Best War Movies of the 1950s

1. 1
   Paths of Glory 1957

   Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube TV
   8.2

   8.3 · 3.4K votes
2. 2
   The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957

   Directed by David Lean · Streaming on YouTube Free, Sony Pictures Core
   7.8

   7.8 · 2.5K votes
3. 3
   The Human Condition I: No Greater Love 1959

   Directed by Masaki Kobayashi · Streaming on Criterion Channel
   7.7

   8.2 · 306 votes
4. 4
   The Great War 1959

   Directed by Mario Monicelli
   7.7

   8.1 · 380 votes
5. 5
   The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity 1959

   Directed by Masaki Kobayashi · Streaming on Criterion Channel
   7.7

   8.2 · 242 votes
6. 6
   The Cranes Are Flying 1957

   Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Criterion Channel, Darkroom
   7.6

   7.9 · 483 votes
7. 7
   Stalag 17 1953

   Directed by Billy Wilder · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, YouTube Free
   7.5

   7.7 · 695 votes
8. 8
   Ballad of a Soldier 1959

   Directed by Grigoriy Chukhray · Streaming on Criterion Channel, Darkroom
   7.5

   8.0 · 230 votes
9. 9
   Forbidden Games 1952

   Directed by René Clément · Streaming on Darkroom
   7.5

   7.8 · 367 votes
10. 10
    The African Queen 1952

    Directed by John Huston · Streaming on Mometu
    7.2

    7.3 · 1.1K votes
11. 11
    The Burmese Harp 1956

    Directed by Kon Ichikawa · Streaming on Criterion Channel, Darkroom
    7.2

    7.8 · 177 votes
12. 12
    From Here to Eternity 1953

    Directed by Fred Zinnemann · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Fawesome
    7.1

    7.3 · 742 votes
13. 13
    The Bridge 1959

    Directed by Bernhard Wicki · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.1

    7.6 · 206 votes
14. 14
    Ashes and Diamonds 1958

    Directed by Andrzej Wajda · Streaming on HBO Max, Kanopy
    7.1

    7.4 · 294 votes
15. 15
    Kanal 1957

    Directed by Andrzej Wajda · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    7.1

    7.6 · 169 votes
16. 16
    The Caine Mutiny 1954

    Directed by Edward Dmytryk · Streaming on YouTube Free, Howdy
    7.0

    7.3 · 388 votes
17. 17
    Operation Petticoat 1959

    Directed by Blake Edwards · Streaming on Hoopla, Pluto TV, YouTube Free
    7.0

    7.2 · 434 votes
18. 18
    Fires on the Plain 1959

    Directed by Kon Ichikawa · Streaming on Kanopy, Criterion Channel, Darkroom
    7.0

    7.6 · 130 votes
19. 19
    General Della Rovere 1959

    Directed by Roberto Rossellini · Streaming on Kanopy
    7.0

    7.5 · 154 votes
20. 20
    Senso 1954

    Directed by Luchino Visconti · Streaming on HBO Max
    6.9

    7.2 · 259 votes
21. 21
    The Enemy Below 1957

    Directed by Dick Powell
    6.9

    7.2 · 225 votes
22. 22
    Fate of a Man 1959

    Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk
    6.8

    7.5 · 97 votes
23. 23
    Ice Cold in Alex 1958

    Directed by J. Lee Thompson · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, BFI Player
    6.8

    7.3 · 110 votes
24. 24
    Mister Roberts 1955

    Directed by John Ford · Streaming on YouTube Free
    6.7

    7.0 · 188 votes
25. 25
    The Horse Soldiers 1959

    Directed by John Ford · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla, YouTube Free
    6.7

    6.9 · 292 votes
26. 26
    Run Silent, Run Deep 1958

    Directed by Robert Wise · Streaming on fuboTV, MGM+, Philo
    6.7

    7.0 · 199 votes
27. 27
    A Time to Love and a Time to Die 1958

    Directed by Douglas Sirk
    6.7

    7.2 · 103 votes
28. 28
    Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. 1951

    Directed by Raoul Walsh · Streaming on HBO Max
    6.6

    7.0 · 150 votes
29. 29
    The Dam Busters 1955

    Directed by Michael Anderson · Streaming on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla
    6.6

