10 best war films of all time ranked by historical accuracy - number one is a masterpiece

The appetite for war films is ever-increasing, and lovers of the genre have a plethora of discussion boards online ranking their favourite flicks. From Saving Private Ryan to lesser-known classics, the demand for military movies is ever-growing. While often not for the faint-hearted, war films often capture a moment in history that takes into account humanity, where evil is conquered and freedom can reign.

However, as realistic as battle scenes are portrayed on screen, critics often question their historical accuracy. Are the characters real? Are these the exact replicas of their costumes? Were the strategies really used on the battlefield? Express Online have collated the top 10 best war films as ranked by fans for their historical accuracy, including ratings on Rotten Tomatoes to insights from historians.

Rating: Fans have praised Gibson's Oscar-winning film with many describing the movie as a "cinematic masterpiece". It also received a solid score of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Rating: Viewers are still praising the film 30 years after its release which has scored an impressive 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes. One fan gushed: "Timeless classic - the actors, the heroism, romanticism, the spatial soundtrack are tasty treat to eyes and ears."

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Rating: The 2022 Netflix film has received an impressive 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes with fans branding the latest offering as the "new golden standard of dark and depressing war movies". But the 1979 version has been lauded as a "masterpiece" with a perfect score of 100%.

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Rating: The Battle of Britain only received a score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes but it has received a higher placement on the list due to its historical accuracy.

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During one scene with just seconds into the battle, bullets hit soldiers before they're even off the boat and while Private Ryan is a realistic portrayal this does entirely equate to being completely accurate.

"It's accurate for that unit on that bit of that beach on that day," says Delaney. "But you can't say, ‘That's what D-Day was like', because it wasn't."

Rating: This classic war film is still loved by fans today and received a near perfect score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. One fan said: "Steven Spielberg's epic masterpiece, is definitely my all time favorite war films. It changed cinema forever with its opening scene of the D-Day invasion."

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Rating: Zulu has received a near perfect score of 97% described as "one of the best ever" to a "fantastic show of bravery on both sides".

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Rating: While the film has only received a score of 57% by film buffs online, it's true depiction of war is a "masterclass" in true storytelling.

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Rating: Fans have branded the "timeless masterpiece", with a 98% score, as one of the greatest war films ever made. One fan gushed: "An intense look at underwater warfare during WWII." Another penned: "Absolutely. The best submarine movie ever. A must watch." While a third added, "A lot of war movies spend a lot of time saying "war is bad". Das Boot instead says "humans are incredible, resilient, ingenious creatures, and war is the worst possible thing we can do with our talents".

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