It’s not uncommon to get goosebumps from some of cinema’s most unforgettable scenes, and war movies, in particular, tend to elicit heightened emotional responses. From sequences that focus on the tragic deaths of key characters to moments that depict rousing acts of heroism, certain scenes linger in viewers’ minds long after the credits roll. Many of them also give audiences goosebumps, as they paint an immersive picture of the high-stakes nature of armed conflict and the sacrifices made by those involved in it.
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Given the compelling and evocative nature of the genre, several of the best war movies of all time feature standout moments that consistently elicit powerful reactions. From last-minute cavalry arrivals in the heat of battle to heartbreaking instances of self-sacrifice and courage, many memorable war movies have played host to the most goosebump-inducing moments in cinematic history. These instances can be found across the storied genre, within everything from classic epic war movies to prominent war films based on true stories.
10 Miller Shoots The Tank
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
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24 9.5/10 Saving Private Ryan
Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 WWII film. Saving Private Ryan tells the story of Miller’s command of a company of soldiers who risk their lives in an attempt to extricate Private James Ryan from the fighting in Europe, in order to spare his family from losing all of their sons after Ryan’s brothers are killed in the war. Matt Damon, Edward Burns, and Tom Sizemore also star.
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*Availability in US Director Steven Spielberg Release Date July 24, 1998 Studio(s) DreamWorks Distribution Cast Tom Sizemore , Adam Goldberg , Vin Diesel , Tom Hanks , Edward Burns , Matt Damon Runtime 169 minutes
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It stands to reason that the greatest war movie ever made would feature some first-rate emotional moments. And 1998’s Saving Private Ryan does not disappoint on that front, with Steven Spielberg delivering harrowing scenes that unflinchingly depict the horrors of war. Fortunately, the movie’s most powerful scene moves away from the hopeless portrayal of combat and produces a rare moment of hope. It shines through the horror of battle and is enough to send shivers down spines.
Related “I Say This Respectfully”: Saving Private Ryan’s Ending Gets Called Out For 1 Hollywood Detail By WW2 Historian
World War II historian John McManus breaks down the mistakes in Saving Private Ryan’s ending battle that aren’t true to real-life history.
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The moment in question sees Tom Hanks’ Captain Miller mortally wounded as a German tank rolls towards him. Firing a handgun at the colossal war machine, Miller’s resolute last stand can be equated to a rabbit trying to fight off an elephant with a twig. All appears lost as Hank’s charge fires his final bullet, but the tank somehow explodes in a huge ball of flame. The reveal that the vehicle’s fiery demise was actually due to an arriving Mustang fighter plane does little to detract from the quality of one of most iconic sequences the war genre has to offer.
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9 Murphy Sacrifices Himself
Lone Survivor (2013)
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Lone Survivor WarAction
Lone Survivor is a dramatization of the United States Navy SEALs’ Operation Red Wing, an unsuccessful military operation that aimed to track down the leader of the Taliban. The film follows the four-man SEAL team, and the danger and psychological strain they faced on their mission.
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*Availability in US Director Peter Berg Release Date December 25, 2013 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Cast Mark Wahlberg , Taylor Kitsch , Emile Hirsch , Ben Foster , Eric Bana , Ali Suliman
A dramatized account of Operation Red Wings, 2013’s Lone Survivor recounts the tale of Navy SEAL Marcus Lutrell, the last man left standing from a four-man team following a disastrous reconnaissance mission during the War in Afghanistan. Producing a fitting tribute to the real-life heroics of the soldiers the movie is based on, the awe-inspiring bravery and honor depicted in Lone Survivor rarely fails to elicit goosebumps.
The real-life Marcus Lutrell has a cameo appearance in
Lone Survivor
as a background Navy SEAL character in various scenes.
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The death of Taylor Kitsch’s Mike Murphy exemplifies this state of affairs in Lone Survivor’s most heroic act, producing a spine-tingling sequence due to the sheer levels of courage and sacrifice on display. Under heavy fire, the SEAL team leader scales a cliff face to get a clear signal to alert reinforcements, fearlessly exposing himself to a hail of bullets to try and save his team. Drawing on his final vestiges of strength, the wounded Murphy successfully calls for backup before succumbing to his wounds in heartbreaking fashion.
