With American Sniper now in cinemas, Harry Guerin rounds up some brilliant war films that you may not have seen.
Cross of Iron (1977)
In arguably a career best performance, James Coburn plays Steiner, a burnt out German corporal on the Eastern Front in 1943. Director Sam Peckinpah's 1977 masterpiece is a visceral and heart-rending depiction of men in combat - marvel that the closing battle sequence was completed in just a day.
The Big Red One (1980)
A treasure yet to receive the wider audience it deserves, and a huge influence on Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. The Big Red One sees Lee Marvin and director Samuel Fuller channelling their own wartime experiences for this story of a World War I veteran leading young troops in North Africa and on through Europe. In what he considered as his most personal film, Marvin looks like a man walking with ghosts throughout. Make sure you watch the 2004 restored version with an additional 49 minutes of footage.
Ice Cold in Alex (1958)
John Mills is the alcoholic captain driving a field ambulance with a motley crew through the desert in a bid to make it back to the safety of British lines in Alexandria, Egypt. Paranoia and personal demons combine in a film where you will smell the sweat, feel the heat and wonder whether things will end in tragedy. The magnetic Mills is supported by a brilliant cast of Harry Andrews, Sylvia Sims and Anthony Quayle. More than worth waiting for.
Days of Glory (Indigènes) (2006)
The experiences of North African soliders fighting for the Free French Forces in World War II had not received the recognition they deserved - until this film. Not only was it nominated for an Oscar, it also contributed to the French authorities rethinking their stance on the pension rights for African veterans. The ending is one of the most powerful and poignant in recent cinema history.
The Hill (1965)
Sean Connery gave two of his best performances for director Sidney Lumet: in 1972's police drama The Offence, and in this searing depiction of the power struggles in a military stockade. Connery plays the disgraced soldier who discovers that the place runs like clockwork - in terms of brutality and turning a blind eye. The film is based on a 1965 play, and is just begging to be revived on stage. Tom Hardy and Paddy Considine, anyone?
Come and See (1985)
Of all the films listed here, this Russian epic is the least seen – time for you to do your bit. Set during the occupation of Byelorussian SSR, it's a harrowing yet hypnotic story, following a young boy as he experiences genocide and the madness of man. It has been described as perhaps the ultimate film about World War II; it is certainly among the most unforgettable.
