Topic: World War II

Direction Steven Spielberg

Cast Liam Neeson · Ben Kingsley · Ralph Fiennes · Caroline Goodall

Synopsis Schindler's List (1993) follows the journey of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist in Poland who initially capitalizes on the Nazi regime's ascent to power. He establishes a factory producing enamelware, leveraging charm and bribes to secure military contracts, and enlists...

Direction Daniel Costelle · Isabelle Clarke

Cast Mathieu Kassovitz

Synopsis Apocalypse: The Second World War (TV Miniseries) (2009) is a six-episode French documentary that delves into the Second World War. This series is uniquely composed entirely of authentic war footage captured by war correspondents, soldiers, resistance fighters, and civilians. The...

Direction Charles Chaplin

Cast Charles Chaplin · Paulette Goddard · Jack Oakie · Reginald Gardiner

Synopsis The Great Dictator (1940) is set in the 1930s, where the fictional nation of Tomania is ruled by the tyrannical Adenoid Hynkel, who harbors ambitions of global conquest. Meanwhile, in the Jewish quarter of the capital, a humble barber resides,...

Direction Ernst Lubitsch

Cast Carole Lombard · Jack Benny · Robert Stack · Stanley Ridges

Synopsis To Be or Not to Be (1942) follows the story of Joseph Tura and his wife Maria, who are the leading actors in a Warsaw theatre troupe. Lieutenant Sobinski, a young aviator, is deeply infatuated with Maria, and the two...

Direction Stephen Ambrose · David Frankel · Tom Hanks · David Leland

Cast Damian Lewis · Ron Livingston · Rick Gomez · Scott Grimes

Synopsis Band of Brothers (TV Miniseries) (2001) is a gripping 10-episode series that chronicles the journey of Easy Company, part of the 506th Regiment within the 101st Airborne Division, from their rigorous training through to the conclusion of World War II....

Direction Roberto Benigni

Cast Roberto Benigni · Nicoletta Braschi · Giorgio Cantarini · Marisa Paredes

Synopsis Life Is Beautiful (1997) follows the story of Guido, a lovable and imaginative waiter with a knack for making people laugh. He has captured the heart of his beloved and built a wonderful life for his young family. However, their...

Direction Jeremy Isaacs · Hugh Raggett · John Pett · David Elstein

Synopsis The World at War (TV Series) (1974) is a comprehensive 26-part television documentary that delves into the complexities of World War II, exploring the pivotal events that preceded the conflict and the aftermath that followed. This series features in-depth interviews...

Direction Michael Curtiz

Cast Humphrey Bogart · Ingrid Bergman · Paul Henreid · Claude Rains

Synopsis Casablanca (1942) follows the story of Rick Blaine, portrayed by Humphrey Bogart, a jaded yet benevolent American expatriate who runs a popular nightclub in Casablanca during World War II. The café serves as a hub for a diverse crowd, including...

Direction Ken Burns · Lynn Novick

Synopsis The War (TV Miniseries) (2007) is an extensive seven-episode exploration that delves into the profound and varied effects of the Second World War on the lives of American households. This documentary series offers an intimate look at how the global...

Direction Masaki Kobayashi

Cast Tatsuya Nakadai · Michiyo Aratama · Yusuke Kawazu · Tamao Nakamura

Synopsis The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961) follows the journey of Kaji, a man with a deep-seated aversion to violence, who is coerced into serving in the Japanese military during World War II. Despite his pacifistic nature, Kaji is...

Direction Roberto Rossellini

Cast Aldo Fabrizi · Anna Magnani · Marcello Pagliero · Maria Michi

Synopsis Rome, Open City (1945) is a gripping narrative inspired by actual events, focusing on a group of Italian partisans combating fascism amidst the Nazi-controlled streets of Rome. The plot thickens when Gestapo officers storm an apartment where Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero),...

Direction Robert Bresson

Cast François Leterrier · Roland Monod · Charles Le Clainche · Maurice Beerblock

Synopsis A Man Escaped (1956) unfolds in April 1943, amidst the turmoil of World War II. The story revolves around Fontaine, a 27-year-old member of the French Resistance who finds himself in the clutches of the Gestapo. Captured for interrogation, Fontaine...

Direction John Sturges

Cast Steve McQueen · James Garner · Charles Bronson · Richard Attenborough

Synopsis The Great Escape (1963) follows a group of Allied prisoners of war, meticulously selected by the German high command for their exceptional escape attempts, who are confined in a seemingly inescapable POW camp. Under the leadership of Roger "Big X"...

Direction William Wyler

Cast Dana Andrews · Fredric March · Myrna Loy · Harold Russell

Synopsis The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) follows the journey of three World War II veterans as they return home to a changed America. Fred Derry, a former sailor, struggles to find his place in a society that initially celebrates...

Direction Stanley Kramer

Cast Spencer Tracy · Burt Lancaster · Richard Widmark · Marlene Dietrich

Synopsis Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) unfolds three years after the major Nazi leaders faced justice. This legal drama centers around four judges who exploited their positions to enforce Nazi sterilization and cleansing policies. The formidable task of presiding over this trial...

Direction Roman Polanski

Cast Adrien Brody · Thomas Kretschmann · Maureen Lipman · Ed Stoppard

Synopsis The Pianist (2002) is based on the memoir of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew who recounted his endurance during the tumultuous period of World War II. As a gifted composer and pianist, Szpilman performed the final live musical piece broadcasted...

Direction Masaki Kobayashi

Cast Tatsuya Nakadai · Michiyo Aratama · Ineko Arima · Chikage Awashima

Synopsis The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959) follows the journey of Kaji, a Japanese pacifist, who attempts to evade military duty during World War II by taking on a role as a supervisor in the mines of Manchuria, a...

Direction Masaki Kobayashi

Cast Tatsuya Nakadai · Michiyo Aratama · Kei Sato · Minoru Chiaki

Synopsis The Human Condition II: The Road to Eternity (1959) unfolds during the tumultuous period of the Second World War, where Kaji, a reluctant recruit, is compelled to serve in the Japanese army and is dispatched to Manchuria. In this foreign...

Direction Wolfgang Petersen

Cast Jürgen Prochnow · Herbert Grönemeyer · Klaus Wennemann · Hubertus Bengsch

Synopsis Das Boot (TV Miniseries) (1985) follows the harrowing journey of a German U-Boat crew during World War II. This gripping miniseries, spanning three episodes, immerses viewers in the claustrophobic and perilous world of a submarine crew on a perilous patrol...

Direction Isao Takahata

Synopsis Grave of the Fireflies (1988) follows the harrowing journey of a 14-year-old Japanese boy named Seita and his 4-year-old sister, Setsuko, as they navigate the horrors of World War II. After their home in Kobe is destroyed and their parents...