8 Elias’ Final Stand
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 Runtime 120 Minutes
One of the best war movies of the 1980s, 1986’s Platoon all but guarantees goosebumps for anyone watching — and that’s especially true of one iconic sequence. The scene in question depicts the heroic death of Willem Dafoe’s Elias as the platoon evacuates, mercilessly gunned down by pursuing NVA soldiers after being mortally wounded and left for dead by Tom Berenger’s villainous charge, Barnes.
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The haunting tones of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” serve as the capstone to what is one of the genre’s most poignant and unforgettable moments. The desolating music set against the visual of a dying Elias throwing his arms up in the air produces one of cinema’s most haunting images. It’s a tear-jerking and powerful moment for the ages, and it never fails to pack an emotional punch.
7 Achilles’ Myrmidons Storm The Beaches
Troy (2004)
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8.5/10 Troy Drama
Troy, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 2004, is a historical epic based on Homer’s Iliad. The film chronicles the legendary Trojan War, focusing on the conflict between Achilles, played by Brad Pitt, and Hector, portrayed by Eric Bana. Starring Orlando Bloom as Paris and Diane Kruger as Helen, it explores themes of honor, betrayal, and the fates of the warriors involved in the siege of Troy.
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*Availability in US Director Wolfgang Petersen Release Date May 14, 2004 Cast Brad Pitt , Eric Bana , Orlando Bloom , Julian Glover , Brian Cox , Nathan Jones , Adoni Maropis , Jacob Smith Runtime 163 Minutes
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Wolfgang Peterson’s 2004 historical epic Troy is not without its issues, but it features a spectacular depiction of Homer’s legendary warrior Achilles and marks one of Brad Pitt’s best war movies. The Fury star’s take on the Illiad character makes him one of the most formidable swordsmen ever seen on the silver screen. He turns in a number of chilling sequences throughout the movie, from his spectacular introduction in his duel with Boagrius to his epic final showdown with Eric Bana’s Hector.
|
Brad Pitt’s highest rated war movie performances on IMDb |
|
|---|---|
|
War Machine (2017) |
6.0 |
|
Allied (2016) |
7.1 |
|
Seven Years in Tibet (1997) |
7.1 |
|
Troy (2004) |
7.3 |
|
Legends of the Fall (1994) |
7.5 |
|
Fury (2014) |
7.6 |
|
Inglourious Basterds (2009) |
8.4 |
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However, Troy’s foremost scene in this regard arrives when Achilles and his loyal crew of Myrmidon soldiers arrive on the beaches of Troy ahead of the rest of the Greek army. Despite being hilariously outnumbered, Achilles and his black-armored band of killers form a shield wall and storm the beach, taking the Trojan soldiers by surprise through their sheer ferocity. The sequence’s depiction of Achilles’ terrifying abilities and the sound of the awed Greek soldiers chanting his name from the ships is enough to make one’s hair stand up on end.
6 Farrier Saves The Troops
Dunkirk (2017)
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6.5/10 Dunkirk HistoryDramaAction
This epic tale of World War II tells the story of soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who are surrounded by the German army, and the dangerous operation that evacuated and saved the lives of thousands.
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*Availability in US Director Christopher Nolan Release Date July 21, 2017 Cast Kenneth Branagh , Aneurin Barnard , Mark Rylance , Tom Hardy , James D’Arcy , Jack Lowden , Cillian Murphy , Harry Styles , Fionn Whitehead , Barry Keoghan Runtime 106 minutes
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One of the finest and most historically accurate WWII movies of all time, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk chronicles the real-life story of the infamous 1940 evacuation of British and French soldiers from the titular beaches. The acclaimed 2017 war movie places a heavy emphasis on everyday heroism, highlighting the enormous impact seemingly minor actions can have against the backdrop of one of the conflict’s major flashpoints.
Christopher Nolan destroyed an IMAX camera for the third time in his career while filming
Dunkirk.