    6.9 · 168 votes
30. 30
    Violent Summer 1959

    Directed by Valerio Zurlini · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Xumo Play, Tubi TV
    6.6

    7.2 · 86 votes
31. 31
    Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison 1957

    Directed by John Huston
    6.6

    6.9 · 150 votes
32. 32
    The Unknown Soldier 1955

    Directed by Edvin Laine
    6.6

    7.2 · 77 votes
33. 33
    The Man Who Never Was 1956

    Directed by Ronald Neame
    6.6

    7.0 · 96 votes
34. 34
    Attack 1956

    Directed by Robert Aldrich · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube Free, Eternal Family
    6.5

    6.8 · 149 votes
35. 35
    The Steel Helmet 1951

    Directed by Samuel Fuller · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.5

    7.0 · 92 votes
36. 36
    The Good Soldier Švejk 1957

    Directed by Karel Steklý · Streaming on Klassiki
    6.5

    7.5 · 43 votes
37. 37
    The Cruel Sea 1953

    Directed by Charles Frend · Streaming on Kanopy, BFI Player
    6.5

    6.9 · 85 votes
38. 38
    War and Peace 1956

    Directed by King Vidor · Streaming on Paramount Plus Essential, Kanopy, Hoopla
    6.5

    6.6 · 282 votes
39. 39
    The Young Lions 1958

    Directed by Edward Dmytryk
    6.5

    6.7 · 153 votes
40. 40
    The Cow and I 1959

    Directed by Henri Verneuil
    6.5

    6.7 · 144 votes
41. 41
    The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel 1951

    Directed by Henry Hathaway
    6.5

    6.7 · 121 votes
42. 42
    Dunkirk 1958

    Directed by Leslie Norman · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, BFI Player
    6.5

    6.9 · 77 votes
43. 43
    Fan-Fan the Tulip 1952

    Directed by Christian-Jaque · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.5

    6.7 · 129 votes
44. 44
    Bunker Hill Bunny 1950

    Directed by Friz Freleng
    6.4

    7.4 · 36 votes
45. 45
    Friendly Persuasion 1956

    Directed by William Wyler · Streaming on TCM
    6.4

    6.7 · 149 votes
46. 46
    The Inn of the Sixth Happiness 1958

    Directed by Mark Robson
    6.4

    6.8 · 87 votes
47. 47
    A Generation 1955

    Directed by Andrzej Wajda · Streaming on Criterion Channel
    6.4

    6.9 · 65 votes
48. 48
    Yesterday's Enemy 1959

    Directed by Val Guest
    6.4

    7.2 · 39 votes
49. 49
    Children of Hiroshima 1952

    Directed by Kaneto Shindō · Streaming on Fawesome
    6.4

    7.1 · 43 votes
50. 50
    Stars 1959

    Directed by Konrad Wolf · Streaming on Kanopy, MUBI
    6.4

    7.4 · 29 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever? 1959

   Directed by Frank Wisbar
   6.3

   7.3 · 27 votes
2. 2
   The Fugitives 1955

   Directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois
   6.3

   7.6 · 16 votes
3. 3
   The Last Act 1955

   Directed by G.W. Pabst
   6.3

   7.9 · 11 votes
4. 4
   Time Limit 1957

   Directed by Karl Malden · Streaming on ScreenPix, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
   6.3

   7.2 · 28 votes
5. 5
   Orders to Kill 1958

   Directed by Anthony Asquith
   6.3

   7.2 · 25 votes
6. 6
   The Eagle of the Pacific 1953

   Directed by Ishirō Honda
   6.2

   7.8 · 10 votes
7. 7
   The Thick-Walled Room 1956

   Directed by Masaki Kobayashi · Streaming on Criterion Channel
   6.3

   7.2 · 22 votes
8. 8
   08/15 1954

   Directed by Paul May
   6.2

   7.3 · 17 votes
9. 9
   This Was Pancho Villa: First chapter 1957

   Directed by Ismael Rodríguez
   6.2

   7.2 · 18 votes
10. 10
    This Life of Mine 1950

    Directed by Shi Hui
    6.2

    7.4 · 13 votes