There have been countless films made about war, telling stories of the brave men and women (both those serving in the armed forces and the civilians that often had to demonstrate a similar level of courage) who experience the horrors of conflict, and tend to gain scars – both physical and emotional – that linger…
Category: war
Warfare (2025)
For about as long as we have been observing human behaviour, there has been a focus on combat, whether physical or more theoretical. As a species, we tend to be predisposed to asserting our dominance and influence in one way or another, and it’s very common for these displays of strength to manifest in more…
Welcome to Sarajevo (1997)
A brief word of warning, or perhaps just a cautionary tale – if you find yourself on the eve of travelling to a specific city, and decide that it would be a good opportunity to watch one of the most famous films set in that particular location in the hopes of getting a better understanding…
Lee (2024)
When it comes to stories of war, it’s often not the soldiers or those in charge that yield the most fascinating tales, but rather the people who existed on the periphery. Unfortunately, they’re rarely given the attention they deserve, since we tend to prioritize those who showcased clear depictions of bravery, even though so many…
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
Not many filmmakers can attest to pioneering an entire style of storytelling almost entirely on their own, which is the appeal of Ken Loach and his truly impressive career, which has stretched from the very start of the kitchen-sink realism movement, which he helped develop with films like Kes and Poor Cow, to the present…
Civil War (2024)
“I believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.” The iconic photographer Diane Arbus isn’t mentioned by name in Civil War, the most recent directorial outing by Alex Garland, but her spectre lingers heavily throughout this film, as does the spirit of many people who dedicated their lives to photography, the…
I Was a Male War Bride (1949)
War and comedy are not the most common bedfellows, and it often takes a very special kind of artist to craft something that looks at both of them with an equal amount of attention and manages to still put together something interesting. As one of the most versatile filmmakers of his generation, Howard Hawks seemed…
Onoda – 10,000 Nights in the Jungle (2022)
The story of Hiroo Onoda is certainly fascinating – a soldier so dedicated to defending his nation while stationed on a remote island in the Philippines during the final days of the Second World War, he refused to surrender after the war was declared over, remaining an active soldier on duty for nearly 30 years…
Operation Mincemeat (2022)
There is always comfort in tradition, and while we tend to find ourselves intrigued by works of art that promise to demonstrate audacious and subversive methods, its often those that adhere closely to conventions that sometimes offer us the most well-rounded entertainment, granted it is done in a way that is still artistically resonant and…
Stalag 17 (1953)
There are many ways to describe the legendary Billy Wilder, but perhaps the most simple explanation of why he is such a hero to many artists, is that he was the definition of a reliable filmmaker, the gold-standard in both writing and directing, and someone whose prolific career saw him produce many absolute masterpieces, some…
The Postmodern Pelican 