Providing their audience with an unflinching snapshot of the life-or-death nature of armed conflict, war movies have formed an intrinsic part of popular culture since the earliest days of cinema, to the point that storied names in the vein of Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, and The Deer Hunter are widely regarded as some of the best movies of all time. Furthermore, many of the best war films of all time owe much of their success to a superb villain who carries the story with their wicked presence, serving as the perfect antagonistic foil.
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In many cases, the villain is the movie’s best character, with the actor tasked with bringing them to life producing a nuanced and compelling performance that has the potential to overshadow the efforts of the film’s protagonists. From morally devoid war criminals and renegade soldiers to Machiavellian double agents, the best portrayals of war movie villains have resulted in some of the most memorable, lauded, and influential characters of all time, breathing life into an array of unforgettable antagonists from humanity’s most famous conflicts.
10 Franco Nero As Captain Lescovar
Force 10 From Navarone (1978)
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Force 10 from Navarone DramaAdventureWar
Force 10 from Navarone, released in 1978, follows the continued adventures of Mallory and Miller as they embark on a mission in World War II Yugoslavia. Tasked with finding a mysterious figure from their past, they join a covert operation behind enemy lines, facing unexpected challenges and alliances.
Director Guy Hamilton Release Date August 16, 1978 Cast Harrison Ford , Robert Shaw , Barbara Bach , Edward Fox , Franco Nero , Carl Weathers , Richard Kiel , Alan Badel , Michael Byrne , Philip Latham , Angus MacInnes , Petar Buntić , Michael Sheard , Leslie Schofield , Anthony Langdon , Richard Hampton , Paul Humpoletz , Dicken Ashworth , Christopher Malcolm , Nick Ellsworth , Jonathan Blake , Roger Owen , Francis Mughan , Mike Sirett , Graeme Crowther Runtime 114 minutes Expand
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Loosely based on Alistair MacLean’s novel of the same name, 1978’s Force 10 from Navarone serves as the sequel to 1961’s The Guns of Navarone. Swapping Gregory Peck and David Niven for Robert Shaw and Edward Fox, Guy Hamilton’s picture sees Mallory and Miller tasked with a new objective; destroy a vitally important enemy bridge while they attempt to root out the fugitive Nazi spy who tried to sabotage their previous mission.
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Alistair MacLean Navarone films |
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The Guns of Navarone (1961) |
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Said spy takes the form of one of the genre’s most memorable and cunning villains in Franco Nero’s Captain Lescovar. Posing as a Partisan, Lescovar is actually a German double agent named Colonel Von Ingolsleben; a high-ranking intelligence officer tasked with undermining the Partisan war effort. Nero produces a mesmerizing turn as Lescovar, with his brooding take on the German spy serving as the perfect antagonistic foil for our heroes against the backdrop of one of the genre’s more underrated offerings.
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9 Sessue Hayakawa As Colonel Saito
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
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The Bridge On The River Kwai AdventureDramaHistoryWar
During World War II, British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge by their Japanese captors. Colonel Nicholson, the British commander, becomes obsessed with constructing the bridge as a symbol of British pride, while an Allied commando team plots to destroy it, leading to a tense and tragic confrontation.
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*Availability in US Director David Lean Release Date October 11, 1957 Cast William Holden , Alec Guinness , Jack Hawkins , Sessue Hayakawa , James Donald , Geoffrey Horne Runtime 161 minutes
Universally regarded as one of the greatest films in the history of cinema, 1957’s The Bridge on the River Kwai chronicles the efforts of a group of British prisoners of war who are conscripted into building the movie’s titular structure for their Japanese captors. The film’s chief antagonist is Sessue Hayakawa’s Colonel Saito, the Japanese commander tasked with overseeing the POW camp and the bridge’s construction efforts.
Hayakawa’s magnificent performance deftly balances the cold and unforgiving nature that one would associate with a POW camp commander with an air of near-feral desperation to see the bridge completed.
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A solemn, autocratic man who adheres to the Bushido code, Saito is a ruthless individual who refuses to let pesky things like the Geneva Convention interfere with his plans. Hayakawa’s magnificent performance deftly balances the cold and unforgiving nature that one would associate with a POW camp commander with an air of near-feral desperation to see the bridge completed; as a Japanese officer, Saito must commit ritual suicide if construction is not finished on schedule.