Dunkirk’s most intense and emotionally loaded scene sees Nolan ratchet up the tension to near unbearable levels with the sight of a German dive-bomber ominously bearing down on the defenseless troops on the mole, only for Tom Hardy’s Farrier to swoop in and gun the plane down at the last minute. The uplifting sound of the cheering troops is tinged with melancholy in light of the knowledge that Farrier’s plane doesn’t have enough fuel to make it home. This renders his intervention one of the movie’s most moving sequences.
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5 Schofield Sprints Across No Man’s Land
1917 (2019)
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7.6/10 1917 DramaBiography
Set against the backdrop of war-torn France during WWI, 1917 is directed by Sam Mendes and stars George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman as two young British soldiers tasked with delivering a dangerous message to stop an attack that could the lives of thousands of other soldiers at risk. The film uses long takes to make it appear that the entire narrative takes place over the course of two continuous shots. Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch also star.
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*Availability in US Director Sam Mendes Release Date December 25, 2019 Cast Colin Firth , Teresa Mahoney , Andrew Scott , Dean-Charles Chapman , Gerran Howell , Richard Madden , Daniel Mays , Benedict Cumberbatch , Adrian Scarborough , Mark Strong , George MacKay Runtime 119 minutes
Winning three out of the ten Academy Awards that it was nominated for, Sam Mendes’ 1917 is one of the best British war movies of all time. Depicting a frenetic race against time to call off a doomed offensive against the backdrop of World War I, the 2019 film unsurprisingly plays host to a number of emotionally loaded moments. The shocking death of Dean-Charles Chapman’s Tom Blake is a notable example of a scene that evokes goosebumps through its heartbreaking nature.
|
Sam Mendes’ war movies IMDb ratings |
|
|---|---|
|
Jarhead (2005) |
7.0 |
|
1917 (2019) |
8.2 |
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However, 1917’s most intense and emotional scene sees George Mackay’s Schofield desperately sprint through the hell of battle as the first wave goes “over the top,” running parallel to the British trench line in an effort to reach the officer who can call off the attack. The chaotic sounds of battle and Thomas Newman’s rousing score — set against the visual of Schofield, feverishly sprinting through a haze of explosions and roaring soldiers — make this one of the most iconic and rousing scenes in war movie history.
4 The Bear Jew Executes Sergeant Rachtman
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
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9/10 Inglourious Basterds
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 Studio(s) Universal Pictures Cast Brad Pitt , Diane Kruger , Mélanie Laurent , Christoph Waltz , Eli Roth , Michael Fassbender , Daniel Brühl , Til Schweiger Runtime 153 minutes
Depicting an alternate version of history against the backdrop of WWII, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds is loaded with an array of flawless sequences. However, the one scene from Tarantino’s 2009 movie that never fails to induce goosebumps is the introduction of Sergeant Donny Donowitz. More commonly known as “The Bear Jew,” Eli Roth’s character executes German captives with a baseball bat. It’s a fate that Richard Sammel’s Sergeant Rachtmann finds himself confronted with after refusing to give up information.
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It’s hard to choose what’s more chilling: the suspense that builds as Donny rhythmically knocks his signature weapon before emerging from the darkness or the unflinching response of the doomed Sergeant Rachtman in the face of a horrifically brutal death. “You get that for killing Jews?” Donnowitz inquires of the German’s Iron Cross before playing the role of executioner. The whole scene is powerful and will undoubtedly give viewers a few goosebumps.
3 Doss’ Father Interrupts His Trial
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
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9/10 Hacksaw Ridge DramaBiographyDocumentaryHistoryWar
Hacksaw Ridge is a historical war film based on the true story of Desmond Doss, a soldier in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, who saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon, as he believed that while the war was justified, killing was nevertheless wrong due to his upbringing.
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*Availability in US Director Mel Gibson Release Date November 4, 2016 Cast Sam Worthington , Rachel Griffiths , Richard Roxburgh , Andrew Garfield , Teresa Palmer , matt nable , Vince Vaughn , Luke Bracey , Nathaniel Buzolic , Hugo Weaving , Ryan Corr Runtime 139minutes
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Ironically, for a film featuring as many hair-raising battle sequences as 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge, a scene from the movie that never fails to elicit chills takes place away from the battlefield. The scene depicts Desmond Doss’ court-martial, with all appearing lost for Andrew Garfield’s conscientious objector. Fortunately, that’s before his father arrives at the last minute to save the day, bearing a letter that confirms Doss’ stance of pacifism is protected under the United States Constitution.
