davidh's - Top 10 - WWI Films List

This true life story follows the struggles of T.E.Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) in uniting the hostile Arab factions and leading them to victory over the ruling Turkish Empire during the First World War.

Show moreShow less

'The Blue Max' is a raging war time thriller featuring spectacular aerial combat sequences. It is the story of Bruno Stachel (George Peppard), a cold, ambitious German combat pilot in World War I.

As brave as he is ruthless, he excels in combat, wins the highest medals, The Blue Max, and becomes a national hero.

Show moreShow less

Mel Gibson delivers an electrifying performance in directors Peter Weir's compelling story of friendship and adventure between two Australian soldiers in 1915.

They cross continents and great oceans, climb the pyramids and walk through the ancient sands of Egypt to join their regiment at the fateful battle of Gallipoli. The echoes of history blend with the friends' compelling destiny as they become part of a legendary World War I confrontation between Australia and the German allied Turks - a battle that is to Australians what the Alamo is to Americans.

Show moreShow less

Inspired by a true story which occurred in the trenches of the World War I battlefield on Christmas Eve in 1914, "Joyeux Noel" is a moving story of dignity and human kindness set against the savagery of war.

That night, a momentous event changed the lives of four characters: an Anglican priest, a French lieutenant, an exceptional German tenor and the one he loves, his singing partner. During this Christmas Eve, the unthinkable happened: calling him a brief but meaningful ceasefire, soldiers emerged from their trenches to exchange gifts, play football and celebrate Christmas together, as well as being allowed to bury their respective dead who had fallen between opposing lines in No Man's Land... The Academy Award nominated (2006, Best Foreign Language Film) "Joyeux Noel" offers a thought-provoking and compelling view of one of the most poignant and forgotten events in history.

Show moreShow less

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission.

In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers - Blake's own brother among them.

Show moreShow less

Safe their picturesque chateau behind the front lines, the French General Staff passes down a direct order to Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas): take the Ant Hill at any cost. A blatant suicide mission, the attack is doomed to failure.

Covering up their fatal blunder, the Generals order the arrest of three innocent soldiers, charging them with cowardice and mutiny. Dax, a lawyer in civilian life, rises to the men's defense but soon realizes that, unless he can prove that the Generals were to blame, nothing less than a miracle will save his clients from the firing squad.

Show moreShow less

Journey's End is set in northern France in March 1918 as C Company, led by Captain Stanhope (Sam Claflin), arrives to take its turn in the front line.

Told that a German offensive is imminent, Stanhope drowns his fears in whisky while the other officers (Paul Bettany, Tom Sturridge and Stephen Graham) and their cook (Toby Jones') attempt to distract themselves in their dugout with talk of food and life before the war. They are joined in the trenches by Raleigh (Asa Butterfield), a new young officer fresh out of training who is excited about his first real posting and the chance to serve under his schoolboy hero Stanhope. Raleigh's naive enthusiasm contrasts with the other men's mounting fear as the tension rises and the attack draws ever closer.

Show moreShow less

September 1916 - a young aristocrat, Baron Manfred von Richthofen, is transferred to a German fighter division. Numerous kills, his trademark bright red plane and the heroic conquests of his 'Flying Circus' squadron soon make him a German hero.

Yet manipulated by the High Command propaganda machine and distracted by fame, he remains blind to the true cost of conflict.

Show moreShow less

"The Rifleman" pays stark witness to the horrors and brutality of the First World War, as seen through the eyes of an innocent 17-year-old farm-boy turned soldier.

Though he is underage, and his dad, a former marksman, is overage for the army, they are both conscripted into one of Latvia's first national battalions. The thrill of training is soon followed by reality, as shells burst around them in the endless mud. He grows up on the battlefield, fighting at the side of his father and brother, their lives are constantly in jeopardy. Adapted from the book by Aleksandrs Grins, which was-banned in the U.S.S.R., the story was based on Grins' own war experiences in a Latvian battalion.

Show moreShow less

Starring Russell Crowe and Olga Kurylenko, 'The Water Diviner' is an epic adventure set in the aftermath of the devastating battle of Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. Australian farmer Joshua Connor travels to Istanbul to discover the fate of his sons, reported missing in action.

Battling against government bureaucracy, foreign traditions and armed forces in the still war-torn country, Connor embarks on a perilous journey to find the truth about his sons. 'The Water Diviner' is an extraordinary tale of love, hope and heroism.