Despite some war movies Telling compelling stories and being visually spectacular showcases of pure cinema, these achievements don’t always equate to surprising box office success. Several incredible war films have failed at the box office, being overshadowed by larger releases or, unfortunately, forgotten by modern viewers. While a box office failure doesn’t necessarily mean a financial loss, it often implies that the film didn’t live up to its potential or expectations.
Many of the best war films of all time didn’t make much at the box office, and there were many powerful depictions of lesser-known conflicts that moviegoers didn’t see. Although some of the best directors of all time have put passion and power behind extraordinary cinematic displays of battles, conflicts and wars, these have not always achieved the kind of lasting legacy they deserve, despite being of such high quality. While It’s always disappointing when a great war film doesn’t get the appreciation it shouldmodern audiences can often rediscover and reevaluate older films and ultimately receive belated praise.
10
U-571 (2000)
Directed by Jonathan Mostow
The controversial World War II submarine film U-571 was a visually stunning, well-plotted war film marred by shocking historical inaccuracies. As the story of a German submarine boarded by Americans to capture their Enigma encryption machine, the fictional nature of its plot has been widely criticized for erasing the true heroic contributions of genuine soldiers. Anger is over U-571 historical inaccuracies even led British Prime Minister Tony Blair to describe the film (via BBC) as a “affront”For British sailors and an example of history being rewritten.
By portraying the Americans capturing the Enigma cipher instead of the British, U-571 it changed the entire history of the war and gave the public a false perception of what happened. This main plot point U-571 it did the entire film a disservice as the other production values were too high. Raising US$127 million worldwide, U-571 It surpassed box office expectations and could have been a much bigger success if this controversy hadn’t cast a dark shadow over its reputation.
9
Hamburger Hill (1987)
Directed by John Irvin
The Vietnam War served as the basis for some of the most acclaimed war films of all time. While films like Apocalypse now, The Deer Hunterand Platoon all became defining releases in the history of war cinema, the excellent war drama Burger Hill it hasn’t gained the same kind of lasting reputation. Despite boasting an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Burger Hill It hasn’t achieved the ubiquitous pop culture relevance of these other films.
Set during the Battle of Hamburger Hill, a May 1969 attack during the Vietnam War by the U.S. Army’s 3rd Battalion, Burger Hill it was a moving insight into the experiences of the members of that platoon as they faced the challenges of conflict. With a box office gross of US$13,839,404, this was far beyond general box office expectations for a war film of this type. While Burger Hill never fully received what was owed to himremains a powerful Vietnam War film worth watching.
8
Jarhead (2005)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Jake Gyllenhaal gave a surprising performance as Lance Corporal by Sam Mendes Jarheada film chronicling his military service in the US Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War. As a psychological study that took viewers into the mindsets of soldiers, Jarhead It powerfully showed the boredom, isolation and terror that those involved in conflict zones must face on a daily basis. By displaying the banal and complex aspects of war, Jarhead does not embellish military life by embracing realism.
While these more psychologically rich and emotionally complex aspects of Jarhead made it an exceptionally engaging war film, it may also have turned off audiences who expected to experience the action-packed spectacle. Jarhead it grossed just over $97 million against its $72 million budget, which was a disappointing profit for a film of this type. Although Gyllenhaal was praised for his performance Jarhead deserved better.
7
Master and Commander: The Other Side of the World (2003)
Directed by Peter Weir
Master and Commander: The Other Side of the World was a war film set during the Napoleonic Wars. Based on Aubrey-Maturin series from Patrick O’Brian, this epic nautical story starred Russell Crowe as Aubrey, a Royal Navy captain, alongside the ship’s surgeon Paul Bettany as Dr. While Master and Commander It was truly epic in scope and was even nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, but unfortunately it flopped at the box office.
With a budget of US$150 million, Master and Commander it only grossed $211 million, which, while a moderate success, was much less than anticipated for this potential franchise. With over 20 novels from O’Brian’s original book series, Master and Commander earned enough to get greenlit for a sequelthough the film’s legacy has only continued to grow over the years as viewers recognize its brilliance. While in 2021, it was announced that a prequel was in development (via Deadline), this has not yet materialized.
6
The Killing Fields (1984)
Directed by Roland Joffé
The Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia was one of the most shocking dictatorships in modern history, whose shocking civil war was cataloged in The death fields. Telling the story of a bloody conflict filled with genocide and persecution through the story of two journalists, The death fields was a harrowing depiction of the horrors of war and as compelling a document about the need for peace as anything captured on film.
As the story and friendship of Cambodian Dith Pran and American journalist Sydney Schanberg were powerfully told, The death fields featured Pol Pot’s ruthless ‘Year Zero’ clean-up campaign, which led to the murder of 2 million citizens. Despite being one of the most powerful war films ever made, The death fields achieved only modest box office success, as it grossed just over $34 million against its $14.4 million budget. However, Cambodian Haing S. Ngor, who had no prior acting experience, received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dith Pran.