In
Hacksaw Ridge’s
most emotionally loaded scene, Hugo Weaving’s Tom Doss literally forces his way past guards and into the tribunal to fight his son’s corner in unashamedly evocative fashion.
In Hacksaw Ridge’s most emotionally loaded scene, Hugo Weaving’s Tom Doss literally forces his way past guards and into the tribunal to fight his son’s corner in unashamedly evocative fashion. Wearing the First World War uniform and medals that he despises in a desperate attempt to underline the gravity of his situation, Weaving produces a haunting snapshot of a broken man who still has enough strength left to fight for his boy.
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2 Joey And Albert Reunite
War Horse (2011)
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8/10 War Horse WarDrama
Stephen Spielberg presents War Horse, a war drama set during World War I, and follows a Horse named Joey brought into the war to be used as a cavalry mount for the British Army. The film follows the journey of the horse being raised up through its traversal through the horrific battlegrounds of the tragic war.
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*Availability in US Director Steven Spielberg Release Date December 25, 2011 Cast Tom Hiddleston , Jeremy Irvine , Benedict Cumberbatch , Peter Mullan Runtime 146minutes
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 novel of the same name, Steven Spielberg’s 2011 movie War Horse chronicles the World War I from the perspective of Joey. A bay Irish Hunter horse, Joey is separated from his beloved owner, Jeremy Irvine’s Albert, when the conflict breaks out. After encountering the horrors of war firsthand, the pair are reunited in a tear-jerking sequence that consistently tugs on the heartstrings.
War Horse
used fourteen different horses during filming to bring Joey to life onscreen.
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Just as an injured Joey is about to be put down on the orders of an army doctor, the horse hears Albert make an owl call from his younger days in the countryside. You can hear a pin drop as the ranks of soldiers part to reveal Irvine’s charge with a bandage over his eyes, prompting a neighing Joey to charge towards his beloved owner. Albert proceeds to describe the horse faultlessly, despite the injuries to his eyes, to round off an unashamedly feel-good sequence for the ages. The goosebumps that this scene has to offer are decidedly uplifting.
1 Von Stauffenberg And His Fellow Conspirators Are Executed
Valkyrie (2008)
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valkyrie WarThrillerAction
Valkyrie is a historical drama starring Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, and Carice van Houten from director Bryan Singer. The plot revolves around the use of Operation Valkyrie to take control of Germany and assassinate Adolf Hitler. Cruise stars as real-life historical figure Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg with David Bamber as Adolf Hitler.
Director Bryan Singer Release Date December 25, 2008 Cast Tom Cruise , Eddie Izzard , Bill Nighy , Kenneth Branagh Runtime 2h 4m
A star-studded war drama by director Bryan Singer, 2008’s Valkyrie depicts a dramatized account of the failed assassination of Adolf Hitler. The movie also follows the plot to use the titular national emergency plan to take control of the country, perpetrated by high-ranking German officers towards the end of WWII. Starring Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, Valkyrie ends with a haunting montage depicting the fate of the conspirators, all of whom were sentenced to one form of execution or another.
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Related Tom Cruise’s WWII Thriller Assessed By Historian As “Hollywoodization Of History”
War historian James Rogers takes a look at Valkyrie, the World War II thriller starring Tom Cruise, and assesses it for its historical accuracy.
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There are plenty of stunning final heroics to be found in this montage. Cruise’s charge stoically urges Bill Nighy’s Olbricht to look their killers in the eyes as the sentence is carried out, while his aide, Jamie Parker’s Werner von Haeften, places himself between the firing squad and the colonel in a final act of loyalty and defiance. Despite his bravery, Cruise’s take on von Stauffenberg cannot entirely hide his fear when his turn with the firing squad comes, lending an extra nuance to a war movie moment that never fails to give us goosebumps.