The 1970s were a golden age for blockbusters, and many of these great blockbusters were massive war spectacles. The ongoing conflict in Vietnam was on everybody’s mind, so there were many smaller budget movies being made about war as well. Some ’70s war films revel in glorious excessive violence, while others emanate the nihilistic and disaffected sentiments of a generation weary of constant war. With the gloom of the Vietnam War pervading popular media, the 1970s was a decade full of harrowing war films. Here’s some of the best war films from that tumultuous decade.
9 Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
20th Century Fox and Toei Company
Tora! Tora! Tora! is a sweeping blockbuster of epic proportions that chronicles the attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s a huge movie, so grand in scope that three directors were hired to film their own separate parts. It’s unique in the way that it attempts to show an unbiased portrayal of the attack, giving equal coverage to both the American and Japanese forces involved. The first half of the movie heavily focuses on the political and bureaucratic complexities that led to the event, while the second half is pure action spectacle. The aerial battle sequences are breathtaking, and easily some of the finest World War II action ever put to film. While some critics consider the lack of any real heroic main character a failure, the attention to detail and massive scale of the movie make it an extremely compelling historical document.
8 The Deer Hunter (1978)
Universal Pictures
The Deer Hunter is one of the first and best films to depict the horrors of the Vietnam War. The story begins in a small town in Pennsylvania, introducing three buddies who are about to be shipped off to war. There’s a palpable nervous tension running through these early scenes, the tough, rugged guys trying their damnedest not to show each other an ounce of the fear in their hearts. When they go to war, their fears become realities, and each friend experiences a dramatic change. Their friendship evolves over the course of the war, and by the time it’s over, no man is left unscarred. This film is a powerful and raw portrayal of the detrimental effects of war on the human psyche. It also examines the effects of war on a home front community. It is an utterly sad and brutal movie, and one of the finest of its kind. The famous Russian Roulette sequence is a heart-stopping highlight, and one of the most intense scenes in movie history.
7 The Inglorious Bastards (1978)
Capitol International
Diverging entirely from the gritty sadness of The Deer Hunter, The Inglorious Bastards is like a Looney Tunes war movie. It’s a classic men-on-a-mission style movie, following a squad of colorful characters as they fight their way through occupied France. Chock-full of gleeful violence and exhilarating action set pieces, it’s easy to see why Castellari’s The Inglorious Bastards inspired Quentin Tarantino to make his film of the same name (but of a slightly different spelling). What could be a low-budget schlockfest is made great by Casterllari’s adept action direction, which is both playful and ferocious. Add to that some charismatic performances from Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson, plus a handful of spectacular stunts, and you’ve got a bonafide action classic.
6 Patton (1970)
20th Century Fox
Patton is a sprawling biopic that chronicles the life and wartime successes of General George Patton in World War II. The film is loaded with stunning battle sequences and wonderful character moments, but the real draw here is the performance at the center of it all. In his rave review, Roger Ebert describes George C. Scott’s performance as “one of those sublime performances in which the personalities of the actor and the character are fulfilled in one another.” It’s true that Scott seems like the perfect, perhaps even the only, actor fit for the role of Patton. It is a powerhouse performance that elevates this war epic to must-see status.
5 Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Kelly’s Heroes is the only out-and-out war comedy on this list, and that’s because it is the best of its unique subgenre. It succeeds as a war comedy because it plays the action straight, leaving the hilarity to the eclectic cast of war-weary soldiers. This juxtaposition between goofy characters and an intense situation leads to many classic moments, such as when hippie tank driver Oddball, played to perfection by Donald Sutherland, decides to take a rest in the middle of a battle. When he’s confronted by his squad and asked what he’s doing, he responds nonchalantly “I’m drinking wine, eating cheese, and catching some rays.” The film is full of great moments like this, and Clint Eastwood, an uncommon casting choice for a comedy, plays the quintessential straight man. The jokes bounce off of him brilliantly, and he still gets to be the cool and collected hero that he’s famous for.
4 Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975)
Cinépix Film Properties
Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS is one of the most controversial films of its time. It’s an absolutely relentless exploitation film about a sadistic Nazi commandant who takes pleasure in torturing her prisoners. It contains many instances of extreme violence, torture, and sex, but it also has an intriguing plot and a captivating center performance by the great Dyanne Thorne. Sure, Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS is not the most prestigious entry on this list, but its gratuitous sleaze and exploitation make it stand out as a film entirely of its time. It’s about as ‘70s as a ‘70s war film can be, and it is glorious.
3 A Bridge Too Far (1977)
United Artists
A Bridge Too Far is a truly massive war movie, one that is entirely befitting of the term “film epic.” It tells of the doomed World War II operation “Market Garden” that would see the Allies invade Northern Germany via bridges in the Netherlands. The film boasts incredible attention to detail, going to great lengths to explain every parameter of the complicated operation. In spite of all the scenes of bureaucratic discussion and military planning, the film never drags, and by the time the action commences, the viewer is thoroughly entranced. The star-studded cast includes James Caan, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford, and more, and the special effects are truly remarkable. These elements and more make A Bridge Too Far the ultimate big-budget war spectacle of the 1970s.
2 Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now transplants the story and themes of Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novel Heart of Darkness to the Vietnam War. It has a simple story, detailing the mission of Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen, to assassinate a high-ranking officer, played by Marlon Brando, who has gone rogue somewhere in the Cambodian jungle. The mission leads Willard through the horrors of the Vietnam War, and ultimately sends him spiraling into near-insanity. It is a haunting movie, full of strange surprises, memorable characters, incredible action, and harrowing tragedies. There are two versions of the film, the original and Coppola’s longer Redux, but regardless of the version, the film remains a true masterpiece.
1 Cross of Iron (1977)
EMI Films and Constantin Films
Sam Peckinpah is a director known for his ability to craft both rugged masterpieces and controversial thrillers. With his only war film, Cross of Iron, Peckinpah does both. It’s one of the rare American-made World War II movies to center on German soldiers, though Nazi politics and atrocities don’t play much at all into the story. The main focus is on the atrocity that is war. There are no heroes in this film, and no true villains either. To Peckinpah, there are only victims in war.
James Coburn plays the disillusioned leader of a platoon on the Eastern Front, who comes into conflict with a new commander who cares more about awards than his men’s lives. The conflict that ensues is gritty and nihilistic. The action here is thrilling, but not glorified in any way. Cross of Iron gives evidence to the common claim that “war is hell,” and stands as one of the grizzliest and most harrowing portrayals of war ever depicted on film.