8 Paul Scofield As Franz Von Waldheim
The Train (1964)
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The Train ActionThrillerWar
The Train is a 1964 war film directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Burt Lancaster as a French Resistance fighter tasked with preventing a German colonel, portrayed by Paul Scofield, from transporting stolen art treasures out of France during World War II. The film’s suspenseful narrative and action-packed sequences explore themes of war, resistance, and the cultural value of art.
Director John Frankenheimer Release Date March 7, 1965 Cast burt lancaster , Paul Scofield , Jeanne Moreau , Suzanne Flon , Michel Simon , Wolfgang Preiss , Albert Remy , Charles Millot Runtime 133 Minutes
A black and white masterpiece from John Frankenheimer, 1964’s The Train sees Burt Lancaster’s Paul Labiche attempt to foil a Nazi plot to transport priceless pieces of stolen art by locomotive from France to Germany. Labiche’s efforts see him go head to head with the wicked German colonel Franz von Waldheim, played in a first-rate performance by late Triple Crown of Acting winner Paul Scofield.
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The Train
was only Paul Scofield’s third feature film, with the actor primarily known for his work on the stage.
The Englishman turns in a magnificent bow as the cultured German officer, gleefully relishing the creative freedom afforded by his villainous role. Scofield’s commanding presence is complemented by his character’s obsessive nature, a passion for the arts that borders on the fanatic. A worthy adversary for cinema icon Lancaster in one of his finest movies, von Waldheim’s sinister presence keeps The Train gliding smoothly along its tracks from start to finish.
7 Ed Harris As Erwin König
Enemy At The Gates (2001)
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Enemy At The Gates WarDramaHistoryRomance
Enemy at the Gates is a war film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, set during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. It follows a tense confrontation between a Russian sniper, Vassili Zaitsev, and a German sniper, Major König, as they engage in a strategic game of cat-and-mouse.
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*Availability in US Director Jean-Jacques Annaud Release Date March 16, 2001 Cast Jude Law , Joseph Fiennes , Rachel Weisz , Ed Harris , Bob Hoskins , Ron Perlman , Eva Mattes , Gabriel Thomson , Matthias Habich , Alexander Schwan , Lenn Kudrjawizki , Gennadi Vengerov , Dan van Husen , Ivan Shvedoff , Sophie Rois , Mario Bandi , Hans Martin Stier , Clemens Schick , Hendrik Arnst , Claudius Freyer , Dietmar Nieder Runtime 131 Minutes Expand
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Starring Jude Law as Soviet sharpshooter Vasily Zaitsev, Enemy at the Gates depicts a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse between an elite pair of marksmen amidst the bloody chaos of the Battle of Stalingrad. One of the 2000s’ most underrated war movies, Law’s foe in the 2001 film is Ed Harris’ Major Erwin König, a Wehrmacht sniper school instructor who is deployed to Russia to kill Zaitsev after the Russian’s proficient exploits on the battlefield earn him near-celebrity status.
Related Jude Law’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked
Nearing veteran status while showcasing his incredible range and talent, Jude Law remains a powerful force on screen as seen in many notable films.
A ruthlessly cunning individual of the highest order brought to life in a chilling performance from Harris, König leverages every trick in the book to gain the upper hand on Vasily. In addition to using the Russian’s comrades to bait the sniper into exposing himself, the proficient marksman also murders a young boy befriended by Vasily, hanging his body on display in an effort to draw out his prey. A calculating villain with piercing blue eyes that barely betray a flicker of emotion, König is one of the genre’s most memorable antagonists.
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6 Idris Elba As The Commandant
Beasts Of No Nation (2015)
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Beasts of No Nation DramaDocumentaryWar
Beasts of No Nation is a war drama that was released exclusively on Netflix in 2015. The film centers on a young boy named Agu, who is forced to become a child soldier in a Civil War in an unspecified African country. The film is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Uzodinma Iweala.
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*Availability in US Director Cary Fukunaga Release Date September 11, 2015 Cast Abraham Attah , Emmanuel Affadzi , Ricky Adelayitor , Andrew Adote , Vera Nyarkoah Antwi , Ama Abebrese Runtime 133 minutes
A harrowing war drama from True Detective alum Cary Joji Fukunaga, Beasts of No Nation chronicles a bloody civil war in an unnamed West African country from the perspective of Abraham Attah’s child soldier, Agu. Fukunaga’s 2015 offering received highly positive reviews, with particular praise directed towards the performance of Idris Elba as the film’s chief villain, an unnamed soldier known as the Commandant.
