Anti-War Film
A type of war film in which battle, jingoistic politicians and/or the military is presented or attacked critically. The general theme of these cinematic statements is war is hell, often supported by focusing on the unnecessary loss of life, tragedy and social damage caused by war. Approaches and tone vary, from melodrama mixed with action, to sermonizing, to satire and black comedy, but the purpose of showing viewers the horrors and stupidity of war is always consistent. However, rarely do these films offer any political solutions nor have they ever stopped countries from going to battle, and instead they seek empathy, sympathy and anger from audiences. Usually anti-war films take place during wars, on the field of battle where the carnage, chaos and insanity of the act is dramatized -- often with a blend of slow motion, handheld cameras, graphic gore, and a swelling musical score. Early examples that were forced to tone down visual violence include I Accuse, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Road to Glory, and the French masterpiece, Grand Illusion. Following World War II, graphic violence became more prevalent in films like Paths of Glory, Fixed Bayonets, King and Country and, later, Breaker Morant and Come and See, giving the anti-war film stronger touches of realism. Perhaps the largest rush of anti-war films came during and after the Vietnam War. In addition to presenting the horrors of battle, these films also took place post-war, opting to focus on the psychological scars left on the returning soldiers and their families. Examples include Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, Coming Home, The Deer Hunter and Johnny Got His Gun, a film made about a World War I veteran but released in 1971 as a direct comment on the loss of life in Vietnam. The other tactic used in this subgenre is vicious satire, in which black comedy is used to attack the insanity, red tape and political games of government officials at work behind the conflict. Prime models are Dr. Strangelove, M.A.S.H., Oh! What a Lovely War and How I Won the War.
Featured Films:
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| Rating | MPAA | Year | Title |
 | 2008 | Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun | |
 | R | 2008 | War, Inc. |
 | PG13 | 2007 | Grace Is Gone |
 | NR | 2007 | Alexandra |
| R | 2006 | Letters from Iwo Jima |
 | R | 2006 | G.I. Jesús |
| R | 2003 | Cold Mountain |
 | PG13 | 2002 | The Cuckoo |
| R | 2002 | The Year That Trembled |
| R | 2001 | No Man's Land |
| R | 2001 | Apocalypse Now Redux |
| 2000 | J.S.A. - Joint Security Area | |
| 1999 | Beyrouth Fantome | |
| R | 1999 | Three Kings |
| R | 1998 | The Thin Red Line |
| 1998 | The Wall | |
| R | 1996 | Prisoner of the Mountains |
| 1996 | Pretty Village, Pretty Flame | |
| R | 1996 | Mother Night |
| NR | 1995 | Underground |
| 1995 | Dupe Od Mramora | |
| 1995 | Fiesta | |
| 1994 | Before the Rain | |
| PG | 1994 | War of the Buttons |
| 1992 | Stalingrad | |
| R | 1992 | A Midnight Clear |
| 1989 | 1969 | |
| R | 1989 | Born on the Fourth of July |
| R | 1989 | Casualties of War |
| 1988 | War Requiem | |
| R | 1987 | Full Metal Jacket |
| R | 1987 | Gardens of Stone |
| R | 1987 | Hamburger Hill |
| R | 1986 | Platoon |
| 1985 | Threads | |
| R | 1985 | Biruma No Tatekoto |
| 1983 | Streamers | |
| 1983 | The Wars | |
| PG | 1981 | Gallipoli |
| PG | 1980 | Breaker Morant |
| 197z | Art of Memory | |
| 1979 | All Quiet on the Western Front | |
 | R | 1979 | Apocalypse Now |
| PG | 1979 | Hair |
| R | 1978 | Coming Home |
| R | 1978 | The Deer Hunter |
| 1974 | The Execution of Private Slovik | |
| 1972 | Letter to Jane | |
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