hessian soldiers, he takes refuge in the home of sympathetic farmers, who take it upon themselves to get the message to Washington before it is too late.
Brief as it is at only 10-minutes, the story has a lot of unique twists that keep audiences hooked even today.
2. The Buccaneer (1938)
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, The Buccaneer brings to life a somewhat overlooked conflict in American history – the War of 1812. This film tells the story of real-life pirate, Jean Lafitte, and his role in the American victory during the Battle of New Orleans.
This film recreates pivotal moments in the conflict, from the burning of Washington to the climactic showdown in New Orleans. For anyone new to this conflict, The Buccaneer is a decent introduction with exciting moments and a love story to hold the viewer’s interest.
3. One Man’s Hero (1999)
The last stand at the Alamo spawned many films, but oddly, there’s not much regarding the actual war with Mexico which broke out almost a decade later. I honestly had trouble finding good movies about this conflict. The earliest one I could find – believe it or not – appears to have been released in 1999.
One Man’s Hero tells the true story of the St. Patrick’s Battalion, a force of Irish-Americans who defected to the Mexican Army as the result of anti-Catholic persecution in the United States. Tom Berenger is great – minus the on-and-off Irish accent – but what makes the film captivating is its subject matter. One Man’s Hero tells the forgotten story of real Americans who took up arms against their own fellow Americans well before the Civil War. For its take on an unknown moment in history, this one is a must-see.
4. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
I know, I know, I know, racist propaganda. I won’t herald this one as a true-to-life classic. With this in mind, the first half of DW Griffith’s film is likely the only redeeming quality to it.
The main story tells of two families on opposing sides of the American Civil War. After both families survive the brutality of the war, they become further polarized by the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This is where the film should end – but unfortunately, it continues and shamefully re-envisions the Ku Klux Klan as noble saviors of the Reconstruction Era.
Despite this fatal flaw, I’ll reiterate that the first half is definitely worth the watch as possibly the earliest depiction of the American Civil War.
5. A Message to Garcia (1936)
As with the Mexican War, there aren’t many Spanish-American War movies to make even a Top 5 list. A Message to Garcia came out in 1936, probably the earliest of the few Spanish American War films out there.
A Message to Garcia follows an American agent in his mission to deliver a message to a Cuban general leading the revolt against the Spanish. Along the way, he encounters love and danger as the Spanish Army closes in on him. A Message to Garcia is not the most remarkable movie on this list, but it’s also based on a true story and part of a small number of Spanish-American War films out there.
6. The Little American (1917)
The Great War made its way to America’s big screen in 1917 with The Little American. Cecil DeMille’s film tells the story of Angela More (played by Mary Pickford) who experiences the atrocities of World War One – primarily by the Germans. The twist in this one, though, comes in the form of a German man she met and fell in love with back in America.
Now a soldier in the Kaiser’s army, the German must protect More from his compatriots at all costs. DeMille doesn’t waste time in vilifying the Germans, but he does take a courageous approach in creating a sympathetic German character. In a time of anti-German propaganda, it’s worth noting America’s first film about the Great War attempts to bring both sides together in a love story.
7. Confirm or Deny (1941)
America’s shining moment in history coincided with the first motion-picture war. A few Nazi-spy films were released in 1939 and 1940, but the US’s big entry into the war began on December 7th, 1941 with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Likewise, the first official film in wartime US appears to be Archie Mayo’s Confirm or Deny.
Released just days after Pearl Harbor, Confirm or Deny stars Don Ameche as an American correspondent embedded in London during the Blitz. As the bombs fall closer and closer, the gruff and grizzled Ameche finds humanity in the people he meets, all of whom could be killed at any minute. By the release of Archie Mayo’s film, America was officially at war – and Confirm or Deny reminds the audience of this without delivering any patriotic messages. It simply reveals the effects of total war on everyday people and how they cope with the carnage.
8. The Steel Helmet (1951)
Known as the forgotten war – and I’ll admit, I almost forgot this one when compiling the list – the Korean War became a gold mine for Hollywood as soon as the fighting broke out. The Steel Helmet stands officially as the first Korean War film and to date, it also scored a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
After surviving an execution of POWs, an American GI joins a group of soldiers to defend a Buddhist temple against a North Korean attack. Among the troops are an African-American medic, a Japanese-American bazooka man, and a young South Korean orphan who are gradually accepted as vital assets in the squad’s survival.
Not only was this film released six months into the war, but also it took a risk for examining racial integration in the United States Armed Forces. The Korean War was the first American war where the armed forces were desegregated, forcing soldiers from all racial backgrounds to work side-by-side to survive. As this film focuses on breaking down racial barriers more than it does about supporting the war effort, The Steel Helmet carries a degree of humanity that makes it worth the watch, and I’d honestly say it’s the only film on this list worthy of a remake.
10. Operation CIA (1965)
Where World War Two was America’s big moment, Vietnam was easily America’s worst. In 1965, Hollywood produced Operation CIA, a film set in Saigon with a young Burt Reynolds playing a CIA agent tasked with protecting the American Ambassador from an assassination plot.
Movies like Operation CIA reveal a period in a time when the word Vietnam was not such a dirty word for Americans – and it’s an odd watch for that reason (along with stereotypical Asian music). Burt Reynolds fans will not want to pass this one up, and neither will Vietnam buffs wanting a different look into America’s most painful conflict.
11. Heroes of Desert Storm (1991)
This entry – made not even a year after the Persian Gulf War’s end – takes a bold move in dramatizing the experiences of real-life soldiers. From Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait to the Allied move to take the emirate back, Heroes of Desert Storm gives audiences the full story of what America’s men and women sacrificed on the ground, out at sea, and in the air.
As a low-budget made-for-TV movie, Heroes of Desert Storm looks grainy in quality compared to other movies of the period. Once viewers get past the fact that it looks like it was filmed with Daddy’s camcorder, Heroes of Desert Storm turns out to be worth the watch for a Gulf War movie. It has more action than Jarhead and more enthusiasm than, well, Jarhead.
12. Fire Over Afghanistan (2003)
This is easily the roughest one on this list. It’s not the worst war film ever. Even with its noticeably low-budget, it’s still better than Windtalkers. Still, the first film about America’s involvement in Afghanistan elicits more laughter than it does anything else.
The concept behind this film is intriguing – after a Blackhawk helicopter is shot down, a pilot and a beautiful reporter are pursued by Afghan rebels. It has its moments, but with a low-budget and amateurish cinematography, Fire Over Afghanistan easily becomes a “So Bad, It’s Good” kinda movie. Watch only for laughs.
13. Saving Jessica Lynch (2003)
The Iraq War was not even a year old when this came out, and like Fire Over Afghanistan, it’s best to be treated as an artifact. The film details the capture and rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch during the opening months of the Iraq War.
Saving Jessica Lynch has its battle sequences and soft moments, such as the subplot involving the Iraqi civilian who contributed to Lynch’s rescue. Otherwise, it has the feel of a Lifetime original movie – i.e., watchable, but something you’ll forget pretty quickly.
READ NEXT: 20 Best War Movies Of All Time
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