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An eccentric cocktail of charisma and ruthless violence, the Commandant is one of the most despicable villains the genre has ever seen. Aided by a force of dead-eyed, brainwashed child soldiers who follow his every order to the letter, Elba’s villain perpetrates a seemingly endless array of war crimes against a host of innocents as the conflict rages through the country. It’s a magnificent performance from the Luther star, with Elba capturing every horrific nuance of his abhorrent charge in unflinching clarity.
5 Ronald Lee Ermey As Gunnery Sergeant Hartman
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
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9.8/10 Full Metal Jacket WarDrama
Full Metal Jacket is a war movie directed by Stanley Kubrick where a group of young soldiers endure the brutal training regimen of U.S. Marine Corps drill sergeant Hartman (Lee Ermey) and fight in the Vietnam War. The film was highly acclaimed for its crude portrayal of the dehumanizing effects of war and the psychological toll it takes on soldiers.
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*Availability in US Director Stanley Kubrick Release Date July 10, 1987 Cast Matthew Modine , Arliss Howard , Adam Baldwin , R. Lee Ermey , Vincent D’Onofrio Runtime 116 minutes
Painting a harrowing picture of the darkest aspects associated with the Vietnam War, 1987’s Full Metal Jacket plays home to one of the most memorable antagonists in cinematic history. A foul-mouthed officer tasked with overseeing basic training for the film’s central group of characters, Ronald Lee Ermey’s bow as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in one of the best war movies from the 1980s is the stuff of legend. A real-life veteran who earned a Golden Globe for his performance, Ermey ad-libbed large portions of the iconic tirades of profane abuse that his character is now synonymous with.
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Ermey was cast as Hartman after Kubrick viewed an audition tape depicting the actor improvising verbal abuse for a lengthy period of time without break or hesitation, even as tennis balls and oranges were pelted at him.
While USMC sergeants frequently behave in a similar manner to Ermey’s character, Hartman’s status as one of the genre’s foremost villains is due to the clear enjoyment he takes in his abusive line of work. The sergeant might just be following orders, but he pushes a man suffering from mental illness past his breaking point and clearly relishes doing so, underlining this status quo with some of the most unforgettable NSFW soundbites in cinematic history.
4 Tom Berenger As Robert Barnes
Platoon (1986)
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10/10 Platoon DramaWar
Platoon is a war drama directed by Oliver Stone, featuring Charlie Sheen as a young soldier experiencing the harrowing realities of Vietnam. Released in 1986, the film chronicles his moral struggle within a divided platoon, led by the contrasting characters of Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. Platoon offers a raw depiction of the harsh conditions and ethical dilemmas faced by soldiers, contributing to its critical acclaim and multiple Academy Awards.
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*Availability in US Director Oliver Stone Release Date February 6, 1987 Cast Tom Berenger , Willem Dafoe , Charlie Sheen , Keith David , Forest Whitaker , Francesco Quinn , Kevin Dillon , John C. McGinley Writers Oliver Stone
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A seminal war offering from Oliver Stone and one of the best anti-war films ever made, 1986’s Platoon pulls no punches in capturing the most harrowing elements associated with the conflict. Based on the director’s real-life experiences as a Vietnam veteran, Platoon sees the film’s titular group of soldiers gradually split into two opposing camps of morality; a more compassionate group and their considerably more ruthless counterparts, led by the film’s chief antagonist in Tom Berenger’s Sergeant Robert Barnes.
In addition to murdering Willem Dafoe’s Sergeant Elias Grodin and blaming the Viet Cong for his death, Barnes enthusiastically encourages and actively participates in an array of appalling war crimes.
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A hardened combat veteran who bears the physical and mental scars from countless military engagements, Barnes demonstrates his wicked credentials unashamedly throughout the course of Platoon, with Berenger earning an Academy Award nomination for his stunning portrayal. In addition to murdering Willem Dafoe’s Sergeant Elias Grodin and blaming the Viet Cong for his death, Barnes enthusiastically encourages and actively participates in an array of appalling war crimes. A notable sequence sees Barnes even threaten to shoot a young Vietnamese girl after murdering her mother in a wicked attempt to coerce information from her father.