5
Johnny Got His Gun (1971)
Directed by Dalton Trumbo
Johnny got his gun was author, director and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo’s excellent adaptation of his own 1937 novel, telling of the terrible consequences of a soldier’s life after being hit by an artillery shell during the First World War. This shocking anti-war film saw American soldier Joe Bonham lose his eyes, ears, mouth, nose and limbs. Even so, Joe remained conscious and a prisoner of his own body, unable to communicate. Although doctors assumed Joe was in a vegetative state, he desperately tried to make his situation known by banging his head against a pillow to spell out “help” in Morse code.
While Johnny got his gun received rave reviews upon release, modern audiences have almost forgotten about it, and it deserves much more recognition. From Joe having a vision of Jesus Christ, played by Donald Sutherland, to being placed in a glass coffin as a demonstration of the horrors of war, Joe’s truly imaginable circumstances created one of the most powerful anti-war films ever made. Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa even cited the film as one of his favorite films of all timeshowing that Johnny got his gun deserves to be much better known.
4
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood released two consecutive films in 1945 covering the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Letters from Iwo Jima was a Japanese-language depiction of the conflict, showing the battle from the Japanese perspective, while Flags of our fathers featured the five Marines and one Navy corpsman who were involved in raising the flag on Iwo Jima, an iconic image from World War II still known today. Letters from Iwo Jima it received widespread critical acclaim and was even nominated for several Academy Awards; however, in the process, this overshadowed the appeal of Flags of our fathers.
Flags of our fathers really bombed at the box officeearning just $65.9 against its $90 million budget, while Eastwood’s companion film earned similar box office receipts but was more profitable as it only cost $19 million to produce. But Our Father flags should not be dismissed, as its powerful depiction of bravery and fortitude was a moving tribute to the brave men who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. The dual nature of Eastwood’s two films also worked as a fascinating portrait of the complexities of war, where each side has a story to tell.
3
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Directed by Terry George
Hotel Rwanda was a powerful war film about a lesser-known conflict that was no less tragic and devastating than many of the better-known conflict-based films. As a representation of the genocide in Rwanda, Hotel Rwanda starred Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina, the real hotelier who, together with his wife Tatiana, provided refuge to over 1,000 refugees, providing them shelter in the besieged Hôtel des Mille Collines. As a representation of genocide, political corruption and the repercussions of violence, Hotel Rwanda explored many of the same themes as Schindler’s List in an African context.
While Hotel Rwanda earned raves and Cheadle received an Oscar for Best Actor, the film mostly flopped at the box office and grossed just $33.9 million against its $17.5 million budget. As Hotel Rwanda was beaten at the box office by popular hits like the romantic comedy Hitch, it seemed that audiences were more interested in escapism than confronting the unimaginably brutal mass genocide seen in 1990s Africa. Hotel Rwanda It was an essential document of the horrors of war and sad proof that genocide did not end with World War II.
2
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Directed by Terrence Malick
The thin red line was Terrence Malick’s extraordinary adaptation of James Jones’ 1962 novel that told a fictionalized version of the Battle of Mount Austen in World War II. With a star-studded cast including Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, George Clooney and John C. Reily and a prestigious director at the helm, this powerful story of conflict and bloodshed was expected to clean up the box office. However, The thin red line was in direct competition with Steven Spielberg’s extraordinary rescue mission war film Saving Private Ryanwhich overshadowed him enormously.
While The thin red line box office earnings of US$98.1 million were nothing to write home about, the film flopped when compared to the film’s extraordinary US$481 million haul. Saving Private Ryanwhich was disheartening. The thin red line was a boldly philosophical World War II film that truly captured the emotional depth of this harrowing war and the intense experiences of those who fought in it. Although Spielberg’s film gained more praise at the time, looking back, The thin red line was a highly underrated release.
1
Paths of Glory (1957)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick has rightfully earned his reputation as one of the most important filmmakers who ever lived, and his film about the First World War Paths of Glory it has since gained widespread acclaim as one of his greatest works. However, this was not always the case, as Paths of Glory The release was plagued by controversy, which hindered its box office success. The anti-militarist stance Path of Glory was heavily criticizedas Kirk Douglas’ portrayal of Colonel Dax’s refusal to send his men on a suicide mission was seen as a protest against the soldiers whose lives were needlessly lost in the conflict.
Although exact box office details for Paths of Glory vary from source to source, with some claiming it was a modest success and others claiming it struggled to recoup its $1 million budget (via Telegraph), the truth is that I deserved something better, regardless of what was correct. Paths of Glory was one of the greatest of all time war movies and a courageous depiction of why it’s important to stand up for one’s beliefs, even in the face of looming authority figures. Although Paths of Glory may have failed at the box office, it is still remembered decades later.
Sources: All box office numbers from Mojo Box Office, BBC, Deadline, Telegraph