Tae guk giTranslating to Brotherhood of War, this 2004 South Korean war film is one of the many gems to have come out of the Korean film industry. Directed by Kang Je-gyu, this character-driven movie tells a simple story of love between two brothers caught in the middle of the Korean War. The elder Jin-Tae, a shoe-maker, has spent his life protecting his brother Jin-seok and making sure he goes to college. But can he continue to protect him when they are both forced to join the army?
Das bootThis one is definitely a classic, and considered to be one of the greatest of all German films. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen in 1981,
Das Boot (meaning the boat) is an adaptation of a German novel by the same name. Set during World War II, it follows the fate of a German U-boat and its crew, and was highly commended for its authentic depiction of life on a submarine, as well as the technical know-how that went behind creating the film. However, the novelist Lothar-Gunther Buccheim was highly unimpressed with the adaptation, so you might want to reach for the book first.
Cross of ironAnother classic, this 1977 British-German war film is set in the Eastern Front of WWII. However, it is not only a story of war, but of the class conflict between an aristocratic Prussian officer who dreams of winning the military decoration Iron Cross, and a battle-hardened and cynical infantry non-commissioned officer. While its original release was drowned out by the hype of Star Wars, it has subsequently garnered a huge fan following, including the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Orson Welles, who praised director Sam Peckinpah for making one of the “best war films he had seen about the ordinary enlisted man.”
Joyeux noelOn Christmas Day, 1914, German, French and British troops fighting in WWI agreed to lay down their weapons, climb out of their trenches and break bread with their enemies in the spirit of Christmas. Written and directed by Christian Carion,
Joyeux Noel, which translates to Merry Christmas, tells the story of this real-life truce. While the 2005 movie does verge on sentimentality with its obvious anti-war message, the fact that it really did happen allows for a certain level of optimism in notions of brotherhood beyond nationalities. The fact that the relevant languages are spoken in the film, rather than English in terrible French and German accents, also gives this movie an added credibility.
Come and seeA 1985 Soviet war film about a young boy who joins the Soviet Resistance after witnessing the carnage caused by German forces in his home village. Directed by Elem Klimov, this movie holds nothing back while depicting the sheer horror of war, with a level of escalating brutality that is unapologetic yet almost poetic in its portrayal of the truth. With an almost nightmarish quality to it, this film is a must-watch, not least for the brilliant performance by its teenage lead.
KatynDirected by Andrzej Wajda, this 2007 Polish film focuses on the Katyn forest massacre of 1940, where the Soviets slaughtered some 22,000 Polish prisoners of war on Stalin's orders. The fact that the director's father was murdered in Katyn makes this a hugely personal film, and it is not only a poignant memorial of the victims of the massacre, but a powerful rebuke of the propaganda of subsequent Polish authorities who attempted to revise this painful chapter of Poland's history.
IndigènesDefinitely one of my favourites – this 2006 film focuses on the rarely acknowledged but crucial contribution of North African soldiers to the Free French Forces during WWII, and the discrimination they continued to face. In fact, it was the film's release that led to a change in government policy and the recognition of pension rights of these soldiers from former French colonies. Directed by Rachid Bouchareb, this French movie casts a much-needed critical eye on racial prejudices that are so entrenched that even times of war cannot dispel them.
Tae guk giTranslating to Brotherhood of War, this 2004 South Korean war film is one of the many gems to have come out of the Korean film industry. Directed by Kang Je-gyu, this character-driven movie tells a simple story of love between two brothers caught in the middle of the Korean War. The elder Jin-Tae, a shoe-maker, has spent his life protecting his brother Jin-seok and making sure he goes to college. But can he continue to protect him when they are both forced to join the army?
Das bootThis one is definitely a classic, and considered to be one of the greatest of all German films. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen in 1981, Das Boot (meaning the boat) is an adaptation of a German novel by the same name. Set during World War II, it follows the fate of a German U-boat and its crew, and was highly commended for its authentic depiction of life on a submarine, as well as the technical know-how that went behind creating the film. However, the novelist Lothar-Gunther Buccheim was highly unimpressed with the adaptation, so you might want to reach for the book first.
Cross of ironAnother classic, this 1977 British-German war film is set in the Eastern Front of WWII. However, it is not only a story of war, but of the class conflict between an aristocratic Prussian officer who dreams of winning the military decoration Iron Cross, and a battle-hardened and cynical infantry non-commissioned officer. While its original release was drowned out by the hype of Star Wars, it has subsequently garnered a huge fan following, including the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Orson Welles, who praised director Sam Peckinpah for making one of the “best war films he had seen about the ordinary enlisted man.”
Joyeux noelOn Christmas Day, 1914, German, French and British troops fighting in WWI agreed to lay down their weapons, climb out of their trenches and break bread with their enemies in the spirit of Christmas. Written and directed by Christian Carion, Joyeux Noel, which translates to Merry Christmas, tells the story of this real-life truce. While the 2005 movie does verge on sentimentality with its obvious anti-war message, the fact that it really did happen allows for a certain level of optimism in notions of brotherhood beyond nationalities. The fact that the relevant languages are spoken in the film, rather than English in terrible French and German accents, also gives this movie an added credibility.
Come and seeA 1985 Soviet war film about a young boy who joins the Soviet Resistance after witnessing the carnage caused by German forces in his home village. Directed by Elem Klimov, this movie holds nothing back while depicting the sheer horror of war, with a level of escalating brutality that is unapologetic yet almost poetic in its portrayal of the truth. With an almost nightmarish quality to it, this film is a must-watch, not least for the brilliant performance by its teenage lead.
KatynDirected by Andrzej Wajda, this 2007 Polish film focuses on the Katyn forest massacre of 1940, where the Soviets slaughtered some 22,000 Polish prisoners of war on Stalin's orders. The fact that the director's father was murdered in Katyn makes this a hugely personal film, and it is not only a poignant memorial of the victims of the massacre, but a powerful rebuke of the propaganda of subsequent Polish authorities who attempted to revise this painful chapter of Poland's history.
IndigènesDefinitely one of my favourites – this 2006 film focuses on the rarely acknowledged but crucial contribution of North African soldiers to the Free French Forces during WWII, and the discrimination they continued to face. In fact, it was the film's release that led to a change in government policy and the recognition of pension rights of these soldiers from former French colonies. Directed by Rachid Bouchareb, this French movie casts a much-needed critical eye on racial prejudices that are so entrenched that even times of war cannot dispel them.