3 Marlon Brando As Walter Kurtz
Apocalypse Now (1978)
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10/10 Apocalypse Now DramaWarMystery
In Francis Ford Coppola’s classic Vietnam War film, loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, an army Captain is tasked with assassinating a rogue Colonel who has created a cult-like compound in the Cambodian jungle and is currently waging his own war outside the army’s purview. Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando star as Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz respectively, with an ensemble cast that includes Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, and Dennis Hopper.
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*Availability in US Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date August 15, 1979 Cast Marlon Brando , Martin Sheen , Robert Duvall , Frederic Forrest , Sam Bottoms , Laurence Fishburne Runtime 147 minutes
One of the best war movies from the 1970s, Apocalypse Now is a loose adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness from The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola. The film follows Martin Sheen’s Captain Willard, a soldier on a covert mission to assassinate a rogue Special Forces colonel accused of perpetrating extrajudicial barbarities who now commands a cult of personality. Willard’s target and the movie’s overarching antagonist take the form of Marlon Brando’s Walter Kurtz.
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A highly decorated special forces officer who is revered by his followers as a demigod, the mentally unstable Kurtz perpetrates a wide array of atrocities as part of a terror campaign against anybody who would oppose his efforts. Despite only briefly appearing in the movie, Brando does a lot with a little, producing a haunting performance that achieves what most actors dream of accomplishing across the span of a career in just over 15 minutes.
2 Christoph Waltz As Hans Landa
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
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9/10 Inglourious Basterds DramaWarAdventure
In Nazi-occupied France, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” execute a mission to terrorize the Third Reich. Simultaneously, a young Jewish cinema owner plots to kill Nazi leaders attending a premiere at her theater. Both plans converge in a high-stakes showdown filled with action and revenge.
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*Availability in US Director Quentin Tarantino Release Date August 21, 2009 Cast Brad Pitt , Diane Kruger , Mélanie Laurent , Christoph Waltz , Eli Roth , Michael Fassbender , Daniel Brühl , Til Schweiger Runtime 153 minutes
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Arguably Quentin Tarantino’s finest film since Pulp Fiction, 2009’s Inglourious Basterds chronicles a pair of assassination efforts set against the backdrop of an alternate version of WWII. Brought to life in a generational performance by Christoph Waltz, Hans Landa serves as the lead villain for Tarantino’s genre-subverting masterpiece, a role that earned the previously unheralded Austrian the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
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Inglourious Basterds (2009) |
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Django Unchained (2012) |
87% |
A ferociously intelligent and calculating SS officer, Landa is known as “the Jew Hunter” due to his proficiency in locating Jews forced into hiding throughout occupied France. Lending to his reputation as one of cinema’s most memorable villains, Landa’s terrifying reputation is juxtaposed against a facade of simpering civility, a warm smile, and an eloquent manner of speaking that evaporates in an instant to reveal the merciless disposition and unabated malice lurking behind the colonel’s eyes. The focal point of one of cinema’s most unforgettable character introductions, Landa is a villain for the ages.
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1 Ralph Fiennes As Amön Goth
Schindler’s List (1993)
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10/10 Schindler’s List DramaHistoryWar
Schindler’s List is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, chronicling the efforts of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust. Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, the film vividly portrays the atrocities committed during World War II while highlighting Schindler’s transformation from a profit-driven industrialist to a humanitarian savior.
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*Availability in US Director Steven Spielberg Release Date December 15, 1993 Cast Liam Neeson , Ben Kingsley , Ralph Fiennes , Caroline Goodall , Jonathan Sagall Runtime 195 Minutes
Perhaps the quintessential war movie that viewers can only bear to watch once, Schindler’s List is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, irrespective of genre. Steven Spielberg’s 1993 picture is based on the real-life story of Liam Neeson’s Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist credited with saving more than a thousand Jewish workers from the Holocaust by giving them employment in his factories.
Related Schindler’s List: 10 Biggest Differences Between Spielberg’s Movie & The Book
In Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg uses bold cinematic choices to dramaticize Thomas Keneally’s book and bring the story to life.
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The primary villain of Schindler’s List is Amon Göth, an SS commandant charged with overseeing the concentration camps. The personification of pure evil, Göth is a brutal sadist of the highest order, an individual who shoots camp workers from his balcony window if they appear to be working too slowly, and a man who embodies the malevolence that permeates this seminal war movie. The despicable war criminal is played in a harrowingly authentic turn by Ralph Fiennes; the actor’s failure to receive the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance is perhaps the most egregious oversight in the Academy’s history.