World War 2 has been over for 35 years and the number of movies about World War 2 is declining. Not only has the quantity of war movies declined, the quality has as well. There were no “Pattons”, or “The Great Escape” quality movies made during the 1980’s. However, if you look long enough, you will find a few pretty good war movies made in the 1980’s. Below is a list of the top 6 World War 2 movies made during the decade.
Number 6: “The Final Countdown” (1980). Technically, this is not a World War 2 movie, but the premise is so interesting that it belongs on this list. Basically, a modern era nuclear aircraft carrier enters into a time warp and finds itself on December 7, 1941, immediately before the attack on Pearl Harbor. What should they do? Should the crew sortie its fighter jets and dispose of the Japanese fleet? This is a very interesting dilemma for the crew.
Number 5: “War and Remembrance” (1988). Based on Herman Wouk’s classic novel, this miniseries tells the story of the Henry family. In between battles at Midway, Guadalcanal, El Alamein and D-Day, this film deals with both combat and family issues.
Number 4: “Sophie’s Choice” (1982). In the aftermath of World War 2, a Polish Jew living in New York struggles mentally with the choices she was forced to make while in a concentration camp in occupied Europe.
Number 3: “Empire of the Sun” (1987). A Steven Spielberg movie, this film is set in China before the entry of the US into the war. This movie tells the story of a young boy who is separated from his family and consequently captured by Japanese forces. He spends the next 8 years in a Japanese prison camp.
Number 2: “Farewell to the King” (1988). An American deserter played by Nick Nolte is captured by the Japanese. He escapes and hides in the jungles of Borneo where he joins a small tribe of natives. Because of his appearance, they believe he is divine and becomes their leader. As Japanese soldiers advance, he leads a resistance against the Japanese by his tribe.
Number 1: “Das Boot” (1981). A German made film, Das Boot tells the story of the crew of a German submarine. The crew struggles with Allied harassment, claustrophobic conditions and each other as they attempt to make sense of a situation that they do not understand.
While the 1980’s was not a prolific war movie decade, there are several pretty good movies that were made during that time. Each of the movies listed was well made and critically acclaimed.