Throughout history the nature of war has been, at once, reviled and revered as an impulse that forms the very core of human nature. From the very beginnings of literature, records of war, both mythical and historical, have been documented as a metaphor of man’s relationship not only to each other but also to nature and to the concept of a god, not to mention man’s nature and the nature of god as well! For the last century, in which the moving image on the silver screen has become one of the greatest communications tool and art form in the world, cinema has intermittently, grappled with the nature of war in all its ramifications.

Every war in which the United States has participated over the last century has given way to great films. World War I gave us All Quiet on the Western Front and Paths of Glory. World War II, the most mythic of this century’s conflicts, produced not only brilliant films but an entire popular culture including clothing styles, music, fine art, literature and corporate business models, the influences of which are still felt today.